January Monthly Meetings. Golden Corral. Friends for Fun, Safety, and Knowledge. Inside this issue: 3rd Thursday 6:00 pm eat 7:00 pm meeting

Transcription

1 Monthly Meetings 3rd Thursday 6:00 pm eat 7:00 pm meeting Golden Corral 3360 Green Mount Crossing, Shiloh Friends for Fun, Safety, and Knowledge January 2015 Welcome to 2015! A new year to enjoy with a few dozen intimate friends we call Chapter O. Sometimes we feel blessed to call all these people our friends, other times we feel even more blessed to view some as our extended family. As with all families, extended or intimate, there are always trials and tribulations. There will be discussions, some heated and some simple, there will be discord and unhappiness. Through it all, for the past many years, we have been privileged to maintain the friendship and mutual respect of many friends. We hope to have many more years of the same friendship and good times. Let's talk a little about the new year. We had planned to have our Polar Bear Ride on January 4 th but Mother Nature reminded us she is not always our best friend. She gave us a dose of cold air that made riding hazardous and it is not our intention to place any member in harms way. We thought it best to reschedule the event for January 11 th. Once again, Mother Nature had other intentions. We postponed the ride until January 18 th, then had major regrets for doing so when we arose Sunday the 11 th to dry roads and moderate temperatures. We were concerned some may have not gotten the message about the postponement, so we went to Powhatan to see if anyone would be there. We took the truck, just to be safe, and had breakfast while we awaited any uninformed participants. There were none. And that's okay! When we left Pocahontas a little after noon we didn't get a mile out of town and we had a rain and sleet mixture on the windshield. Alas, decision vindicated! We had chosen properly in postponing the ride! The sleet quickly subsided but the drizzle and light rain persisted all day. Indeed, the right decision had been made. January 18 th and the ride finally materialized. We had a fantastic outpouring of support with 21 individuals riding their bikes and trikes and another 6 guests that had driven their cars. We thank all for attending. Visit our Continue on page 2 Chapter O Staff Chapter Directors Dan & Martha Ribbing logos95@sbcglobal.net Assistant Director Vacant Treasurer & COY Mike & Karen Morgan mkmorgan74@charter.net Member Enhancement Carol Evans connie1024@yahoo.com Educator Roy Miller rlm1123@charter.net MAD Coordinator Larrie Wiggand Individual Of the Year Bernie Lavezza Webmaster & Newsletter Roy & Cheryl Miller rlm1123@charter.net Chapter Host Carol & Dan Evans Inside this issue: Officer s Articles 1-5 Member Articles 6-8 Member s Corner 8 Calendar 9-11 National, Region & District Flyers For Sale & Sponsors 20-21

2 Continue from page 1 2 Our Chapter Educator is working on the agendas for the training seminars to be held February 15 th, March 15 th, and April 19 th. These are all the third Sunday of the respective months and the seminars will be held at Union United Methodist Church located at 721 East Main Street in Belleville just as last year. We have four participants that attended the GWRRA University Trainer seminars in Tremont on January 10 th and we trust all will be officially certified when they present their seminars at Winter Warm-Up. After they receive their official certification, our Rider Educator will schedule each to present seminars to the Chapter. This will accomplish multiple goals. First, they will each get a little practice doing the presentation, second, it will give the chapter a chance to experience their abilities, third, and most importantly to some, you won't have to sit and listen to me for four hours! We'll have light refreshments available at the seminars and we plan on visiting our sponsors for dinner in conjunction with the event. As always, if you can't make the seminars you are still more than welcome to join us for dinner. Just check the calendar to see where we will be on which Sunday. Keep polishing! Spring is just around the corner! Dan & Martha UP COMING TRAINING Where : Union United Methodist Church, 721 East Main Street Belleville, IL When: Sunday February 15th 1:00 till 4:00 pm Presentation 1: Helmet Myths - Presenter : Roy Miller Presentation 2: Share the Road - Larrie Wiggand Presentation 3: How Can I Participate in GWRRA - Presenter : Jean Potwora Presentation 4: Write Stuff Presenter: Dan Ribbing Sponsor dinner at Ravanelli's in O'Fallon 5:00 pm When: Sunday March 15th 1:00 till 4:00pm Presentation 1: What is the Rider Ed Program - Presenter : Dan Ribbing LTP Presentation 2: Member Benefits- Presenter : Jean Potwora MEC Presentation 3: Think Motorcycles - Presenter : Kimi Wiggand Presentation 4: Motorcycling for Mature Riders - Presenter : Roy Miller Dinner at Texas Roadhouse in O'Fallon 5:00 pm When: Sunday April 19th 1:00 till 4:00pm Presentation 1: Riding in the Heat - Presenter : Larrie Wiggand Presentation 2: Team Riding - Presenter : Roy Miller Presentation 3: Conflict Management- Presenter : Jean Potwora Presentation 4: Co-Rider Presenter: Kimi Wiggand Sponsor dinner at Lotawata Creek 311 Salem Place Fairview Heights, IL 5:00 pm 2

