Oxford Go Club: Jobs

Outline

There is a range of jobs which are needed to make for a good club. Of course, there are many other critical factors, such as a friendly, and congenial, atmosphere; good food/drink; and availability of teaching games, regularity of meetings, etcetera. Here I will focus on the jobs.

The absolute minimum effort needed to maintain a steady state seems to be about 50+ hours/year. To get more than the minimum, up to 90 hours/year are probably desirable. To give an idea: In the year 1st June 2006 -- 31st May 2007, I spent over 70 hours on club activities -- this excludes activities not directly related to the Club, such as the Korean visitors, badges, and printable Go boards, but includes the new Club Ladder. Altogether (under items 3, 4, 6, and 7, below), this involved approx 450 emails, a handful of letters, and about 20 phone calls. Other people's contributions (to core activities, only -- e.g. alternative off-season venue) probably accounted for about 15 hours -- again, this excludes much more effort expended on other important, but not "core" club, activities -- things like the giving of lifts, organising the dinner after the Oxford Tournament, the Summer bash at Pete's, the Korean pros visit, and the Oxford Tournament itself (Nick Wedd and OUGoS).

Details of ongoing jobs -- roughly prioritised

1. Maintaining the "oxgo" email list: (Done by Simon Cozens from Japan!) -- about 2 hours/year
2. Webmaster: (Nick Wedd). Now, probably 2 hours/year -- should be mainly an upload function if they are sent sensible HTML! Upload page to BGA web-site -- needs special authorization. Consider use of HTML re-directs ...
3. Freuds: Approx 10 hours/year; Check/update Freuds availability info. January-August, send approx 4-weekly an email ('phone/visit is really no good) to Freuds checking availability. September-December check every 2-3 weeks. Create an updated version of the Club's main web-page containing this info; send this to webmaster (Nick Wedd) who will upload it. Circulate the updated availability information to the "oxgo" email list. Other, occasional, liaison with Freuds management.
4. Membership secretary: Approx 10 hours/year. Collection of BGA subs, and all the information that the BGA need (name/address, start-date/duration; subscription type = Full/concession), and information that both we, and they, want (email; phone). Email is very desirable for chasing up people who have not visited recently, but is not essential ('phone/letter viable alternatives). Although most people's subs are now synchronized to start 1st January, we need to be pro-active in picking up new joiners throughout the year. The person doing this probably needs to attend the club frequently/regularly.
5. Librarian: Approx 5-10 hours/year: Check the loans book; chase up delinquents. Update catalogue.
6. Miscellaneous Secretarial, approx 10 hours/year:
   • Notify oxgo mailing list of expected visitors; other special events; new arrivals/visitors.
   • Deal with enquiries (usually email) from potential visitors/members.
   • Maintain/update/extend the club web presence -- main + subsidiary page(s).
   • Email contact w.r.t. listings, mutual web links, etc.
7. Off-season venue: approx 5+ hours/year (much more time to get a permanent alternative(s)). Find alternative venue(s) for Freuds off-season (Oct-Dec); co-ordinate/publicise same.
8. Summer bash: various jobs; find date/location; co-ordinate food/drink provision; supply, publicise (repeatedly!) location/ travel/parking. Facilitate financial issues.

Some possible one-off jobs -- very roughly prioritised

These jobs are less crucial, and/or do not have to be done very often. At the bottom of the list are the expensive (in time, but less so in money), and less productive, promotional activities -- these may never happen. :-)

1. Wash, count, and sort all our go stones, and bowls.
2. Provide a catalogue of all our Go books, etc. in the library -- create a web-page with this info.
3. Repair our Go boards -- selectively clean, sandpaper, varnish.
4. Provide simple instructions for the use of the ladder; include handicaps for different-sized boards.
5. Buy one set glass stones; 2 pairs of "bowls"
6. Consult about, select, and buy some problem books (L&D, tesuji)
7. Publicity/Listings -- update/correct. Tourist Info centre; Daily Information; Oxford gateway; other web sites?
8. Supply, and fit, a simple lock (with many spare keys) for our Go cupboard, after getting final approval from Freuds (Nicole).
9. Improve design/layout/content of Club webpage, especially some photos of Freuds (and ? Oxford Tournament)
10. Improve cross-linkage OuGoS and OCGC web pages.
11. Organize Simon Eve Memorial dinner, Feb 2008, ...
12. Contact all local Colleges, University Departments, Language schools, to get copies of our flyer/poster displayed there.
13. (Re-)contact various Oriental (student) societies.
14. Contact other local game-playing clubs -- Chess, Bridge, ...
15. Organise "Official match" with OUGoS -- publicity
16. Get some boards/stones into more places of work.
17. Organise bookstore events: Display, with parallel demo playing in Borders/ Waterstones/ Blackwells. Need to supply reading list, and suggested stocking list. Near Xmas best? Needs booking well in advance.
18. Organise Matches with other clubs; perhaps another match with our twin, Leiden -- either there (it is their turn), or in Oxford. Maybe another twin? (Bonn?)
19. Organize event/publicity to celebrate 30th anniversary of Oxford Club in 2009(?). ? get help from BGA -- Peter/Sheila Wendes.
20. Organise another, one-off, Go tournament in Oxford? Small-board? Lightning? Schools?