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Hello Tandemists,
This is a short note to give you an update on SDTC membership and corresponding SDCBC membership. First, for those sharp-eyed enough to notice, Sarah and I have moved the Tandem Club account from Union Bank to Western Financial Bank. Union Bank had sent us notice that they were changing the minimum balance requirements for non-profit organizations to $3000 for a charge free account, and it would cost the club a monthly charge of $7.95 just to keep the account open. Western Financial allows us to keep the account open with our customary $1000 minimum balance for free, saving the club nearly $100 per year in charges. They also have given us a deposit only debit card that permits us to make deposits at ATMs, which should allow us to keep the account more current by expanding the hours of access.
Second on the list is that the SDCBC has experienced in 2006 a increase to the mailing and printing charges for the ChainGuard paper newsletter to the point where our (and other $5 a year clubs) dues do not cover the costs of printing and posting them anymore. Tom Lettington has become the new SDCBC webmaster, and has placed all current and a few past year's ChainGuard's in Adobe PDF format available on the www.SDCBC.org website. A vote of the SDCBC board suggested that $5/year club members should receive the ChainGuard by default as an email "link" (the ChainGuard PDF file is not embedded in the email, but the web link to it is) when the paper printing goes out. Members may (temporarily) request that they receive a paper copy, but if enough SDTC members do request it we will need to become $10/year members and raise our dues to match. I have passed on the email addresses of all 20 SDTC teams that have renewed as of January 15, 2006. You may opt out by replying to the email notice for the ChainGuard if desired. The PDF file can be printed out and is identical to the paper copy that is mailed.
Along those lines, there are three sets of SDCBC letter mailings that go out annually - a notice that your membership in SDCBC is about to expire; a notice that your membership has just expired (and sometimes the collection that I do for SDTC membership crosses in the mail with some of the members that have already renewed, so we apologize to anyone that has had that experience), and a third letter thanking members for renewing, and requesting that if you are a $5 or $10 a year club member that you please consider an additional donation to expand the SDCBC bicycling advocacy activities. I'm proud to say that several SDTC members or teams have done so. These mailings go out every other month so that the SDCBC can get bulk mailing rates, but you will only receive a single copy of each type of notice, and only the Thank You notice if we get our renewals together in time.
Primarily in the past two years the additional income has permitted the SDCBC to focus on bicycle education, for cyclists, novices, law enforcement and other community groups to make cycling and interaction with cyclists safer for everyone. One consequence of this has been that the FREE Bike I education classes provided by the city of San Diego have been extended into 2006 through additional donations (they were originally slated as a test that was to end in August of last year). The city is considering financing another round in 2006 because of the clear success and perceived value and interest in the community from last year. I hope that you join me in the belief that this will grow and enhance the bicycling experience in San Diego county.
Have a safe and happy new cycling year!
Tony
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