2017 Annual Member Meeting
Strong Sisters!
Sorella Forte held its annual meeting on Saturday, January 28, 2017. Thank you to everyone who attended. Your commitment to this group is appreciated.
For those who were not in attendance, we had a few board spots to fill, introductions of new sponsors, a gift certificate from one of the new sponsors to give away and the most important reason to get together: the crowning of Queen Badass.
Board elections
Trish’s membership coordinator term was up and she decided not to run again, and Elaine’s term as president had also come to a close and she decided to make way for another to leader. Heather and Sarah chose to renew their commitment to the board for two more years and were re-elected in the roles of member at large and team captain. Newly elected to the board was Kim as the membership coordinator. She will retain her role as apparel manager. I (Linda) ran and was elected as president. Janet ran and was elected to the volunteer coordination position, which I vacated. Your new board is now:
Linda Watts, president
Susan Koonce, treasurer
Aleson MacFarlane, secretary
Heather Simmons, member at large
A second member at large/ride coordinator
Sarah Brown, team captain
Kim Flier, membership coordinator/apparel Manager
Janet Gillis, volunteer coordinator
Sponsorship news
Fully – my employer – joined us as a sponsor about six months ago. West Portland Physical Therapy has also signed on. This is Trish’s employer. Visit West Portland Physical Therapy for all your physical therapy needs and then come see me for an awesome ergonomic office desk. We welcome them both to our club.
Metolius Tea will be the newest in-kind sponsor. If you are looking for the tea, go to Nossa Familia espresso bar to order some or visit your local natural food store.
Member in good standing
We encourage you to volunteer throughout the year as a member of Sorella. To earn your Member in Good Standing (MIGS) points, you can lead a ride (not the RCB Saturday ride), volunteer at races (Short track, Alpenrose, Cherry Pie), do trail work with NWTA. We ask you to complete a minimum of four MIGS per year.
Our team captain, Sarah, attended the annual OBRA meeting and recapped it for us. One of OBRA’s requests this year is to train more officials. If you’re interested, join them on February 11, at Mazamas in NE Portland. Training to become an OBRA official is a MIG-worthy event. So take advantage of this opportunity.
New member Jennifer is our social media diva. Please send her photos and information on your adventures and events and she will post to our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Be sure to include Rhonda on the email so she can posted to Sorella’s website. Got a blog? Forward that to Rhonda and earn a MIG. You can find those emails on our Yahoo account.
We had a raffle for a bike fit/running analysis from West Portland Physical Therapy. Congratulations to Jamie Reed for winning the raffle.
Rides & get involved
We now have a meetup group for rides. Post rides, invite friends and have a great time. Saturday River City Rides will continue to be posted on our email list. If you haven’t joined the meetup group, I encourage you to do so. The Sorella Forte Meetup Group is worth telling your friends about.
We are currently in search of a ride coordinator. The coordinator doesn’t necessarily lead a ride every week; instead, she coordinates ride leaders. Sounds easy, right? The current ride coordinator says that with the new meetup group, this position is a whole lot easier. Please contact Jamie, Susan or me on email to answer your questions.
Queen Badass
Queen Badass for 2016 went to someone who rode and ran her heart out last year, by doing time trials, century rides, mountain bike races and volunteering for events. A lot of power packed into a small package. I am proud to announce that the 2016 Queen Badass is Robin Yakhour! Congratulations Robin. You will wear the sash and tiara well.
I’d like to thank both Elaine and Rhonda for serving as past club presidents. You both have been excellent role models and a huge inspiration to me, both on and off the bike. I am proud to follow in your footsteps and hope to serve the club to my fullest abilities.
If anyone has any questions regarding the club – or bikes – I am happy to help. Got a new sponsor? Tell me. Need help with MIGs? I’m the one to ask. Want to learn how to adjust your squeaky brakes? I’ve got you covered.
Thank you for entrusting the future of Sorella with me and the 2017 board. We hope to do you all proud. I’ll see you on the road and trails in 2017.
Linda Watts
President