Originally Posted by
alcjphil
Cycling clubs are volunteer run organizations, you get out of them what you put in. If you joined expecting them to take you by the hand for the whole season, you will be disappointed. Get out, get involved, meet the people, do the rides and you will have a great time. If you sit at home and wait for them to come looking for you, you will have wasted the membership fee
That pretty much says it.
My club is over 40 years old and has over 500 members. In-season, we have multiple rides every single day. Most everyone is too busy riding to much of anything else. We get a monthly email newsletter--maybe, if it rains a lot. Off-season is when we plan all the rides for the coming year, and go over statistics for the last one. There are dinners, lots of email traffic, and the newsletter is more regular.
Our new members get their membership card, good for discounts at the LBSs in town, and a CD containing the ride schedule and mapset. If you think your club should do the same, volunteer as the Membership Chair and put together your own welcome kit to send out. None of this happened in our club until someone volunteered to do it.