1998 seems to have been another quiet year for the Phoenix. With one or two notable exceptions, most of our members are having very low-key racing seasons at the moment. I suppose that is to be expected, the membership of the club seems to be split into generations, with very little overlap: the "Oldies" (No insult intended to anyone in this, by the way!) who in general have slowed down somewhat, either in speed or enthusiasm. Ray Dare being a notable exception to this one on both counts. Then there are the younger ones, who are now all over 30, and are discovering that there is more to life than bike racing. Jobs, families and homes being the principal distractions on this one, but not necessarily in that order. It seems to be a downside of modern life that many of us do not have jobs that allow us to leave at a set time every day, and come home leaving the work totally behind us.

We seem to have a good crop of under tens who might grow up to be interested in cycling and become Phoenix members, but sadly I doubt it. Perhaps modern life is so much more exciting, but whatever the reasoning youngsters do not seem to be overly interested in the sport of Cycling. Thus our membership is gradually declining. It is sufficiently slow, that I think the Club will last a good many years yet, but it doesn't make for vast entries in club events - we rely on private rides for a good chunk of our income - and it does reduce the competitive interest for those few who are racing seriously.

The Committee have during the year considered ways of recruiting new members, but have not come up with any concrete plans. Unfortunately it is those same people struggling to find the time to race who would have to spend time and effort trying to recruit new members, it doesn't seem likely that anything will happen. Always the most effective means of recruitment is introducing someone you know to the Phoenix. If they are interested in cycling then it is these people who are most likely to join and to stay.

It is our Time Trial Secretary, Frank Cubis, who does most of the work to run the Phoenix. He is the one who has the constant deadlines of the races to deal with all summer, and it is quite a workload. I, on the other hand, can't even manage to meet the annual deadlines for the AGM. Les Johnson, of course, keeps track of our finances: a job which I imagine consists of little flurries of activity during the year and then a bigger burst to get the accounts ready for the AGM. Organising the Annual Dinner and Dance is a lot of work in the 3 months prior to the Dinner, a varied amount of effort just after (depending on whether we have had to change venues or not) and once the provisional booking for the following year has been made a pause until the next burst of activity. Last year, Doreen Powney had just begun to take up the reins of dinner organiser from Rosemary when Martin and Pauline Casey stepped in (they volunteered - we don't get volunteers!). With the cost of the Drift Bridge going up and up, they have found us a new venue: the Hotel Antoinette in Kingston, the date will be March 6th 1999. Jake Dodd has taken on organising Majorca, another success in 1998 hopefully to be repeated when we go again in March next year.

Finally, the new clubroom venue seems popular with those who go, unfortunately it is still only a handful of people who manage to turn up on a regular basis. I know that I am a fine one to talk, as I rarely attend now, but the new venue is a much cosier environment than the old school hall, although perhaps not so easy for new members to find us - but then we don't get any new members so that doesn't matter. Enough cynicism from me!

Best Wishes for 1999.

Lisa

Lisa Colombo
Hon. Gen. Secretary    November 1998

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