• Contact other clubs and their executives for input. One thing about us ATV’ers, we like to help one another. Perhaps no one club has what you’re looking for. It might be that you’ll find the information your looking for with multiple clubs. Maybe you have a different vision on how things should be done. Start with the basics and let your members shape their club into their preferred end result. Your club may evolve into something completely different over time.>>


• Consider the type of club you want to create. A non-profit corporation may be the way to go in order to facilitate the many financial functions you’ll encounter. You can usually acquire a copy of an existing clubs by-laws to get started.>>


• Think of a fun and respectful name and logo that represents your club and the riding ethics your club plans to project to the public.>>


• Don’t be in a hurry. Forming a great group of riders takes time. Be patient and do some light advertising your 1^st year at dealerships and on the web to attract members. A good club may range from 35 to 350 good members. Don’t be concerned about the size of your club; instead, be concerned with the quality of your club. With quality, your club will increase in size. >>


• Some of your new members may need to ware 4 or 5 hats (multiple board or executive positions) in order to get things going. Try not to let this go on to long, you may burn them out. Make a constant effort to have other members participate in the day-to-day needs of the club. Remember, there is no paycheck, so be nice!>>


• Make sure you let your club members make decisions. Being a leader also means letting others make group decisions. Keep notes, file the minutes of your meetings and keep your members informed. Remember, for every new member, there may be an additional opinion on how things should be run.>>


• If meetings and dues are part of your club design, be consistent. I tend to see several clubs support monthly meetings in order to conduct club business, communicate, share ideas, meet new members, introduce sponsors, etc. Find a location/locations that poetically won’t change. If your club supports a large area, perhaps rotating locations each month will help support the membership. Keep your dues reasonable. If they’re too high you may have a tough time getting members. If they are high you should be able to present a good reason for the amount. If they are to low, you may not be able to afford to conduct the day-to-day business of the club. You might want to check and see what other clubs are charging.


• It’s an ATV Club, ride, ride, ride and have fun, fun, fun. The demise of many failed clubs is the failure to keep their members happy and active in the sport we all love. Remember, if it’s not fun, if it’s not worth sharing with others, it probably won’t last. There’s always the business of running the club, but learning how to make the whole process fun on and off the trail is key to maintaining any good ATV club. Consistently plan rides. Keep them on the trail or track. Post your calendar of rides on emails, handouts and web sites, weeks in advance if possible.


• Web pages and emails. Many clubs across the country rely primarily on their web page and the ability to email club updates to their members. Mailings for those with out Internet access are of course important. Currently, our club uses Homestead to make our web page. It’s simple and the members who work the pages don’t need to know HTML to get things going. It’s an easy service to use but will cost a few dollars each year to operate. In many cases, the hosting company can provide you with your domain name like: www.coloradoquadrunners.org There are several free ATV sites you can list your clubs web page on to help expose your club to the public and increase your membership.


• Sponsors, dealers and land management. A wise old dealer once told me not to let your club turn into a “give-me-monster”. In the past, some clubs have fallen under the impression they are larger than life and have expected dealers/sponsors to just give them everything on the shelves for promotions and handouts. Remember, it’s a two way street, help promote your sponsors. When asked to help out with a project or launch a promotion, lend a hand. The Forestry Service, BLM and private landowners deserve the same respect. When asked to work on a trail or help a landowner who provides you access, pitch in and have your club shine with courtesy. Don’t wait to be asked, be the 1^st one to ask how you can help.


• Land access can be tough but not impossible. Relationship building with landowners is key when opening the lines of communication. Be patient, it may take time and experience to open new locations to ride. Contact local coalitions and trail organizations for advice on how to approach the situation. Don’t expect success with every effort. Many efforts are denied but perseverance and the ability to press on will pay off in the long run. In some cases, providing a valuable service or educating the landowner on how organized you and your club is may help break the ice.


• Keeping your trails open. I can’t say enough about the many organizations and coalitions across the country that work hard to keep our trails from being closed or restricted. You may not have a large cash flow to start out with, but try and gain membership to at least one of these trail blazing groups as soon as you can. As your membership grows, so will the number of your memberships. Here are a few to consider: Tread Lightly, ATVA and the Blue Ribbon Coalition.


• Stay open minded to all types of Safe ATV enthusiasts. We have a very diverse group of riders her in the USA. You’ll find novice, intermediate and pro riders aging from 6 to 96 years old wanting to be part of a good club that supports, utility, sport and race ATV’s. Singles, Couples and families all ride our trails and tracks across these United States. Finding those who respect safety is becoming easier every day. Preventing our children and us from serious injury on ATV’s has become a new focal point for thousands of responsible riders. Make helmets and basic safety gear a requirement to be in your club and you’ll find responsible riders seeking you out. New ATV owners enjoy the ability to become members in order to learn more about riding, find out where to ride and to capture the updated ATV information that tends to flow through a good club. >>

Dan Delasantos

303-347-9277

ddelasantos@msn.com

Castle Rock, Colorado

 >>

Member in Good Standing with:

Colorado Off-Highway Vehicles Coalition, >>

The Colorado Quad Runners ATV Club,>>

ATV Safety Institute, Tread Lightly, ATVA,>>

Blue Ribbon Coalition