3 3 Rider Education Article Happy New Years for If you didn t attend the Chapter Christmas party chances are you didn t hear that I have volunteered and was appointed as the Chapter Educator for Chapter O. I just wanted to pass on a little about us, we have only been riding a motorcycle since March of 2007, and joined GWRRA in March as well. Cheryl and I joined Chapter O after our first Niehaus Customer Days in 2007 as well. I retired from the US Air Force in 1996 and have worked as a Contractor on Scott AFB since, I didn t retire, I just removed the uniform for a shirt, jeans and tennis shoes. Cheryl is working as a Cashier for the TRIAD School District. We both look forward to working with the other Chapter Officers and Chapter Members. We will strive to provide meaningful training. Look for dates on the Web calendar and s. I have already sent out an requesting everyone s beginning mileage. If you don t have access to please call me at If you don t participate in the High Mileage program I ll make sure it gets applied to your Level s Program and safe miles. As a fellow Chapter Educator from Chapter Q from Wisconsin stated, if you are like me, I m beginning to feel PMS, Parked Motorcycle Syndrome. While our mighty steeds are parked away in the garage, make sure you have a battery tender, connected; I would recommend keeping the bike covered so the work you did to get it cleaned up stays that way. Stay current on articles from Wing World and other magazines and books about keeping our mighty steeds ready for another great riding season. The riding season is only three months away! Roy Miller Rider Educator UP-COMING TRAINING Horizons Program Feb 27-28th Holy Spirit Fellowship Hall, Carterville Friday 6-9 pm and Saturday 8:30-4 pm Contact: Sandy KB9ADV@gmail.com TRC Riding Course Apr 17th & 18th ARC Riding Course Apr 18th Location: Vandalia Elementary School, Vandalia (see flyer on page 17) 3

4 4 IMPROMPTU RIDE ON JANUARY 1, 2015 Several brave people weathered the temperatures to be part of the ride on January Traditions might have played into people making that extra effort to bundle up and jump on their bikes or it could have been the excitement that it was a new year and everyone was looking forward to starting it off with a bang. Bob Moore, Ray and Mary Ruder, and Dan and Carol Evans were those brave individuals. Jean Potwora arrived in her car to document the starting of the new 2015 riding season. After a short discussion, it was decided by all that because of the temperatures it would be best to stay on two lane roads instead of going on the inter-state. Bob Moore led the group with his polar bear friend riding in his trailer. Ray and Mary followed with Dan and Carol at the end. People turned, stared, and smiled as the bikes went by. The first reaction on some of their faces was astonishment that adults would be out on bikes when the weather was only 32 degrees. After the initial shock was over, the smiles came. Bob s polar bear was positioned so that it appeared to be waving at all the people. They responded with waves and thumbs up. We ended the ride arriving at Uncle Linny s Restaurant for something to warm us up. We were joined by Walt and Jean, Ed and Sue and Bernie and Julie. It was heart warming to be able to get together with friends. It didn t matter the mode of transportation we used to get to our destination. It only mattered that we were there. Everyone s wish for the upcoming year was to be more active and enjoy their friends. Time passed quickly and before we knew it we were getting ready to leave for home. As we left we soon discovered that we were not the only ones with a tradition and some ran into a group of 100 or more bikes leaving the corner at Pontoon Road and Highway 111. Carol Evans MEC 4

