November 2015 President's Letter
The Results Are In
Change, they tell me, is good. If that adage is true, then the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club is in for a whole lot of good in the very near future. The club’s Executive Committee will be entirely remade once we elect, at the November meeting on Tuesday, November 10, the unopposed slate of Renee Mitchell, President; John Olbrot, Vice President: Val Litznerski, Secretary; and Mike Boersma, Treasurer.
I tip my helmet to these individuals who are willing to step up and work on behalf of KBC and regional cycling. They will bring in fresh ideas, new energy, and innovative thinking that will transform the club and all it does. My wish, as outgoing President, is that every member of our club gives them the support that I have enjoyed in my years in office. Believe me when I say that the jobs they are undertaking are time-consuming, difficult, and often vexing. They are giving of themselves, sacrificing time in their busy lives, in order to make our club better. Please let them know you appreciate the path on which they are about to embark.
New faces on the Executive Committee will be Renee and Val. Many of you know Renee from her position as Education Chair, from which she has for many years admirably administered Bike Camp, among other things. As President, you’ll find her focused and organized to the hilt (unlike your sitting President!). Her competence in anything she undertakes is impressive to witness.
At last year’s Recovery Party, Val won the award for being, Pound for Pound, the Best Biker in the Club. She is a top-shelf endurance athlete who brings executive experience to the table from her job in the insurance industry.
Before I move on to other things, I want to express my thanks to outgoing Vice President Doug Kirk for his help and council over the past couple of years. We sometimes didn’t see eye to eye on things, but were able to argue our positions with respect for one another. He is not only a true friend, but also the best, most tireless, and passionate advocate for cycling any bike club has ever had.
Thanks also go to Treasurer John Olbrot, whose steady hand and calm demeanor have meant so much in terms of keeping the club on an even keel. He will serve well as Vice President, bringing with him enthusiasm for bicycling, maturity, and a wealth of knowledge about how KBC runs.
Mike Boersma, former President, present Secretary and future Treasurer, has for years been a rock of reliance for both me and the club. When I asked him last year if he would serve as Secretary, he said he would. Asked if he would serve as Treasurer in next year’s administration, he said he would. And he wasn’t just a “placeholder” as Secretary. He wrote cogent and concise meeting minutes, and contributed enormously as a member of the Executive Committee. Look for that to continue as he takes over as Treasurer.
As I step down as a member of the administration of the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club, it is people like the aforementioned that I will miss the most; the friends I have made through cycling and working together on projects like KalTour, Bike Camp, and the Anniversary Ride, to name just a few. They made the work enjoyable; it is flat-out fun to come together in a collaborative effort doing good works. More should try it….
Hats Off!
Those of you who have been coming to the KBC monthly meetings or carefully reading the minutes in the Pedal Press know that the club has been hashing over a reordering of the club’s popular and stylish logoed baseball-type hats. Thanks to club member and owner of PowerLink Promotional Products LLC, Scott Powers, those discussion have now come to fruition.
We placed an order for four different colors of one-size-fits-all hats. And they aren’t a carbon copy of what we had before. They are updated, bear the club’s logo in front and the website address on the back, and are durable and stylish chapeaus that will serve well for years to come. Good thing, as my previous collection of KBC hats, after 14 years of hard use, are, as my wife gently puts it, “An embarrassment, and fit only for fishing or working around the yard.” She always did have a way with words.
We’re selling the hats, which Scott generously provided to us at his cost, for $10 each – truly a bargain in light of their quality. I will have them at the November monthly meeting and at subsequent club events. Cash or checks are acceptable payment methods. It’s not too early to start thinking about stocking stuffers for Christmas….
Injury Report
Finally, as wonderful as cycling is as an exercise and an outdoor sport, it is more than ironic that something with such positive benefits can, at times, also be quite dangerous. I was reminded of that recently when I went to visit Jon Ballema after a crash he endured while training for a cyclocross race. After undergoing surgery, Jon is now recovering, but is doing so with the aid of a walker.
We talked about how astonishing it is that, in the blink of an eye, we can go from being a perfectly functioning human animal to something that is broken and unable to even implement basic living tasks.
Be careful out there, my friends. And heal quickly and completely, Jon.
Adios to the rest of you. I’ll see you somewhere down the road.
Zolton Cohen, KBC President