Charles Walker

Site Admin · Post by **Site Admin** » Sun Dec 01, 2002 19:41

<center>Charles Walker</center>

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<UL><LI>Name: Charles Walker
<LI>Date of Birth: Dec 11, 1934
<LI>Location: Petal, Mississippi
<LI>Occupation: Businessman
<LI>Years Playing: 47 years
<LI>Proudest Checkers Accomplishment: Building and maintaining International Checkers Hall of Fame
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<h3>Letters</h3><hr>
Here is a letter of support for Charles Walker for president, written by Gerry Lopez. 

 Someone sent me a copy of Gene Lindsay's remarks in the BBS, dated
8/25/02 under ACF PRESIDENT. The remarks regarding the prices didn't sound
right to me so I called Carolyn Lucas, Charles Walker's secretary, to find out the
facts. Gene's note mentioned that he was supposed to get tickets to England from
Charles Walker's travel agency for $195 each. The tickets were for the International
Match in October (shortly after the disastrous 9/ll attack). Gene mentioned that
after some attempts to get the tickets from Carlolyn, he was called by another
secretary from Mr. Walker's office (Carolyn was sick at the time) and told that
the tickets would be $427each instead of $195. Carolyn told me that after her
illness she checked the front desk and there was only one message from Gene.
She tried to call him to no avail and then sent him an E-mail and when she learned
of his problem to contact her, she sent him a letter of apology. Carolyn informed
me that the $427 was for two tickets that Gene requested plus $18.50 for a
passenger facility charge for each one which brought the total to $427. Gene's
letter to the BBS gives the impression that the price for one ticket went from
$195 to $427. The $50 that Gene says he was billed by Charles Walker's agency
was not charged by his agency. It was charged by British Midlands because the American players wanted to leave Friday instead of Thursday and the fare was $25
per ticket more. When this charge was brought to the attention of Charles Walker,
he returned the $50 to Gene out of his own pocket. It is always regrettable when
there is a problem of this type but the above figures are the correct ones.
I have known Mr. Walker as a very straight person I feel he has done more
for checkers in the past 25 years than anyone with his Checkers Hall of Fame and
constant support of tournaments and matches and good publicity for the game.
He has never been President of the ACF. In talking to him I found that he is
flexible, open and innovative. At the last National in Las Vegas I notice that he
was talking to a number of the young players and picked up on their good suggestions such as the rating system, tournament scoring, publicity for the
game, corporate sponsorships, a directory of all checker players, financial
accountability, the King-Moiseyev matter, etc. Charles emphasized that it would take teamwork and the cooperation of the players to improve the game. 

As I said, he has never been President of
the ACF. He told me that he has cut down on his business interests and will
have more time for the job. I think that, at the helm, he would be very good for
the game.
---Gerry Lopez<hr>

<h3>Questions and Answers</h3><hr>
Editor's Note: The following is taken from a post by Charles Walker on the Checker Solutions board, apparently in response to an email from Mac Banks.<hr>

Thank you for sending me the ten questions that I assume Matthew Clark and others have put together for the candidates. These are excellent questions. My answers may be long, but it appears that the person selected as the President of the AMERICAN CHECKER FEDERATION is going to have his work cut out for him and thatÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s good!

It pleases me to see such enthusiasm over an election. I would like to say to Tim, Alan or anyone else that runs, "I will support them if they are elected and hope we can all work together for the betterment of the American Checker Federation."

1. WHAT ARE YOUR GENERAL PRIORITIES AND HOW WOULD YOU PURSUE
ACCOMPLISHING THOSE GOALS?

1. First of all, my greatest priority is to reverse the trend and increase the ACF
membership. In the past, many programs have been tried which were not successful. In
my estimation, it is time to take stronger measures:
(a). One idea is to unite with the FMJD. They have formed a WORLD
FEDERATION and have thousands of members. It has been said, "There is
strength in numbers." Their proposal has merit and is attached for
consideration. 
(b). The FMJD offers us a free rating system that will give each player
a chance to see their ratings on the internet after each tournament. 
(c). Something of this importance needs to be voted on by the Members. 
(d). The internet needs to be utilized more effectively. It is my understanding
that most of the new members are being obtained via the internet. The
internet technology should be explored through meetings with computer savvy
players or programmers to utilize this tool to our advantage. 
(e). The ACF should learn from the success of other board games, such as chess.
Their numbers have doubled in the last decade. They have a program that
works. They need to be contacted and interviewed. From experience, I have
found that successful organizations tend to share their success ideas with other
similar organizations. I just received a letter from Bob Pike who wrote, "At
the AARP National Convention in San Diego last week, the US Chess
Federation had an exhibit booth to solicit new memberships (they already have
90,000) and they passed out information on their programs including Scholastic
Chess for their Youth Development Division. They seemed to be getting a lot
of traffic and interest. The AARPÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s 2003 Convention will be held in Chicago
where we might consider having a similar promotion, the central location
should guarantee a good turnout. IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve enclosed some related materials for your
information." 

