Hi, everyone! I want to share a little club news for January 2023. So, let's get started! Your officers began the new year by meeting on January 2nd at Black Warrior Brewing. We discussed several issues and passed numerous motions to set us on a path of uniting our Club while addressing the needs of our cycling community. All officers were in attendance, and many shared goals for their respective positions. We were also briefed about major events, like hosting the Hot Hundred, our financial standing, and our membership numbers. I then asked everyone to consider several ideas for the year. Here's a summary of some of those. 1. Establish a tradition of awarding and recognizing outstanding DCBC members, present and past. An organization like ours should identify those rare individuals who have given extraordinary service, and our officers agreed. • The DCBC Hall of Fame. Beginning with the Inaugural Class of 2023, the DCBC will recognize members for excellence in cycling, leadership, or service; contributions and improvements to cycling; the betterment of our Club through exemplary service or acts; professional offices, awards, or performances; and those with exceptional professional ideals and integrity. Nominations will come from the membership. • Deanna Steele Distinguished Service Award. Given to someone "who has given exceptional service to DCBC or the goals and purposes of DCBC." The recipient is "clearly recognizable throughout the Tuscaloosa cycling community, and the service for which the award is given represents a long-term commitment that, in every way, can be considered extraordinary and distinguished." This person has given tirelessly and selflessly to the cause of cycling in Tuscaloosa, and we would greatly miss this person's service. Nominations will come from the membership. • Cyclist of the Month. In recognition of excellence in monthly cycling performance, the DCBC can recognize one cyclist with this award beginning April 1st through November 1st. Individuals will be recognized through social media and at a quarterly DCBC meeting. 2. Increase Public Awareness of Benevolence Activities. Club members spend considerable time and effort raising funds in support of charitable organizations and youth cycling groups/projects. And yet, only some seem to know about our important work. These activities need to be announced, publicized, and involve club members. So, beginning with the Tuscaloosa Mountain Flyers (TMF), we will create a photo opportunity for DCBC and TMF as we present the team with a "larger-than-life" donation check. This will happen on Sunday, January 29th, around 1:00 pm at Hurricane Creek, right before the Hour of Power. 3. Increase New/Returning Member’s Identification with DCBC. All new and returning members of DCBC will receive a decal to affix to their car, truck, or wherever they would like to display their membership in DCBC for all to see! I'll have your decal ready for you at our Saturday group rides! Everyone needs to renew membership by going to, https://www.druidcitybicycleclub.com, or completing a paper registration form available at designated rides. Also, remember that as a member, you can take advantage of specific discounts when you shop at Trek or VeloCity! 4. Create and Publish a Year-long Calendar. To guide our activities and help members plan, we scheduled events that include the return of some beloved traditions (e.g., spandex party, time trials on Sanders Ferry, SF), important service activities (e.g., clean-up of SF-our adopted road), themed rides (e.g., Put Me in Coach, Gone to Gordo), and our meetings. I'll send a link to this and post it on our website. 5. Publish Weekly Miles Earned. To stoke some friendly competition and recognize members of our Club, we have been publicizing our top riders' weekly miles according to our 2023 Strava Group. Anyone can join the group, and I'll continue doing this because seeing the miles earned weekly is impressive! If you were a member last year, you are still in the group. To sign up, visit https://www.strava.com/clubs/2023DCBC 6. Schedule Three Pace Line Coaching Sessions. The Ride Coordinator or their designee plans to develop three 30-minute "how to ride in a pace line" clinics and promote this with new and less experienced members of the Club. The goal is to improve group ride safety and provide an on-ramp for new members to feel comfortable riding with us. If you are interested in helping with these, please reach out to our ride coordinator, John Savage. 7. Survey the Membership About the Club. The thoughts of DCBC members need to be heard and used as measures of progress. Our President-elect, Stephen Glenn, is drafting a series of short surveys and will send those out to members throughout the year. 8. Develop a Strategic Plan for DCBC. To help guide the Club through 2030, we are forming a strategic planning committee to look at our overall goals, objectives, and mission. If you are interested in serving, please get in touch with me or let one of our officers know. 9. Create a New Endurance Hot Hundred Route for 2023. The HH committee will add an "extra-hot" ultra-route specifically for endurance cyclists. When well-known cyclist Brian Toone was asked if that would interest him, he replied, "I'll be there and will bring others with me! And Eddie O'Dea, the first person to finish the Eastern Divide Trail (roughly 5,950 miles), replied to his invitation this way... An ultra-road ride on the last Saturday of July in Alabama? That sounds like a horrible idea. I'm in! Brian Smith was an exceptional cyclist who left us too soon; this new route will be named after him. 10. Event Coordination. The board plans to appoint a coordinator to assist with planning and logistics for the Hot Hundred and Gobblecross. The coordinator will work extensively alongside the President-elect and President to host these events! Stay tuned for more HH information as it unfolds! 11. Ramp Up Club Use of Social Media, Marketing, and Branding. Our Social Media Director, Morgan Hunt, plans three major social media campaigns to increase club membership and promote and expand participation in the Hot Hundred and Gobblecross. We also started using custom graphics and templates to announce group rides and other events. I have already heard positive feedback about these, and I hope you find them helpful as well. 12. Experiment with a Daytime/Weekday-riders Group. We started a daytime ride group for those with flexible weekday schedules. The group does not have a fixed ride schedule, and members are welcome to post daytime/weekday rides when they want others to join in. Let me know if you want more information or contact Jim Cockrell. Ok, this is a taste of what we have in store for the season. Your board is working hard to make you proud of our Club and activities. There are other items I need to include, and I will talk about those next month. I look forward to your thoughts. Feel free to contact me by phone (205-657-2624), email (president@druidcitybicycleclub.com), GroupMe, or during a DCBC group ride (this Saturday at 10 am from Embassy)! And, as they say in the land of Zwift, Ride On! Carl Hancock, 2023 President Druid City Bicycle Club DCBC Links Website - https://www.druidcitybicycleclub.com DCBC GroupMe - https://www.tinyurl.com/dcbcgroupme Membership - https://www.tinyurl.com/dcbc2023 Jersey Shop - http://teamstore.ascendsportswear.com/store/dcbc/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/druidcitybicycleclub Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/druidcitybicycleclub
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