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By Mike Lash, AGA
President
It's mid-May
and the 2005 go calendar is already jammed with activity. The last month alone
SAW the annual Cotsen Tournament in LA as another huge success; young Jie Li 9d,
one of very strongest amateur players in the US, conducted free game reviews
before packed audiences at two DC-area clubs; with registration for the 2005
Congress already high, it continues to climb fast and head for record territory,
with plans heating up about the 2006 Congress. Meanwhile, local tournaments are
scheduled every weekend!
This
time of year is budget time and I am working closely with interested parties on
the new 2006 budget. Meanwhile, I'm working hard to support the programs
generated by the Board, membership and myself, and I am pleased to report that
we will resume funding the ING programs starting June 1. This year will see an
increase in funding for programs that promote membership and education. Since
these programs will be implemented largely at the local level, chapters and
activist members can apply for funding support. This marks the beginning of the
AGA's long-term plan to recruit and retain more members. Stay tuned for more
about this in the near future. June 1 also marks the official transition date
for our new Treasurer, Ulo Tamm. Ulo and outgoing Treasurer Ben Bernstein have
worked closely over the last 60 days to ensure a smooth transition with new bank
accounts in Colorado. Ulo is establishing an additional post office box addr ess
for to use for mailing in membership dues, invoices, donations and receipts to
streamline and speed up our administrative
tasks.
The AGA has now
implemented its policy on vendors, which has been published at
http://www.usgo.org/Board/ApprovedDocuments/ Chris
Kirschner is the Vendor Liaison for the 2005 Congress; any Congress-related
vendor questions should be directed to him at chrisk.aga@comcast.net I am the
AGA Vendor Liaison and more general questions can be directed to me at
president@usgo.org
And now my
two favorite subjects: Internet Teams League and new
volunteers!
The very first
AGA internet season is still going strong with a while to go yet before the
closing bell. League Director Bill Saltman can proudly declare the year a
success with 14 teams registered and playing. Check the stats on the AGA
webpage: http://www.usgo.org/usa/teamleague.asp Top
teams and various players will take home prize money and the unique honor of
winning in the inaugural season of the internet league. Well done,
Bill!
New opportunities
continue to arise every time I hear another bright idea or want to extend a
successful program. Keep in mind that not every position is at the national
level: volunteers can make meaningful contributions to promote go locally,
connect and support players in remote areas, engage in fund raising, teach go in
school programs and more. Step forward and let me know what you would like to
do; email me at president@usgo.org
On the
international front, Thomas Hsiang, our representative to the International Go
Federation (IGF), and a member of the IGF Executive Council in his own right, is
attending the next IGF Board of Directors meeting in Nagoya, Japan, on May 23
(his expenses are paid courtesy of the IGF). The agenda includes go in the
Olympics, an international player rating system, a proposed new organization
called the "World Mind Sports Federation", and new affiliations of go
associations from Azerbaijan, Bulgaria and
Cyprus.
A final note, also on
the international scene. Not long ago I received an email from a young African
boy in Rwanda seeking information and support to play go. I was able to direct
him to our website, which he found very helpful. This was a very gratifying
experience, proving that the game has reached very remote places, well beyond
the major western and Asian centers. In addition, the AGA's website is clearly
one of the best English-language sources of go information on the internet.
Moreover, the AGA not only now has a new friend in Africa, but just maybe this
exchange will lead to one more AGA member someday!
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