02/13/2024
A message from CC:
Who would like to take over membership and do it for free? Who wants to volunteer to step up and get the job done in membership without pay? If you’re interested, please contact a member of the State Cabinet. Our numbers, email addresses, and physical addresses are in the Freedom Press, page 2, and also on our website.
For those that choose to take to FB to vent their frustrations because it is easier than stepping up, several proposals were presented at the CC meeting to pay one person to take over for Riders Ed, Membership, Events, and General Office. We no longer have a Riders Ed coordinator because of health reasons, and Membership is in transition.
Even after those proposals were rejected by the CC body, who are the voice of their locals and what the locals have voted for, another proposal was made to compromise. A yearly salary of $20,000 for a person to take over the duties for General Office. That in turn was rejected as well.
Keep in mind, General Office was a paid position doing several jobs until 2020. At that time, due to financial concerns, several volunteers stepped up to take over these jobs without pay in order to help the organization get back on its feet.
We have accomplished getting the organization back on its feet, but the organization needs more.
The Volunteers don’t want to do this for free, but do because they believe in the organization.
Unfortunately, some members believe that the bylaws do not apply to them at the local level. The main purpose a local exists is to support the organization at the state level.
According to our Jan 2024 financials, every local combined has a total of about $57,000 in their accounts.
Now if the locals were doing what they’re supposed to be doing according to the bylaws, we would have enough money to pay someone to take over all the duties of General Office once again.
Why do locals in a not-for-profit organization have so much money in their accounts? How much money is needed to run a local efficiently?
Locals that make that money in the name of Freedom of Road Riders for the greater cause of motorcycle rights, and not the local agenda.
Until we approve a paid General Office position, we have a group of volunteers taking on the duties that no one else wants to step up and manage.
There will be growing pains during this time. Pains that include members who haven’t received their membership products.
Members that would like to take a BRC, get their event flier approved, sanction forms done, insurance paid, Riders Ed classes filled, and a number of other things it takes to keep the organization going. To be able to send it to only one person paid to do all those jobs vs several members who are doing the job in the time they have outside their normal lives.
Until someone would like to step up and volunteer to take over Membership, and Riders Ed, we have members who have stepped up to do the duties voluntarily. We don’t ask for much except your patience.
For those members who prefer to throw in the proverbial towel because they don’t get this or that, or their way, how important is Freedom of Road Riders to begin with for you? How dedicated are you to the cause of fighting for Missouri Motorcyclists Rights?
Because we will need to fight for our rights against lobbyists who want to take our rights away again. Lobbyists who don’t care about you or anything we hold dear. Lobbyists who think we are too stupid to make our choices as adults in life.
We need to stand together as Motorcyclists to keep the rights we have fought so valiantly for.
In conclusion, please have patience with those who step up to do a thankless job, and are unappreciated for doing that job for free as a volunteer.
I would also like to encourage every member to attend a CC meeting and attend our FEW Seminar. Our annual FEW seminar is Saturday March 9, 2024, with CC meeting the following day, March 10, 2024.
Thank you
Joe “DC” Karr
FORR Chairman
