Two positions on the RUSA Board of Directors will become available at the end of the year. Members may nominate two current RUSA members to run for those two positions. A nomination form is included in the Summer 2012 issue of the American Randonneur. (Please note that the form mis-identifies the current board members whose terms are expiring). A corrected nomination form is available. To submit your nominations, please mail the form to:

 Mark Thomas Randonneurs USA 13543 160th Ave NE Redmond, WA 98052 

The nominations deadline is September 15. Nominations must be received by that date.

Qualifying rides for the RUSA American Explorer Award now include RUSA populaires, permanents populaire, and sub-200km darts. This may increase the number of states that you can claim.

The RUSA American Explorer is earned by completing RUSA-sanctioned rides (including permanents) in different US states and territories. Initial recognition is achieved at the 10-state level and additional states are earned as you explore the nation.

The RUSA Cup is earned by completing all the types of RUSA events, and riding 5000km in total RUSA events, within two years. You must complete a 200k, 300k, 400k, 600k, and 1000k brevet, a 1200k-or-longer grand randonnée, a RUSA team event (Flèche, Arrow, or Dart), and a Populaire. Permanents and foreign events (such as PBP) don't count. The award is retroactive - you may use past events.

We regret that Cecil Reniche-Smith has resigned from the Board due to personal time constraints. We are delighted that Mike Dayton has agreed to serve the remainder of her term. We are grateful to both of them for their service to our sport.

The recipient of the 2011 American Randonneur Award is Mike Dayton. View photo here.

Congratulations, Mike!

The deadline for nominations for the American Randonneur for 2011 has been extended to January 15th.

Janice Chernekoff reminds us that the deadline for PBP 2011 American stories and memories is approaching. If you would like your PBP 2011 story, photos and other art work included in our print publication which will be released mid-2012, please submit to Janice by December 31, 2011. Please title all inquiries and submission with an appropriate subject line such as PBP Submission and send to editor@rusa.org. Thanks!

Once a year, the RUSA Board of Directors and the RUSA Awards Committee present an award to a member of the organization who has made a significant and outstanding contribution to randonneuring in the United States.

This person is to be recognized for having gone above and beyond the call of duty to help our niche of cycling grow. It can be a RBA who has dramatically increased brevet participation, a hard-working RUSA volunteer, or someone who has helped randonneuring flourish by a selfless act, good sportsmanship, camaraderie, or by being a good samaritan.

RUSA wishes to recognize that special volunteer and inspire others to do the same. This is a most prestigious award, a high honor of American Randonneuring. It is the only award we have that names a single winner; all other awards can be earned each season by any number of our members who qualify successfully.

This person must be a RUSA member. (Check the RUSA website Members Search to see if the person that you have in mind is a current member and note their membership number).

The American Randonneur Award is given by the RUSA Board. The names come from the general membership. The Board then votes on the award winner. Please note that the Board has decided to exempt itself from any active nominations for this award in order to avoid possible conflicts of interest that could then affect other Board matters. If an American Randonneur Award nomination comes in for a sitting Board member, it is held over until that s term of office is ended and then placed among the next batch of nominees.

Fill out a candidate submission form (PDF) and send your nomination via the US Postal Service by December 31(UPDATE: Extended to Jan 15) .

The RUSA Membership Office announces the availability of the new RUSA Online Membership Services. RUSA is now able to accept membership renewals online with payment by PayPal or by check. New memberships and change-of-address requests can also be accepted with the interface.