Rising Son

Riding Club Leadership

I find myself taking more and more responsibility in the motorcycle riding club I'm in.

In this year of 2006, our riding club experienced the loss of several members, all leaving because they couldn't get along with other members. It's been devastating to the club, and is trying the patience of myself and the other founding members.

I'm trying to get the remaining members interested in riding more, and trying to get more people to join our club. Read my article on Biker News Online entitled, "Is This The Sophomore Blues For Our Riding Club", where I touch on this subject.

I don't really want more responsibility, because I have enough it already running Clear Digital Media, and managing our personal lives.

I joined the club because I wanted ride motorcycles with other folks, and to make friends. I didn't want to "run" the club. Rather, I'm only interested in helping the club, and helping the other founding members build it into a success.

But even with my status as a founding member, I still enjoy it. Even if I'm having to lead most of the rides, or organize most of the rides, or be in charge of keeping everything on schedule, I still enjoy it.

But I hate making enemies, and I can forsee myself making some enemies down the road. When that happens, I'm going to really question my involvement with this club.

The truth is that you don't need a club to ride a motorcycle. You don't even need a club to find other riding buddies. There are times when I'm not sure being in a club is necessary. What's the difference between riding in a club, and just riding with other buddies? I've tossed that question around, and I just can't seem to figure it out.

If anything, a club is just an organization, and organizations lend themselves to power-trips, egos, and bureaucracy. I don't want any of that. Another founder in the club suggested establishing "First and Second Officers". To me, that's the start of creating the power-trips, egos, and bureaucracies. I DO NOT want to manage egos.

But like I said, I still enjoy riding with this club. I hope that enjoyment continues.

Labels: Leadership, Motorcycles, Riding Clubs