So, in early March, Bicycle Nova Scotia announced out of the blue that they have severed ties with both of their original insurance providers, the company that provides insurance for licensed racers and the company (Oasis Insurance) that provides insurance for non-competitive associated clubs such as ourselves (just as I was leaving for the sunny south).
They have announced a new membership insurance provider, see article at http://bicycle.ns.ca/club-insurance-policies/
The upshot is that associated club members such as ourselves will now pay $16.50/person instead of the prior rate of $10/person, but membership will now include Sport Accident medical coverage (“Accidental Death and Dismemberment” coverage). Details are at http://bicycle.ns.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Insurance_Summary.pdf
This medical coverage seems well worth the extra six bucks to me.
We have nine club members who have already joined at the rates which we approved at the Annual General Meeting, at which time, many will remember, we voted to set our dues at $15 + whatever BNS charges us, which at the time was still at $10.
I will not be asking members who have already joined to cough up the extra six and a half bucks. However the new and revised membership application form is now available on our website at www.randonneurs.ns.ca/resources.
Note that if you have already joined Bicycle Nova Scotia through another club, you do not have to join BNS again – only once. If you are already a BNS member through another cycling club or as a race license holder, please note this on the membership application form.
If you plan to ride with us this year, please bring along a completed membership application form on your next club ride, or drop it in the mail to the address thereupon.