From the President

Greetings, friends.

The Board of Directors has voted to make changes to the club’s bylaws and needs YOUR feedback.  These changes are intended to eliminate some things that no longer exist, to add a conflict of interest policy, to make voting more accessible, to improve the nomination process for persons interested in running for Board positions, and to establish an election timetable.  According to club bylaws, the revisions require a 2/3 majority of votes for approval and a vote is anticipated to take place during the second half of May 2026.  I encourage all of you to review these proposed changes and to direct comments and questions to president@mafw.org by May 1, 2026.  All of these will be discussed at the Board of Directors meeting in May. The following are the proposed revisions to the current bylaws with changes specified or indicated by text in italics.  These changes can be compared to the current bylaws which can be found on the club’s website by clicking on “Our Club” and then clicking on “Club Bylaws”.  The proposed changes are also available on the club website.

Proposed bylaws revisions:

Article III-Membership and Dues, Section 2b, Classes of Membership

Delete “Dual Adult” from Classes of Membership

Article IV-Meetings and Voting, Section 1, Biennial Membership Meeting

A Biennial Membership Meeting will be held during the first week of November of the election year.

It will include a block of time for candidates to make a brief presentation and allow for questions from club members and any other necessary business.

Article IV-,Meetings and Voting, Section 8a, Voting

Change to:

All members of the club in good standing are eligible to vote in elections.

Article IV-Meetings and Voting, Section 8b, Voting

Delete “present and”

Article V-Officers and Directors, Section 3, Nomination Procedure

Change to:

In an election year, a Nominating Committee shall be established, one of whose members shall serve as Chairperson. The Nominating Committee shall consist of three members, at least one from the Board of Directors and at least one from the general membership. The Board shall choose those person(s) selected to serve on the Nominating Committee by majority vote no later than August 7 of the election year.

The Nominating Committee’s function is to solicit candidate(s) for each of the Board’s positions, obtain the advance consent of those who have expressed a desire to be a candidate, and present a list of those names to the Secretary of the Board of Directors by September 1 of the election year.

The Board President shall ensure that the announcement of upcoming elections specified in Article V, Section 4, Election Procedure is made.

ARTICLE V – OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS, Sections 2b, c, and g

b) The chairman of the Morris Area Freewheelers Foundation, or his/her designee, will serve on the Board after being approved by the Club Board with voting rights consistent with those provided to the Club representative on the Foundation Board.

c) The most immediate Past President who is an active member of the club and was not removed from office and/or resigned from office to address a conflict of interest shall be invited to serve on the Board as an ex-officio member.

g) Board members must disclose potential conflicts of interest and are prohibited from voting or representing the club on any matter in which there is a conflict.  Conflicts of interest include, but are not limited to, individual or close relation financial conflicts, personal conflicts, conflicting organizational interests, and/or competitive conflicts.  The determination of whether something is a conflict of interest is to be determined by a majority decision by the Board Members and recorded in meeting minutes with a recorded vote where the vote of each individual is documented.  If a majority is not reached declaring a potential conflict as a non-concern, the potential conflict will be treated as a conflict, and the associated member(s) will recuse themselves from voting and/or representing the club in the associated role.

Article V, Section 4, Election Procedure

Elections shall be held in even numbered years.  Voting shall be conducted electronically, e.g., through the club’s website.  Elections shall follow the following protocol:

An announcement of upcoming elections shall be provided on the club’s website, by email blast, and in the club’s newsletter no later than May 31 of the election year as follows:

“Elections for the Officers and Directors of the club’s Board of Directors will take place this coming November.  The club’s Nominating Committee will provide the names of all interested candidates for all positions to the Board Secretary. The Nominating Committee needs one or two club members to serve on the Nominating Committee.  Interested parties should send name, contact phone number, and email address to the Board’s Secretary, secretary@mafw.org no later than July 31 of the election year.  Selection will be made no later than August 7 of the election year.”

The current positions on the Board of Directors are: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Ride Coordinator, Membership Coordinator, Safety Coordinator, IT Coordinator, and Member at Large.  Duties of the Officers and Directors can be found on the website on page 6 of the club’s Bylaws

Any club member in good standing is eligible to be a candidate for any office, however, all candidates for the position of IT coordinator must be able to provide evidence that s/he has the necessary knowledge and skills required of the incumbent.  Any club member can declare interest in being a candidate for a Board position by contacting a member of the Nominating Committee no later than August 31 of the election year.

A candidate questionnaire developed by the Nominating Committee and approved by the majority of the Board of Directors will be sent to all candidates no later than October 1 of the election year by the club’s Secretary.

Candidates shall have until October 15 of the election year to return the questionnaire to the club’s Secretary.  The IT Director shall post candidates’ names, office running for, and candidates’ responses to the questionnaire on the club’s website by October 17 of the election year.