5 5 Motorist Awareness By Larrie Wiggand As we begin another new year and are looking forward to another riding season, we need to prepare ourselves as well as our bikes. One of the main issues that we all have to deal with is other riders as well as drivers, especially those who are distracted. It has become more and more it seems a way of life that drivers spend more time doing other things besides driving. Not only are those who drink and drive a real hazard on the road, not only to themselves but also to their passengers as well as other motorists, but it is also those who are distracted for whatever reason. The list for this seems endless at times, eating, shaving, applying makeup, reading,attending to a restless child, etc. etc Then we add the use of cell phones as well as other electronic devices, whether radios or GPS or something else. All of this adds up to some serious issues on the road. So the question becomes, what can I as a rider/driver do to help alleviate the issue and not become part of the greater problem? First of all we have to recognize that there is actually a problem. Anyone who has dealt with any kind of program such as AA knows that is the first step. Until we recognize that it is a major issue and problem, then no will step up and do something about it. We can t do anything about the other drivers, but we can for ourselves. So the first item we have to address is that we will resolve not to be a part of the problem. What does that mean? For starters, put the phone down! Remember, it can wait. If there is someone else in the car with you, let them deal with it. If not, then do so when it is safe to do so. If necessary, pull over and take care of it, then proceed. Second, we can learn to slow down a little. It seems that everyone is always in such a hurry to get nowhere. How many times have you been passed by someone, only then a short time later pull up next to them at the next light. Did them a lot of good didn t it? The few seconds that we think that we are gaining doesn t really make much of a difference. How often have you seen it happen, I did today. Someone was at a light to make a right hand turn following someone, thinking that they were going to proceed and looking the other way, knew they could merge into traffic. Only trouble was, the other car didn t and they rear ended them. Now if only they had taken an extra moment to verify the car in front had actually proceeded into traffic, they wouldn t have had that problem. Third item that we can do, we need to be aware of our surroundings. Of course I am talking about being in traffic, and also for weather conditions. If traffic is very busy, allow yourself a little extra time and space with the other vehicles. If weather is wet or slick, slow down and give yourself a little more time and space between vehicles. These may all seem logical and repetitive, but it doesn t hurt to refresh our memories. Yes we may have been driving a long time, but as we get older our reflexes aren t as quick and there are a lot of drivers who don t pay very close attention. We want to have an enjoyable riding experience for the coming season, so let s get ourselves into some good driving habits and make a safe one! Larrie Wiggand MAD Coordinator 5

6 6 By: Jean Potwora Everyone says that the third time is the charm, and that is what happened with Chapter O s Annual Polar Bear Ride. Chapter O had a very successful Polar Bear Ride to Powhatan Restaurant in Pocahontas on January 18, Noon was the time to meet, but by that time there was already a full table of Chapter O members present. Some members are always ready to eat. Some members had already ordered and some were waiting for late arrivals. We had twelve beautiful Honda Gold Wings on the parking lot, what a fantastic showing. We had some members present that we hadn t seen in a while and it was great visiting with them. The attendees were Dan Ribbing, (Martha was working a Bridal Fair), Dan & Carol Evans, Ray & Mary Ruder, EJ & Jean Sporleder, Henry & Sharon Ludwig. Robin Campbell, Ed & Sue Roberts, Trey & Tammy Stroup, Ken & JoAnn Beers, Mike & Karen Morgan, Roy & Cheryl Miller, Frankie Eckert, Ruth Adamson, Bob & Vicki DePew, Steve Brungard and Walter & Jean Potwora. Unfortunately six members were in four wheeled vehicles, everyone else was enjoying the very brisk weather. I heard that when the sun was shining it was a nice ride, but when we left the restaurant, it was a little cool, but many of the riders had heated gear. One individual had a dessert, which was shared by the masses. I didn t know that a piece of pie could feed so many. If you missed this event, you missed a lot of laughs, and some great food. 6

7 Continue from page 6 7 Chapter E Polar Bear Ride Submitted by: Sue Roberts Saturday, January 17 th was Chapter E s Polar Bear Ride. Maedge s Restaurant in Alhambra, Illinois was invaded by 28 hungry and chilled riders. Thirteen bikes and two cars filled the parking lot. Chapter O supported the ride strongly with seven members present. We were also pleasantly surprised to see one of Chapter E s past directors, the Duffs. Thanks to all who came. Fine Food! Fine Folks! Fine Ride! 7

