Politics... the cycling kind...

[Geonz]

I'm on our club's board of directors as newsletter editor. Our club prez, last meeting, proposed that the club just stop everything and "just ride," - no advocacy, no social stuff except informal, no more newsletter (just figure out how to do stuff online) and anybody on the board's of the other biking org's in town needs to get off the board because of conflict of interest. (That would be three of us who don't ride with the fastest groups, leaving the people who do.)
Suffice it to say, I don't think this is a good idea, and neither do those other board members, or a couple of past presidents of the club I've talked to. However, it apparently sounds good to a fair number of the faster riders. We *do* have trouble filling board positions (um, though *not* the board positions he suggested eliminating). I understand the appeal of "cutting to what we like to do." However, we have worked for years to develop a strong "beginner base"
NOw, this would require a change in by-laws, which woudl require a membership vote, which *could* happen at our annual meeting/ party in December, but it's also supposed to be in the newsletter, which I'm the editor of (which he also says should simply discontinue as of January, and we "can figure out what to do online."). I sent out my notice to put stuff in the newsletter to the whole club and he (or anybody else; he's been prez a while and never said anything about this so I suspect it's not really his idea) hasn't sent me a thing, eventhough somebody else sent an email to the board specifically outlining the rules.

Thing is, I don't want to divide people. It would be easy to just say at the board meeting between the newsletter and the club meeting that " you didn't put it in the newsletter, so we can't put it to the membership, so try again in a few months."I could see the scuttlebutt flying on the fast rides in the parking lots... a group of us are meeting tonight to figure out strategies. Trying to read people's minds and motivations... there seems to be some hidden antipathy towards The Other Orgs so we're prob'ly giong to get somebody to sound out the prez on just why and how strongly he feels about this. At the meeting he said stuff like "maybe these are rotten ideas," and that actually he hadn't thought *through* any of them so that yes, he knew, it didn't all make sense anyway, but - another idea was term limits of two years (which I don't have an issue with) so that he'd be gone in two years and we could change things then.
Except that if in two years we haven't pulled in any new riders except Lance wannabees, we will have evolved into a different, smaller, more elite club. I've worked too hard with otehrs to establish and maintain lots of opportunities (never really enough though!) for new people or casual riders or older riders or people on hybrids or... or... to come out and not feel like outsiders.
What I like is that I feel inspired to *do* more of taht stuff... and figure out how to pull new people in past just riding and into the "get involved and volunteer" - because hey, it can't be any more impossible to do that than it is to have beginner rides, can it?
Any insights?

[Tuckervill]

Sounds like he wants to quit but he doesn't know how. Or he wants the club to be just like he wants it, because he doesn't have time for anything else. I feel that way sometimes about my baseball league.

They're all rotten ideas. I don't see what difference it makes if some members are in other clubs. It's not a competition, is it? (Unless they're competing in races, and such against the other clubs, and then can't they all be adults about it?)

The only idea I do like is term limits. Or, not term limits, where someone couldn't be voted in as prez again, but that the prez has to be voted in every 2 years. That way you can have regime change if you need it, without having to blatantly force someone out.

I can't believe he's trying to turn down help--that there are volunteers and he's not taking what they're giving. OTOH, having an online community can be very beneficial.

Karen

[Geonz]

THanks - good point about his possible angles. (One of our proposed solutions has been to see if he doesn't want to step down... and if not, suggest taht I just run for president anyway - the first contested election in years, though sometimes we've had more than one person *willing* to do jobs)

His argument for the otehr board-of-directorships was that sometimes thsoe clubs ask the bike club for money, since we have more of it than they do. We always *do* abstain from voting... and the votes to fund have always been unanimous and uncontested. (His other idea was that, since we have lots of money in the bank, we just waive dues for at least a year and hope people will sign up anyway so that our liability insurance covers participants. Part of the 'logic' behind this was his statement that there's a growing number of faster riders who haven't paid membership dues in years; they 'just ride,' so that's what the whole club should do.)

[Bluetree]

Why not just have a subgroup of the overall club and call it Team Whatever? Mr. Prez can rename himself Team Captain and get another person to oversee all the general club duties of Club Whatever as president.

That's what my club does. Our racing team is an elite one that requires a license (it also has a specific sponsor), yet it still falls underneath the banner of the greater club as a whole, thus everyone benefits. I understand when people have their niches, but no need to throw our the baby with the bathwater.

