NBG Membership Chapter Beginning (draft)
Back at the turn of the last century, it was bicycle clubs that helped to bring about the first roads in America. With well over 1,000 such organizations, in this Nation’s big cities, they held great sway and had an outsized influence on all matters political. In fact, being a member of a bicycle club was a status symbol.
And with all the benefits we have planned for our NBG Membership, we will return our bike club members to that lofty position in society. Our strength in numbers will deliver the kind of results that will cause a new Renaissance for bicycling. This at a time when we have no alternative but to lessen our dependence on fossil fuel.
There will be many benefits to joining the NBG, including discounts offered by participating merchants. One of the biggest reasons, people will join the NBG is for the significantly reduced rates on lodging in the Anchor Cities along our route. We will be able to help get lower priced accommodations for them by subsidizing the money these hoteliers need to charge.
We will be able to offset the expense of overnight stays with revenues from earmarked portions of NBG Membership fees, corporate sponsorships, POI map advertising as well as from the Fundraising Programs we foresee (NBG Day at Whole Foods and other merchants, our yearly National Mayors' Ride Festival/Gateway Fest at the National Bike Capital, Checkout Charity - rounding sales up to the nearest dollar). Because increased bicycling addresses pollution problems, there will also be funding available from grant monies.