8 8 SPONSOR DINNER LOTAWATA CREEK Submitted by: Kimi Wiggand On January 18, 2015 we gathered at LotaWata Creek Restaurant. We were 25 members strong. We feasted on great food, had great conversation and loads of fun. The owners of LotaWata Creek Restaurant are Ken and Rod Archer. Larrie Wiggand introduced our new Chapter Director, Dan Ribbing, to Ken. Ken was impressed with our group. Larrie spoke to Ken about sponsoring our GWRRA Chapter for Ken happily agreed and gave Dan six gift cards for a donation. It was a great evening and a great chance to gain LotaWata Creek as a sponsor again for January 28th - Trey Stroup 30th - Jean Stout February 9th - Nancy Christen 27th - Kimi Wiggand GWRRA ANNIVERSARIES February NONE February 28th Jim & Jean Stout 8

9 CALENDAR of EVENTS 7th 11th 15th 19th 25th 1st 7th 11th 15th 19th 25th 22nd 1st 8th 12th 19th 16th 22nd 29th 3rd 6th 13th 15-17th 21st 27th 31st 3rd 4-7th 7th 10th FEBRUARY Dinner at Fire N Smoke 5:00pm 914 Edwardsville Rd Troy, IL Ice Cream Social 7:00pm- Collinsville, Culver's 100 United Dr., Collinsville Training - Union United Methodist Church, 721 East Main Street Belleville, IL Chapter "O" Meeting 6:00pm Golden Corral 3360 Green Mount Crossing Rd, Shiloh Ice Cream Social 7:00pm- Pontoon Beach, Grab N Go 3901 Pontoon Rd Pontoon Beach MARCH Sponsor Dinner Uncle Linny's 5:00pm 4112 Pontoon Rd, Pontoon Beach Missouri District Spring Fling Inn at Grand Glaize Lake of the Ozarks Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - O'Fallon Culver's 1702 E U.S. 50, O'Fallon Training - Union United Methodist Church, 721 East Main Street Belleville, IL Chapter "O" Meeting 6:00pm Golden Corral 3360 Green Mount Crossing Rd, Shiloh Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Glen Carbon, DQ 3905 Rte 159, Glen Carbon Roxana Bike Blessing Rain Date the 29th APRIL Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Maryville, Bobby's 2525 N Center St, Maryville Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Troy, DQ 810 Edwardsville Rd, Troy Sponsor Dinner Ravanelli's Collinsville 5:00pm 26 Collinsport Dr, Collinsville Training - Union United Methodist Church, 721 East Main Street Belleville, IL Chapter "O" Meeting 6:00pm Golden Corral 3360 Green Mount Crossing Rd, Shiloh Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Pontoon Beach, Grab N Go 3901 Pontoon Rd, Pontoon Beach Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Edwardsville, Culver's 6724 Old Troy Rd, Edwardsville MAY MAD Windshield Wash I- 55 south bound Homestead rest area meet 9:25 Hamel Shell Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Maryville, Bobby's 2525 N Center St, Maryville Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Edwardsville, DQ 400 S Buchanan St, Edwardsville Niehaus Days Chapter "O" Meeting 6:00pm Golden Corral 3360 Green Mount Crossing Rd, Shiloh Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Troy, DQ 810 Edwardsville Rd, Troy Chapter Ride to Chester JUNE Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Pontoon Beach, Grab N Go 3901 Pontoon Rd, Pontoon Beach Missouri District Rally - Branson, Mo Chapter Ride to CHAPTER U POKER RUN starting in Vandalia on west side of McDonalds Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Highland, DQ IL-143, Highland 9

