Members Groups

[glueman]

Last year I heard a lot about the immanent announcement of member's groups by the CTC. Things have gone a bit quiet on the subject. Are they still going to be introduced?

[glueman]

Looks like a no.

[simon l6 and a bit]

it's all done. You can set up a group independent of a DA. A Section can toddle off on its own.

To be honest it's not that big a deal. except in circumstances where a DA is moribund, or there is no DA.

[glueman]

it's all done. You can set up a group independent of a DA. A Section can toddle off on its own.

To be honest it's not that big a deal. except in circumstances where a DA is moribund, or there is no DA.

Was there an announcement in the mag? I must have missed it. My assumption was any local school group, mates down the pub or keep fit class could ride together and get 3rd part ins. plus the rest of CTC umbrella for its activities. A real chance for the club to spread its wings, in other words. There was a question about whether that was the case or not. If it's simply to start a section where none exist isn't the mechanism for that already in place?
Am I sensing a strategic withdrawal from a damned good idea?

[Andrew Mills]

As I understand things over the coming year all DA's and Sections will become member groups. National Council has introduced a new Policy stating that we will no longer use the terms DA or Section they will become seperate member groups but can retain the exeisting links if they chose.
It will be interesting to see how membership copes withthis as they havn't yet worked out how to sort out someone living in one county and riding with another one!

[Karen Sutton]

As I understand things over the coming year all DA's and Sections will become member groups. National Council has introduced a new Policy stating that we will no longer use the terms DA or Section they will become seperate member groups but can retain the exeisting links if they chose.

I wonder how long it will take to change the name of this board so that it no longer has the disused term 'District Association' in it?

[Graham]

I wonder how long it will take to change the name of this board so that it no longer has the disused term 'District Association' in it?

Wonder no longer Karen. . . . . about 10 hours after your post

PS. I did not know anything about Member Groups until this topic developed.

[piedwagtail91]

i'd never heard of members groups, and as i've just bought a top with our sections name on it i never will, well not until the top wears out anyway.

[Karen Sutton]

I wonder how long it will take to change the name of this board so that it no longer has the disused term 'District Association' in it?

Wonder no longer Karen. . . . . about 10 hours after your post

PS. I did not know anything about Member Groups until this topic developed.

What service! Excellent. How about passing some tips on to the Membership Department?

[glueman]

At the risk of being boring is this a change from the plan originally mooted? I assumed member groups were a new and different take on the traditional DA. Did I get the inferrance wrong or has there been a shift in emphasis?

[Karen Sutton]

At the risk of being boring is this a change from the plan originally mooted? I assumed member groups were a new and different take on the traditional DA. Did I get the inferrance wrong or has there been a shift in emphasis?

No it's not a change of plan. CTC are still encouraging new Member Groups to start up. However there has been a move to update rules and policy for existing groups (the DAs and Sections) for some years. A consultation was carried out for a new rules and policy book for CTC groups and the much modified document is being brought in this year.

Part of this change involves the old DAs and Sections changing their names to lose the terms DA and Section, as CTC feel it is clearer to just call all groups 'Member Groups'.

This means that there will be no differentiation between existing and new groups, as they will all have to operate to the same rules and policy. A change which will assist and encourage new groups to start up is that they can be freestanding, that is they do not have to be part of a larger group, like the old DA/section relationship; they will be accountable direct to CTC instead. However those groups who were part of a DA under the old rules may still maintain this relationship if they wish.

CTC were aware that the protocol of being part of the DA was making members reluctant to start new groups, in fact some DAs were actually obstructing new groups due to fears of competition.

[glueman]

Thanks for the reply Karen. It sounds like there is a real difference to the previous system as you've made clear.
A further question: sections were often divided into preferences and abilities.I appreciate member groups can't be exclusive, not have DAs even been AFAIK, but can a family group - or any other social emphasis -openly advertise itself as that? This page doesn't make it clear and seems to assume local DAs are the first point of reference.

[Karen Sutton]

glueman,

I think the clue is in these words:

"Are you trying to promote a particular type of cycling?

Might you want to limit membership? Is it just for employees, just for women, young people, or even a non cycling group such as an Asian Women’s Club that wanted to include cycling as an activity amongst everything else it did?"

Without actually saying so this is asking interested parties to consider promoting their group as exactly what they want to be. It doesn't say you cannot limit membership to your target group.

There is no point in replicating what is already available. CTC wants new groups to start up which fill gaps and cover types of rides not already happening. This is why the Community Cycling Development Officers are being recruited; see:

http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=3352A

A great example of a successful new group is Stourbug. This group started last year when Russell Eden, a CTC member, was asked by his sister to help her get fit by taking her out cycling. She had a few friends who joined them. The ladies didn't want to join a club which was predominantly male cyclists so they formed their own group with the help of Russell and CTC. This is now a large, active ladies cycling club affiliated to CTC. read about them at:

http://www.stourbug.org.uk

From this site:
"It all started with an idea to find and train 10 Stourbridge ladies to cycle to Stratford. A piece in the local newspapers created an avalanche of interest, and 70 applications were received. The first meeting in January saw around 50 ladies sign on, and we lost count of the numbers who turned up for the first ride."

As far as starting a group only through a DA is concerned from what I have read on the page you link to, CTC are encouraging people to make contact with existing groups to

"find out what they already offer, get a feel for how cycling groups run, make alliances and partnerships and meet useful contacts.
But perhaps most importantly of all you may discover that far from seeing you as a competitor most will offer lots of support. In particular CTC groups have a system of creating new “sections”, less formal groups that have set up in new geographical areas or to offer different types of riding. These have included mountain bike sections, youth sections, family sections and special interest groups such as photographic sections".

I think the above illustrates that member groups can be exclusive. In fact there already are member groups who are for specific types of riding, like ladies only groups, family groups, etc.

I agree that the page doesn't make it clear that you can go directly to CTC to get information on starting a group. Perhaps this is something which they should add. I'll bring this thread to the attention of Alex Geen, Group Development Officer at CTC to see if she could make this clearer on the website.

[glueman]

Thanks for clearing it up Karen. I read the quote on the page but took the 'might you want to limit membership' quote as a reason why a member group wasn't appropriate. In the light of a web discussion last year that indicated CTC groups couldn't be exclusive in any way I wanted clarity.
Thanks again.

[Andrew Mills]

I think the above illustrates that member groups can be exclusive. In fact there already are member groups who are for specific types of riding, like ladies only groups, family groups, etc.

there should not be any exclusive member group, CTC rides are inclusive not exclusive.

I wait to see how membership will handle the new system as they can't handle the old one!

Andrew Mills
secretary CTC Norfolk