Roy Laird
At-Large Candidate

To All AGA Members:

Thank you for electing me to serve as your at-large member on the AGA Board of Directors in 2004, and again in 2006. In the past four years, it has been a great privilege to help guide the AGA through this exciting time of expansion and opportunity, and one that I have taken very seriously. The minutes of those board meetings reflect my active participation on your behalf, and I hope that my positions and actions over the years have been in accord with your wishes and hopes for the AGA.

A director must hear and feel the concerns of members, and guide everyone toward projects and services members want. Some recent activities in which I have played a major role include:

  • Raising more than $15,000 to support the US World Mind Sport Games team;

  • Securing the AGA's right to select the North American contender in the World Ing Cup;

  • Content management on a major upgrade of the AGA web site, slated to "go live" soon;
  • Inviting Michael Redmond to join the US's WMSG team;
  • Persuading Kiseido Publishing to donate over 5000 back issues of Go World magazine to the AGA for sale and promotional use;
  • Developing an agreement to stabilize the AGA's relationship with each year's Congress;
  • Persuading Hikaru No Go's publishers to include the AGA's URL in every installment in Shonen Jump magazine and an AGA "sell screen" on every DVD;
  • Arranging for Hinoki press to publish old American Go Journal content in book form.

I hope that some of these projects reflect the kind of growth you would like to see.

To direct the organization toward its best future, the board needs to know where we have come from. After decades of service as publications coordinator (1984-1997), president (1998-2002), webmaster (2002-present) and in many other roles, I bring a uniquely valuable combination of knowledge, experience and perspective to the Board's activity.

I began helping to produce The American Go Journal more than thirty years ago. Since then, I've worked hard to build a sustainable American go community. My team produced exactly 50 American Go Journals over a thirteen-year period in the 80's and 90's. As webmaster, especially with your many excellent suggestions, I helped to create our current website, one that attracted hits from more than 20,000 people last month alone. As the principal organizer of all four North American Toyota/Denso Oza Qualifying Tournaments, I learned what it takes to organize a major event. These experiences have familiarized me with every aspect of AGA operations.

As president, I led efforts that laid the foundation for our recent growth and development. During my administration:

  • We incorporated as a tax-exempt corporation;
  • We organized the first Summer Go Camps;
  • The AGA began providing corporate support for the Congress and retaining surpluses;
  • We arranged to receive membership payments by credit card for the first time;
  • I appointed the committee that established the AGA's current governing structure;
  • I negotiated a contract with Slate and Shell to publish three books using AGA Journal content, earning the AGA $1000's in royalties;
  • Membership grew by more than 20%;
  • We added more than $50,000 to the AGA reserve fund;
  • We started The American Go E-Journal, now the world's most-read English-language go publication, with more than 13,000 readers. (I hope you've read some of my recent contributions and columns.)

In addition to my AGA responsibilities, I have also served on The American Go Foundation's Board of Directors for the past ten years. This experience has taught me why related organizations often have "interlocking" boards. As a member of both boards, I often help the two organizations to work together effectively.

Like anyone who accepts and tries to fulfill such responsibilities, I have been involved in controversies; I have done things with which reasonable people could disagree; I have made mistakes, but I am also proud of many achievements. The common goal in all this work has been to nurture the growth of a sustainable go culture in the US. When go is widely known in the West as a worthy realm for mental competition; when everyone who might enjoy the wonders of go can find other players; when American newspapers print commentary on important American games, the AGA will have achieved this goal.

If elected, I promise to do my best to continue serving the interests of all American players as your at-large director. I have known and worked with president-elect Abramson for many years. In many ways we share the same vision for the AGA, an ambitious quest for corporate support, membership growth, and the eventual transformation from an all-volunteer band of enthusiasts to a professional organization, advocating go more effectively than ever. With your support I will continue guiding the AGA toward these goals.

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