27 February 2020
Dear Members,
In November I signalled that there were some challenges for the club that collectively we need to address. The committee has been busy endeavouring to address these and I wish to thank them for their efforts thus far in 2019/20.
As part of this we are keen to keep the members informed of the club’s progress and I now write to update you on various matters.
Race programme
The summer road series concluded last evening with 20 riders at the last event of the year. This has been a successful with a number of new riders welcomed at races at various times including several youth riders.
We took a decision to extend the post- Christmas race series to 7 weeks which has proved positive (as have the chocolate fish!).
Alongside this the track has been active with Cath hosting some have-a-go days with good youth interest.
It is hoped that some of this interest will flow over into the reminder of the year. It is our intention to run the summer activity again next year hopefully with some expansion into other categories like e-bikes.
My thanks to those who worked as officials, marshals and timing and traffic gurus. Without you, it wouldn’t have happened, so thank you!
Calendar
We are putting the final touches on the calendar of activity for the remainder of 2020. This will see us undertake a mix of events locally alongside the regional and national events. We are keen to ensure that the local Cup races are the focus given the traffic management challenges. Whenever possible we will also have a lead-in event. We have tried to include a mix of Saturdays and Sundays based on feedback from members.
Annual General Meeting (AGM)
The exact date for the AGM is yet to be confirmed but likely to be a week night in early May following feedback from members. This is a chance for the club to transact the annual business that it must undertake. Further information will be communicated in advance of the AGM concerning any motions that will be before the meeting.
If you do have a motion, that you would like to see tabled, please get in contact with me.
At the conclusion of the AGM, there will be an opportunity to hear feedback and observations from members for the incoming committee to consider in the 2020/ 21 years.
Adding an ‘H’ to Wanganui
The committee wish to signal that there will be a motion put before the Annual General Meeting (AGM) to amend the spelling of Wanganui as it appears in the Club rules to include an H.
Doing so would follow the increasing trend of organisations in Whanganui to rebrand to include the correct spelling of the name of the city and region. It is important that the club pursues an inclusive and respectful approach to its activity and looks to remain contemporary if it is going to grow its presence in the community.
It is however recognised that this is a topic where there has been a diverse range of opinion. The committee want to ensure that members feel appropriately informed about this matter. Clearly there has been a lot of discussion in the community previously and it is planned to provide some further information specifically on this topic in due course for members to consider prior to the AGM.
Committee members
The committee is always looking for people to get involved. This includes on the committee itself or assisting at events. If you are keen to discuss this, please contact me. There will be an opportunity to put yourself forward at the AGM itself should you wish.
We would love someone who had an interest in marketing and promotions to really consider this opportunity!
Club kit
If you wish to purchase club kit for the Road Nationals, please contact Dean Blackwell, club secretary, via the club Facebook page or his email (secretary@wanganuicycling.club) to do this. He has further details around this including pricing. The deadline is the 5th of March.
It is appreciated that with the possibility that the spelling of the club name will change there may be uncertainty for members about ordering WCC kit for the upcoming Road Nationals and other events.
If you wish (or need) to order new kit at this time it will be with the current logo and spelling (i.e. without an H). However, even if the motion to add an H is successful at the AGM, there will be no problem with continuing to use kit already owned/ purchased that has no H in it.
Future kit orders (after the AGM) will contain the H if the motion is successful.
It is noted that you must wear WCC kit if you are competing at the Nationals or at Regional events. However, if you want to hold off purchasing If you are struggling with finding kit, again, please get in touch with Dean who will able to assist with reaching out to members who may have kit at home that they are not using. You do not need to be in the latest style to ride for the club.
Traffic Management
My sincere thanks to Brian Hayward for his on-going commitment to course set-up during the summer series. Brian is out there setting up well before anyone arrives and is frequently the last away. Without his efforts we don’t have events so thank you Brian!
The safety of those taking part is essential and we recognise this. However, as you will be aware, traffic management is an on-going challenge and we are keen to have others come on board and help with this aspect of the club. The club will support this to happen if you are interested. Please contact me for details.
We are hopeful that we will be able to add some further event courses available in 2020 once the calendar is fixed and dates are known. I am grateful to Jason Sturzaker for his support in this regard.
Youth Development
Cath has been busy getting out and about linking with schools and it is envisaged that there will soon be some group rides for schools starting. If taking part in this, of assisting with supervision, is of interest to you please contact Cath via the WCC Youth Facebook page or on her email (cath@cheatleyinstitute.nz).
If you have any questions or feedback, please do not hesitate to contact me on president@wanganuicycling.club or 021 396 540.
Yours in cycling,
Ian Murphy
President
On behalf of the WCC Committee