INTRODUCTION
Where
Do I Start?
President's Message
GSW Welcomes You
President's Message
Sus·tain·able: 1 : capable of being sustained2 a: of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged <sustainable techniques> <sustainable agriculture> b: of or relating to a lifestyle involving the use of sustainable methods <sustainable society>
This is the definition from the Merriam Webster’s Dictionary. To a certain degree, I think they all apply to the Granite State Wheelmen. Elsewhere in this issue you will read about a request to join a committee to study the future sustainability of the Granite State Wheelmen, our club. Our club has 24 members on the board of directors. At the election in October we had two open board positions. We have since filled those positions, but we are having trouble sustaining the desired level of participation on our board. In the 1980’s we had over 1300 members. By the end of 2000 we had 818 members. We presently have 561 members. We are having a problem sustaining our membership level.
Our Sea Coast Century ride has sold out the last few years. Obviously this ride is extremely popular. People come from several states as far away as the Midwest to ride with us. Lonnie Little was the chairman of this wonderful ride for the past several decades. He finally reached a point where he could not sustain his interest any more. Last year Dave Topham and Bob Koehler agreed to co-chair the ride, but they also have been involved in this ride for several decades. If we are to sustain this ride and all the financial support that it provides to the club and to bicycling in New Hampshire, we need new volunteers to help us sustain this.
Kirk Hutcheon put on a wonderful awards banquet last November. 53 people attended. In the past, I’m told we had over 100 people attending these banquets. It’s hard to sustain this wonderful banquet when so few people attend. We need more volunteers and attendees to help sustain this.
We need new ride leaders to help sustain our full calendar of rides. This has to be one of the easiest ways to help our club. All you have to do is something that you enjoy doing anyway, or you wouldn’t be a member of this club. Ride your bike! You don’t have to be a Lance Armstrong to lead a ride. In fact we have more leisurely and moderate rides than brisk and strenuous rides. Pick your own style and distance and commit to a date. Help us sustain the core of our club.
So, have you figured out where this is going yet? What do we have to do to sustain our club? Like any volunteer organization, if no one volunteers, the job doesn’t get done. The problem seems to be that for too long the same people have been doing most of the work, and they are getting tired of it. We need new talent to step up and volunteer. If everyone does a little, no one needs to do a lot. Please consider helping your club. Two easy choices are to volunteer for the Sea Coast Century ride, or become a ride leader. Contact Jean Manning for the former or Calvin Dowling or Cathy Yeager to lead a ride.
Help Spread the Word, Cycling is cool!
Bill Kennedy
President, Granite State Wheelmen
