Games

We will look for a place as close to the current location as possible with major bus access, but we would like to hear from folks to make sure we're targeting a best location.  We also want to understand how people feel if the only parking is nearby street or paid lot.

Ok, I should have made this more clear, most common question so far, are we open.  We are operating normally through 18 JUL.  We have Nihon Ki-in pro viist for simuls and lecture 06 JUL in the evening and Fri afternoon simuls and maybe game reviews.  We have our ratings tournament Sunday.

Cheers,

Bill

Hello, members.  As many of you know from many updates the past six years, the Nihon Ki-in sold the SGC property, and part of the deal was that SGC would receive free space for 99 years.  We've been waiting for word that our partner would break ground.  However, our partner this week delivered very sad news.  Like so many developers across the country, they cannot afford the cost of their loan, and they can't afford "to go vertical" (build).  They told us they are turning the keys over to the bank.  If you google, you can see many billions of dollars by much larger firms are being left on the table because they cannot afford to service the loans. 

Let me say now, this is a set back in time only, and our basic plan to have a new permanent home for SGC is still in progress.  Instead of renting temporary space for 2-2.5 years and moving back to the same location, we will rent for about 4 years and then buy a new permanent location.

Fortunately, we negotiated a clause and have a memorandum on the title record to the property that our partner owes us compensation for not producing the space for 99 years.  However, they do not owe us this money until 30 JUN 2027.  While we didn't want to be landowners of the current property due to taxes and maintenance costs skyrocketing from rezoning and light rail, owning a much smaller property and not being landlords, along with IGOF to help support SGC now, we will be in a much better position than we were operating the current property. 

Unfortunately, our partner's lender has said they are aggressively evicting us because they want to monetize the building by renting out the full space.  We must vacate the premises by 27 JUL.  We will store SGC equipment until we can find a temporary space to rent.  We will extend all memberships by the number of months we need to close to find new space.  Everyone, please look around, and if you see a community center, church, preschool, or some place that might be symbiotic for us and cheap rent, let us know.  Or, if you see commercial rental space that looks good, let us know, and we will use a realtor to help as well. 

WE VERY MUCH COULD USE help immediately for packing boxes and preparing SGC equipment for moving.  We will hire three folks and a truck 20 JUL, Thurs, but we pay them $212/hr.  The more we can pack, and on the move day, the more we can help move boxes, the more money we can save.  PLEASE LETS US KNOW if you can help daytime or evenings for packing and preparing SGC to go into storage for a few months.  ALSO PLEASE LET US KNOW if you have ideas, we may be able to provide outreach equipment for folks to play Go in pubs, coffee shops, libraries, or places in the few good weather months it takes us to find a new space. 

We're thinking of a goodbye party for the old building 18 JUL, Tue.  More on that to come .... 

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Thanks, 

Bill 

Hey, one last reminder for very fun event, hope to see many people, TOMORROW night!!!

We have a banquet license so BYOB, and we will seed the sharing with a very nice Harushika (spring deer) nihonshu, appropriately made in Nara ken.  We have some nice cakes and vegan donuts that were quite popular last time.

Show up with a partner or alone, we will pair people who come as singles.

Cheers!!

Bill

We want to inform members that the board updated the bylaws for SGC.  This is a public document, so anyone wishing to see it can email manager@seattlego.org to request a copy.  Besides our name change and a couple of typos, the only significant change is to re-instate that at the annual meeting of members there will have a vote to accept the slate of new directors announced prior to the meeting.  The slate is entirely accepted or rejected.  We consulted with our non-profit lawyer for the drafting.

Cheers,

Bill

A 6 dan professional is visiting Seattle on his way to the US Go Congress.  This is our first pro visit since covid hit, and he is also from the Nihon Ki-in.  He is flying with an interpreter.  He will only be here Thursday 06 JUL.  We plan to have simul games, which the pro will review with you, like a group lesson.  He will also give a short lecture.  Simul games will be open to first come first serve, and I'm guessing he can play 8-10 people.

If there is a sufficient number of people who can attend Friday, 07 JUL, afternoon, we can have another session.  I will only schedule this is if I hear from enough people.  If you reply to say you can come Fri, ten please say what times are good for you.

More details to follow.

Cheers,

Bill

Reminder pair go, you can show up alone or with someone, and we will pair people.  We really hope to get 32 or 40 people for more fun and full tables.

We have a banquet license, so BYOB is fine.

Cheers,

Bill

Due to recent turn out and chatting with a couple of parents about summer, we will cancel Kids Time until the fall.  If there were families who were planning to attend regularly this summer, please let us know.  Peter may be willing to continue Kids Time in the summer.  If there are suggested changes to attract more attendees, please let us know.

We hope to see more folks this fall, and we may have one or two dan-level moms helping out with teaching in the fall.

Cheers,

Bill

Andrew Gross wanted to encourage folks to help host a PNW Go Congress next year and asked me to post this ... hope to see some interested folks tomorrow, Tue, at 7pm ...

For whatever it's worth, helping to organize, and then participating in, the 2013 U.S. Go Congress in Tacoma, WA (which was jointly organized by the Seattle Go Center and the Tacoma Go Club) was one of the most fun and fulfilling activities of my life, and certainly the highlight of my love affair with the game of Go.  All that's necessary to help is a willingness to put in some hours, and all that's necessary to make an impact is a willingness to show initiative and a bit of tenacity.  Particularly if you've been missing a sense of community due to Covid, this is a chance to come together with other people who are all working towards a common goal, meet new friends, spend some quality time with old ones, and experience the deep satisfaction that comes from delivering a treasured experience to hundreds of (mostly!) grateful people.  I can't recommend the experience highly enough.  -- Andrew Gross

Cheers,

Bill

Hello, all.  Please make an effort to join us Tuesday for a short discussion at Seattle Go Center at 7pm if you have any interest in hosting the AGA Go Congress in Seattle or Portland area in 2024.  We want to partner with the Portland Go Club, but we need volunteers to help organize the event.  It is very exciting when the congress is nearby for partially or fully attending, easy to get there, saves money 🙂.  But the AGA really needs help finding a location for 2024 very soon and getting the organizing going due to the usual pipeline of planning being disrupted by covid. 

The volunteer work can be done remotely if we choose a Portland site.  Most of the work is long-lead phone calling and organizing event space, pricing, activities, accommodations, registration (now largely handled by new AGA professional software being used this year), etc.  The really hard work of site setup and teardown gets hordes of volunteers from all over the country.

Please consider helping us host the 2024 AGA Go Congress in the PNW!!

Thanks,

Bill