Peter,

To clarify: The GCBT AGM is open to the club's "Regular members": That is,
the tour leaders, who comprise the voting membership of the GCBT, as defined
in the club constitution. Our riders, or "Touring members" (confusing term,
I know) are not voting members of the organization, but participants in the
club's program. They are therefore not eligible to vote, nor are they
normally invited to attend the AGM.

As well, the AGM is not really the forum for debating club policy: Holding
the AGM is a legal requirement that fulfills the club's obligations as a
non-profit corportion to present a summary of our business activities to the
voting members. The AGM also provides the opportunity to vote for directors
of the organzation. These directors are elected from the regular members,
and only regular members have the right to vote.

A couple of points to consider:
First, having said all of the above, the club exists to serve the interests
of our members and the broader cycling community. You can be sure that any
feedback received from our members, including the issue of start times, is
always considered in policy reviews. Feedback includes ad-hoc discussions
with members, website communications, polls, and any other form of input
received by the directors. The executive makes decisions based upon the best
information it has, and attempts to provide a balanced touring program that
will appeal to a large number of riders.

Second: Obviously, club policy does not always follow the preferences of
individual riders. To affect policy more directly, you may wish to become a
regular member, thereby securing the right to vote. This requires running a
tour for the club. In addition to having the right to vote, regular members
may also stand for election to club executive positions, providing an even
greater opportunity to direct club policy. In general, the more each
individual contributes to the operation of the GCBT, the more ability he or
she has to direct club activities.

I hope this helps answer your questions, Peter.

Best regards,


John Bennett
GCBT Director at Large