ACTC News

Bob Thompson, A Gentle Giant

Seems like it was yesterday, Bob and Kris Thompson, Jean and I were having lunch on a sunny afternoon at a League of American Bicyclist meeting in Olympia, Washington. That was nearly thirty years ago -- my friendship with Bob grew with more respect and admiration each passing year. In ...

A Dilemma

During our last visit to Dalian, China, a child, no older than 5, came up and hugged Jean, asking for money. We knew not to give children money or sweets because the apparent kind act may create beggars of them. Furthermore, parents then will send their children to beg rather ...

The Children Thank You

On this bright December Saturday morning, more than forty ACTC members, led by Jim Schallau, volunteered at the Turning Wheels for Kids (TWFK) Big Bike Build to assemble over 2500 new bicycles to be given free to underprivileged children. Jim and Marjorie Schallau, Past-President Herman Wadler, and I have been helping ...

Please Vote

Make your voice heard by voting. It always amazed me that a great percentage never bothered to vote. Many failed to appreciate how fortunate we are to live in this democracy, having not seen how people in other countries struggle, with not enough food, no education, no future, and no ...

Daniel Pearl World Music Days

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” Albert Einstein On this, the 15th Anniversary-Remembrance of 9/11, a helpful way for me to move forward is to listen to meaningful music. A favorite is the Daniel Pearl World Music Days, an international network of concerts ...

In Flanders Fields and the Four Chaplains

  Having grown up in Vietnam during the 60's, I remembered the poverty of the Vietnamese populace and the sheer war-horror. On Memorial Day, my two treasured remembrances are to read "In Flanders Fields" and the Four Chaplains. In Flanders fields By Canadian physician John McCrae In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, ...

Spaceship Earth

Imagine we are astronauts on a spaceship with a finite amount of supplies and space, one would not wastefully and carelessly use everything up. We all are -- this spaceship Earth. Like it or not, our daily choice of driving, walking, cycling, and a host of everything else, has a profound ...

Almaden Cycle Explorers — ACTC Program for Children

"The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision" — Helen Keller The future of ACTC rests in part on our ability to motivate children to become life-long cyclists. In the last decade, we proudly supported children-programs such as Turning Wheels for Kids, Kidical Mass, and Aztec ...

ACTC, the Club with a Heart

Although we don't wear our philanthropy actions on our sleeves, ACTC is a not-for-profit organization so we strive to have a zero-sum annual budget by donating a steady and predictable amount to bicycling-related organizations. ACTC is run by volunteers so all the proceeds from members' dues, Tierra Bella, and Sierra ...

A Gift to be Simple

"Simple Gifts", a Shaker song by Joseph Brackett celebrates a sentiment that is as applicable today as when it was written in 1848. 'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free 'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be, And when we find ourselves in the ...

Colophon

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Syndicate

December 25th 2020
Tags: ACTC Touring, Club Organization No Comments

See You Soon

It has been truly an honor to serve as the ACTC President these past eight years. Being on the Board previously for five non-contiguous years as Editor, Publisher, and Communication Coordinator, I knew what I was getting into. For a period of ACTC history, yelling and cursing at Board and ...
December 25th 2020
Tags: Club Organization No Comments

Those who care are with us everywhere

A favorite song of mine is Kate Wolf’s “Gentle Warrior” with this beautiful ending. “We are crying for a vision That all living things can share And those who care Are with us everywhere” My term as ACTC President is almost up and we have a good slate of Candidates to fill ...

ACTC 2021

2020 is an agonizing year but time marches on. Soon it will be September and we will be nominating Members for the 2021 ACTC Board. I am proud to be the longest serving ACTC President and we have accomplished a lot together these past 8 years. My COVID-19 research this ...
April 17th 2020
Tags: Club Organization, Volunteering No Comments

Lemonade Out of the Lemons

The Covid-19 threats are real and serious and underpin the Achilles’ heel of ACTC. Many diseases, not just Covid-19, target weakened populace: older patients, people with underlying respiratory problems, diabetes, asthma, or with compromised immune system. As ACTC Membership is ageing, ACTC Board, Tierra Bella, Sierra to the Sea, Academy ...

“Tomorrow” from Annie

“The sun’ll come out tomorrowBet your bottom dollarThat tomorrow there'll be sun! Just thinkin' about tomorrowClears away the cobwebsAnd the sorrow 'til there's none! When I'm stuck with a dayThat's gray and lonelyI just stick out my chinAnd grin and say, oh! The sun'll come out tomorrowSo you gotta hang on 'til tomorrowCome ...

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