10 continue th 18-20th 18th 20th 24th 28th 1st 8th 11th 12th 16th 22nd 24-25th 26th 29th Ride to Patti's 1880's Settlement, 1793 J H O'Bryan Avenue, Grand Rivers, KY Reno Grand Sierra Resort Reno, Nevada Chapter "O" Meeting 6:00pm Golden Corral 3360 Green Mount Crossing Rd, Shiloh Sponsor Dinner 5:00 pm Lotawata Creek 311 Salem Place, Fairview Heights Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Freeburg, DQ 804 N State St, Freeburg Chapter O Picnic 12:00pm Conoco Phillips Park, Kendall Hill, Woodriver. JULY Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Maryville, Bobby's 2525 N Center St, Maryville Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Glen Carbon, DQ 3905 S IL-159, Glen Carbon Dinner at Fire N Smoke 5:00pm 914 Edwardsville Rd Troy, IL Chapter Ride Kimmswick & Mastadon State Park Chapter "O" Meeting 6:00pm Golden Corral 3360 Green Mount Crossing Rd, Shiloh Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - O'Fallon, Culver's 1702 W Hwy 50, O'Fallon Illinois District Summer Rally Days Inn Rock Falls, IL Chapter Ride - Mel's Riverdock & River Road Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Troy, DQ 810 Edwardsville Rd, Troy AUGUST 2nd Chapter Ride Mt Vernon Airport Museum & Lunch Meet at McDonald's 721 N. Jefferson St, Mascoutah at 10:00 am 5th 6-8th 12th 15th 16th 20th 26th 30th 2nd 3rd-7th 6th 9th 17th 18-19th 20th Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Highland, DQ IL-143, Highland Region E Rally Green Bay, Wisconsin Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Pontoon Beach, Grab N Go 3901 Pontoon Rd, Sponsor Dinner Ravanelli's O'Fallon 5:00pm 1214 Central Park Dr, O'Fallon, IL St Louis Ride for Kids Chapter "O" Meeting 6:00pm Golden Corral 3360 Green Mount Crossing Rd, Shiloh Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Maryville, Bobby's 2525 N Center St, Maryville Chapter Ride to Casey Popcorn Festival SEPTEMBER Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - O'Fallon, Culver's 1702 E U.S. 50, O'Fallon Wing Ding 37 Rocket City Road Trip - Huntsville, Alabama Chapter Ride to Kaskaskia Church Tour Kaskaskia Island Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Glen Carbon, DQ 3905 Rte 159, Glen Carbon Chapter "O" Meeting 6:00pm Golden Corral 3360 Green Mount Crossing Rd, Shiloh Southern Illinois Ride-In DuQuion,Fair Grounds Chapter Ride - Creole House Tour Praire Du Rocher 23rd Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Bethalto, DQ 444 W Bethalto Dr, Bethalto 27th 30th Sponsor Dinner Uncle Linny's 5:00pm 4112 Pontoon Rd, Pontoon Beach Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Highland, DQ IL-143 Highland 10

11 11 4th 7th 10th 15th 18th 21st 23-26th 28th 7th 11th 19th 25th 9th 12th 20th 30th OCTOBER Chapter Ride to Daniel Boone Home Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Pontoon Beach, Grab N Go 3901 Pontoon Rd Pontoon Beach Sponsor Dinner 5:00 pm Lotawata Creek 311 Salem Place, Fairview Heights Chapter "O" Meeting 6:00pm Golden Corral 3360 Green Mount Crossing Rd, Shiloh Chapter Ride to Chapter U 30th Anniversary & Chili Dump Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Troy, DQ 810 Edwardsville Rd, Troy Fall Overnight Ride to Eureka Springs, AR Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Edwardsville, DQ 400 S Buchanan St, Edwardsville NOVEMBER Dinner at Fire N Smoke 5:00pm 914 Edwardsville Rd Troy, IL Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Collinsville, Culver's 100 United Dr, Collinsville Chapter "O" Meeting 6:00pm Golden Corral 3360 Green Mount Crossing Rd, Shiloh Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - O'Fallon, Culver's 1702 E U.S. 50, O'Fallon, IL 62269, USA DECEMBER Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Collinsville, Culver's 100 United Dr, Collinsville Christmas Party 4pm - 8pm Conoco Phillips Park, Kendall Hill, Woodriver. St Charles Christmas Walk 12:00pm Dinner at Lewis & Clark Restaurant 4:30pm St Charles, Ice Cream Social 7:00pm - Edwardsville, Culver's 6724 Old Troy Rd, Edwardsville Check the Chapter website at for last minute schedule changes & updates MAY 3rd - Ride to Springfield after windshield wash 31st - Chester, IL June 7th - Chapter U Poker Run 13th - Overnight to Patty s Settlement, KY August 2nd - MT Vernon Airport Museum & lunch 30th - Casey, Popcorn Festival September 6th - Kaskaskia Church Tour Kaskaskia Island 20th - Creole House Tour Prairie Du Rocher July October 12th - Kimmswick & Mastadon State Park 4th - Daniel Boone Home, Defiance, Mo 26th - River Road to Kampsville 18th - Chapter U Chili Dump 23rd-25th Eureka Springs, Arkansas Check the message board for impromptu rides & updates 11

