It’s no secret that running a volunteer non-profit mountain bike club is a lot of work. Often the Board of Directors needs some more help. Members of the board lead committees of consistently reliable volunteers that help add a little more people power to get the work done.
To be part of a committee means to be a dependable asset available to the board. With a handful of committee meetings every year, the meetings aren’t a lot of time but when there are special projects, the time commitment can be a bit more. For instance being on the events committee during the 40Miner race can be a larger commitment.
There will still be plenty of opportunities to volunteer for a day here and there for many different projects. The committees do require a bit more of a commitment however. If you are interested in joining a committee have a look below to see the available committees and a short description of each. Every committee is led by a board member and their contact information is provided so if you are interested in joining a committee or have questions regarding the work done by a committee you can send them an email.
We find it best if the committees are around 5 people. Some of the groups are filling up fast so get in contact soon!
The current list of active committees:
- Race Committee: This committee helps plan and facilitate the Blacksheep race series. From course design to race formats, this committee is key to our largely successful race program. We had almost 200 individuals register for a Wednesday night race last year! If you’re someone interested in helping, consider joining the committee. Race Committee Leader: Eric Bailey. Contact: racing@blacksheepmtb.com
- Trails Committee: When the trails director needs a little more muscle they turn to the trails committee. When deciding on a new trails strategy or looking for people to lead trail builds this is a group of volunteers ready to help out! We plan to be opening a few new trails this summer so this committee will be super important. Trails Committee Leader: Mark Maranzan. Contact: trails@blacksheepmtb.com
- Events Committee: For larger events that require more leg work, the Events Director will turn to this committee in order to divide and conquer. For anyone with great organizational skills or just a desire to create events this committee is a great place to start to help out the mountain biking community. Our event offerings are growing along with our membership so we need to be able to provide outstanding events. Events Committee Leader: Dave Valente. Contact: events@blacksheepmtb.com
- Inclusion Committee: The best way to grow our riding community is to ensure we are as welcoming to all people as we can be. This committee is a group of people that makes sure the barriers to riding are as low as possible. We’re looking for some committee members dedicated to getting more people on bikes! This will be a new committee this year so getting a strategy in place will be a large part of what needs to be accomplished this year. Inclusion Committee Leader: Jill Rajewicz. Contact: info@blacksheepmtb.com
- Rider Development Committee: As a club we identified one of our “Strategic Priorities” was to focus our attention on rider development. From beginner to expert, we want to make sure our events and program offerings are useful for everyone. We’re looking to raise the level of riding in Thunder Bay. This committee will discuss and implement a plan to accomplish this goal. Rider Development Lead: Ben Urbanski Contact: rides@blacksheepmtb.com
To join a committee please contact the committee leader for more information. Taking part is a great way to add your input and learn more about the operations of the club. There is no better way to get your feet wet in the club than to join a committee.
Again there will be plenty of opportunities to volunteer outside of being a committee member. If you’re not looking for any commitments make sure to keep your ears open for the many other volunteer opportunities we will be letting you know about.
Additionally, if you have a valuable skill that you are willing to share with us and are not sure where you fit, send us a message at info@blacksheepmtb.com and we can find a way to work with you!
We look forward to meeting everyone.
