Seasons come and Seasons go , some things change….and other things just keep getting better.
Here we are in the midst of spring after what has been a record winter for all the right reasons. Perfect for riding bikes.
And the mighty Bike Manawatu machines rolls on. Just to recap on recent to-ings and fro-ings.
A very pleasant evening was had last month for the annual Bike Manawatu Awards at the Hotel Coachman a generous sponsor and supporter of Bike Manawatu. With the help of compere Russell Harris it was enthralling to see an insight into the makings of Colin Anderson a truly remarkable person who does remarkable things on a bike. Colin has had an enforced spell since his Taupo odyssey but we expect to see him back on his bike again soon. It was also gratifying to see the various winners of awards made to people who do go beyond the call of duty in their contribution to the workings of the club. Well done once again to the worthy winners.
That evening we also presented our nine National Champions with specially made BM jerseys that had the wording of ‘NZ National Champion’ inscribed on to the sleeves. The jerseys looked great and the “ champions” wore them with pride. Let’s hope that the Board finds the need to print many more jerseys like these in years to come and that the jerseys become treasured items.
The track season is almost upon us. The track committee has met and set out a pre Xmas programme. Riders have been making appointments to secure bikes. Priority is being given to those riders from our Monday night programme with all hirers required to be members. Be sure to get your applications in early as there will be good demand for club track bikes. The bond has been increased to ensure that we get all bikes and bits returned in a timely way at the end of the season.
This year the good news is that the track night fees will be waived as BM has secured a sponsor to cover the costs of running the Tuesday track night programme. Only non members will now pay.
Ian Gray has once again offered a track bike to the “rookie of the year”. The Board is looking to match the gesture…..still looking!
The Feilding Festival of Cycling went off last Sunday again without a hitch. This is an important event for the club for promotional reasons, financial reasons and for providing an introduction to cycling for many first timers. Thanks again for the input from our wonderful group of volunteers ably assisted by Sport Manawatu. Despite dire weather predictions the course rode well and winner of the Joe Allan Classic was Josh page from Hawkes Bay.
It will not be long before one of own will once again get his/her hands on this sought after trophy.
This weekend sees our region inundated with visitors from around the country as once again we host the NZ Secondary schools Champs in Levin and Feilding. Our respective schools teams look really good for some great results in what has become a very prestigious event. Good luck to all.
A little luck is worth a ton of hard work as Team New Zealand are finding out in San Francisco.
You may also have noticed that this year the Novice Tour has been moved out to December to avoid conflict with the schools event. Thanks to a very enthusiastic Novice Tour Committee, the 40th Novice Tour event is going to be the biggest and brightest yet as we add new Under 13 and Under 19 grades and run the tour over two days instead of the traditional 3 stage one day event it has been to date.
Did you know that Ian Gray was the instigator of the Novice Tour way back in 1973? A good quiz night question!
One of the important jobs the Board is required to do is to develop policies that are required either by law or are at a minimum “best practice”. We have been guided by both Sport NZ and BikeNZ to write policies around Financial Management, Health and Safety and others. Out of this we have developed a Financial Policy , a Child Protection Policy and am currently looking into a revised Code of Conduct. Others will follow. At first you wonder if the “PC “ brigade are running our lives to the “nth” degree. But as time passes and as we live in a world where it is increasingly difficult to sneeze without consent, then we have decided it is best to follow best practice and “toe the line”. While it may mean a lot of work upfront, and it is, the Board and its members can sleep safely at night in the knowledge that we have done the best we can done to keep the club viable and safe for all.
The Board meeting this week had a deputation from the fledging BMX club with a request to assist with the development of BMX in the City. We have asked for more information. There are potentially very good synergies across many levels…..watch this space.
Today I read with great pride that 9 of our young riders (out of 40) have made the NZ Junior Development . That is testament to a fantastic schools group who just keep setting the bar higher and higher and to the parents and coaches who support, encourage and enable our youngsters to excel. Well done to all. Denise Brown from PNGHS is one of the coaches.
Finally, Bike Manawatu were once again well represented at the Grassroots Sports Awards last week. Unfortunately we were unable to win as we have in 2011 and 2012. The Board has vowed that next year we will back in our rightful place on the Grassroots podium …..pedal to the metal.
Paul van Velthooven