Maybe this will raise enough funds to get those pros back to the 2011 congress.

i sure hope it helps. i worked a long time with andy to get that deal worked out. now we're working towards more!

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Decisions are made by those who show up.
and possibly those willing to attend secret meetings in ancient basements

Presumably this is a professional organization which charges a significant amount for its services. The AGA is an volunteer organization. Why is it paying money to do something when it is almost certain that the membership has expertize? This is an example where they should be accepting the large pool of volunteers which another thread indicates exists.

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Still officially AGA 5d but I play so irregularly these days that I am probably only 3d or 4d over the board (but hopefully still 5d in terms of knowledge, theory and the ability to contribute).

I see more and more examples of Americans turning into Brits - whining and setting people up only to chop them off at the knees. They'll be complaining about the weather soon.

It is perfectly possible, for example, that the professional organisation is getting no money up front - just a percentage of whatever is generated. That would hardly be one in the eye for volunteers. It is even possible the company is donating some of its expertise.

And the supposedly large pool of volunteers doesn't need to stand around waiting for "leadership". They could organise clubs and tournaments on their own, for example. Whatever happened to America's enterprise?

If this is directed as me then you have a couple of things wrong. First of all, I am not one of those "Americans turning into Brits". I am a Briton who turned into an American. Second, I belonged to the AGA for 30 years and did lots of volunteer work at both the local and national level. I only dropped out eighteen months ago because I got tired of the politics and mismanagement involved in the organization at the national level. I wouldn't exactly call that whining.

You are right about the weather though - it is too hot.

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Still officially AGA 5d but I play so irregularly these days that I am probably only 3d or 4d over the board (but hopefully still 5d in terms of knowledge, theory and the ability to contribute).

The AGA is receiving moneys from Advanced Marketing Technologies. The AGA is not paying any moneys to them for finding text-ads. This is part of a trend where the AGA can start to get back some of the funds from lost Ing funding. At the moment we are in discussion with another advertiser, this one very go related, and will get back some more money. This was also brought to the President and the Board around congress last year. Its taken longer to get anything finalized.

Steve Colburn
AGA Webmaster

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Decisions are made by those who show up.
and possibly those willing to attend secret meetings in ancient basements