[Zen]

A club that "just rides", that doesn't do any advocacy or support new riders, isn't a club. It's just a bunch of people who ride together

I feel very strongly about supporting new riders so I sure wouldn't go along with it (but I'm not there).

[shootingstar]

Sounds like the prez doesn't truly understand the dynamics of a non-profit, sports-based group. Any smart leader would welcome more (paying) members and higher ride participation.

An organization that is primarily run by volunteers, really thrives on the passion of its core board membership where members are committed in spreading the "good word" about its mandate and faithfully attend meetings,e tc.

So does your organization have a written mandate? How long has your organization been around? Why not send it out to your members in your newsletter/listserv and ask for their feedback? You could administer a simple poll. And with a hook at the end, to market your next event/meeting/ride..

It wouldn't take long to erode the loyalty of your membership even if he is only prez for 2 yrs. if he insists on doing things his way without growing the organization across more diverse cycling interests locally.

I disagree with barring cross-membership with other cycling organizations. He's forgetting the opposite happens ..cross-fertilization of ideas and experiences that could save organization's headache/time if "we only knew in advance". Besides just how many people would that affect..uh less than 10%??

[chutch]

You mentioned that the club has lots of money in the bank... sounds like you need a new leader who will energize everyone and put that money to good use!

Perhaps the other officers could have a meeting and try to come up with a solution. If the prez is the only one who wants to take these drastic actions, I think he should step down and let the club continue its work. He can be a regular member who just rides.

Good Luck!

[Geonz]

We met last night

We've worked hard to make things at least *reasonable* for new riders. My first reaction to his proposals was "Okay, obviously I can do a lot more good in the advocacy group, and this club can fade away." Then I thought about how even though we're *not* well organized, people do manage to find us and amaze themselves with what they can do (the terrain's flatness makes the fitness achievemetn learning curve pleasantly flat, too). I realized that yes, a lot can be undone in a year or two and that (snork, a scary thought) that my actions might actually have an impact on oh, people's health and well being.

I also emailed a fellow in the club I was in in Virginia (I don't *think* I know him - it's been years) - he says give him a call and he'll talk to me about how to show people how to lead rides (their site says "no experience needed" and to contact him).

Now, if I could only develop organization in *my* mind, says the lady who forgot to tuck her clothes to work in into the bag, so she's tutoring in those eight-dollar Smart-Tex rain pants... at least they're black :-)

[shootingstar]

Don't give up Geoz. An organization does go through "developmental" phases, I just hope you guys don't flame out if your group/mandate shrinks. Otherwise it's just a riding group...and that's it...which is ok.

The other option..and this is more for yourself, since your own cycling drive might be broader/different...is if there's another cycling group you want to immerse yourself...and you act as a liaison with this present one..provided the prez doesn't eliminate cross-memberships.

Maybe i'm just narrow-headed, but in a way, competent cyclists of many years...many hopefully would 'develop' themselves to bring up the less experienced cyclists along and be supportive of cycling on several different fronts, not just on leading the peleton or drafting behind others, with their heads fixed only on the pavement immediately ahead of them. A metaphor..here.

[Geonz]

Welp, I met with a guy who rides with the fast guys who was actually honest about stuff

Seems the scuttlebutt is that I toot my horn in the newsletter and talk advocacy and oh, just all kinds of junk that those guys don't care about... the guy said that yes, he asks "oh, have you sent anything to the newseltter?" and... of course not... but truth is, yes, the newsletter is branded with me... he even seemed a little surprised when I said I wouldn't mind giving it up at all, even in the context of saying I was considering running for president. (no way would I attempt both)
And they thought too many funds were being sent to things like advocacy efforts. Welp, it's not as if they had asked for a red cent for other projects... *or* that they had not *enthusiastically* agreed that these were worthwhile investments. But, basically, the perception is that the advocacy types have commandeered a recreational club for our own agenda. (Now, I suspect that a whole lot of our recreational riders also care a lot about advocacy.)
So... I offered to be president instead... but also we would try to pull in some faster riders to be on the board... and I shall try to make sure that I"m more off to the side when ideas and people are coming forward.
I suggested in humor that part of the issue could be that I beat lots of these guys in the indoor time trials and he said that well, yea, that could be part of it... snork...