by Joseph J. Mucerino, Jr.
PSCF Secretary
The meeting opened at 6:00 p.m., July 16, 2005, at Penn State University in State College.
The PSCF is doing well financially. However, the rates for printing four issues of the Pennswoodpusher and one PSCF Annual have risen. In previous years, about $5,000 a year was collected from dues, and $3,000 a year was spent on the publications. Now, the cost has risen to $4,000 a year. This additional cost will be taken out of profits; no raise in dues is planned.
President Martinak announced that the new PA Amateur Championship, which took place in Hazleton in April, was a huge success. The profit made from this tournament will be used to help the Greater Hazleton Area Chess Club (GHACC) with future PSCF events. The president also noted that the GHACC came up with the idea for this tournament, and he encouraged other clubs to create other tournaments of their own.
Although this was not an election year, there was already talk of next year's elections. Central PA Vice-President Greg Vaserstein has apparently moved to Virginia (he may have dual residency at the time of this writing, but, according the USCF website, his Chess Life magazine is being mailed to Virginia). A new vice-president will need to be found, and he encouraged everyone to try to find a worthy candidate.
Although not an elected position, Pennswoodpusher editor Neil Brennen has indicated that he would like to step down from that post in the next year or so. President Martinak also encouraged anyone who was interested, or knew someone who maybe, to contact the PSCF. The president indicated that he was willing to become the editor, but did not want to be both editor and president at the same time. The secretary is quite content with his current duties.
Next year's state championship will be held at the University of Pittsburgh. The president said that he did not want the state championship to conflict with the US Open or the Castle Chess Camp.
The meeting adjourned at 6:15 p.m.
My contact info is:
Joseph Mucerino, Jr.
108 Russell Ave.
Douglassville, PA 19518-1119
610-385-3751
patzerpouder@hotmail.com