The club President shall send an email blast to all members no later than October 18 of the election year advising that candidates’ information is posted on the club website and that voting will open on November 10 of the election year and close on November 17 of the election year.  Voting shall take place electronically, e.g., through the club’s website.

A virtual Biennial Meeting shall be held in the evening during the first week of November in the election year.  If any of the Board positions are contested, i.e., there is more than one candidate for a position, each candidate for the contested position(s) will have the option of speaking for no more than 3 minutes to make his/her case for office.  This will be followed by a question and answer period lasting no more than 60 minutes.

The IT Director shall tabulate vote totals and email results to the Board of Directors by 11/19 of the election year and post election results on the club’s website no later than 11/21 of the election year.

The club President will send an email blast to membership with election results no later than 11/22 of the election year.

Elected Officers and Directors shall take office January 1 of the following year.

Article 8, Section 2

1. Change “voting shall take place at a membership meeting” to “voting shall be conducted electronically, e.g., on the club’s website.”
2. The proposed amendment(s) to the bylaws and a brief explanation of them shall be posted on the club’s website by the IT Director no later than 5 weeks after the Board of Directors approves the proposed amendments. The club President shall send an email blast to membership containing the text of the proposed bylaws and a brief explanation of them at the same time as they are posted on the club’s website.  Membership will be apprised that there will be a 2 week period before voting begins to allow for questions and discussion of the proposed amendment(s) and that the window of time for voting shall begin two weeks after the aforementioned has been accomplished and will close 10 days later.
3. The IT Director shall tabulate the votes and report the results to the Board of Directors no later than 72 hours after the close of voting.
4. The IT Director will post the results of the vote on the club’s website 48 hours after apprising the Board of Directors of the result.  The club President will send an email blast to membership 48 hours after the IT Director has apprised the Board of Directors of the result.
5. Passage of the proposed amendment(s) requires the approval of 2/3 of those voting.
6. The results shall be entered into the club’s records.

Article X-Adoption

Change to:

Voting for proposed revisions and amendments to Club Bylaws shall be conducted electronically, e.g., on the club’s website and are adopted and made effective upon approval of two thirds of those voting.  If approved, these will replace and supersede any and all previous Club Bylaws and henceforth all activities and actions of the Club shall be taken and pursuant to the requirements of these Bylaws.

The original Bylaws were adopted by the Trustees (Executive Committee) on February 16, 1994 and have been periodically amended since then.  This document is an amendment and restatement of those Bylaws adopted by vote of the club membership on xx/xx/20xx and effective as of that date.  WITNESSED by:

 

Thank you for your attention and input!

Best regards,

Michael

Greetings, friends.

It must be spring since the annual Kick-Off Meeting will be held on April 19, 2026 at 9 AM at the indoor building at Harry Dunham Park.  Refreshments will be provided, as always.  The meeting will be followed by a variety of rides at different paces.  You can sign up by clicking “Calendar” on the club website and then clicking on the Kick-Off link.  The meeting agenda will include a question and answer period regarding the proposed changes to the club’s bylaws, a brief review of the club’s finances, upcoming club Board elections, and a brief Ramble update.  All members are encouraged to review the proposed bylaws revisions prior to the meeting which have been posted on the club’s website and will be sent shortly by email blast.

IMPORTANT:

The building cannot be accessed until 9 AM.  We will need assistance setting up the room for the meeting before we can start the meeting and no rides will leave until the room is cleaned up.

Greetings, friends.

I’m sad to say that I just learned of the passing of long-time club member, Lili Brohal, at age 87.  Lili was an avid cyclist and traveled extensively with her husband, Jack.  Lili was a ride leader and created a number of very popular tours from Kittatiny, Ghost Lake, and Allamuchy.  She will be missed.

Warm regards,
Michael

Greetings, friends.

I hope all is well with you and yours.

The club’s Kick Off Meeting will be on Sunday, April 19 at 9 AM at the indoor building at Harry Dunham Park.  Rides will follow after the meeting.  As always, refreshments will be served.  Please note that the maximum  capacity of this facility is 60 so don’t wait to sign up when we go live.  Needless to say, if you can’t make the meeting you are welcome to join us for rides.

Also, keep an eye out for an email blast containing revisions to the club’s bylaws which should be going out around April 3.  There will be an opportunity to ask questions, make suggestions, and share concerns about them at the Kick Off Meeting.

Looking forward to a fun Kick Off and a great upcoming ride season.

Be safe; have fun.

Warm regards,
Michael

Greetings, friends.

