LCCC Had 20 Players Last Monday! - Will Meet Every Monday over 2022 Xmas! - and Why the Manhattan Chess Club Review?

LCCC will continue to meet on Mondays - 4pm to 10 pm - at the Buffalo Wild Wings in Brighton, Michigan in the Green Oak Shopping Center thru the holidays. Feel free to stop by and bring the new chess set you got as a gift.

So why did your humble scribe decide to post the history of the Manhattan Chess Club? Because LCCC could suffer a similar fate, that's why. LCCC did suspend meetings a few times in our history. The last time was basically for all of 2020 for the COVID panic.

Well, what destroyed the Manhattan Chess Club? Answer? The same three reasons restaurants, bars, and other businesses normally fail - which are: location, location and location!

In 125 years, MCC changed locations 15 times. Not bad really. That is only once every 8 years as an average. But that is the average. There were some short-term locations and that is never good for anyone trying to keep steady members/clientele. Changing locations still has drawbacks even when moving to a better location, let alone a less desirable one. Some people just will not follow you.

We had to leave the Hartland Senior Center because of COVID. We have not been invited back and don't know if the Club would return if it was offered. Nice place, great parking and lighting, and right in the center of Livingston County. But why return to a place that dumped you once when it could happen again? We instinctive learn this in our dating lives, right? 

By the way I never did get my class ring or 8 track collection back! And another thing.......oh sorry - I got sidetracked there.

The solution: A self-sustaining building in a good location with easy access and plenty of free well-lit parking. That is what I want! 

How to accomplish this: I have no idea. 

Well, I do know one way, as any union or government from a town, township, city, county, state or country can show you. Take money from everyone you control. Even from the people that don't want what you want. Then use that money to get what you want or as you want.

There are thousands of historic buildings, radio and television stations, parks, museums, or orchestra, or ballet companies that are not self-sufficient. They rely on government subsidies to exist.  People claim they want them and may even vote to fund them, but they never attend them. But they feel good voting for it. Culture and class by vote I'm assuming.

Chess has no such 'social necessity' or 'artistic' designation. But then again, the public has not been swamped with feel good news stories and advertisements for decades about the 'benefits' of chess, like they have for the other pursuits that receive government funding.

Much like colleges who do to fund their other sports team that don't generate enough cash to exist. Colleges may wish to provide these sport options to the students and some are required by law now. No one seems to care that money is being spent on something the general public really doesn't care about or want to watch. And as is the case with most colleges, it is the public's money being wasted. But no one cares.

There are even 'professional' sports leagues that exist that are not self-sufficient. They are propped up by the sports leagues that are profitable, and by their media corporation partners who wish to waste investor's money on these unwatched sports. Why do they do this? Not going there, thank you very much.

Now don't get me wrong. This is not a rant about life being unfair to chess or chess players, or even about some sports or pursuits getting preferential treatment over chess. Your humble scribe is just setting down the situation as it currently exists.

Actually, I do have one idea. In order to "Build a Chess Building and They Will Come" scenario, you need a benevolent millionaire or group of 'comfortable' benevolent benefactors. 

Chess is not a past time for the masses that participants, let alone non-participants will spend a lot of money to do. The low cost and lack of barrier to entry into chess is one of the game's greatest assets. And the public, although many millions play chess, just don't care enough to ever fund it somewhere. 

Chess needs someone willing to 'seed' the growth of a chess club building. Now, once the building is built and the Club is up and running, ways to generate SOME revenue may come to pass over time (i.e., dues, food, drink, merchandise, tournaments, meeting room rental, teaching classes).  However, there is no working model chess club - that I am aware of - where the money generated for a yearly budget earns enough profit to pay for the operation completely and add to the till. 

There are chess clubs that are running all over the world, with their own buildings, but they were all 'seeded' as I mentioned. Remember costs go up every year, so a profit is required, either by the club or by the investments of the trust fund, or preferably both, every year! It is the duty of the club board to see this happens.

Hence, the benefactor(s) need to put up enough money to build a building (leasing is not an option as landlords come and go) and maintain this building into the future. All while having the Club Trust grow AFTER paying the annual expenses of the Club.

No small favor to ask of a benefactor to be sure. But then, it would be done for the love of the game of chess, and the love of the area/location the club is placed.

Next Article: Brainstorming ideas anyone?