Tuesday, July 14, 2020

NO WEIBEL CHESS PROGRAM AT THIS TIME
Sadly, for the first time in 33 years we will not start a Weibel Chess program in September. The FUSD made the only decision they could at this time which is to keep the physical schools closed until there are no new cases in our county for seven days. They showed great human concern for the health of your children, the Weibel School staff and teachers and all of us connected to the schools. The death rate, due to better knowledge and equipment, has been lower than a few months ago. However, the information of the short and long range serious heath damage to those having active cases of COVID-19 along with a new increase in death rates must be of concern for all of us not just those like myself in the high risk categories.
Sadly, I had given serious thought to retiring from Weibel Chess at the end of this year with a transition team shadowing me to learn the process. I figured that no matter how healthy I was, being 83 at the end of this upcoming school year, Weibel Chess needed to have a plan to continue. Initially I thought I might have to turn it over to a chess company, however, this concerned me. Even though the three companies in this immediate area have great love and respect for our program, there is no way, I felt, they could run it separate from their chess business. While I had hoped all along a parent could come forth and follow in my footsteps, none arose until last Spring. Kwee Kuntjara, parent of Sarah and Sabrina, offered to run Weibel Chess with a chess committee totally separate from any chess business keeping it under auspices of the PTO. Officially, since the get go, Weibel Chess has functioned as a committee under the PTO—candidly, as a committee of one.
My hope had been that Kwee and the Weibel parent committee, he established, would shadow me through the transition year. The committee is up and running and they have had a few Zoom meetings. We still have time to prepare the Committee for the transition. While some changes in the physical operation are underway, I have been assured that the mission and goals of the Weibel Chess, I set up as an educator, will not change.
Since there are numerous chess business and clubs running online classes. I do not feel there needs to be a Weibel Chess online program. Besides, even though, I was a pioneer in teaching college course online in the late 1990’s, I do not believe that groups of more than four students can benefit from chess classes online. That is not to say that dedicated experienced chess students can’t benefit, but Weibel Chess has been a program with great instructors who know how to excite and motivated beginners and intermediate chess students in large numbers to enjoy the game, art and fun of playing chess.
If you want help in deciding which online program or chess tournament your child should participate in or how to contact an individual coach, please do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail.
I will miss all the wonderful children, parents, instructors, Weibel staff and faculty that I was looking forward to seeing again in September as well as a large new “crop” of chess players and parents.
STAY SAFE UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN!
Chess is Forever,
Alan

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