Scottish Scrabble Committee

		Scottish ScrabbleŽ Committee
Home News League and SILK Scottish Clubs Calendar ABSP Ratings Winners		The current committee of the SSA comprises Amy Byrne (President), Simon Gillam (Secretary), Ross Mackenzie (Treasurer), Margaret Armstrong, Marion Keatings, Neil Scott and Kate Surtees. The minutes of the most recent committee meeting appear below, together with important decisions from previous meetings.

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9 August 2009 Back to top		Present: Margaret Armstrong, Amy Byrne, Simon Gillam, Marion Keatings, Neil Scott, Kate Surtees. Apologies had been received from Ross Mackenzie, who was moving house. 1. Matters arising from minutes of previous meeting in May 2009 A) At the last meeting, it had been agreed to move the SILK final from 28/29 Nov to 14/15 Nov, to avoid a clash with WSC. The weekend of 14/15 Nov had subsequently been confirmed as the dates for Stoke, organised by Amy. It was agreed to move SILK back to 28/29 November if all potential qualifiers were content (subsequently confirmed). The 3rd-placed in the North section would then take Neil's place. B) Amy had investigated the costs of using various hotels in Perth, as alternative venues for SSA events. The total costs for each were similar to Dewars Centre, so it was agreed not to pursue any of them. Amy agreed to investigate the costs of other venues that are centrally located in Scotland (e.g. Stirling). C) For the schools event, Amy had booked the Princes Suite at the Royal Over-seas League in Edinburgh for Saturday 3 October, at a cost of Ł95. It was agreed that the SSA would subsidise the event by up to Ł120. Amy will contact schools on the Mattel list and others suggested by the committee. D) Neil proposed to hold the 2010 Scottish Masters at the Carlton Bridge Centre in Edinburgh, for which the room hire would cost the same as 2009. He had established that a larger room at the Carlton would cost Ł50 extra, so it would be financially viable to run a second section alongside. After discussion, it was agreed not to run a second section in 2010, but review this for future years. 2. Prize money at SSA events There had been a comment on the relatively high level of prizes at the Scottish Open in 2009. Amy said that this was because of the unexpectedly high number of entries in 2009, and she had distributed all of the extra in larger prizes. The committee were content that SSA events were generally budgeted on a conservative estimate of numbers and without too much prize money. 3. Any other business It was agreed that from 2010 Scottish League matches should be submitted for rating as each result is received (similar to SILK), instead of waiting until all games are completed in each 2-match round.
17 May 2009 Back to top		Present: Margaret Armstrong, Amy Byrne, Simon Gillam, Marion Keatings, Ross Mackenzie, Neil Scott, Kate Surtees 1. Matters arising from minutes of previous meeting in November 2008 A) The SILK final had been announced as 28/29 Nov, but this clashes with WSC. It was agreed to move it to 14/15 Nov. Ross is willing to be TD. B) The Scottish Masters had been held at the Carlton Bridge Centre. The players were happy to pay extra for the better playing conditions. It was agreed to try to return there for 2010. C) The three Scottish qualifiers for the WSC in Malaysia are Helen Gipson, Allan Simmons and Neil Scott; all have confirmed that they wish to play. It was agreed that the SSA will contribute Ł150 towards each player's expenses. D) It was agreed to contribute Ł50 towards expenses for the each member of the Scottish team for the Four Nations in England (notified after the meeting as being on 10/11 October in Chester). E) The SSA 7-game event in February 2009 had been moved from Perth to Edinburgh. It had been been decided to keep the Open and Round Robin in Perth for 2009; as the costs in Perth are continuing to rise, it was agreed that we should investigate possible alternative venues (not in Edinburgh) for 2010. 2. Review of matters discsussed at informal meetings in February 2009 A) The arrangements for self-adjudication by computer were agreed, with one change - that Zyzzyva 2.0.5 should be preferred to CSWcheck. It was agreed that if ABSP adopts rules for self-adjudication at the 2009 AGM, they should also apply in Scotland from the same date. It was agreed that for each tournament it should be up to the TD to decide whether self-adjudication should be offered. B) For the proposed schools event on a Saturday afternoon in October 2009, Amy now proposed to use the Royal Overseas League in Edinburgh instead of a school. She would investigate costs and confirm a date. C) The Aberdeen event planned for April 2009 did not go ahead. 3. Treasurer's report: SSA finances for 2008 Committee members had received a summary report in February. It was noted that the SSA made a surplus of around Ł200 in 2008, largely because costs at Perth events had been less than budgeted; it was agreed that we should aim for these events to break even (except for SSA levy). Funding for WSC and Four Nations in 2009 would absorb about half of the surplus carried forward. 