Friends of cycling:

I'm forwarding you a message sent out on the OSU Cycling Club listserv
yesterday by Club President Ben McCarthy.

Ben, on behalf of the OSU Cycling Club, is seeking support from the
bicycling community in Central Ohio.

If you have any ideas about how you or your organization might support
the OSU Cycling Club and their racing team, please sign on to the Yahoo
Groups forum listed in Ben's message or contact Ben directly at the
address in his message.

We have among us a number of cyclists and cycling clubs that race.
Perhaps the OSU team could benefit by training and practicing with all
you veterans. You might benefit, too.

A more successful and visible OSU racing team can only help bicycling
in Central Ohio. We all know what Lance's -- and Greg's -- success has
done to raise interest in cycling. A successful OSU racing team might
encourage local high schools to begin racing teams and racing leagues.
And if area high schools begin bicycle racing maybe -- just maybe --
bicycling might become more popular in high schools generally. And if
bicycling becomes more popular in high schools generally, maybe that
popularity will filter down to middle and elementary schools. And if we
can do that, we might get a whole new generation into making bicycling
a part of their everday lives.

Please do what you can to help the OSU Cycling Club.

John

John Gideon
President
Central Ohio Bicycle Advocacy Coalition
Post Office Box 2003
Columbus, Ohio 43216-2003
Voice: (614) 430-3377
Email: jgideon@...
Web: www.cobac.org

---------------------------------------------------------------



Subj: OSU Cycling Friends & Alumni Association
Date: 1/6/2005 3:02:29 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: mccarthy.81@... (Ben McCarthy)
Sender: owner-osucycling@...
Reply-to: mccarthy.81@...
To: TomJKathie@..., izor.4@..., richard.beck@...




Friends and Alumni of OSU Cycling,

For those of you who do not know me, my name is Ben McCarthy and I am
the 2004-2005 OSU Cycling Club President.

This year has seen an amazing amount of growth in the Cycling Club.
This year we have approximately 60 dues paying club members and
countless other active students. We are continuing the traditions set
by previous club members and expanding upon them. Last year the team
placed 4th in the MidWest Conference Road Racing and 11th at Collegiate
Nationals in Madison, Wisconsin. Our loaner bike program started three
years ago has grown from 3 bikes to a stable of around 8.
Additionally, there are a few new developments to be announced soon
that will make our club more competitive than ever.

I want to take this time and offer alumni and cyclists in the community
the opportunity to join together to be involved with the club in a new
way. Many of the top teams in the country owe much of their success to
the strong support they receive from their alumni. While we have made
a great deal of progress without such an organization, we could do even
better with one.

While I think that is would be best to leave the actual design and
mission of any association to the members, I would like to offer a
possible starting point.

The OSU Cycling Friends and Alumni are dedicated to promoting and
enhancing the Cycling Club at The Ohio State University by:
1. Involving alumni and cyclists in the community with The Ohio State
University Cycling Club
2. Serving as a resource for advice to the club
3. Providing support for the club that may include financial,
volunteer, etc.

I have started a group on yahoo groups that can be used as a forum for
establishing the Friends and Alumni Association. Currently anyone may
subscribe to this group by sending a message to OSUCyclingAlumni-
subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Some Cycling Alumni Associations around the country:
Colorado State University
Harvard
University of California, Berkley

MidWest Conference Alumni Associations:
Indiana University

I would like to thank Tom Johnson (Class of '66) who has helped me
envision what an alumni association could do for the club and who was
also the inspiration for starting this venture. Thanks Tom for your
continued support!

Thank you all for your time and support,
Ben McCarthy
OSU Cycling Club President






John Gideon
President
Central Ohio Bicycle Advocacy Coalition
Post Office Box 2003
Columbus, Ohio 43216-2003
Voice: (614) 430-3377
Fax: (614) 430-3378
Email: jgideon@...
Web: www.cobac.org