July 2004

Capitol Cruisers Take First Place
at Mid-Atlantic Women’s Motorcycle Rally

The Mid-Atlantic Motorcycle Rally (MAWMR) was held in Gettysburg, PA for the second year in a row. The roar of motorcycles was clearly heard on June 24, 25, and 26. An unofficial count of 350 women with motorcycles descended on this town rich in Civil War history for three days of fun.

Mother Nature was mostly cooperative, although the weather was overcast and humid on Friday. We even got a bit of rain on Friday evening, but not the promised severe thunderstorm. The weather on Saturday was almost perfect.

Among the highlights at MAWMR were awards won by the Capitol Cruisers as a whole and two of our members. First, the Capitol Cruisers received a 1st place award for having the greatest number of club members attending. Second, Annalee Cardillo won a first place award at the Bike Show for best European Motorcycle, while Heather VanKeuren received a 1st place award for the best sport bike. Congratulations everyone!

Donna Leigh Bliss Chapter Director

Cruising with Donna

Bylaws. Guidelines. Policies. Ugh!

These are hardly the kind of terms that most people are concerned about. They bring up images of boring discussions about mundane issues that have little to do with important things – like riding motorcycles in the case of the Capitol Cruisers. Yet, without these kinds of structures to help guide decision-making in organizations like ours, we would have trouble functioning. While informal ways of making decisions may have served the Capitol Cruisers in the past, our tremendous growth in the past six months (we have had 12 new members) requires us to take another look at how we operate.

The issue of fundraising is an example of the need for guidelines given the diverse viewpoints of our members. Some believe we should contribute money to charitable organizations while others do not. Some believe we should give to only one organization while others think we should give to more than one. Some believe we should contribute to women’s organizations, while others suggest organizations that benefit children or the environment. Others question whether fundraising should be conducted at meetings. Some have no problem with it. Given that we now have 27 women who have a say in what we do, the question is how their voices get heard in the decision-making process about all aspects of the Capitol Cruisers, not just fundraising.

At the meeting on June 8 we began to address some of these issues. The important points members have raised call on us to consider them in deciding what to do. In order to help ensure that all members have the opportunity to participate, I have tried a couple of new approaches. First, I sent out a draft of bylaws that will be discussed and voted on at the July 13 meeting. I asked those who would not be able to attend that meeting to feel free to send me their thoughts and their votes. That has already started to happen. Second, I sent out a Capitol Cruisers Fundraising Survey and have already received numerous replies. Third, Lori has created a Yahoo! Club for the Capitol Cruisers where members have a forum for discussing issues in addition to communicating with each other.

My hope is that these kinds of activities increase participation among members. So far, the feedback I have received from members have been supportive. Bylaws, guidelines, and policies may not be all that exciting, but they are very important for the well-being of a growing organization such as ours. I look forward to hearing from all of you on your thoughts on ways that we can make the Capitol Cruisers even better than it already is.

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