4. Possible SSA affiliation to WESPA Amy outlined the various levels of WESPA affiliation. It was agreed that at present SSA should not seek to affiliate direct to WESPA, with Scottish players continuing to be affiliated through ABSP. 5. Proposals from Iain Harley A) In response to a proposal about WSC, circulated with the agenda, it was agreed once Scottish participants in WSC had agreed to play, they should not drop out without a very good reason, but no specific penalty should be prescribed for such an event happening. B) The second proposal circulated was to intoduce a Scottish Masters plate competition run alongside the Masters for the next 12 players, or to expand the Masters from 12 to 16 players (15 games). Other possibilities put forward by others were to increase to 14 players, or to keep at 12 and have a 12th round king-of-the-hill. It was agreed for 2010 to keep the Masters at 12 players and add a 12th round KOTH. It was agreed to investigate the financial impact of running an additional 12-player event alongside the Masters, and take a decision on this in August; if the event is introduced Marion is willing to deal with the invitations and entries. 6. Any other business A) One player had asked if he could use a small computer for self-adjudication at his table in the Scottish Open. The decision not to allow this was supported because of the lack of notice, but it was agreed that TDs could consider such requests for future events that allow self-adjudication. B) It was agreed that the lists of event winners on the SSA website should be extended to cover more than 10 years, at least for the Scottish Masters and the Scottish Championship / Open. C) Ross reported that hosting the SSA website costs Ł72 a year; other host sites could cost less. It was agreed to continue with the current host, because the SSA webmaster (Alan Sinclair) had supported its ease of use, speed of updating and lack of technical problems. It was agreed to investigate what ABSP and others do, to see whether this should be reviewed next year. D) The next meeting will be at lunchtime on Sunday 9 August at the Round Robin in Perth.
7 and 15 February 2009 Back to top		Informal meetings. Present: Amy Byrne, Simon Gillam, Marion Keatings, Ross Mackenzie, Neil Scott 1. Purpose of meeting This meeting of SSA committee members present at tournaments in Edinburgh was organised at short notice, to provide committee views on two matters raised by Marion and Amy, so that action could be taken before the next full committee meeting. Agreements can take immediate effect, but should be ratified by the full committee in May. 2. Self-adjudication by computer It was agreed that games in the league and SILK can be adjudicated by the players using a computer, instead of having an adjudicator present. The challenger should write down the words being challenged before going to the computer, and should then type the word(s); the other player checks that they have been typed correctly then presses Tab/Enter to make the adjudication. It was agreed that one computer is sufficient for 3 games. After further discussion it was agreed that CSWcheck or Zyzzyva can be used for adjudication. If both programs are available and there is disagreement on which should be used, then CSWcheck should be used. If using CSWcheck, it is recommended to use an increased font size (changed by right-click on title bar, properties, font, then select a suitable size of True Type font) and to clear the CSWcheck screen between games. In matches where self-adjudication by computer is to be used, players should arrange for someone to be contactable by phone, to rule (where necessary) on matters other than word adjudication; Marion was willing to be the primary contact, and all committee members present were also willing to be called for this purpose. If any player or team wishes to have an adjudicator present then they can insist on this, but may be required to provide the adjudicator. 3. Schools scrabble Amy had discussed development of schools scrabble with national and international organisers, and recommended that, to complement the current involvement of clubs with individual schools, a tournament should be organised for Scottish schoolchildren. This initial event should be held in autumn 2009 (October), probably on a Saturday afternoon in a school in the central belt, have 3-4 games, free entry (and refreshments), subsidised by SSA. It should include primary 6/7 as well as secondary school pupils, targeting schools that had responded to the current schools scrabble initiative, but should also be advertised more widely. The event could identify potential Scottish competitors for the Word Youth Scrabble Championship, to be held in late 2010. It was agreed that Amy should take this forward by seeking a suitable venue and establishing costs. 4. Any other business A) It was agreed that a tournament to be organised by Neil in Aberdeen could be under the auspices of the SSA. B) Dates for SSA tournaments were confirmed as 16-17 May at Dewars Perth for Scottish Open and 8-9 August for Scottish Round Robin. Ross said that the NSC(T) heat will be in Perth on Sunday 21 June.
