Service: The Checkmates

It’s nearing the end of the CAS program and the Checkmates have really progressed as a service group. Since my last post on the group’s activities, we have made it a regular occurrence for the younger students to come to our school every week to play chess and to get to know each other better despite the language barrier. In the beginning when we were first introduced to each other and them to the game of chess, we encountered this barrier when trying to teach them the different moves that the pieces can make, so I made drawings on the board of the chess pieces and the moves they could make.

(Photo credit: Checkmates service group)

At the end of the previous semester we held a Christmas party with another service group, Gecko Inc., who also work with kids from the same school as ours. We had a lot of fun, with lots of snacks and playing chess. With the end of the old, came the new semester, with new members. The seniors were slowly starting to step down from leadership positions and handing them off to grade 11s but we continued with our schedule from the previous semester of teaching and playing with the kids every week.

(Photo credit: Checkmates service group)

Our plans for the future of this service group is to hopefully complete our earlier goals of helping one of the kids get a sponsorship for chess or to provide their school with new chess boards, but unfortunately these goals will have to be carried over to the next year without us. Thankfully, new leadership has been chosen and hopefully the group will be left in capable hands.

(Photo credit: Mr Javier Canizales) 

The thing that I’m really happy about in regards to the progress of the service group is the relationship between us and the kids and their progress in chess. They have improved a lot from their first session and are much more enthusiastic about theses visits. Sometimes they just run into the room, grab a chess set and start packing it out immediately, then look at us expectantly. It’s one of the things that I will miss the most and I hope they carry over this eagerness for next year’s members.