I created a separate topic on this forum for John Acker posts which he kindly asked me in email - to copy/paste here. You can reply here or ask John questions about his campaign issues and I will continue copy/paste business Me and John had many conversations about current and future of ACF and I know 100% - he has very straight and solid vision HOW and WHAT to do to improve things and survive.
"Michael Holmes has repeatedly treated me and other ACF members in an extremely disrespectful and unprofessional manner. He has repeatedly accused others of lacking integrity and being deceitful, yet he himself has lied about his activities and misrepresented his accomplishments. Furthermore, he has personally issued threats of lawsuits and physical violence to those who criticized his actions, attempted to circumvent the ACF constitution and bylaws to remove his political opponents from office, and claimed that he is merely being persecuted for being a good checkers player. Personally I do not believe Michael Holmes has any business leading any part of the ACF, as he continues to act in an offensive and boorish manner at every opportunity."
As an overseas player, but member of the American Checker Federation,i would be looking first of all John,to the treasurers report,and it should come out every year,like all other organizations do,respectable,and above board. Why should I support an organization where you don't know where the money is going too?Its crazy.And every member should be able to see it,just not the elite at the top.
Secondly,john if you are going to go for president, I would be looking at how you are going to support the average everyday player,who wants to come and just play for enjoyment every year at the nationals.Not,how much you are delegating to the masters,but how the funding is being evenly spread across the board,from youth to every other level.
Players running for president should not be holding secret agendas to further their advancement, but to make jolly sure that every time theres a match,the press are there,and its widely reported. That should be first and foremost.And its not hard to do.
As an overseas player, I would like to attend once more a national in America,and be encouraged to do so. Ill never forget the first time I participated,and it was one of the highlights of my life.Wasnt because I won,but because I met so many amazing people.And they supported me,even tho I wasn't American.John,id like to see that spirit return.
First, I completely agree with you and Ted that the ACF should issue a clear and complete treasurer's report at least annually, and that it should be available to all members. When I was treasurer I made producing such a report my top priority, and I think it improved the public perception, however temporarily, of the ACF's professionalism.
Unfortunately, even in that case reliable information on the ACF's income and spending was hard to come by. I received no financial records at all from previous treasurers, and aside from bulletin printing very few of our organizational expenses were documented. Furthermore, our capital is spread out among several accounts. According to the latest information I have (end of 2014), we have about $491,000 in total assets. Roughly $7500 of that is liquid (spendable), and the rest is in bequests ($290k in the Lindsay Fund and $100k in the Oldbury Fund) and CDs: the 200 Club ($85k), King Me Youth Fund ($6k), and the Northern States fund ($3k). I know the bequest funds have specific legal limits on how and when the money can be spent, but even as treasurer the rules on fund access were never fully explained to me. Bulletin printing and mailing runs around $600/month, but we need more details on our other expenses.
Regarding funding distribution at tournaments, I’m certainly open to suggestions. We definitely need to establish and enforce clear rating boundaries for tournament divisions, though most tournaments these days only have enough players for one division. At least at the ACF Nationals, I also believe there should be incentives to improve and move up to higher divisions, and that the top finishers in each division should receive the bulk of the prize fund. I understand that some tournament directors prefer to give small prizes to most or even all participants. It’s a nice thought, but in the end I believe it harms an event’s attractiveness because nobody—not even the top finisher—can hope for anything but recouping partial travel costs. Instead, I would much rather see TDs budget for advertising, onsite amenities, referee services, press coverage, and perhaps even subsidies to attract master-class and/or first-time players. In my opinion, players remember their experience at tournaments a lot longer than their specific prize payouts, and they’re a lot more likely to invest their time and money in attending a well-run tournament.
This is one area where I think the ACF should work more closely with state organizations, to take advantage of our combined expertise. It starts with getting all the District Managers and tournament directors involved in policy discussions and event planning, so we can develop relationships and produce materials (e.g. press releases, brochures, posters, and websites) that will generate both short-term and long-term benefits. This level of communication, which is frankly absent right now short of the occasional “business meeting” at Waffle House, is also the only way to establish fair and consistent standards for running and rating tournaments. The federation part of the ACF means that the state checkers organizations have a fair amount of autonomy over their local events, but also that pooling our time and resources on the federal level will benefit everyone involved.
Finally, though this post is already getting way too long, let me say something about Internet checkers. A lot of ACF members, myself included, have been playing checkers online for 15-20 years, and we’ve all got a lot of opinions about the best way to structure and run online checkers. A dedicated ACF playing site has been on my personal wish list for many years, and we’ve made some progress toward that goal, but it will take a lot more work and money to make it a reality. (Chess.com is an excellent model in this regard, as it combines excellent gameplay features with an impressive library of strategy articles and discussions.) But if this is going to be an ACF project, then we’ve got to make sure the people who lead it have the right skills, character, and loyalty to the ACF. The last thing we need is to put the ACF’s Internet presence in the hands of the vulgar and immature people who’ve been plaguing online checkers since the days of MSN Gaming Zone.
It was always some mystery for me that on many occasions even some ACF Exec members, most powerful people, don't know exactly the whole financial picture. For me, as banker with 16 years experience (PNC Bank employee since 1998), it would be very interesting to see how ACF funds are secured and invested - what particular CD's and other financial instruments are used. I am not saying something is wrong, I just need to know details if I will be elected.
It is also interesting - if ACF restore it's status as non-profit organization which was lost some years ago. I have impression that Alan accomplished this goal, but not 100% sure.
Alex_Moiseyev wrote:The last thing we need is to put the ACF’s Internet presence in the hands of the vulgar and immature people
This never ever happen if I will be elected as ACF Player Representative. And even if I will not be elected, I also will fight against anyone who tries to degrade checkers and organization. I consider myself as active online player since 1997 and I know 100% - it's a great source. Online players are not enemies for ACF
Well said John,but its still a surprise to me that in the past you have not had a clear picture where the finances are distributed.And theres a lot of talk about it,but no action,where the finances are to be spent. Surely they are not locked up for generations,not able to be spent,and used for the good of checkers.Can Alan or Kim shed some light on this subject?Kim after all was treasurer for many years, and she should have supplied a financial statement every year over that time.And if not,why not.? And why haven't American checker federation members spoken out about it before now?
This is to any and all officers of ACF past and present or possible future
Before any election There should be a Accounting of the money!!! This means posting on this forum the Names and at What Bank these funds are in and what has happened to these funds over the past 10 to 15 years......Should prove interesting for sure!!!!!!!!! Somebody knows this information or, if they don't, then criminal legal proceedings need to start. ACF, you can not hold elections with these questions out there!!! You did this when Alan came in and still to this day, questions are unanswered. ENOUGH! Get a Lawyer and get serious. Start the organization fresh and OPEN!
Sportsmanship is more important than a win any day Better to be known for word and honor than a win
Me and John had many conversations about current and future of ACF and I know 100% - he has very straight and solid vision HOW and WHAT to do to improve things and survive.