August 2024 Top Talk
The question is periodically posed: Does size matter?
When I joined what was then Portland Wheelmen Touring Club, now Portland Bicycling Club, I’m fairly certain membership was over 1,000. For the last few years, we have hovered around 450-475.
Why? I can only speculate. I think fewer people choose to belong to clubs and organizations. The Elks, Moose, and various small community groups just don’t attract the following they used to. Road bike riding is down in popularity from its heyday resulting in less interest in a club that promotes road bike cycling.
Current size: smaller. However, if we look at the past two months, we see that this “little” club put on its own event ride, the PIONEER CENTURY®, with immense success and sufficient volunteers to meet riders’ needs. We just expended many hundreds of volunteer hours to produce the SEATTLE to PORTLAND (STP) Finish Line. It was impressive. Members who volunteered were exceptional in their volunteerism, work ethic, kindness to one another and to riders, leadership, innovative problem-solving, patience, and pushing through exhaustion. ✎
I’m a big believer that people join the club because we have what they are looking for. We could entice cyclists with green stamps or toasters or a chance to win the newest, bestest bicycle, but often they are not really looking for the wonderfulness that is us, and they certainly don’t want to help out as a volunteer. No, they join for their own enrichment, or hope thereof. I like our excellent QUALITY of club members that are here for the right reasons and will do what they can for the benefit of the club because they believe in the club and want it to succeed.
Years ago, our club put on an event ride called the Mt. Hood Hoo-Ha. We offered a free membership for registering for the ride (or maybe it was the other way around). This was about 2008 or 2009. We really grew the club. Many new members. Size: Bigger! But guess what? Most of the new members did not come to other club rides, did not come to club meetings, did not volunteer for anything, did not enhance the club in any way, nor did they renew their membership. I’m sure most of them were very nice people, but they only joined for a free ride or membership, whichever it was we gave them!
New riders frequently come to my MEET PBC rides. They searched the internet for bicycle rides and found us. We give them what they came for – bicycle rides. They learn about other things we do, and they like us and like the club, and they volunteer. And that’s how we successfully put on the PIONEER and STP FINISH LINE. Quality. Quality people, not Quantity. Thank you.
Ann Morrow, President
To read the Quick Releases newsletter associated with the August 2024 Top Talk, go to Table of Contents.