12 National, Region & District Information 12 DASH FOR CASH 1st place 2014 Let s do it again! Dash for Cash - Other Chapter Meetings Eat 6 pm Meeting 7 pm Feb 2nd - Mo Z Ponderosa 3601 Jeffco Blvd Arnold, Mo Feb 3rd - F - Ryan s Steak House, 4615 Broadway, Mt Vernon Feb 4th - Q Bandana s BBQ 309 E Main St, Carbondale Feb 12th - E Miners Family Rest. 304 S Macoupin St., Gillespie Feb 16th - U Ponderosa, 2727 Veternas Pkwy, Vandalia, IL Mark your calendars June 18th - 20th Rally Registration forms on Chapter Calendar & website under Event Flyers WING DING 37 September 3-6, 2015 Huntsville, Alabama Missouri Spring Fling March 7, 2015 Osage Beach, Mo Nebraska Cabin Fever Feb 20th-21st Norfolk, Nebraska Missouri District Rally June 4th 6th Branson, Mo REGION E RALLIES 2015 Minnesota Rally July 10th - 11th Grand Rapids, MN Illinois District Rally July 23rd - 24th Days Inn Rock Falls, IL Region E Rally Aug 6th - 8th Radisson Hotel & Convention CN Green Bay, WI Iowa District Rally Sep 25th - 26th Reinig Center Toledo, Iowa 12

13 13 Article from GWRRA National E-Newsletter President's Article submitted by: Abel Gallardo President, GWRRA. National Officers Directors Ray & Sandi Garris Directors of Divisions/Programs Rider Education Director Tony Van Schaick Leadership Training Directors Joe Price Member Enhancement Directors Bob & Karla Greer Wing World Editor Kevin Whipps Global Affairs Director Dan Sanderovich With a new year upon us, I firstly want to thank each and every one of you for being a part of making this such a great Association. And because of that we feel the need to constantly look for ways to improve, as well as look for new items to make sure your experience in GWRRA is made better all the time. One item that we have been reviewing lately was the monthly e-newsletter, Wingin' It. We've enjoyed putting it together each and every month for you and hope you have enjoyed it as much as we have. We take a lot of pride in making sure the stories and information being sent will be of benefit and enjoyment to all who read it. Which is why the time has come to take a step back and begin the process of making it even better. So for the next few months, we will be holding off on producing the Wingin' It newsletter in order to work on the items we feel we can improve on. We are excited for the changes and hope that you will be too. To a great New Year! Deputy Directors Central (Regions B & E) Bruce & Barb Beeman 13

