At our February meeting, a committee was formed to try to create an
organizational structure for Bike Pirates. That group presented a
proposed structure at the March meeting. We definitely didn’t
have the kind of time needed for a thorough discussion, and we want to
make sure that everyone in the Bike Pirates community has a chance to
give us feedback before we give the group our final proposal.

There will be a second meeting on Wednesday, April 14th at 7 pm at
Bike Pirates to discuss the proposed structure in more detail.
Everyone is welcome. A copy of the presentation will be available in
the shop at the beginning of our Saturday hours. The presentation is also available here:

• Powerpoint (.ppt)
• PDF

If you want to ask questions or give us feedback, you can email margaret.jean [at] gmail.com or tjsands66 [at] gmail.com

With all of your feedback in hand, we will revise the proposal and bring it to the Bike Pirates AGM, on Wednesday, April 21st at 7pm, where we hope it will be adopted. The AGM is a general meeting open to all members of the Bike Pirates community. More info and an agenda is forthcoming, but we know for sure that there will be a food element.

Ok kids, there are 3 reasons why we will close the shop early –

unbelievably bad weather (i.e. 3 feet of snow)
very sick volunteers (i.e. no one is able to open the shop)
Dramatic restructuring and in-shop construction.

…okay okay there are 4 reasons.
an historic birthday party! Like tonight’s bicycle-related 18 kegs birthday party.

Sorry folks. It looks like we will be closing at FIVE PM tonight, rather than seven. Let your friends know. take the opportunity to go for a beautiful evening ride!

Break out your puff paint, bedazzlers, and DIY spirit! Bike Pirates’ first craft night is happening Friday, March 19th at 7:30 pm.

BYO Craft supplies and Beverages.
Homemade snacks! Tea!
Mini-workshop on making jewelry out of bike parts!

Crafts do not have to be bike-related.

Bike Pirates is a fully accessible space.

those who sail the sea have no family but those on their ship! We don’t serve a government or religion, only the rocky waves, and the whispers the gales tell of buried gold. We do not lower the sails for a day because a queen wishes it so! But if a mate is ill with scurvy you bet we will have to put off our pillaging for another day.

………

We are open tomorrow. yes. see you there.

Please note that as per tradition, Bike Pirates will be closing early the evening of the annual ice race! Tomorrow, Saturday February 13th, we will be closing the shop at hour early at 6pm SHARP in order to get set up for the party we are hosting.

Please come out to the races at Dufferin Grove rink 7-10pm, and to Pirates afterwards for an awesome dance-party fundraiser for Charlie’s Freewheels. This is a fantastic, fun, hilarious, exhilarating tradition in the Toronto Cycling community!

See you there!

The Pirates.

Charlie’s Freewheels is seeking volunteers to act as Mechanic Mentors in the second session of our youth bicycle project. The sessions will run every Friday from 5-8pm. The First session will be Friday February the 5th and the program will run for 12 weeks.

Charlie’s Freewheels will enrol 6 youth participants from the Regent Park community to learn basic bicycle mechanics and safety through the process of assembling their own bike. Through a combination of hands-on practice, cooperative work, discussion and mentoring, the participants will focus primarily on the repair of one bicycle each that, upon the project’s completion, will belong to him or her.
The volunteer mechanics will be working with the youth from last session in assisting the new participants with the assembly of their bicycles. We are looking for mechanic volunteers who have previous experience working on bikes and who have had hand on experience in repairing and building up bicycles for the bottom up.

We are also looking for people who would be interested in being involved in other aspects of the program. Last session we had one volunteer work with one of the participants on putting together a manual for the session that turned out amazingly.
We are looking for people who are interested in or have skills to share including but not limited too:

• Snack planning and food prep
• Photography and web site making/ blogging knowledge
• Grant writing
• Party planning and fundraising

Volunteer Info Meeting
Tuesday February 9th at 6:30 pm
Location: U of T, International Student Centre, the building at 33 St George
In the the Baldwin Room (located on the ground floor)

If you need more info you can email Caitlin at:
mccarlisle (at) gmail.com