Board Chair's Blog

Details: Written by Steve Stannard; Created: 22 May 2015

Last Sunday the Board sat down for their annual strategy meeting. This was an especially important meeting because all but two of the Board and new and, of course, Christine Christie has recently been appointed as our administrator/secretary. We have a Board with quite a diverse working and riding background so Sunday resulted in useful discussion and some good ideas.

Much of the time was spent talking about membership, how to increase it and how to ensure that it much easier to renew membership. In terms of the latter, we hope to be making some changes in the membership renewal process for 2016 – it’s a little too late to make these this year. In terms of the former, we will be improving our communication to members at all levels; juniors, through seniors and those racing, through to Masters and recreational riders.

Club individual time trial (ITT) championships

The club ITT champs were postponed on Sunday due to the inclement weather. We had to make a call early in the morning to put the signage out, so a decision was made at 7 am when it was raining very hard and blustery. Unfortunately, the weather started clearing around 8 am and by 9 am it was a great day! Murphy’s Law… We will reschedule the ITT champs, so stay tuned for that announcement.

Club clothing

If you put a deposit on some Bike Manawatu cycling clothing then please contact Christine Christie to pay the remainder and collect your clothing. We ordered a bit more kit than was ordered to cater for those who might need clothing but had not ordered it. There are limited numbers of sizes, but talk to Christine to see if we have something that fits. Remember, if you are riding the National Road Champs, you need to wear a BM jersey and BM shorts (or plain black).

Board elections

As per the BM constitution, at the first meeting following the AGM, the Board convenes to elect a Chair and a Deputy Chair. Steve Stannard was elected as the Chair and Kelly Johnson was elected Deputy Chair. The Board welcomed new members Chris Sanson, Michael Groube, and Austin Smith. Please feel free to chat with the Board members out on ride with any ideas or concerns you have that they might take to the next Board meeting. It’s great that the Board is made up of a good mix of people with different areas of professional expertise, but who all love cycling and want to see BM progress.

Details: Written by Steve Stannard; Created: 26 November 2014

Dear membership,

Glenys Taylor has announced that she will resign as Bike Manawatu (BM) secretary effective Jan 1^st next year. Her strong organisation skills and endless hours working for BM and cycling in general will be missed by the Board.

She has been in the position since the inception of BM, during which time the organization has developed into one of the largest and most successful cycling clubs in NZ. Glenys has filled in on other roles when gaps have appeared, very often kept the local racing scene “afloat”. We will need a number of people to replace her!

Glenys is keen to continue her association with BM, riding her bicycle more, racing, and taking on commissairing duties when required.

The Board, in the interim, will looking to find a couple of people to whom Glenys can hand over some of her duties until a formal replacement can be made. If you or someone you know is interested in helping for a few months, then please talk to myself or another member of the Board.

Kind regards,

Steve Stannard

Chair, Bike Manawatu.

Details: Written by Steve Stannard; Created: 04 February 2015

Bike Manawatu requires an enthusiastic club member who can be the go-to person regarding when and where all cycling events relevant to BM members are. This volunteer role is really one of logistics and communication, requiring someone who is happy to keep a good handle on the activities which are available to our members. The Events Coordinator would need to be a good communicator, be willing to organise Events Committee meetings bimonthly, work with the members who organise BM track, road, and special events, keep the calendar up-to-date, and liaise with other clubs (not just cycling), Cycling NZ, and other local sporting bodies when necessary. If that's you, please contact Steve Stannard on 021809597 or 3555009 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Details: Written by Steve Stannard; Created: 23 October 2014

Dear Members,

I thought it was about time I provided the membership with an update from the Board in my capacity as interim Chair of Bike Manawatu (BM).

Board membership

Paul’s shoes are very large ones to fill. He has left the Board and the organisation in good shape, and I hope, in the short term at least, I can do as good a job as he. I will continue as Chair until the AGM, at which point we will see who is on the Board from that point forward. In accordance with the BM Constitution, the elected Board then will elect a Chair for a one-year term.

With Paul’s resignation however, and that of Sue MacMaster more recently, there are two spots on the Board to fill. The Board has the power to co-opt two members to the Board and one of these positions has been filled by Brendon Hapeta. We welcome Brendon’s business knowledge and enthusiasm and support for cycling, and I’m certain he will be able to help us successfully achieve our goals. The Board thus consists of: Steve Stannard (Chair), Mike Christie (Deputy Chair), Iona McCarthy, Marcel Hollenstein, Kelly Johnson, and Brendon Hapeta. Glenys Taylor is the secretary of BM, reporting to the Board.

Awards and prizes

It’s notable that mid-October signals the beginning of prize-giving “season” in the Manawatu. We have a number of members nominated for and finalists for awards at a variety of prize-giving functions. Last night I attended the Girls High Sports Awards and it was great to see so many cyclists receiving commendations for their performances through the year.

These prize-giving events culminate with the Manawatu Sports Awards on the 7^th of Nov; we have quite a number of BM riders in there as finalists, including Jesse and Simon in the Sportsman of the Year category. Good luck to all finalists!