2024 annual meeting; Notes from meeting

• Opening statement - Stephen Plotnick (President)
  • Reflecting on his tenure since 2017.
  • He expressed satisfaction with the current state of the ICA and acknowledged the team effort it made in overcoming previous issues.
  • The editor position has been reinstated, filled by Jacob Plotnick, a junior at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. 
  • Jacob has written nearly 30 articles since February, mostly about tournaments, with some featuring interviews. 
  • Editor will start writing articles about the ICA Tour, not just state events. 
  • Any current affiliate is welcome to write an article or send facts about events to the editor, so an article maybe written. 
  • ICA is planning to expand, and the addition of staff reporter positions are open. Interested individuals can email the editor to become staff reporters. The position is volunteer based, offering service hours for high school or college students. 
• State of Association – Emily (Treasurer)
  • The ICA is current as the US Chess state affiliate and as a non-profit with the state of Illinois. 
  • Banking information has been moved to the Peoria area, with a new PO box established for consistency in mailings. 
  • The association carries event insurance and bonding insurance for the board. 
  • Current funds in checking and savings accounts total $61,952.45, with approximately $11,000 in investment accounts. 
  • The checking account is now interest-bearing, earning a few hundred dollars annually in dividends. 
  • Taxes and corrected taxes were filed last year, with extensions filed this year due to late access to investment accounts. 
• Upstate Update – Eric (Metro VP)
  • Reported that things are going well, coordinating with update clubs to help establish different places to play chess and increase public visibility. 
• Downstate – Amy (Downstate VP presented by Emily) 
  • Amy, unable to provide a detailed update due to location, had Emily fill in, highlighting the active chess scene in Peoria and 
  • Bloomington-Normal areas.
  • Greater Peoria Chess hosts 17 tournaments between August and February, with recent tournaments attracting over 300 participants.
  • The club provides the Boy Scouts of America Chess Merit Badge and won a Title 1 US Chess travel grant, enabling eight players to attend Super Nationals. 
  • Fundraising efforts allowed for two scholarships to Nationals and a bus trip to the K-8 State Championship in Bloomington. 
• WJS update – Edwin (WJS Committee Chairperson)
  • The program will officially start in January, with new qualifications posted and asterisks indicating near-qualification. Players with an asterisk should reach out to the WJS director to see what they are missing. 
  • Common issues that would lead to a player having an asterisk: Not a current ICA member, missing one of two required tournament appearances 
  • A new female/girl’s/women's Warren Junior Scholars group will encourage more female participation. Should start early this year.
  • As of January, there will be 46 Warren Junior Scholars and about 72 Rising Stars. 
  • Efforts are being made to reach out to chess education platforms for potential discounts or programs to benefit members. 
  • Focus is on retaining female players, especially as they transition to high school and beyond. 
• ICA Tour - Emily 
  • Listed events can be found on the ICA website under rules for Illinois tour. 
  • Twelve events are scheduled, evenly split between northern and southern locations, running from January through November, ending with the Illinois Class. 
  • Prizes are divided into Open, Reserve, and Scholastic categories, with players earning participation points based on tournament entries playing at least half the number of rounds scheduled.
  • Winners will be announced and awarded in January after board
  • approval, with the same rules and locations used for the 2025 tour.
  • Plans include increasing publicity and membership participation in tour events. 
  • Prizes also included if anyone played in a total of 7,9 or all 12 events.
• Announce new executive board – Steve (President)
  • President – Danial WIlson
  • Metro VP - Eric Ortega 
  • Downstate VP - Amy Green 
  • Treasurer - Emily Dawson 
• Remarks from new President – Danial 
  • Danial shared his vision for the ICA, expressing gratitude for the work of current and past board members. 
  • Plans include launching the revamped Warren Junior Scholars and Rising Stars program, the new website with enhanced content, and improved member benefits. 
  • Producing more articles both informative and educational.
  • Giving away free entries to our state events via a raffle for members. 
  • There are plans to review and revise bid guidelines and bylaws, emphasizing the board's ambition and readiness to implement significant improvements in the coming years. 
• New Website – Steve 
  • The new ICA website is close to completion, with a demonstration of the functionality of the website. 
  • Affiliates will be able to submit their own event listings, which will be displayed on the main page carousel once approved. 
  • Members will have access to game analysis videos and articles, with different levels of access for free and paid memberships. 
  • The website will feature ~600 practical chess exercises from the editor's overseas teaching experience. 
  • Access to PGN games from Grandmaster games to state championship games. 
  • Post demonstration if anyone has anything they would like to see
• Q&A – 3 minutes per question 
  • No questions asked