Bicycle Qld election

(Peter) said:

Hi everyone.
I'm not sure how many of you are members of Bicycle Queensland
<http://www.bq.org.au> (if you aren't, you should be) but for those who
are members, I'd like to recommend that you vote for Jenny Attreed for
Secretary and Ben Dalton for Treasurer in the election that is coming up
soon.

I have been involved in BQ since 1989. When I joined there were only
four other members, today there are 6000 and the organisation is the
fastest growing bicycle group in Australia. BQ has been very able in
lobbying for construction of new facilities for cyclists, especially in
south-east Queensland. The success of BQ can be attributed to its
fantastic management by a team of very committed people. BQ plans to
become more representative of cyclists throughout Queensland during the
coming year by appointing new staff to encourage membership of regional
bicycle user groups.

During the past year, BQ has faced some challenging situations with some
members questioning the scruples of those running the organisation. I
suggest that you put forward a vote of confidence in the current
management team by voting for Jenny and Ben for the two positions that
are subject to election. Please fill in your voting form and post it
today.

Regards

Peter McCallum

__

Gee Peter, do you really want to have this debate in public? I guess
you started it. I trust your judgement, because I've read your
contributions on this list. I also fully agree on the commitment of
the current management. However, your memo is polemical and
misleading. If BQ is opening up, it's only because of the intense and
sustained pressure being put on it by people who have been appalled at
some of the actions of BQ, and by regional and local BUGs that feel
totally left out of the loop (evidently not Mackay), and by people who
wonder where is all this success you speak of (maybe it's happening,
but the consultation has been so opaque that we couldn't be sure).
Maybe the votes of confidence should come after the changes, otherwise
they are votes of hopeful anticipation. That's my stance, hopeful -
but vigilant. And yes, you should be a member, and you should vote,
for the person you think will best represent you (candidate statements
made well in advance would be helpful). Some of the last candidates
won't be standing (resigned to defeat by proxy).

Donga

Donga said:

Gee Peter, do you really want to have this debate in public? I guess
you started it. I trust your judgement, because I've read your
contributions on this list. I also fully agree on the commitment of
the current management. However, your memo is polemical and
misleading. If BQ is opening up, it's only because of the intense and
sustained pressure being put on it by people who have been appalled at
some of the actions of BQ, and by regional and local BUGs that feel
totally left out of the loop (evidently not Mackay), and by people who
wonder where is all this success you speak of (maybe it's happening,
but the consultation has been so opaque that we couldn't be sure).
Maybe the votes of confidence should come after the changes, otherwise
they are votes of hopeful anticipation. That's my stance, hopeful -
but vigilant. And yes, you should be a member, and you should vote,
for the person you think will best represent you (candidate statements
made well in advance would be helpful). Some of the last candidates
won't be standing (resigned to defeat by proxy).

Donga

I guess it will only be you and I reading this stuff anyway, so what
does it matter.

It's obvious to me that BQ has been very successful in Brissy and the
surrounding areas over the past ten years. When I was involved down
there, we couldn't convince Main Roads or Brisbane City Council to
provide any on-road treatments. Since then, there have been a number of
significant changes, culminating in the Main Roads policy that mandates
provisions for cyclists in all new works and upgrades statewide. BQ has
also lobbied successfully for the establishment of the State Cycle
Committee and its secretariat. There are a whole swag of individual wins
I could list.

I know that last year out of the blue a BQ member emailed me criticising
the behaviour of the current management committee. I understand that
there have been issues, but I don't think people realise how difficult
it can be to organise a community group. There apprears to be an
expectation that BQ will provide the same level of service as the RACQ
or Bicycle Victoria, both of which are far more mature organisations
with much greater assets. Bicycle Queensland was established (in its
current form) more than a decade after many of the other state advocacy
groups and has a lot of catching up to do. Fortunately it has had a
competant manager like Ben Wilson in place for most of the past decade.
He has taken hold of an club that was full of infighting and turned it a
robust and confident lobbying organisation.

I don't agree with everything BQ does, and often I wish there was
someone from Brisbane who could make there way up here from time to time
to show lobby on our behalf. But I do understand that often people are
working very long hours for the love of it and the luxury of having an
executive member in town is something we may have to do without for a
while.

Peter

Ah, I dunno. You seem to care and that's good. Personally, I can do
without the vote 1 spam.

(Peter) said:

Donga said:

Gee Peter, do you really want to have this debate in public? I guess
you started it. I trust your judgement, because I've read your
contributions on this list. I also fully agree on the commitment of
the current management. However, your memo is polemical and
misleading. If BQ is opening up, it's only because of the intense and
sustained pressure being put on it by people who have been appalled at
some of the actions of BQ, and by regional and local BUGs that feel
totally left out of the loop (evidently not Mackay), and by people who
wonder where is all this success you speak of (maybe it's happening,
but the consultation has been so opaque that we couldn't be sure).
Maybe the votes of confidence should come after the changes, otherwise
they are votes of hopeful anticipation. That's my stance, hopeful -
but vigilant. And yes, you should be a member, and you should vote,
for the person you think will best represent you (candidate statements
made well in advance would be helpful). Some of the last candidates
won't be standing (resigned to defeat by proxy).

Quoted message said:

Donga

I guess it will only be you and I reading this stuff anyway, so what
does it matter.

It's obvious to me that BQ has been very successful in Brissy and the
surrounding areas over the past ten years. When I was involved down
there, we couldn't convince Main Roads or Brisbane City Council to
provide any on-road treatments. Since then, there have been a number of
significant changes, culminating in the Main Roads policy that mandates
provisions for cyclists in all new works and upgrades statewide. BQ has
also lobbied successfully for the establishment of the State Cycle
Committee and its secretariat. There are a whole swag of individual wins
I could list.

I know that last year out of the blue a BQ member emailed me criticising
the behaviour of the current management committee. I understand that
there have been issues, but I don't think people realise how difficult
it can be to organise a community group. There apprears to be an
expectation that BQ will provide the same level of service as the RACQ
or Bicycle Victoria, both of which are far more mature organisations
with much greater assets. Bicycle Queensland was established (in its
current form) more than a decade after many of the other state advocacy
groups and has a lot of catching up to do. Fortunately it has had a
competant manager like Ben Wilson in place for most of the past decade.
He has taken hold of an club that was full of infighting and turned it a
robust and confident lobbying organisation.

I don't agree with everything BQ does, and often I wish there was
someone from Brisbane who could make there way up here from time to time
to show lobby on our behalf. But I do understand that often people are
working very long hours for the love of it and the luxury of having an
executive member in town is something we may have to do without for a
while.

Peter- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

All fair points, but you still steer around the valid concerns people
have. There are some positive signs of change at the moment and I hope
they turn into reality.

Donga