I have written Bob and asked him to check the possibility of having a checker
booth at the National AARP Convention. With the facts and figures, the
membership can then decide whether to do this promotional.
(f). There may be a value in combining chess and checker clubs again as was
done in the past. I would like to form a committee of checker players to explore
new ideas and ways to increase membership.

(Q) 2. Some members think that important decisions have been made by officers recently
without any attempt to get input from the membership? Would you make any effort to
give members a greater voice in the decision-making process and if so, how?

2. Active members need and should voice their opinions. One area of concern is the "ACF
BULLETIN", which for the most part reports tournaments, world matches, games, etc.
Proposed changes such as uniting with the FMJD should be announced in the "ACF
Bulletin" and put on the internet prior to any major change. This will give everyone an
opportunity to voice their opinion and vote on such important issues.

3. What changes do you propose for the format of or for the rules for our national
tournaments? Also, how should the national junior championship be determined?

3. I believe the pairing of players, results, etc. should eventually be done by a computer.
This would make it easier for the referee to run a tournament and put ratings on the
internet. Joe Schwartz gave me a list of people who signed a statement saying that
they want the THREE MOVE and GAYP TOURNAMENTS held together. This
should be sent out to the membership to get their vote and then follow the majority rule
concept. Also, I believe:
(a). The tournaments should be held in different locations. As a rule the tournaments
are not as successful if held at the same place. This was certainly true in Tupelo
and seems to be true about the 2001 and 2002 Las Vegas events. 
(b). The National Junior Champion should be the person with the highest point
standing in the overall (National) Tournament. 
(Q) 4. Are you in favor of expansion of the THREE-MOVE DECK, and if so, when and
how should we make this transition?

4. The THREE-MOVE DECK should be increased as new solid play is developed. The
only reason the Ã¢â‚¬ËœbarredÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ openings were restricted in the past, was because Master Players
could not find safe play. Now with super smart computers, I believe all possible
openings should be included and added as often as they are found to be sound and then
published in the "ACF Bulletin". Then it is up to the players to study and learn how to
defend these new games. This will require a new THREE-MOVE DECK OF CARDS,
but remember the chances are very low that any one player will draw a new opening.
Eventually the new openings will all be played in tournaments and/or matches and
recorded for future studies.

5. What ideas do you have for promoting the ACF and for increasing memberships?

5. These were explained in question number one.

(Q) 6. Some members would like to see ratings updated more often and others have been
disappointed that their rating does not accurately reflect their performance in
tournaments. How do you propose that we improve our ratings system?

(A) 6. If we affiliate with the FMJD, they have software complementarily available that will
give players their ratings immediately after a tournament. If the ACF does not
unite forces with the FMJD then we should have a programmer develop software
that we can use at tournaments to immediately match players while pairing
opponents and also establish each players ratings after the results of each National,
District, and State Tournaments. Players are disappointed that their ratings havenÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t
changed. In my own case, I have won several State Tournaments over the last
decade with no change in my own ratings. We are told this is because it has not
been sent in. My proposal would have ratings changed by computer over the
internet and anyone that noted any error/s in their ratings could notify the proper
authority of any necessary corrections.

(Q) 7. Should the ACF be affiliated with the FMJD and if so, what should that relationship be?
Also, how can the ACF work better with other organizations, such as the EDA? 

7. As previously mentioned, there is merit in uniting with the FMJD. They have offered us
an affiliation that does not require a monetary ACF investment. The
INTERNATIONAL CHECKER HALL OF FAME has worked out an exchange of
membership with the FMJD to include ACF Membership (FMJD proposal will be
available at a later date). Therefore, "Where there is nothing to lose by joining the
FMJD and everything to gain", we should by all means unite. If the ACF/FMJD
union does not get the desired results, we can simply terminate our affiliation. As you
probably know, the EDA has already united with FMJD. More explanation to follow
under answer number eight (8).

8. This year, the controversy over the world 3-move title and the process for arranging
world title matches has evoked strong opinions from ACF members and members of
other organizations. How can we improve the process and prevent a similar situation
from happening again?

8. For over five decades the ACF and the EDA have had a good working relationship.
However, there have been a few disputes, mostly over World Championship Titles.
I propose that the ACF and EDA have a meeting and re-establish the agreements
between the two organizations. If elected, that meeting will be arranged and take place
during 2003.

It is my understanding that the EDA is considering up-dating their constitution and by-
laws (cblÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s). The FMJD has very strong cblÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s and have rules for practically all checker
player tournament matches situations. 

(Q) 9. What ideas do you have for improving the organization-in terms of communication
with members, duties of officers, or general procedures? For example, should we
publish minutes of committee meetings and financial reports in the bulletin?

9. Communication is a very important aspect of any successful organization. In my own
case, I have a "3000 anytime minutes" cell phone, number, (601) 307-5050. Recently
Brian Hinkle and I spoke for over an hour about my candidacy and platform. Many of
the things in this letter were discussed in depth. In addition, e-mail could be sent to
ICHFCHECKERS@AOL.COM ; Clendell@aol.com or carolyn.lucas@usa.net. 

