From: brisbane1@peg.pegasus.oz.au
Newsgroups: aus.bicycle
Subject: BIQ CRISIS MEETING
Date: 28 Jul 92 23:27:00 GMT
Nf-ID: #N:peg:490100012:000:6019
Nf-From: peg.UUCP!brisbane1    Jul 28 18:27:00 1992


To: conf:
Subject: BIQ CRISIS MEETING

THE FUTURE OF BICYCLE INSTITUTE OF QLD (BIQ)


If you ride a bike then you know that cyclists face a daily battle
on the road.  Narrow lanes make drivers take risks when passing.
Some drivers are hostile to cyclists.  Many bikeways are below
standard and don't take you where you want to go.  Things don't
have to be like this.  In some places a lot of progress has been
made to make cycling easier and more pleasurable.  Speed limits
have been reduced.  Bike lanes have been installed in appropriate
places.  Driver awareness campaigns are carried out.

The same can happen in Queensland.  But it will not happen until
people who ride bikes get together and make an effort to convince
politicians and planners of the need for change.

The next annual general meeting of the Bicycle Institute of Qld
(BIQ) is going to be held on Sunday August 16th.  That will be a
critical meeting in the history of the Bicycle Institute of
Queensland.  Other members (that means you)  will have to take
more responsibility for the day to day running of BIQ or we will
have to close it down.  We are calling upon you to help.  People
are needed for tasks as diverse as writing, accounting and
carpentry.  We especially need people to take on positions of
responsibility on the management committee and subcommittees.

If you are interested in seeing improvements in our roads, less
conflict between cyclists and motorists, and more respect for
cyclists generally, then you should make some time available to
help BIQ.  Please consider carefully whether you can help out.
The decision whether to keep BIQ running or to fold up the
organisation will be made at a special general meeting before the
AGM on Sunday August 16th.  Your attendance at this meeting would
be most welcome.

If you cannot make it to that meeting but would like to have a say
in the vote please fill out the proxy voting form and post it to
the BIQ before Friday July 31st.  Peter McCallum is willing to act
as a proxy for anyone voting in this way.  Please be sure to
indicate which way you wish to vote.

The Bicycle Institute of Queensland (BIQ) was formed in 1979 by a
group of people who recognised that cyclists needed to work
together to improve conditions.  By forming a lobby group these
cyclists felt that they could help to increase the use of bikes
for transport and recreation.

They had taken on a difficult task.  In those days adult cycling
was seen as something of an "odd-ball" activity.  The BIQ had an
uphill battle to change attitudes.  Since then many more
individuals have been  convinced of the benefits of cycling.
Today more than 60% of Brisbane residents ride bikes at least
occasionally and 20% to 30% of Australians ride a bike at least
once a week.

The past three years especially have been a very active period for
the BIQ.  Membership has grown by more than 100% per year.  We
have also:  won access to trains for cyclists; helped improve
school bicycle education courses; stopped Brisbane's only commuter
bikeway being closed; become incorporated; opened an information
office; organised many successful bike tours; convinced Brisbane
City Council of the need for parking, showers and change rooms in
city buildings.  None of this happened by itself.  It has happened
because dedicated people have been doing there best to lobby for
the rights of all cyclists to be recognised.  So, while the task
these days has become a lot easier, it hasn't become any smaller.
Unfortunately the same isn't true of the group of people
organising the bicycle lobbying organisation.  At last year's
Annual General Meeting a committee of nine people were elected to
keep BIQ on track.  But, due to work and family commitments, the
size of that group has shrunk to four people.  We have been
responsible for managing an increasing set of tasks.  Organising
the Albert Valley Challenge and the Brisbane River Bike Ride;
keeping membership records; managing finances; providing
information to the public; campaigning; and so on.  The task is
more than we can handle.  The next annual general meeting of the
BIQ is going to be held on Sunday August 16th.  That will be a
critical meeting in the history of the Bicycle Institute of
Queensland.  Other members (that means you)  will have to take
more responsibility for the day to day running of BIQ or we will
have to close it down.  We are calling upon you to help.  People
are needed for tasks as diverse as writing, accounting and
carpentry.  We especially need people to take on positions of
responsibility on the management committee and subcommittees.  If
you are interested in seeing improvements in our roads, less
conflict between cyclists and motorists, and more respect for
cyclists generally, then you should make some time available to
help BIQ.  Please consider carefully whether you can help out.
The decision whether to keep BIQ running or to fold up the
organisation will be made at a special general meeting before the
AGM on Sunday August 16th.  Your attendance at this meeting would
be most welcome.  If you cannot make it to that meeting but would
like to have a say in the vote please fill out the proxy voting
form and post it to the BIQ before Friday July 31st.  Peter
McCallum is willing to act as a proxy for anyone voting in this
way.  Please be sure to indicate which way you wish to vote.
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* *  *  *  *  * *  *  *  *  * *  *  *  *  * Queensland Cyclist is
the newsletter of the Bicycle Institute of Queensland Inc.  Postal
address: PO Box 5753 West End Qld 4101 Office: The Web Shared
Workspace, 142 Agnew St (Cnr Bennetts Rd) Norman Park Phone:
(07)899 2988 Editor: Peter McCallum Contributions from readers are
welcomed.  Photo's will be returned as soon as possible after use.
Please include day and evening phone numbers to assist in editing
articles.

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