SEPARATED UNDER THE ONE ROOF

- If you have a nice venue for a three-day tournament, would you be happy?

- yes!

-  If that venue has a large hall for playing and another adjacent smaller room for coffee and refreshments, would you be happier?

- certainly!

- On the third day, would you run an extra minor tournament in that quiet smaller room?

- Maybe.

- Can you imagine how noisy and crowded it would be?

- Dunno.

- But you would give it a try though?

- Yes, I would certainly give it a try. It might create a pleasant carnival atmosphere on the third day of the major function, when players would be too tired to notice.

- If you trialled it four times in four years, and it turned out to be too noisy for the major tournament, would you still run two separate tournaments under the same roof?

- Dunno, I think next year might be one year away. Numbers might go further down anyway. We try to save on hiring halls.

- But you are losing thousands very soon on litigation with one disenchanted member, who claims that he already got you legally by your proverbial testicles.

- What? Who said that?

- There are claims that your committee is incompetent, especially the stagnant permanent members, and is sure to be refurbished for 2015.

- Rubbish! conspiracy theories abound. There is no Hurry for any change.  We are certainly competent beyond our own imagination.