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Monday 9th January 2023
WELCOME ROTARIANS and FRIENDS
to the WEEKLY NEWS NOTES
FROM the DESK of the PRESIDENT
Andrea Conti
We will reconvene on the 2nd of February for a successful and Covid free year???
For those who want to have a snack and a yack on Thursday this week you can meet at 12.30 at the Snapper Café at the Yacht Club.
OTHER ROTARY at WORK and COMMUNITY NOTES
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Duty Roster
The next meeting will be on the 2nd of February at the Commonwealth Club
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Last Weeks Meeting was our Xmas Party at the Snapper Café on the Lake and you can also meet on Thursday this week at the Snapper Café at 12.30.
ROTARY AT WORK AND COMMUNITY NOTES
OPPORTUNITY FOR A NEW FUND-RAISING EVENT FOR OUR CLUB
Could our members read this article and be prepared to vote on whether this would be a suitable Club event to be run each year possibly in conjunction with another Club.
Pedal Power has been running the Fitz's Challenge bike ride for many years on the last Sunday in October and is considering not conducting it any more.
They are offering first refusal to Rotary.
It is potentially a very good fundraiser, but does require quite a few volunteers.
You may be aware that Murrumbidgee Canberra RC (formerly Woden RC) has run the Five Peaks Challenge for several years and it will be on 23 April this year. Our Secretary John Widdup organises this event and has also managed the Fitz’s Challenge for several years for Pedal Power.
John has prepared the attached notes for your information on the Fitz’s Challenge.
It probably requires a Club to take the lead for the event with a commitment from a couple of other Clubs to assist. Murrumbidgee Canberra RC has too many other commitments to take the lead but would like to be involved and John Widdup would be available to advise on management of the event for the first year or so.
If your Club is interested in being involved please respond to me or John Widdup by the end of January.
Depending on the response we could have a meeting of interested Clubs in early Feb. I realise the holiday season may not be a good time but there is some urgency as the next Fitz’s Challenge is scheduled for 29 October 2023.
Yours in Rotary
Neal Fogarty
President
17 Maurice Place, Garran ACT 2605
Mobile: 0417402680
WHAT WOULD BE INVOLVED IN TAKING ON THIS FUND RAISER
Fitz’s Challenge is an iconic cyclo-sportive event in the district cycling calendar and has been conducted for a number of different organisations since 1989 and by Pedal Power ACT since 1998 (33 years).
Pedal Power ACT is considering ceasing running the event and has said that they could offer it to Rotary in the first instance – or to others – free of charge or with some cross promotion, etc. Pedal Power considers the event no longer meets with its objectives, is not core business and is distracting staff from other work.
It could be a good money maker for Rotary but requires quite a lot of volunteer input..
I have managed the Challenge, with a small group of others, since 2006 (16 years).
The next Challenge is scheduled for Sunday 29 October 2023 (it is always held on the last Sunday in October).
The Challenge starts and finishes at Stromlo Forest Park, is run on local roads, and currently comprises different rides: 255 km. 205 km, 190 km, 165 km, 130 km, 105 km and 50 km.
It could be simplified with less ride options but that would not reduce the work load significantly.
If we take on running the Challenge the main tasks involved will take some 400 to 500 person-hours to mainly:
- Market the event – locally and further afield to get as many participants as possible (key to making a good profit)
- Obtain approvals – from Access ACT and traffic people
- Negotiate with Namadgie Park and others (eg, Tharwa Shop)
- Advise the locals – letter in mail boxes
- Arrange hiring equipment – variable message signs, vehicles (unless members can supply), and portable toilets
- Getting sponsors and supporters – in kind, at the start-finish, etc
- Organising others to assist – radio network (WISEN), police (perhaps we could dispense with them), first aiders, ambulance (perhaps we could dispense with them), timing, etc
- Print information for riders – maps, ride numbers, brevet cards, etc
- Buying food for the check points
- Setting out the course signs – cycling event, speed limits, turns, etc (Saturday and Sunday)
- Setting out the venue (Saturday)
- Conducting the event (Sunday) – registration, start-finish, check points, water at checkpoints, food to checkpoints, lunch, sag wagon, etc (need some 40 people on the day for between 4 and 12 hours each)
- Packing up (Monday)
Rotary should be able to run the Challenge at less cost than Pedal Power ACT as we should not need to use paid staff. This year the saft cost was about $25,000.
We had 650 riders this year (2022) that is down on the 1,000+ we were getting pre-COVID.
The likely profit (using volunteers) is:
- 650 riders – $40,000+
- 1,000 riders – $70,000+
The earnings per person-hour are considerable.
The risk is that we do not get sufficient numbers of participants to make a reasonable profit. So we may need to spend a bit on more marketing.
The management and detailed requirements of the event are well known to me and others in Pedal Power ACT who would be available to get things set up and managed in the first year of Rotary taking over.
I reckon, if Rotary is interested, that one, or possible two, clubs should take ownership and, of necessity, involve other clubs and Rotaract in the management and activities with the profits shared on a per hour basis as per the Gnomes.
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
JOKES……..PONDERISMS
A young blonde girl in her late teens, wanting to earn some extra money for the summer, decided to hire herself out as a "handy woman" and started canvassing a nearby well-to-do neighbourhood.
She went to the front door of the first house and asked the owner if he had any odd jobs for her to do.
"Well, I guess I could use somebody to paint the porch" he said. "How much will you charge me?"
Delighted, the girl quickly responded, "How about $50?"
The man agreed and told her that the paint, brushes and everything she would need were in the garage.
The man's wife, hearing the conversation, said to her husband, "Does she realize that our porch goes ALL the way around the house?"
"That's a bit cynical, isn't it?" he responded.
The wife replied, "You're right. I guess I'm starting to believe all those dumb blonde jokes."
A few hours later the blonde came to the door to collect her money..
"You're finished already??" the startled husband asked.
"Yes," the blonde replied, "and I even had paint left over so I gave it two coats."
Impressed, the man reached into his pocket for the $50 and handed it to her along with a $10 tip.
"Thank you," the blonde said, "And, by the way, it's not a Porch, it's an Audi."
From John Kerin
