IMBA: Possible new direction for the MMBA

[inasnit]

What needs help, Mike?

Does the MMBA leadership do enough to post for these positions? I don't think so. I think you've done a great job as membership director but i don't remember the job being posted. Same for CPS director. Dennis kicks ass at it but here again, did he answer a posting for the job or did he raise his hand when the position was coming open?

This group needs to know that help is needed before anyone can even consider offering to help. Are all of these jobs being done begrudgedly?

..and I sure as *beep* didn't think I was voting for people that would hand over the keys without fighting for our organization. Where's the fight?

Personally, I'm quite insulted that you think we haven't fought. You are personally friends with at least 3 people on the board and I'd expect you might have a bit more respect for us and our passion to think that we'd just toss this out there without thinking any of it through.

NO ONE on the current state board is thinking of this as a "get out of jail free" card. This is not something that any of us has embraced without skepticism and it is not an idea that just popped into our head one day. This is a conversation that has been floating around the state board for at least 3 years, but I think its more like 5 years now.

I have been pouring my soul, my sweat, my tears and my time into this organization for nearly 8 years now and suddenly its inferred that I'm lazy, incompetent and just overlooking an obvious solution. The implication is, those of us who have stepped up, who have donated our time and energy, we don't care as much as the rest of you.

I'm so glad to know that your input into this is that you now regret your voting decision. Thanks.

[dirt]

..and I sure as *beep* didn't think I was voting for people that would hand over the keys without fighting for our organization. Where's the fight?

Fight for what? We're not handing the keys over, we're looking at combining with the LEADING organization for cycling advocacy in the world. Combining their size and organization with our local focus and advocacy.

Maybe I'm short sighted (because, enough people have accused me of that) but this possibility excites me. After talking to IMBA, and other organizations about this, they can do nothing but rave about how great this whole thing as been for their organizations. IMBA is getting more feet on the ground locally, without competing with the existing local organizations. And the local organizations are able to focus more on the advocacy that the organization was FOUNDED for.

Think hard about this, when things like 'giving up the keys' or 'punting' are said. Was the MMBA formed to be a business, or an advocacy organization? Now, what's more important for the organization? The business, or the advocacy?

Sorry, but more volunteers for the administrative duties is NOT a solution, it's a stop gap. When those people burn out, step down, move away, or are just not able to continue their work, we're right back where we are. Looking for another marketing guy (ours is leaving) or another membership director, or another treasurer, or merchandise director.

Our volunteers shouldn't be cannon fodder for tossing at the running of a business, when those volunteers would be better used volunteering for advocacy and trail building.

I personally think our founders would rather see us focus on what they formed this organization for, not the administrative duties that have grown over the 20 years, and aren't going to stop growing.

[FrankenFuel95]

What needs help, Mike?

Does the MMBA leadership do enough to post for these positions? I don't think so. I think you've done a great job as membership director but i don't remember the job being posted. Same for CPS director. Dennis kicks ass at it but here again, did he answer a posting for the job or did he raise his hand when the position was coming open?

This group needs to know that help is needed before anyone can even consider offering to help. Are all of these jobs being done begrudgedly?

..and I sure as *beep* didn't think I was voting for people that would hand over the keys without fighting for our organization. Where's the fight?

Personally, I'm quite insulted that you think we haven't fought. You are personally friends with at least 3 people on the board and I'd expect you might have a bit more respect for us and our passion to think that we'd just toss this out there without thinking any of it through.

NO ONE on the current state board is thinking of this as a "get out of jail free" card. This is not something that any of us has embraced without skepticism and it is not an idea that just popped into our head one day. This is a conversation that has been floating around the state board for at least 3 years, but I think its more like 5 years now.

I have been pouring my soul, my sweat, my tears and my time into this organization for nearly 8 years now and suddenly its inferred that I'm lazy, incompetent and just overlooking an obvious solution. The implication is, those of us who have stepped up, who have donated our time and energy, we don't care as much as the rest of you.

I'm so glad to know that your input into this is that you now regret your voting decision. Thanks.

Sorry, Marty. Not what I meant to imply and certainly not trying to insult anyone least of which is people I consider to be my friends.

If you guys are fighting hard to not "hand over the keys" then I can assure you the membership at-large is unaware of it. How could we be? Up until now(this thread) we didn't know there was an issue. Like I said earlier, 2+ years ago I started working in Flint and have lost touch with the leadership other than what I see on this board. Never saw anything inthe BRB about a struggle to keep the MMBA together or a call for help.

[jonw9]

It was probable mentioned in one of the some-teen earlier pages, and perhaps even investigated but...

Has anybody been in contact with another group that became part of the IMBA, like we are considering? Maybe we can see if their member had/have the same hesitations, how they were overcome, and how the new combination is working out for them, both locally and via IMBA.

[dauber76]

based on a cursory review of the IMBA chapter stuff, it looks to me like the individual chapters are still going to have a fair amount of administrative work that will have to be performed by chapter volunteers.

if someone stepped in and offered to take over the administrative tasks causing the volunteer burnout, what, exactly and specifically, would they be commiting to take on?

I'm just wondering (again) what specific tasks the current board is looking to offload, whether it be to IMBA, or additional volunteers or whatever? I see a lot of talk about administrative work and administrative tasks and I'm wondering if someone can itemize them?

If you can't do that, how are potential volunteers supposed to know what skills and experience is needed? just saying administrative stuff isn't specific enough.

For example, does their need to be help with general bookeeping? Things like statement reconciliation, accounts payable, general ledger management, monthly - quarterly - yearly filings?

Is there a need for grant writing?

when you're talking 60% of the entite entity revenue, somebody needs to be doing a pretty complete cost-benefit analysis.

Does anybody understand what I am asking?

