Avery, you may not recall that it was I who started this mailing list in the first place, as a volunteer. The amount of resources needed to maintain it are minimal.
The OBC membership is about 1000, and it's been up and down for a few years now, peaking at 1300 or so when I was involved on the board falling somewhat and now maintaining itself. A lot of that is historical, the OBC got that way because of the efforts of people over the past thirty five years, a lot of them who aren't members anymore. And now the club president disqualifies them from having an opinion. FWIW a lot of those 1000 members join to get the newsletter, a whole lot join because of the RLCT and to get to go on the Virginia or Vermont tours and do nothing else. So they join perhaps in May or even June. The club has had for about two decades about 200 active members. The club has depended on about fifty of them to over time do most of the heavy lifting. I used to be one of them, but guess what, I have other interests that keep me busy. Look at the club membership. Look at the average age. It's getting older. Not as is often assumed because "everyone is getting older" but because younger cyclists see the club as not being for them. For being stodgy and uptight and hidebound. The OBC is becoming a geriatric anachronism, and your posts are a ludicrously henious example of the behavior that has caused this to happen. It must have been easier for you to agree with everyone back when you ran a one-man "coalition", but guess what: now you have to reach out to people with a bit better approach than "piss off if you don't like it". Where you see stability I see conservatism. Somebody's going to have to replace all those volunteers over time, and being told to "please volunteer but don't even consider changing a thing, but if you're not a member bugger off" ain't gonna work. You piss them off, and people have a lot of other choices in life. Thanks Avery, I just saved myself fifty bucks. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Avery Burdett" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, April 09, 2002 11:43 AM Subject: [obc] Recent non-member postings > > " .... resisting being members?" " .... complaints about OBC?" > > You are referring to the largest and most successful cycling club in > Canada. Likely we offer the most diverse set of programs of any club in > North America and possibly anywhere in the world. There's nothing that > matches the Rideau Lakes Tour and the Grand Prix is the best race in > Canada. We publish a fine newsletter. People vote with their wheels - > participation is increasing (the reason I posted data on membership and > RLCT registrations). We have hundreds of enthusiastic volunteers, and an > active and vibrant Board of directors. We are financially healthy. We > have a stable level of membership (1,000), the vast majority of them > return year after year, indicating a pretty good level of satisfaction. > When members feel the need to express their feelings about the way the > club is steered, they show up in force at the general meeting of > members. > > To the allegation "people feeling unwelcome" non-member Michael Slavitch > makes, the facts suggest otherwise. Members of the Board go to great > lengths to make people feel welcome at our events. Tour leaders and > others are encouraged to act as club ambassadors in seeking out new > members. Three or four years back we introduced an annual "meet the > directors night" for new members. We also let prospective members > participate in our events in the hope they will become fully paid up > members. Some posters here just demonstrate a lack of awareness and > don't seem to care just how much time our directors and volunteers put > in to make cycling an enjoyable experience for our members and > prospective members. > > Even though we are continually reviewing and finetuning our programs > during our annual planning session and at monthly Board meetings based > on feedback we get, I acknowledge it is impossible to be all things to > all people, specially tho ones that would impose a different agenda to > that which the club has been delivering for last 30 or so years. But > those that don't find what they want in the OBC may find a niche in the > Kanata/Nepean Club (or is it Nepean/Kanata?), Citizens for Safe Cycling, > or a club of their own. (How about the O-Transpo Passengers Cycling > Club?) > > This mailing list is operated by the OBC for club members. It's a > means for the club and its members to exchange information. While we do > not prohibit outsiders from posting to it, we expect guests to our > facility to do so in a courteous and respectful manner (just as we > expect our own members to). Guests have the same freedom of access to > our list as OBC members. They are not however accorded the same > privileges as are granted to club members who, after all, pay the bills > to operate the club. The OBC is a private club not a public resource. As > they say, "he who pays the piper calls the tune" > > In my opinion, it shows a lack of respect to our members if a person > posts with suggestions on what the OBC should and shouldn't do without > identifying his or herself, and/or without acknowledging he or she is > not a member. The tone of the replies from non-members to my request > suggests the reminder above is necessary. > > Avery Burdett > President > > ------ > Club Office: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (613) 230-1064 > Web/mailing list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.cyberus.ca/~obcweb > Newsletter: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.cyberus.ca/~obcweb/Newsletter > > ------ Club Office: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (613) 230-1064 Web/mailing list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.cyberus.ca/~obcweb Newsletter: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.cyberus.ca/~obcweb/Newsletter ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aVxiDo.a2i8p1 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
