Hello Volunteer Ambassadors!
I owe you an apology. Things have been just plain crazy here around WABA HQ, what with our testimony at the DC City Council Bike & Pedestrian Enforcement hearing, our first-ever Regional Bike Summit, producing the Call to Action Document for said summit, and giving a presentation in front of the DC Taxicab Commission on the importance of education about bikes for DC taxicab drivers. Phew, can I just say that when we call it the "busy season" we really aren't kidding!
Anyway, you've probably noticed that it's been a bit quieter on the Ambassador front as a result. And, going into late November isn't too likely to fix that. But that doesn't mean we'll be sitting around and resting on our...um...laurels. No, there's plenty to do in the coming months, such as:
Light giveaways!
WABA's Holiday party!
Our 2012 New Years' resolution!
And I've been hearing rumors of a Winter Solstice Ride, too, so stay tuned!
You probably know about it by now, but just to be safe...remember that there is a new way to sign up for events. Instead of emailing indivdual RSVPs, you can simply check this link each week and submit all your RSVPs at once. Not too shabby.
And that's it for me! Even if you can't volunteer, stop by the WABA table and say hi!
Daniel Hoagland
DC Bike Ambassador
Upcoming Events & Ambassador Opportunities
Events Sign-Up Page
Tweed Ride 2011 - More info & sign-up here.
Sunday, November 13th, 12pm
Meridian Hill Park
WABA Got Lights Giveaways - More info here.
TBD, Ongoing
Everywhere until we run out of lights.
Bike Ambassador News
DCBA Info Packets Now Available
At the State of the Program meeting, one of the things that we kept coming back to was making Ambassadorship easier for you guys. Easier to work into your schedules, easier to accomplish, and easier on me! One of the proposed ways to go about this was to provide you with small packets of bike info that you can keep in your bag or in your office or wherever, so you can use them whenever you want.
Some ideas for Ambassadors to do outreach on their own:
- Stopping other cyclists at red lights and handing out maps, etc. and answering questions
- Hanging out at your local bike shop and/or going on shop or club rides as an Ambassador
- Talking to other cyclists in your building/office and being the office contact for people interested in bicycling
- Teaming up with another ambassador to canvas a bike lane, major bike commuter route, or trail
And anything else you want to do! The packets will be available at the WABA office (2599 Ontario Rd. NW) anytime during business hours. If you need to come by after (or before) business hours, just
let me know
and we can arrange a good time. Each packet will contain a variety of materials.
DC Bike Ambassador Google Group & Calendar
Google accounts are free to set up, and if you already have one, then integrating these DCBA tools will be easy. If you don't already have a Google account, please create one. Being a Bike Ambassador is better when you're not out there on your own. Join the community, get to know us, and you'll have a lot more fun!
Apparently, the DCBA google calendar can't display in these emails, if you signed up to be a Bike Ambassador with your google account (gmail), you should already have received an invitation to view it. If you have just created a google account, shoot me an email and I will invite you. And here is the new DCBA google group. I will be posting a number of things each week, including info about DCBA events, team-building rides, and the first DCBA happy hour!
DCBA Happy Hour
When: Wednesday, November 30th, from 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Where: Location TBD, go here to vote!
Clear your schedule! The official DCBA Happy Hour is held on the last Friday of every month. No RSVPs necessary, just show up. I'll be the one in the shirt that says "DC BIKE AMBASSADOR".
Upcoming Confident City Cycling Classes
No more classes in 2011, sorry! Around February, you can check the calendar below for the Spring classes. Interested in an Ambassadors-only Confident City Cycling class (or series of classes)? Tell me, and if there is enough interest, I will make it happen.
Other Opportunities
The Next DC Bike Ambassador Orientation Meeting
FOR NEW AMBASSADORS ONLY
Is on Tuesday, November 15th, from 7pm-8pm. It will be held at the WABA office (2599 Ontario Rd. NW) Tell your friends and coworkers to go here if they're interested in becoming a Bike Ambassador.
Put the Bike Ambassadors to Work
Please keep your eyes and ears peeled for any community or office events that could use a Bike Ambassador or three. We're always looking for new places to go, questions to answer and people to introduce to biking. If you know of something going on--a farmers market, an expo, a movie screening, etc.--and you think Bike Ambassadors would be a welcome addition, send an email to dcba@waba.org and let us know!
Be an Ambassador Every Day
If you're looking for ways to help out, but find that scheduling conflicts keep you away from our BA events, here are some suggestions:
- Recruit your friends/family/coworkers to get on a bike, take a class and/or become WABA members. Depending on how bike-friendly they are, this could be a great opportunity to sharpen your persuasion/debate skills!
- Join the WABA Forum and start posting--answer questions, join rides, meet your fellow cyclists!
- Get your office/workplace prepped for Bike to Work Day. Talk to your employer about setting up a bike breakfast, organize some bike buddies to help new commuters ride home with an experienced bike rider, or bring WABA in to give a brown bag Bike Commuting Seminar at your office.
- Be a bicycling role model. Everyone else on the road is quick to jump on the anti-bike bandwagon, so don't give them a chance. Stand up to the scofflaw stereotype! Fight back by riding responsibly: you'll show drivers that bikes can be respectful and you'll show other bicyclists the right way to ride.
|
