Off the Back
Practicing Inclusion in 2024
By Tim Newman
SBC President
The final board meetng of 2023 has been completed. What a remarkable group of people. We had a roundtable discussion to introduce ourselves, say thank you to the members ending their terms, and welcome the new. I felt a renewed energy and commitment to the club.
What resonated with me was the topic of inclusion and what that means to the club. The definition of inclusion is “the act or practice of including and accommodating people who have been excluded.”
My personal experience as a new club member was the opposite, one of exclusion. I came in right at the beginning of COVID. Many people were fearful and practicing social distance, which was understandable, but as I was at the parking lot preparing for my first ride, not even one person introduced themselves or welcomed me.
Long story short, I almost gave up but decided to try again. On my next ride, three people welcomed me. I am eternally grateful for those moments because it made me decide to go all in and do everything in my power to be of service to the club. This included making all members, old and new, feel welcome and invited.
It was very heartwarming to hear that this happened on numerous rides this year. Many smiles were produced as a result of being welcomed and included. We can all ride on our own anytime, but people also want to be part of a group. I am grateful to be able to ride with a group because I meet new people almost every time and have developed some meaningful friendships and wonderful acquaintances along the way.