President’s Message – October 2019

(sequel to September President’s message)

A lot can happen in a month and it certainly has.

Those members who read my September President’s message, would have detected a hint of frustration in my musings over new members joining our Club simply to access our CPS.

In the interim between writing that message and now, this very subject was a major item on the August Committee Meeting’s agenda.

After considerable discussion your committee unanimously decided to revise membership eligibility requirements and the application process.

Effective immediately, new membership eligibility criteria are now as follows: –

• Eligibility period for a new member to access the Clubs CPS will revert to 6 months.
• All prospective new members will be required to attend and make themselves known at a Club ride or a meeting before their application will be considered.
• New member applications will be approved only at committee meetings, no fast tracking between meetings – no exceptions.
• The current offer of the second year of membership subscription to be free, if a new member attends 5 Club rides in their first full year of membership, will be withdrawn as this attempt to lure new members to attend Club events has not been successful.
• The membership application form has been updated to reflect the new criteria.

Refer to Committee minutes in this issue of Sprocket

Although it is certainly gratifying that some new members have been attending Club events since joining, the percentage compared to the total number of new members is very low.

Obviously, these changes will have no bearing on existing members.

On another subject entirely, I’m sure members who attended the August General Meeting enjoyed our Guest Speaker’s presentation as much as I did. Author and motorcycle adventurer Heather Ellis enthralled us with her remarkable travels. I have now finished reading both of Heather’s books (Ubuntu and Timeless on the Silk Road) and enjoyed both tremendously, what an amazing, gutsy lady.

The Club has purchased both of Heather’s books for our library for members’ enjoyment, be quick they will be popular.

Graham and I recently checked out a venue for our Brass Monkey Rally to be held in mid-July next year, we are sure members will like what we have come up with, keep a look out for details as we get closer to this always popular Club Rally.

Sadly, Club member Mick Boocock passed away peacefully in his sleep, in late August. We will miss Mick’s company at future Club events – see Mick’s Vale in this issue of Sprocket.

See you on a Club event soon.

Ian Snadden

President CMCCV