Just off the top of my head without really thinking too long-

Membership - Mike is doing a good job in fufillment, but we need people to get the word out and conduct large scale membership drives / work with bike shops.
Sponsorships - Bring in money and materials.
Grant writing - same as above
Treasurer - Just ask Joe and Bob how much time that took to make our organization fully compliant with all IRS regs. Basically we don't need a bookkeeper, we need a CPA.
BRB - editor, writer, publisher, graphic designer (notice there hasn't been a BRB lately)
CPS - Director and points tabulator ( I think Dennis did it this year as only a stop gap)
New Board members to replace those past the burn-out stage

We've put out requests before for similar positions, and if we were lucky we would get one positive response. When that person would leave, we fall back to square one.

[scat silvurz]

Never saw anything in the BRB about a struggle to keep the MMBA together or a call for help.

You didn't see any of those requests on this site, and the BRB, for members to cast their hand at running for a board position every year? Those requests were met with a deafening silence, except by the same people who doggedly keep the ship moving forward year after year. Not once, in my entire two year stint on the Board, did ANYONE in the membership dial in to our conference calls......Crickets.

If everyone on the Board decided that they were not going to "self-appoint" themselves for another year of Board [bored?] action, there would be no Board....Nobody is coming to the dance.

[FrankenFuel95]

Never saw anything in the BRB about a struggle to keep the MMBA together or a call for help.

You didn't see any of those requests on this site, and the BRB, for members to cast their hand at running for a board position every year? Those requests were met with a deafening silence, except by the same people who doggedly keep the ship moving forward year after year. Not once, in my entire two year stint on the Board, did ANYONE in the membership dial in to our conference calls......Crickets.

If everyone on the Board decided that they were not going to "self-appoint" themselves for another year of Board [bored?] action, there would be no Board....Nobody is coming to the dance.

Nope, this thread is really coming out of the blue for me as is this struggle to keep the MMBA a stand alone organization and I'm sure I'm not the only one that is surpised that we're at this point.

[jonw9]

Never saw anything in the BRB about a struggle to keep the MMBA together or a call for help.

You didn't see any of those requests on this site, and the BRB, for members to cast their hand at running for a board position every year? Those requests were met with a deafening silence, except by the same people who doggedly keep the ship moving forward year after year. Not once, in my entire two year stint on the Board, did ANYONE in the membership dial in to our conference calls......Crickets.

If everyone on the Board decided that they were not going to "self-appoint" themselves for another year of Board [bored?] action, there would be no Board....Nobody is coming to the dance.

Nope, this thread is really coming out of the blue for me as is this struggle to keep the MMBA a stand alone organization and I'm sure I'm not the only one that is surpised that we're at this point.

[FrankenFuel95]

So take a poll and and see who knew and who didn't see this coming?

[Spinwheel]

Sorry, but more volunteers for the administrative duties is NOT a solution, it's a stop gap. When those people burn out, step down, move away, or are just not able to continue their work, we're right back where we are. Looking for another marketing guy (ours is leaving) or another membership director, or another treasurer, or merchandise director.

Our volunteers shouldn't be cannon fodder for tossing at the running of a business, when those volunteers would be better used volunteering for advocacy and trail building.

Isn't this core issue? The mmba is a not for profit, volunteer army started by a (dare i use the cliche') grass-roots struggle against none other than the DNR... time goes by and some in the volunteer army might want to get back to riding, trail work or otherwise adjust priorities in their lives. (I'm speaking from experience here )

There should be nothing wrong with leadership 'offloading' the business side of running the MMBA - so that the MMBA can focus on what it needs to....

How to get there? - I liked the list above from mr. dauber - as a very rough starter (breakdown the problem):

Just off the top of my head without really thinking too long-

Membership - Mike is doing a good job in fufillment, but we need people to get the word out and conduct large scale membership drives / work with bike shops.
Sponsorships - Bring in money and materials.
Grant writing - same as above
Treasurer - Just ask Joe and Bob how much time that took to make our organization fully compliant with all IRS regs. Basically we don't need a bookkeeper, we need a CPA.
BRB - editor, writer, publisher, graphic designer (notice there hasn't been a BRB lately)
CPS - Director and points tabulator ( I think Dennis did it this year as only a stop gap)
New Board members to replace those past the burn-out stage

[froggyrider]

So take a poll and and see who knew and who didn't see this coming?

FYI, Larry, Metro South is looking to fill its chapter positions for 2011, so please step up if you can do so...

[scat silvurz]

So take a poll and and see who knew and who didn't see this coming?

No more polls, please!

[FrankenFuel95]

So take a poll and and see who knew and who didn't see this coming?

FYI, Larry, Metro South is looking to fill its chapter positions for 2011, so please step up if you can do so...

I would love to help out but this Flint thing really sucks ass. I know it sounds like an excuse but it's not, it's my current reality.

A handful of bike rides since May and as you all know little contact with you guys and not making any meetings. A few weeks ago when I popped into Casey's to see me some TF's(non ride) that was cool.

I guess I should just take Marty's assurances that all my friends have it under control.

[dauber76]

Also, don't forget that everyone on the current MMBA board chose to be there because we have a passion for MTBing and keeping MTB alive and active across MI. Our attitudes about MTB have not changed. Do not think that for one second we would put in action a plan that would harm all advances made over the last 20 years or restrict us from fighting the good fight in the future.

[inasnit]

Also, don't forget that everyone on the current MMBA board chose to be there because we have a passion for MTBing and keeping MTB alive and active across MI. Our attitudes about MTB have not changed. Do not think that for one second we would put in action a plan that would harm all advances made over the last 20 years or restrict us from fighting the good fight in the future.

I think this just needs to be repeated. Its the point I was trying to make, but Chris did a much better job of making it