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The highlights of the meeting were:
1. The Board accepted the deferred revenue approach in dealing with the Life Membership controversy. The financial statements due out in August, 2002 have been delayed because of this issue. The board voted that, to resolve this issue, two sets of financial statements will be issued. One will use the old Dubeck-Doyle method of providing for a "Life Membership Liability" and for "Life Membership Assets". The other will be in conformity with GAAP. In this way, the various warring political factions within the USCF can use whatever figures they like to defend their position and attack their opponents.
2. Debi Sherry appeared before the board and asked for her job back. She was fired for insubordination towards her supervisor. She is well-liked and there is strong support for taking her back. I do not know how this question was resolved, because it was taken up by the board in closed session. However, I believe that efforts will be made to reach some compromise to bring her back.
3. The Board took up the allegation made by Debi Sherry that the Senior Art Director was doing freelance work for Al Lawrence on USCF company time. However, the board concluded that the Senior Art Director was working long hours seven days a week and all she was really doing was using office facilities to do art work for Al Lawrence and Excalibur Electronics. She was not being paid by the USCF a salary or overtime for the work she did for Al Lawrence and Excalibur Electronics. There was nothing improper about the relationship and it would be allowed to continue, the board concluded.
4. The board approved a change in US Championship regulations. From now on, any person with a US Green Card or equivalent will be eligible to play in the US Championship upon satisfaction of a one-year residency requirement. Previously, three years of residence were required. This was a personal victory for me, because I have been campaigning for this change for years.
5. The super-stars of the show arrived with the introduction by Paul Truong of the US Woman's Olympic Team. The team consists of Zsuzsa Polgar, Irina Krush, Jennifer Shahade, Rusudan Goletiani, and Anna Zatonskih. What was amazing was how stunningly beautiful these five are, especially when lined up together. All of the board members clamored to be photographed with these five supermodel chess grandmasters. Awards were presented to these five members of the team, including an award by Frank Niro, and by Malcolm Pein representing ChessBase, who awarded them $8,000 worth of ChessBase software. Paul Truong announced that their next stop would be the Offices of IBM, where they will each be awarded the latest high-technology laptop computers to prepare for their chess matches. They will be given top level trainers, including Grandmaster Boris Gulko. I have no doubt that very soon we will be seeing them on CNN news. They make fantastic role models for our youth.
Sam Sloan
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