Mission statement: “The CJA is an American organization of chess journalists created to promote high quality chess journalism, to provide assistance to the working journalist through articles and contacts and to recognize chess journalism at its best through an annual awards program.” You can learn more about this organization on our webpage, www.chessjournalism.org, and view back issues of the quarterly Chess Journalist in PDF.

For the last 13 years I’ve contributed countless hours to CJA’s success as Secretary/Treasurer, by logging receipts, maintaining the membership list, generating labels, coordinating magazine printing and mailing, taking meeting minutes, preparing financial statements and budgets, and maximizing asset interest. I annoounced my intention to step down, but after the untimely death of my presumptive successor, Ira Lee Riddle, I agreed to serve on an interim basis. When no qualified candidate stepped forward, I agreed to continue my work at least until the 2011 election. I also proofread the magazine and write the regular “Mainstream Media Watch” column for the magazine.

Alas, in one respect CJA for the past several years has provided an analogue to Henry Kissinger’s aphorism that in academic politics, the fights are so vicious because the stakes are so low. (Despite recent growth, our membership has never exceeded 160 nor our treasury the final 2007-08 fiscal year balance of $5956.)

Another Board member pointed to some deficiencies in record keeping, which I acknowledged and rectified. That apparently only whetted his appetite, and he then made a number of wild accusations (accusing me of embezzling from both CJA and my homeowners association) , disseminated both to members and non-members. My reelection as Secretary/Treasurer over this individual, with almost 71% of the vote, merely led to more charges and sour grapes. Sometimes no good deed goes unpunished!