Over the past few months, the Board of Directors has been reviewing the club’s financial trends.  It was noted that while the club’s current financial picture is good, the club has been operating on a deficit for the last few years.  As a result, the Board of Directors voted to increase dues to $40 per year for a 1 year individual membership, $75 for a 2 year membership, and  $110 for a 3 year membership.  The Dual Adult membership has been discontinued.  This change will take effect 30 days from today in keeping with the club bylaws. In addition, the Board voted to change the Ride Leader award such that Ride Leaders who lead a minimum of 15 rides will receive a $50 gift card,  There will no longer be an option of getting a Ride Leader jersey.

None of us are excited about these changes.  However, dues have not increased for many years while the cost of everything has increased.  The cost of ride leader jerseys now exceeds $100. In addition, the club’s portion of the proceeds from the Revolutionary Ramble has been reduced.  And it is worth mentioning that the Ramble has been struggling to attract an adequate number of volunteers so the future of the Ramble is uncertain.  The increase in dues and change in ride leader awards is intended to help ensure the club remains fiscally strong and that the club can continue to provide the types of social events that membership values.  Please be assured that the Board of Directors will continue to look for ways to ensure a fiscally strong status while offering good value for our members.

I am always available to discuss any concerns and suggestions.

Have fun; stay safe.

Best regards,

Michael

Greetings, friends.

We’ll need 5 people to help set up for the winter party and people to help clean up.  Set-up begins at 4:30 at the Woodland Fire House.  Please let me know if you will help.

We’ll also be recruiting volunteers for the 2026 Revolutionary Ramble/250th birthday of the USA.

Stay safe; have fun.

Best regards,

Michael

Greetings, friends.

The legislature has passed S4834/A6235 which will regulate e-bikes in New Jersey.  Among other things, this legislation will require riders of ANY e-bike to have registration, a driver’s license, and insurance including low speed e-bikes that go under 20mph.  This bill becomes law if signed by Governor Murphy

Please immediately call Governor Murphy at 609 292 6000 or text 732 605 5455 and tell him to not sign this bill.

Best regards,

Michael

Greetings, friends.

I received the below email from the NJ Bike and Walk Coalition.

Please take a few minutes to call your assemblymen and tell them to vote no on this piece of legislation.

Best regards,

Michael

Donate

URGENT: Contact Your Assembly Representatives NOW!

ACT NOW: STOP S4834/A6235 to SAVE Low-Speed E-Bikes before it’s too late!

NJBWC along with many safe streets advocates has spoken out in opposition to the e-bike bill legislation (S4834/A6235) requiring insurance, registration and a license to ride ANY e-bike in NJ, including low speed e-bikes that go under 20mph. After hearing from many NJBWC and coalition partners, alongside more than 3600 co-signers who opposed this bill, a new version was put forward at the end of December that continues to raise major concerns. This bill was rushed through during the lame duck session, passed through Senate committees, and will be heard tomorrow, January 8th, in the last Assembly committee needed before it can be voted through on full votes from both houses. We need you to CALL or WRITE your Assembly Representatives and Committee Members IMMEDIATELY to STOP this bill from advancing to a full vote. Call or Write Assembly Committee Members Contact Your Legislators – Sign the Action Letter The new version of the bill continues to undermine New Jersey’s transportation goals: Eliminates the current classifications used in 46 states and instead creates new and confusing categories using the terms low speed e-bike, motorized bicycle, and electric bicycle. Still requires registration and license for low speed e-bikes (class 1), placing an undue burden on vulnerable populations including seniors, families using cargo bikes, people with disabilities, delivery workers and commuters, and others who benefit from mobility aids or may not have access to other modes of transportation. Installs new age requirements for young riders, which are needed for high speed motorized bicycles or e-motos, but also includes requirements for license and registration on low-speed e-bikes that do not have a throttle and can only go up to 20 mph. Doesn’t provide a clear plan to implement the law. Existing legislation passed in 2019 for class 3 e-bikes that requires registration, insurance and a license has not been implemented or enforced and this bill calls for a massive increase in those requirements. Requiring registration and a license will not meaningfully address roadway fatalities. This critical issue needs a fuller discussion with impacted constituents to develop a bill that addresses the real safety issues: unregulated high speed e-motos and motor vehicles. As we saw in 2025, the number-one source of over 500 fatalities and 3,000 serious injuries on New Jersey’s roadways were motor vehicles. New Jersey residents deserve a bill that meets their needs and does not eliminate the important economic, equitable mobility and environmental benefits of low speed e-bikes. We urge you to CALL or WRITE your legislators and tell them to hit the brakes on this bill. Rather than creating barriers to this equitable, low cost mobility option, the state should instead focus its resources on:  Enforcing the law which already requires licensing, registration and insurance for faster, higher-powered electric devices;  Requiring vendors to register and clearly label and inform customers on safety and the laws governing low speed vs high speed devices Educating vendors, law enforcement, and parents on the difference between these devices;   Implementing proven strategies for reducing fatal and serious injury crashes on our streets, such as infrastructure improvements for people walking, biking and taking public transit.  Reach out to your legislators to STOP this bill before it’s too late! Call or Write Assembly Committee Members Contact Your Legislators – Sign the Action Letter

Greetings, friends.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and a good start to the new year.