14 14 Article from Region E Newsletter A Little BS That s Bruce s Sidecar REGION E TEAM Director Bruce Watkins director@gwrra-region-e.org Assistant Directors Bob & Nicki Fowkes Assistant Directors Lance & Diane Brozek Assistant Directors Lonnie & Diane Borseth Rider Educator Jerry & Sue Allhands ridered@gwrra-region-e.org Membership Enhancement Steve & Diane Gottschalk mec@gwrra-region-e.org Leadership Trainers Bill & Nancy James Medic First Aid Mike & Jan Buzick Treasurer Glenn & Carol White Webmaster/Newsletter COUPLE OF THE YEAR Don & Cheri Walloch webmaster@gwrra-region-e.org newsletter@gwrra-region-e.org Motorist Awareness Division INDIVIDUAL OF THE YEAR Michael Olson Patch Shop Wally & Jan Wallace patches@gwrra-region-e.org Event Coordinator Jan Bacon Vendor Coordinators Mike & Jane Hultine Happy New Year to my Gold Wing Family! I hope all of you were blessed with numerous opportunities to enjoy family and friends and share some of the great food the holidays offer. Often, as we begin a New Year, we find that it comes with changes. Some of these changes can be challenging and might occur in your personal life, your work environment or even your social/recreational choices. As an example, many Chapter members will be experiencing a change of Directors as the New Year begins. This can be a big challenge when someone new begins to lead an established Chapter. There will be excitement about the changes the new Director will introduce and yet there can also be concern surrounding any deviation from the way it has always been done. Keep in mind that as that new Director steps up to serve you, they also face the same concerns and challenges you have. He/She has the best interest of the Chapter at heart and they are concerned about the members support for change. They are also concerned about their own ability to lead the Chapter effectively. So, as the New Year begins, please accept this leadership change with an open mind and get behind your new Director and support them. Even if it's a bit different at first the end results will be worth it. When all members work together a successful Chapter is assured! Region Directors are also facing changes as the New Year begins. For me that change is the possibility of Chapter closures. We have all heard some of the common reasons that a Chapter closes: members have aged and many have sold their bikes, no one wants to be the Director, etc., etc. When the members of a struggling Chapter cannot accept and adapt to these changes the Chapter is in danger of closing and, if that happens, everyone loses. Preventing Chapter closures will be a daunting challenge, but the Region Team is working to develop successful ideas that will help a struggling Chapter survive and even grow. If you have an idea you would like to share, please feel free to contact me at director@gwrra-region-e.org. We all want every GWRRA member to continue to enjoy their Chapter family and, just like a successful Chapter, if we work together success is assured! It s the journey. not the destination. Bruce S. Watkins Region E Director 14

15 15 NEWS from Illinois District Welcome to the New Year and a fresh start for your Rider Education Program in Illinois. DISTRICT TEAM District Director Mary Adams hondagirl711@ yahoo.com Asst. District Director Southern Steve & Diane Gottschalk s.gottschalk@mchsi.com Leadership Trainers Sandy & Steve Schlager Rider Educator Dan & Linda Davis MAD Coordinator Dale & Donna Andrews MFA Coordinator Mike & Jan Buzick District Treasurer Sue Allhands Couple of the Year Wayne & Shirley Schmidt Individual of the Year Nancy Hutchings Newsletter Editor Dennis & Jean Bose Webmaster Roy & Cheryl Miller Patches Lorie & Ron Heffelfinger Photographers Jean & Walter Potwora Hasn t the winter been great so far? I know the bikes have been on the roads up here in the northern part of the state, which is very unusual for this time of the year. Are you planning to attend Winter Warm Up? I sure hope so; we have a lot of great things planned for all three days. We have rider education seminars planned for all to attend. Joey Watson will be returning again this year. We have set aside two hours for his Summit Seminar. You won t want to miss it. It is outstanding and you will really enjoy it. I have just returned for the Illinois Department of Transportation s annual winter conference. The state of Illinois has determined that the new slingshot will require a Class D license to operate it. The class D license will also be required for the thoroughbred (stallion). If you are planning on installing a Tow Pac or Voyager package on your motorcycle and don t have a Class M endorsement you will be limited to your Class D license. This means that if you do not have an M endorsement and test with the Tow Pac or Voyager installed you will be limited to operating that motorcycle only with the two extra wheels installed. Want to spend one dollar and maybe win a flat screen TV? Come to the Winter Warm Up and Buy some raffle tickets from rider education. Every penny you spend buying tickets goes right back to the membership for the rider education program. This keeps the cost of our rider courses and seminar training program at a very low cost to you the membership. So, please stop by our tables and help your rider education program. I will be holding four rider courses in Illinois this year. Two will be in Vandalia and two in Sterling. Vandalia s courses will be April 17th and 18th while Sterling s courses will be the 2nd and 3rd of May. I will have registration forms at the rider education tables during Winter Warm Up. These courses are going to fill up fast so sign up early. Until next month, ATGATT Dan Our Mission To Save Lives Through Quality, World Class Education. Our Slogan Safety Is For Life 15

16 16 16

17 April 17th & 18th TRC Saturday April 18, 2015 ARC 17

18 18 18

19 19 19

20 Honda Aspen Trike & Trailer 2007 DFT Conversion Trike 2002 Goldwing 2008 Thoroughbred Motorsport Stallion New Airhawk large Cruiser Seat For more info visit the website SAY THANK YOU BY SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS 20

21 21 21