March 09, 2006

Irresponsible students

For the past half year I have basically done everything to keep the school chess club running. I make and run off flyers to advertise the meetings, conduct chess lessons, and have even bought the chess sets, chess boards, and trophies for tournaments out of my own pocket. I don't mind the money so much but the time I put into this club is ridiculous. The club officers have done absolutely nothing to help keep the club going this year. So... I decided to put the burden upon the officers to do what they should be doing to operate the chess club. I held a meeting and explained my expectations to them. They agreed that they should handle the routine tasks I have been handling. The following week there was no announcement on the intercom for the club meeting. There were no flyers printed or put up for the meeting. When the day for the chess meeting came, the president came up and said "We are having the meeting today, right?" I told him that we were not meeting since there had been no announcement made by the officers to that effect. He became very upset and said that the class secretary had emailed "everyone" about the meeting. I had not received an email from her. I was stopped inthe hallway by a number of chess club members who wanted to know if there was a meeting so I'm pretty certain that they had not received an email from her. She had apparently emailed a handful of students about the meeting, believing this was adequate to announce the meeting. Considering the lack of information given out about the meeting, I cancelled it for this week. I posted a sign on the door saying that the meeting would not be held since it had not been adequately announced to the membership. The president told me that the vice president made rude remarks about me when he heard we were not having a meeting. This is funny since he has not been to a meeting the past three weeks.

I refuse to cover for these students any more. I will not continue to do all ot the tasks that the officers should be doing. Since they are apparently not willing to do the jobs they were elected for, I am cancelling the rest of the year's meeting, the spring tournament, and a simultaneous exhibition I had planned on giving. I have received no assistance in conducting the tournament or the simul. My role is supposed to be simply a faculty advisor. I was never supposed to do everything to keep the club going. I did not mind doing this in the beginning because the club needed a good start. With the election of officers and bylaws, my role should have been reduced to an advisor only. I am so upset with the lack of help these students have given me after I explained the situation that I want nothing else to do with this club. I heard that they are looking for a new sponsor now. I don't think they will find another sucker who is willing to do all of their jobs for them.

Posted by Ken Albin on March 9, 2006 08:26 PM

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