Last year I provided links to various videos about cycling safety and how-to's on bike maintenance. I recieved little feedback as to how much this helped people prepare for PALM.
So, this year I am looking for specific suggestions. What would you like to see? Let me know and I'll do my best to either publish a link or provide the information myself.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Sunday, February 5, 2012
PALM Fills
We posted the PALM 2012 application for download on Jan 12. It was supposed to be at noon but I put it out there earlier so that the server wouldn't be bombarded. I picked Jan 12 so that people would have two days to mail in their applications before the MLK holiday. We would be able to tell by the Saturday mail whether people knew that the application had to be downloaded from the website or whether we had to call/email people over the weekend to tell them about it. We needn't have worried. We received the applications for 629 riders and 53 staff postmarked Jan 12. We received the applications for 137 riders postmarked on Jan 13. We decided to accept all the riders postmarked Jan 13. That gives us 766 riders, well over our 700 rider cutoff. PALM filled in two days. Amazing.
Using the email address on the applications, Ellie sent out emails for every application that was accepted. She returned the checks with our regrets to everyone whose application had a postmark after Jan 13. Everyone who mailed in an application should know by now whether they are on PALM or not. It's nice to fill quickly but we really don't like telling people that they can't be on PALM. We all live for PALM and can imagine what we would feel like if we couldn't do it. But we are limited: we stay at schools and they can only handle so many people comfortably. There is just so much you can ask an all volunteer staff to do. Still we hate to say no. We don't keep a waiting list. Instead we accept more riders than our limit to cover any cancellations that may occur.
So looking at the numbers, I am 833 behind : 766 riders and 67 staff/SAGs. So much for New Years resolutions. There are basically three of us doing registration. Vickie checks the applications (Were the waivers signed? Were sizes picked for the tshirts? Is there an emergency contact? Is the check amount correct?) and does the paper work for the accountant while Judy and I key in the applications, create and send out the confirmation letters. (The meal, bus, and tshirt counts and the meal and bus lists come from this.)
Vickie has the tougher job. Any mistake means she has to contact the rider by email or phone to straighten it out. Any mistake with a check means she has to mail the check back and get a new one. This takes time. It also means that your check won't be cashed for a while. Vickie processes the applications in the order received and doesn't cash the checks until the application has been verified. There are roughly 500 applications. It's a good thing Ellie sent out emails telling people that they are on the ride because it may take weeks before they receive a confirmation letter or even have their check cashed.
Using the email address on the applications, Ellie sent out emails for every application that was accepted. She returned the checks with our regrets to everyone whose application had a postmark after Jan 13. Everyone who mailed in an application should know by now whether they are on PALM or not. It's nice to fill quickly but we really don't like telling people that they can't be on PALM. We all live for PALM and can imagine what we would feel like if we couldn't do it. But we are limited: we stay at schools and they can only handle so many people comfortably. There is just so much you can ask an all volunteer staff to do. Still we hate to say no. We don't keep a waiting list. Instead we accept more riders than our limit to cover any cancellations that may occur.
So looking at the numbers, I am 833 behind : 766 riders and 67 staff/SAGs. So much for New Years resolutions. There are basically three of us doing registration. Vickie checks the applications (Were the waivers signed? Were sizes picked for the tshirts? Is there an emergency contact? Is the check amount correct?) and does the paper work for the accountant while Judy and I key in the applications, create and send out the confirmation letters. (The meal, bus, and tshirt counts and the meal and bus lists come from this.)
Vickie has the tougher job. Any mistake means she has to contact the rider by email or phone to straighten it out. Any mistake with a check means she has to mail the check back and get a new one. This takes time. It also means that your check won't be cashed for a while. Vickie processes the applications in the order received and doesn't cash the checks until the application has been verified. There are roughly 500 applications. It's a good thing Ellie sent out emails telling people that they are on the ride because it may take weeks before they receive a confirmation letter or even have their check cashed.
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