8 November 2008 Back to top		Present: Margaret Armstrong, Amy Byrne, Simon Gillam, Marion Keatings, Ross Mackenzie, Neil Scott, Kate Surtees 1. Minutes of previous meeting and matters arising All agreed actions had been carried out. It had been agreed by correspondence to move this meeting from the Edinburgh tournament to the Glasgow tournament, as it suited more members. 2. Plans for League and SILK 2009 Marion said that she is willing to run both competitions again. No changes are proposed for the League. For SILK, it was agreed that the East and West regions will be replaced by two Central groups, with players allocated so that each group is of similar size and strength, and also trying to avoid long journeys. Two players will qualify from each Central group, and two from North, for a 6-player final. It was agreed to move the final from October to later in the year. 3. Scottish Masters 2009 Neil said that he was considering moving the event to the Carlton Bridge Centre, to obtain better playing conditions. The total cost of the venue, plus soup, sandwiches and tea/coffee was expected to be about Ł20 a head for the two days; it was agreed that it was worth paying such an amount. The planned dates are 14-15 February. 4. World Scrabble Championship 2009 It has been confirmed that Scotland will have three places at WSC 2009; it was agreed that it was important that Scotland takes up all three places. The venue has not yet been announced. If it is distant and expensive, SSA may offer up to Ł150 towards each player's costs; this will be confirmed when the venue is known. 5. Four Nations Ross had organised the Four Nations team event in Glasgow in October. Players at the event were generally happy with the arrangements, but some who had not played had commented on the cost and limited number of games. It was agreed that the SSA is happy to continue with the current arrangements and will not propose any changes, but will also be happy to consider any changes proposed by other countries. 6. Any other business A) Amy said that she planned to move the 7-game tournament in February away from Perth, because of the increasing cost. Simon agreed to check the availability of the Carlton Bridge Centre for 7 or 8 February. B) Amy also suggested that we consider moving the Scottish Open and Round Robin from Perth, because of cost. It was agreed not to take any action yet, because of the benefits of a central location for these SSA events. Amy said that she would like to step down as TD for the Scottish Open and was seeking a replacement. C) Marion asked for views on her arrangements for TD / reserve / computer operator at the Round Robin; it was agreed that the arrangements in 2008 were OK. D) The next committee meeting will be at the Scottish Open in May 2009.
13 May 2007 Back to top		British Team Tournament / Home Internationals - Scottish Qualification : Team selection will be based on ratings at 31 August. Participants must be resident in Scotland for the 12 months prior to 31 August (Scottish-born non-residents are not eligible) and they must have played at least 40 ABSP-rated games in that year, of which at least 30 must have been played in Scotland. It was agreed to offer Ł50 SSA funding towards the costs of each team member, for each year when the event is not in Scotland (as had been done for 2005 but not 2006).
13 August 2006 Back to top		World Scrabble Championship - Scottish Qualification : It was agreed that Scottish qualification by residence should be brought into line with UK and England, to be one complete year of residence preceding the year of qualification, instead of two complete years preceding the year of qualification.
30 November 2003 Back to top		Scottish Team Expenses : It was agreed that, in future, the SSA will not provide expenses for Scottish teams playing in UK events.
10 November 2002 Back to top		British Team Tournament : Neil Scott proposed that we organise a team tournament between Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales. [This has now taken place three times, Scotland winning the first two.]
Inaugural meeting 18 November 2001 Back to top		Function : It was agreed that the SSA would take over the organisation of the Scottish Championships, the Scottish League and the Scottish Masters. World Scrabble Championships : Qualification criteria for Scottish representatives were agreed. The highest rated player(s) on 1 January of the year of a WSC will be selected, provided (1) they were born in Scotland or have lived in Scotland continuously for at least two and half years prior to 1 July of the year of the WSC, (2) they have played a minimum of 60 ABSP-rated games in the year prior to the year of the WSC (of which 30 must have been played in Scotland), and (3) they have played a minimum of 30 rated games in the second half of the year prior to the year of the WSC (of which 15 must have been played in Scotland). Scottish Masters : Qualification criteria for invitation were agreed. The top 12 rated players on 1 January prior to the Masters will be invited, provided (1) they have lived in Scotland during the second half of the previous year, and (2) they have played a minimum of 40 ABSP-rated games in the previous year (of which 30 must have been played in Scotland).