March Rides, KVBC Dues Increase

 

Hello Everyone!  We are 19 days away from the start of Spring, even though it doesn't feel much like it yet.  If the weather permits we will have two, short, early preseason rides: one on Saturday, March 15 in Vassalboro to commemorate the birthday of Charles E. Pratt, the first president of the League of American Wheelmen (1880-1881) who was born in Vassalboro on March 13, 1845; followed the following week on Saturday, March 22 in Chesterville for Maine Maple Sunday weekend.  Stay tuned for additional details.

We also still have a number of openings in the 2025 KVBC Ride Calendar, so if you have been a ride leader and you haven't had a chance to sign up to lead a ride take a moment to check your calendar and sign up if you can.  We also welcome new ride leaders!  If you have a great ride you want to share with the club, let me know!

Our club treasurer, Brian Bowker, has submitted a Treasurer's Report, copied below.  Our club expenses have risen over the past few years and after some careful consideration, we have decided to raise our annual dues to $15.00 per year per person and $20.00 per year per household.  This is our first dues increase since our founding back in 2002.

Hope to see you all very soon! - Jim

KVBC Treasurer's Report 2024 Season

Hello to my fellow KVBC members.  I hope all of you are enjoying another chilly Maine winter.  As spring approaches surely many are gearing up for the cycling season.  I am looking forward to it but am in no hurry to put my skis away, surprise surprise!

Notes:

Our expenses last season were an annual contribution to the Bicycle Coalition of Maine (BCM) of $100.00, League of American Bicyclists (LAB) of $75.00 and to American Specialty Insurance (ASI) of $485.00.  A total of $660.00

Our joining LAB allows our participation in the group insurance rates with ASI.

Since I am not an accountant I would like to show some simple balances of the club checking account.

Beginning Balance         03/28/24              1012.15

Current Balance          03/01/25.                   887.15

We took in approximately $520.00 in dues and donations in 2024 (apx $420.00  in dues, including a little extra paid by a couple of members plus one donation).  That said with our expenses currently at $660.00 the club would be insolvent in about 6 years as long as there are no increases in expenses which is unlikely.  It would be my suggestion that the club increase the annual dues by at least $5.00 per membership which would almost cover annual expenses.

Individual member minimum annual dues:        $15.00

Family minimum annual dues:                           $20.00

Sincerely,

Brian Bowker

Treasurer

KVBC Annual Membership

KVBC Membership and Annual Dues. First, a warm welcome to our new KVBC Treasurer, Brian Bowker, and our new KVBC Membership Coordinator, Denise Crowell! Also, our sincere thanks to Sandra Hodge, who volunteered to serve in both capacities since 2010. Many, many thanks to you all!

To be an active member of the Kennebec Valley Bicycle Club you must fill out, sign, and return a current KVBC Membership Form EVERY YEAR. Membership forms can be found at this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1u0gP-E42ZSGIbSlc362kto-j6GwYq4uK/view?usp=sharing. If that doesn’t work, you can request a form from Brian, bbowk321@yahoo.com, or Denise, denicemcrowell@gmail.com, or Jim, hjmerrick@gmail.com, and we will send you one. We will also try to have printed copies available at the start of KVBC rides.

KVBC Annual Dues are $10.00 per person and $15.00 per household. Payment in cash can be made in person to Brian, Denise, or Jim. Payment by personal check made out to “Kennebec Valley Bicycle Club” can be submitted to Brian, Denise, or Jim, or mailed to: Brian Bowker, 434 Frederick Corner Road, Norridgewock, ME 04957. Payment can also be submitted electronically via VENMO via this link: https://www.venmo.com/u/Brian-Bowker-4.

Your Membership dues help defray the costs of our club liability insurance which enables us to host club rides and events. These funds are also applied to our KVBC club membership to the Bicycle Coalition of Maine and the League of American Bicyclists in support of their advocacy efforts both in Maine and beyond.

Thank you for your support! 

Merry Christmas!

High-Wheel Santa (Louis Prang)

Merry Christmas to Everyone from the Kennebec Valley Bicycle Club!  May you all have a fine year of cycling ahead!

This past year we had a terrific calendar of rides, most of which had fine weather and were really well-attended - one of our best years ever!  Many, many thanks to everyone who volunteered to lead rides and who helped out in many other ways - we couldn't have done it without you.  I also want to note that several of our "regulars" - due to circumstances unforeseen and otherwise - were unable to ride with us this year: I want you to know we missed you all, and we hope you can make it back and ride with us again in the coming year!

Winter Events coming up: we will once again schedule a Ride Planning Pizza Party sometime in late January or early February, most likely at the offices of the Bicycle Coalition of Maine in Augusta.  If you could send along to me any preference for evenings that you could (or could not) make a meeting, I'll try and sort through the responses and arrange a date fro us to meet.  If the Old Farmer's Almanac predictions are correct and we get substantial snow this Winter, we might also try to schedule a snowshoe/x-country ski event, too - just to keep your cross-training honest!  And if the OFM is full of baloney, and we have a few opportune mild days, we may try to stir up a club ride or two at the last minute.

Facebook: as I already administer two other work-related Facebook pages, I'm considering whether it would be manageable to set up a KVBC Facebook page to help get ride notices out and attract new riders.  If you are already on Facebook, please let me know, so I know what kind of member participation might result - I wouldn't want our "outreach" to exclude our current membership.

Club Dues: there is a concern that the League of American Bicyclists might be forced to raise next year's club insurance rates for member clubs (such as KVBC) but right now it looks as if the club can absorb the increase without raising our membership dues.  We had some good fortune that the insurance fees have been quite modest and have held steady over the past few years - and that we've never had to draw on the insurance!

May you all have a safe and enjoyable year a'wheel next year!