USCF Home 
Chess Life Online 2011 December Last Chance to Renew at 2011 Rates
Chess Life Online 2011 December Last Chance to Renew at 2011 Rates | Last Chance to Renew at 2011 Rates |
|
|
| December 20, 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Exciting
changes are in store for USCF memberships starting in 2012. The most prominent
is a new "3-month" membership. As of January 1, 2012 membership rates
will also change. In these last couple weeks of December, take your last chance
to renew at the 2011
rates via https://secure2.uschess.org/webstore/member.php
See the new rate
chart below and an excellent summary below of how three-month memberships relate to
you by CLO contributor Tom Braunlich. 2012 USCF Membership Dues Chart
USCF 3-Month Memberships Available beginning January 1, 2012. These are intended as "trial memberships" for new players but can be used by any non-member. There are three kinds, based on age: Age 12 or younger - $8 - includes 2 issues of Chess Life for Kids Age 24 or younger - $10 - includes 3 issues of Chess Life Magazine Age 25 or older - $15 - includes 3 issues of Chess Life Magazine The 3-Month Memberships give the player the right to compete in USCF-rated chess tournaments during the 3-month period and earn an official chess rating, without the need for purchasing a full-year membership. During the membership period, part of the dues can be applied toward upgrading to a normal year membership, if desired, by calling the USCF office. After the 3-Month Membership expires, players may purchase another one (there is no limit in number) or select instead one of the yearly memberships available directly from the webstore. The 3-Month Memberships are offered only at chess tournaments, by the tournament director, usually during the scheduled "registration" time. They are not available from the webstore or USCF office. (To meet the age requirement players must be of the indicated age as of the first day of the tournament, even if they have a birthday the following day while the tournament is still going on.) Players will need to supply their name, mailing address, birth date, email, and phone number; and should also tell the director if they ever played in a USCF-rated tournament before or are brand new to rated tournaments. The tournament director will take care of the rest to submit the membership. USCF 3-Month Memberships - Instructions for TDs The purpose of the new "3-Month Memberships" (‘3MMs') is to encourage more USCF-rated tournaments, particularly scholastic events but also others, by lowering the height of the initial cost barriers for brand new players (compared to purchasing a normal membership) with this form of "trial membership." At minimal dues cost it provides newcomers with a taste of tournaments, the magazine, and the U.S. chess community. Lapsed players might also find them to be an inexpensive way to try out tournaments again after a long layoff. Here are the detailed rules and the process for handling them: • 3MMs are sold only at tournaments by TDs, who will submit the memberships during the rating report process as described below. Not available from the webstore. • The age cutoff date is the first day of the tournament (usually the date the 3MM is sold). • Anyone can buy a 3MM, even previous members. • A player can purchase more than one 3MM, without limit, as long as the age requirements are met each time (but purchasing several consecutively is probably not economical compared with a yearly membership). • Upgrades - During the 3MM period a player can use part of the dues paid to upgrade to a normal membership. The amount of credit that can be applied to the upgrade is pro-rated depending on the portion of the 3-month period that has elapsed at the time the player makes the upgrade request. Currently the upgrade cannot be done online and must be done by calling the USCF office, which will calculate the amounts and complete the transaction. Possibly this process will be integrated online later. The Process • Collect the standard membership information from the player: o Name, Mailing Address, Birth Date, (Email), (Phone) o Email and Phone are optional but recommended in case you or the USCF office needs to contact them. • Collect the appropriate dues money from the player for their age. o Suggestion: For scholastic tournaments offer the 3MM for free to brand new players, or increase the Entry Fee of the event to cover the amount of an "included" 3MM. • Ask if the player is brand new to USCF-rated tournaments, or has played in USCF events before: o If the player is NEW you will submit their membership during the rating report process. • First generate a USCF ID number for the player. (See FAQs in the TD Support Area). • Use the new ID number in the rating report. • When the report is submitted this player will be flagged as a non-member, causing an error. • When you edit the report there should be a checkbox for the player offering an option to purchase the 3MM. Check it. • The cost of the 3MM will be added to the rating report fee and the membership will be processed. o If the player is a RENEWAL for a previous USCF-rated player: • Ask if they know their USCF ID number, or look it up the player's ID number in the Golden Database. • If the ID number can't be found, try to get as much information as you can about the last tournament they played in (date, place, etc.) and ask the USCF office to try to find the info in printed player supplements from that era. • If no ID can be found a new one can be generated and the USCF office can later add any known data about the player's history to the new number. • Once you have the ID number follow the above process for submitting the 3MM via the rating report process. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||