Smithers MINNEAPOLIS

My interview with the new Preznit, part 1

In case you all have been living in a cave for the past few days, Kevin Schaeffer has recently been elected as the new President of the Minnesota Cycling Federation (MCF). I sat down with Kevin today to discuss his new responsibilities.

Smithers: Kevin Schaeffer, condolences or congratulations on your new position, whichever you see fit. Can you detail the platform that you ran on while a candidate for MCF President?

Kevin Schaeffer: Platform, ran? The beautiful thing about becoming the MCF President is that you don’t have to have a platform or run. You just have to be the only idiot in the state who can’t say no.

Smithers: You sound almost perfect for the job, although I have heard you utter the word “no” in the past. What do you plan to accomplish during your first 100 days in office?

KS: Abolish CX races, abolish, ROY, CRY, TROY, redirect all MCF fees to the track, abolish the MCF message board, put Timmer in charge of the MCF army and invade the Wisconsin Cycling Association.

Seriously, There are the normal administrative tasks which I will participate in, such as setting the 2008 schedule, MCF banquet, ROY changes, MCF meetings, and the Local Association calls with USA Cycling.

The first visible activity will be the MCF website. Tone Coughlin has volunteered to be the new webmaster and we’ve already discussed a complete revamp of the website.

The other issue that needs to be approached immediately is the priorities of the MCF. We currently have $20k in the coffers and have no visible plan on what we should be doing with this money. As it is now, we are sitting on the money and waiting for people to come to us with requests. Then as a group in the meeting, we approve/reject the proposal, usually after much conversation and teeth gnashing. Each one of these conversations, we have to ask, what are the priorities/purpose of the MCF. I don’t believe this is the way an organization should run. As mentioned in the last meeting minutes and discussed at the meeting last night, we need to get together and determine the mission/values/goals of the MCF. The priorities would follow from that.

Smithers: It might be easier if you would just ‘decide’ those things for all of us. Easier and quicker. Easier, quicker and far less boring. Have you started your reelection campaign yet?

KS: No, I expect eventual impeachment would render that activity useless.

Smithers: Do you plan to rule with an iron fist or a velvet mitten?

KS: Iron mitten. That way I can hit hard and not hurt my knuckles. One of the things that has hindered us is trying to please everybody all the time. We waste a lot of times hashing and rehashing. I will not be afraid to make a decision to keep things moving. It may be the wrong decision, but it will be a decision nonetheless.

Smithers: Iron Mitten, I love that group. I have seen every show here in the Twin Cities. What is your opinion on the state of the MCF and the state of Minnesota cycling in general?

KS: After attending the LA Conference in Colorado Springs last month, I get the idea that as an organization we’re not as bad off as we think. Other associations come to us for ideas and suggestions. We are ahead of the game in many respects. It is difficult to go to any other region and find one organized source for a regional calendar such as we have here. We have a full schedule of road, track and cross racing. We have only 850 registered USCF members in Minnesota but have the opportunities for lots of racing that you find in a Southern California or East Coast district that has 2 to 3 thousand members.

That being said, I think there are lots of opportunities for improvement.

Smithers: As Yoda said, there is no try. Or was that Tri? I don’t think Yoda was big into triathlon, unlike Homme.

Part 2 tomorrow…