Katherine is a match for Barack any day

Anyone who has ever been on a committee will probably tell you that meetings can drag on a little. I"ve been at meetings that went on so long I was afraid that my clothes were about to go out of fashion, but thanks to Katherine Kenny, Wheelers" committee meetings are a model of efficiency and brevity.Our Katherine can rattle through a lengthy agenda in a manner that Barack Obama would struggle to match.We should send her up to Leinster House - she"d sort out the mess we"re in before her breakfast. We had a committee meeting last Monday and I"m going to list just some of the items that were on the agenda, and when I tell you that Katherine got through all of it in a shade over thirty five minutes, you"ll know what I mean.Before the meeting, I had a quick chat with her about last week"s notes and my attempts to review 2008 by listing all of the major events that took place. She commented that it just showed how busy and successful the club has been of late. 2009 looks like being even more hectic. The first major outing of the year will be the spin to Sligo with proceeds this year going to the North Westmeath Hospice Home Care Foundation.The cycle will take place over the weekend of April 18 and 19 and Wheelers are asked to get their applications (and €50 fee) in as soon as possible, since places are limited. The accompanying family cycle will be a return trip from The Downs GAA club to Ballinafid School (beside the Covert). The organisation is once again in the very capable hands of Paraic Devine, Katherine Kenny, Kevin Monaghan and Michael O"Donovan. Last year"s outing was a fantastic success, both in terms of the money raised (I think it eventually added up to €73,000) and as an enjoyable weekend in the saddle.Club social secretary Seamus Bracken will once again be organising a quiz night towards the end of March. (Michelle Culligan was quick to remind the committee meeting that her team emerged victorious last year). Seamus announced that all mobile phones, carrier pigeons, crystal balls and, indeed, any means of communication with the outside world, will be confiscated at the door. He anticipates a 50% fall in the average team score, compared to last year, as a result!Grand PrixThe Mullingar GP will take place on May 17 and Mark Horohoe has all the details. I will contact him to get a fuller picture of what"s involved and will post it in the notes shortly.On February 18 at 18.30, there will be a CPR (emergency resuscitation) class held at the Annebrook Hotel. This is something that I think everyone should make some effort to attend. The cost of entry is €5.50 and refreshments will be provided.Sarah Franzoni is organising a 24 hour turbo marathon to raise funds for research into cystic fibrosis. Teams will be limited to 4 participants and the event will take place on the weekend of February 7 and 8th. Sarah"s sister, Harriet, succumbed to this terrible disease in August 2007, and support for the event would be greatly appreciated. Entry forms can be obtained from Sarah at sarah@thinksafe.ie or by calling her on 087 0520 847.Racing leagueFor the summer, Youth Development Officer, Robbie Kenny, will be running a racing league for junior Wheelers. The meeting place for Wednesday night spins is yet to be decided. The 15th annual Into the West will take place in early September, and I will be in touch with Joe Duffy to get more details. There will be an aquathon (I"m not quite sure what is involved but I"ll find out and report back) on May 10, and a triathlon on April 5.Finally, a major outing to the West of Ireland (Mayo to be precise) is in the offing, scheduled for the middle of June. I will post full details next weekHow"s all that for a thirty five minute meeting?My reign as C group leader is beginning to resemble that of our esteemed Taoiseach, Mr. Cowen. Everything I touch is turning to dust and already there are murmurings of discontent in the ranks. Last Sunday mornings for instance, the weather was very cold with icy patches still in evidence. No problem, you might think. Just follow agreed procedure and post a notice cancelling the cycle on the club notice board. Except that I was sitting in the freezing dark at the time. We"d been without electricity for almost 24 hours at that point and I was unable to get in touch with anyone. Like I said a few weeks ago, come back Tom Shaw, all is forgiven!I had another look at last week"s photos of Sarah Franzoni at the Manchester Velodrome (she"s over at Newport Velodrome this weekend with husband Steve and Wheelers Stuart Cox and Peter Rimmer) and noticed that there were no brakes nor gears on the bike. Well then - half my kingdom and my daughter"s hand in marriage to the first Wheeler to complete the Slieve Blooms on such a bike!! The climbing would be tough enough without gears, but the descents without brakes would be, well, interesting, to say the least.Incidentally, a few Wheelers asked me about the Government scheme that allows employers to provide their staff with a bike without incurring any tax liability. You can download a very clear and concise factsheet on the scheme at the following link; www.revenue.ie/en/practitioner/law/bik-exemption-for-bicycles.pdf or give me a call on 087 1216 345. It"s worth a look - you can receive up to €1,000 worth of bike and/or accessories free of benefit in kind taxes subject to certain conditions.Brace yourselves now. An email from A team leader, Robbie Kenny, has just arrived. Here it is:'There was a time when the idea of a club bus was kicked around the A group but due to recent events it seems like a good idea to kick it into touch. For once and for all. Put simply we need an airplane. With all the excursions different group leaders and our leisure and tourism minister are organising we need one and rapid. A fair clatter of the C group are heading west on their rock "n roll tour to let their scarce hair down.Now one might question the sanity of giving the C group full use of a plane considering their infamous reputation when they get together, but they probably deserve one more opportunity to prove they have grown up from last year, a year older and all that. I can just imagine Captain Carolan asking them all to put on their seat belts and Claire Malone doing all those funny actions before they take off.Now the A/B group at the time of going to press have 17 ya 17 (+ 3 of the 'Ballivor Bullet"s' buddies making a touring party of 20) going to the south east of France in July. Oh the fun trying to get planes that would take us all and our bikes. So by next year Catherine Flynn-Horohoe has promised to have her pilot"s licence - the only problem I foresee is getting the funds from our Treasurer, we might have better chance of getting some from an Icelandic bank. Anyway that"s another day"s work - everything else is under control for 'La Marmotte' so roll on July 4'.Thanks Robbie. The second half of Robbie"s report is still awaiting clearance from our libel lawyers, and may or may not appear next week.The Wheelsucker is still very gung-ho about taking on La Marmotte, but he asked me to point out that members wishing to participate must make sure that their club subscriptions are paid up in time. The organisers of the event have a nasty habit of asking to see the cycling licences of anyone taking part, and if your licence isn"t up to date, you will not be allowed to cycle.SympathyThe club would like to extend their condolences to Cathy Flynn on the death of her grandmother on Monday of this week, January 26.Care to join us?Would you like to join us for a cycle? Cyclists of all standards are welcome to come along. We usually meet at the Mullingar Dog Track at 9.00 on Sunday mornings. Up to four groups now leave from the dog track, including one especially for beginners, or those who may have some cycling experience and would like to see if cycling with a group is for them. Just turn up on any given Sunday, call me on 087 1216 345 or visit our website at lakesidewheelers.ie for information and advice on how to get going. Please remember to check the club message board at http://lakesidewheelers.proboards51.com/index.cgi for details of any last minute changes before setting off.