As most of you know, when Burke Grandjean resigned, we could not get anyone to take
over his responsibilities because of the work load. When I accepted the position, the
ACF Secretary was doing Ã¢â‚¬Ëœfree of chargeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ the following:
(a). "The ACF Bulletin"; 
(b). The ACF Mailing list and bulletin mailings; 
(c). THE ACF Promotional Certificates to States and Districts; 
(d). The ACF Membership Cards, and 
(e). Handling all the correspondence sent to the secretary, etc.

After a few years as the Secretary, I proposed that these duties be divided among several
members. This was done which made it easier for each of us.

It is my belief, that all pertinent information regarding ACF minutes, financial reports
and trust accounts should be reported in the "ACF Bulletin" and perhaps also go on the
internet. As a non-profit organization, there should be nothing restricted from its
members. This includes bank accounts, investment trust accounts, etc., on which I also
believe should also require two signatures (except for normal monthly expenses) and all
banking and investment accounts should be in the name of the A.C.F. and be in charge
of the treasurer. If necessary a monthly expense checking account could be set up for
such monthly expenses only, and this account could require just one signature. On any
and all transactions, a periodic accounting should be made public to the members.

10. What else do you think voters should know about you before making their choice?

10. I am dedicated to the game of checkers and have demonstrated that over the years as
follows:
(a). Established and built THE INTERNATIONAL CHECKER HALL OF FAME in
1979 and sponsored many checker events such as - 
(b). World Title Matches; 
(c). International Matches between Great Britain, Ireland and the USA; 
(d). Dr. Marion Tinsley and I co-sponsored a $10,000.00 INTERNATIONAL
TOURNAMENT in 1987 which included the 100 square board and straight
checkers. Meals and accommodations were complimentary; 
(e). Sponsored, through the ICHF, the AMERICAN POOL CHECKERS and THE
AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL CHECKER SOCIETY Tournaments; 
(f). Hosted and/or sponsored State and District Tournaments; 
(g). Bid on and hosted the US OPEN in Hattiesburg, MS; 
(h). Supported several other tournament over the years; 
(i). Served as ACF Secretary for over ten years; 
(j). Have communicated with the FMJD for many years and am currently acting as
liaison for their proposal to invite the ACF to join forces; 
(k). Have personally officiated or co-officiated title matches both here and abroad; 

(l). Served as ACF National Promotions Director and negotiated World Title Matches
and Match Contracts since 1979; 
(m). As ACF Secretary, I attended all ACF OfficersÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ and DirectorsÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ Meetings over the
years; 
(n). Sponsored and promoted competition between the USA and Russia and
promoted straight checkers in many other countries over the years; 
(o). Made trips to Russia, the Isle of Wight, India, Australia, etc. to promote youth
checkers; 
(p). Published the "CHECKERS" magazine to help promote straight, pool and
International checkers; 
(q). God has blessed me financially and I have spent over $200,000.00 since 1979 to
promote checkers through the ICHF sanctioned tournaments and matches;
and played in 43 state tournaments; 
(r). Supported and and/or participated in the last four INTERNATIONAL
MATCHES between GREAT BRITAIN, IRELAND, AND THE UNITED
STATES; 
(s). Have set four Guinness World Records for simultaneous participation; 
(t). Worked with the ACF Youth Program through Carolyn Lucas; 
(u). Established school competitions for youth; 
(v). Have closed the American Travel Agency, sold my interests in other business
ventures and have semi-retired from business in order to devote more energy
toward developing the AMERICAN CHECKER FEDERATION; 
(w). Have always promptly answered any and all correspondence that was
addressed to me and answered or returned all telephone calls promptly; 
(x). Updated the AMERICAN CHECKER FEDERATION BY-LAWS and
CONSTITUTION this year, which was the first time in over 4 decades. One
of the corrections will allow us to unite with the FMJD; 
(y). I am proud to be an AMERICAN CHRISTIAN, who loves God, Family,
Country, People, Checkers, and like a BIG Challenge! AND, 
(z). Regardless of who you select as President, you, your input, and ideas
will help direct and determine the success or failure of the ACF administration.
 
My Question is: 
"Will you do your part to help support and promote our favorite pastime?" 

In conclusion, I do not believe an ACF OfficerÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s position should be a permanent "lifetime" position. Unless results are achieved, officers should resign and give others an opportunity. This rule would include me. All offices and positions should be voted on every two years. 

It is my belief that the time to act is now-- unless something is done immediately to re-start and re-kindle our growth, the time is rapidly approaching when there may not be an ACF to promote. There is a saying in business that is as follows, "Every organism grows to maturity, levels off and dies without new blood and new activity or (members)." 

If elected and with your prayers and support, you have my commitment to do my very best to develop and move the ACF forward! 

Enthusiastically, 
Charles C. Walker 
<hr>