On Running for President
I believe I mentioned earlier that I am planning to run for President of my motorcycle organization. The nominations will be at the meeting this weekend and the voting will take place at the December meeting, if it is needed. The last two years, the main officers have been elected by acclimation since there has been only one candidate.
I've been the secretary of our district for 3 years. I took the spot (was voted in) after a big shake up in the membership. Adults acting like children and much picking up of my toys and going home kind of thing. The sort of thing that happens in most organizations. I am often amused by how much bikers are like PTA mom's. This shake up was really more fall out from an earlier brouhaha. One that involved Pop and his ex-wife and the disaster that surrounded that.
So it was not an easy place to be and that first 3 months or so, I was in the delicate position of balancing communications between the old and the new. The group survived, though less than it was before. That was the first time someone said ABATE 20 is dying. I hated hearing that then and I hate it even more now. I grew to love my spot as Secretary and Events Coordinator. I threw myself into it and accomplished a lot. Things are more organized. We have records for the entire time I've been in office and I managed to work out the minutes going back to the beginning. As Event Coordinator, I put on a rally that was successful in its first year. I was told it couldn't be done, that we couldn't make a profit our first year. By the time the gates opened at the rally, we had to clear 10.00 to break even. By the end of the weekend, we had made 3,000.00 free and clear for our Fallen Rider Fund.
The last couple of years, I've slowed down and lost some of that gung-ho attitude. One of my biggest faults, I think, is that once I have proven I can do something, I am not in a big hurry to do it again. I've taken on a lot over the years and its time for me to give some of those chores and privileges back to the other members of the club. A lot has changed in the group and with me since I joined, not all of it for the good. There have been so many deaths in the last 2 years. That has devastated our group more than anything. Its like losing a member of the family.
We've lost some of our strongest leaders. Some through death, some through addiction, some through changes of interest, some through changes in their personal situations. A group is only as strong as its leader. Without someone who knows where they are going, its hard to get anything accomplished. Unfortunately, despite good men with good intentions as president, ABATE 20 has been dying. I'm not saying that its their fault, but I will say I believe they contributed to it. Also in the mix; changing locations 3 times in three years, switching meeting days and times, changing values of the membership, and just plain losing heart.
I've said for the last 2 years, when its come up more often than I would have ever imagined, that I wouldn't run for President of ABATE 20. I felt that it was important that the President ride a motorcycle. I felt it would be better if the President was a man, since I know that the majority of the membership listens to males more readily than females. I was content to subtly, or not so subtly direct the club from my position behind the scenes. But I have found that in the last year, I have been leading more and more. That I have struggled to work through someone else.
Then I was sick for 3 months. I wasn't able to do any of the events I would have normally have been right in the middle of during that time. That was much harder than I ever imagined. I don't like being left behind. But it was a valuable learning experience. The time and distance gave me a chance to really see what was going on with the group. I got to see how it functioned without me. I saw more clearly what exactly was going wrong within the group. I also got the chance to really think about what I wanted to do. I had been going on automatic pilot for so long that I had stopped thinking about the "why" of what we do.
I'm ready for the challenge. I don't think that I am the only choice for ABATE 20. I think just about anyone could step in and run the group. But I think perhaps this is my time. I am not ready to let this organization die. And I am willing to try to save it. I might not be the most popular person when I am done, because I am going to shake some things up and challenge the way things have been. Either way, I think we are in for an interesting ride...
I've been the secretary of our district for 3 years. I took the spot (was voted in) after a big shake up in the membership. Adults acting like children and much picking up of my toys and going home kind of thing. The sort of thing that happens in most organizations. I am often amused by how much bikers are like PTA mom's. This shake up was really more fall out from an earlier brouhaha. One that involved Pop and his ex-wife and the disaster that surrounded that.
So it was not an easy place to be and that first 3 months or so, I was in the delicate position of balancing communications between the old and the new. The group survived, though less than it was before. That was the first time someone said ABATE 20 is dying. I hated hearing that then and I hate it even more now. I grew to love my spot as Secretary and Events Coordinator. I threw myself into it and accomplished a lot. Things are more organized. We have records for the entire time I've been in office and I managed to work out the minutes going back to the beginning. As Event Coordinator, I put on a rally that was successful in its first year. I was told it couldn't be done, that we couldn't make a profit our first year. By the time the gates opened at the rally, we had to clear 10.00 to break even. By the end of the weekend, we had made 3,000.00 free and clear for our Fallen Rider Fund.
The last couple of years, I've slowed down and lost some of that gung-ho attitude. One of my biggest faults, I think, is that once I have proven I can do something, I am not in a big hurry to do it again. I've taken on a lot over the years and its time for me to give some of those chores and privileges back to the other members of the club. A lot has changed in the group and with me since I joined, not all of it for the good. There have been so many deaths in the last 2 years. That has devastated our group more than anything. Its like losing a member of the family.
We've lost some of our strongest leaders. Some through death, some through addiction, some through changes of interest, some through changes in their personal situations. A group is only as strong as its leader. Without someone who knows where they are going, its hard to get anything accomplished. Unfortunately, despite good men with good intentions as president, ABATE 20 has been dying. I'm not saying that its their fault, but I will say I believe they contributed to it. Also in the mix; changing locations 3 times in three years, switching meeting days and times, changing values of the membership, and just plain losing heart.
I've said for the last 2 years, when its come up more often than I would have ever imagined, that I wouldn't run for President of ABATE 20. I felt that it was important that the President ride a motorcycle. I felt it would be better if the President was a man, since I know that the majority of the membership listens to males more readily than females. I was content to subtly, or not so subtly direct the club from my position behind the scenes. But I have found that in the last year, I have been leading more and more. That I have struggled to work through someone else.
Then I was sick for 3 months. I wasn't able to do any of the events I would have normally have been right in the middle of during that time. That was much harder than I ever imagined. I don't like being left behind. But it was a valuable learning experience. The time and distance gave me a chance to really see what was going on with the group. I got to see how it functioned without me. I saw more clearly what exactly was going wrong within the group. I also got the chance to really think about what I wanted to do. I had been going on automatic pilot for so long that I had stopped thinking about the "why" of what we do.
I'm ready for the challenge. I don't think that I am the only choice for ABATE 20. I think just about anyone could step in and run the group. But I think perhaps this is my time. I am not ready to let this organization die. And I am willing to try to save it. I might not be the most popular person when I am done, because I am going to shake some things up and challenge the way things have been. Either way, I think we are in for an interesting ride...