The club’s winter party is scheduled for Saturday, January 31, 2026 at the Woodland Fire House, Dwyer Lane, Morristown from 6-9 PM.  Be sure to mark your calendars now.  Further details to follow.

Stay safe, have fun.

Best regards,

Michael

Greetings, Friends.

Below is yet another email from the NJ Bike and Walk Coalition.  It makes sending letters to Governor Murphy and your state senator and assemblymen quick and easy.

 

Reach Out to Your Legislators! Write or Call Your Legislator! TAKE ACTION to SAVE Low-Speed E-Bikes & STOP S4834/A6235 Right now there is a proposed bill requiring insurance, registration and a license to ride ANY e-bike in NJ, including low speed e-bikes that go under 20mph. This bill lumps all low speed e-bikes with higher speed devices under the term “motorized bicycles” and eliminates the current classifications for different types of e-bikes.   The bill (S4834/A6235) has been rapidly moving through the legislature, being rushed through committees, and could have a final vote any day, despite unanimous opposition from transportation advocacy organizations. NJBWC and coalition partners have testified at multiple hearings in opposition to the current legislation and continue to track its progress through the statehouse. Write or Call Your Legislator! This bill works against many of New Jersey’s own transportation goals:   Since 2019, the law has required high-speed (>20mph) devices to be licensed, registered and insured, but this has gone totally unenforced.  Requiring insurance for lighter-weight, lower-speed devices (under 20mph) would create a huge, unnecessary barrier to compliance and use, and reduce the incentive to choose the safer mobility option.  This bill likely contradicts federal law 15 USC 2085 which defines electric bicycles as consumer products, not motor vehicles. It preempts more restrictive laws at the state level which would seek to “upgrade” low-speed ebikes into “motor vehicles” (motorized bicycles requiring a license to operate). Someone riding a low-speed e-bike into NJ from NYC or Philadelphia would not have the same requirements for insurance, registration and a license.   Requiring registration and insurance will not meaningfully address roadway fatalities. By focusing on low-speed e-bikes, this bill distracts from the number-one source of over 500 fatalities and 3,000 serious-injury crashes annually in our state: motor vehicles. Increased costs and complicated procedures to operate low-speed devices will disproportionately impact overburdened communities.  This will limit mobility access for vulnerable populations, such as seniors, families transporting children without a car, undocumented residents (for whom registration may be virtually impossible), and people with disabilities that prevent them from driving. This will slow New Jersey’s progress towards net zero. Nearly half of New Jersey’s total carbon emissions come from transportation. We should be incentivizing all types of electric vehicles, not making them harder to get. This bill would reduce accessibility on shared-use trails and discourage tourism. We urge you to write or call your legislators and tell them to hit the brakes on this bill. Rather than creating barriers to this equitable, low cost mobility option, the state should instead focus its resources on:  Enforcing the law which already requires licensing, registration and insurance for faster, higher-powered electric devices;  Requiring vendors to register and clearly label and inform customers on safety and the laws governing low speed vs high speed devices Educating vendors, law enforcement, and parents on the difference between these devices;   Implementing proven strategies for reducing fatal and serious injury crashes on our streets, such as infrastructure improvements for people walking, biking and taking public transit.  We need your help to reach out and inform the legislature about the unintended consequences of this bill before it’s too late!! Write or Call Your Legislator! Join us to Build Consensus on Smart E-Bike Policy Solutions SAFE Network Webinar Series: Consensus on Model Policy for E-Bikes Tuesday, December 16, 1-2pm SAFE Network Webinar – Register Here Join us at our upcoming webinar as we move this conversation forward with opportunities for discussion and shared learning about this pressing topic. Hear from our panel of experts and share your thoughts to help us form consensus on what model policy for “E-bikes” should look like on Tuesday, December 16, 1-2pm. Panelists Matt Moore, General and Policy Counsel at PeopleForBikes Leigh Ann Von Hagen, Executive Director at Voorhees Transportation Center & Samuel Rosenthal, Research Project Coordinator at New Jersey Bike & Pedestrian Resource Center Corey Hannigan, Active Transportation Program Manager at Tri-State Transportation Campaign Karin Vanoppen, LDU NJ, Los Deliveristas Unidos Moderator Paul Mickiewicz, Program Manager, New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition   For more information about the SAFE Network and the Bicycle Education programs contact program manager, Paul Mickiewicz at paul.mick@njbwc.org. SAFE Network Webinar – Register Here