GWRRA REGION N NC DISTRICT Chapter Directors Shawn & Donna Lane NCF2ChapterDirector@yahoo.com Garner NC-F2 DECEMBER 2010 NEWSLETTER From Our Chapter Directors Assistant Chapter Directors Cecil & Deb Thompson cthompson@choateco.com deb771@embarqmail.com Chapter Chaplain Davis Bowen davisb@nc.rr.com Chapter Treasurer Dean Holton gwrra064037@nc.rr.com Chapter Educator Vernon Dudley princeraven1@msn.com Member Enhancement Coordinator Kathy Keegan kathycrna@aol.com Ride Coordinator David Knight ncgoldwing@aol.com Couple of the Year John & Stephanie Miller stephgirl39@aol.com 2010 in Review: What a year! F2 was awesome in 2010! We participated in fifty or more rides, events, and/or activities, we had some 725 or more participations by our members, and we were honored to have John and Stephanie Miller as Couple of Year who kicked butts and visited every chapter in North Carolina and then some. Walter and Bernadette got their twelve months in as CD s and volunteered their way on up to district staff; however, not until they voluntold Shawn and Donna into directorship. This year in review truly has been a fun, action packed adventure and for many of our staff members, a transitional year into even better years to come. In closing the year, Thank You to everyone who participated, donated their time and services, and who otherwise made F2 all it was in 2010. Help Wanted - Jobs Available: As with any organization, the organization s strengths are in its human capital; the volunteers, the leaders, and all those that just make it happen. We are pleased to have many of our current staff members continue in 2011; however, there are a few openings that must be filled and a few positions we are soliciting for future involvement. For immediate consideration: we have an opening for Treasurer, Assistant Chapter Director, Door Prize Coordinator, and Ride Coordinator. If you have an interest in any of these positions, please notify Shawn Lane of your interest as soon as possible. If you have an interest in any other position, or have a suggestion for a particular position, please share your interest and/or ideas with Shawn or Donna Lane. Holiday Wishes: It is only the first week of December and, combined, Donna and I have already participated in three parades, a Christmas Party, the O Berry Center tour, and Thanksgiving with the Salvation Army. Wow, in only a couple of weeks between Thanksgiving and now, we have been blessed with so many experiences, touched by so many lives, and just plain inspired to continue doing all we can to serve our chapter, our family, and our friends. We wish each of you a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year! We feel blessed to know and have each of you in our lives, May you all have enjoyable holiday experiences and may we all have a prosperous new year! Shawn and Donna Lane Page 1
ADDITIONAL F2 STAFF Goodies Coordinators Robert Gehring & Brenda Sexton r.c.gehring@gmail.com bmsexton63@gmail.com Door Prize Coordinators David Knight & Kathy Keegan ncgoldwing@aol.com kathycrna@aol.com 50/50 Coordinator Cecil Thompson cthompson@choateco.com Special Events Coordinator Verna Dudley icoy98@nc.rr.com From the Assistant Chapter Directors THANKSGIVING DAY AT THE SALVATION ARMY! A HUGE thank you to each of you that contributed your time Thanksgiving morning to help out at The Salvation Army. We can t speak for everyone; but, we had a really good time with everyone AND walked away feeling like we helped make someone s holiday a little brighter, too. Maybe we can make this an annual tradition for Chapter NC-F2! Please give us your thoughts. Chapter F2 has also experienced several changes this year. We ve said good-bye to Walt and Bernadette as Chapter Directors and congratulated them on their positions as ADDs. We ve welcomed Shawn and Donna as Chapter Directors as they hit the ground running. We ve happily welcomed our new participants to the Chapter and look forward to getting to know each of them better as we become Friends for Fun, Safety and Knowledge. Christmas is also a time of giving - not just monetarily; but, giving of ourselves. Chapter F-2 has done just that and we re thankful to have been part of that! It is a great feeling to reach out within our community and help make a difference in the lives of others. To do it alongside friends and family like you only adds to that experience. Thanks to each of you for being part of our lives in 2010 and we look forward to continuing that relationship in 2011. Merry Christmas! Cecil & Deb Care Bear Stephanie Miller stephgirl39@aol.com Webmaster Terry Wade tkwade1@frontier.com Newsletter Editor Deb Thompson deb771@embarqmail.com Can you believe that 2010 has nearly ended and we re about to embark on a new year? December tends to be a time of reflection and as we look back on 2010, we see a year that was filled with each of you. We see a year of growth - adding 16 new participants to our F-2 family; a year of fun - attending rides and fundraisers; a year of knowledge as we absorbed the topics in each newsletter and discussed at meetings, fundraisers and gatherings. Most importantly, F-2 has experienced another safe year on the road. CHRISTMAS 2010 AT O BERRY CENTER GIFTS ON CYCLES Page 2
There are so many of us riding that the only way I can tell if those I ride with have made such a commitment is by looking for evidence of that commitment on their vest. Display your patches with pride and come ride with us... Your Educator, Vernon Dudley Merry Christmas to each of you from Chapter NC-F2 Staff Happy Holidays Wingers, It's that dreaded time of year; but, we are so fortunate to be living in North Carolina where it's possible to ride year round. That's exactly what I plan to do if that white stuff stays away. PLEASE LET VERNON OR DWAYNE KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE A MOTORIST AWARENESS SIGN. A day doesn't go by that I don't think about one of you and how wonderful it feels to be part of the North Carolina F2 Chapter. I've made a contract with my wife to ride safe and learn as much as possible about riding. It's a commitment I gladly made to continue to ride safe. I would like you to make a similar commitment to your loved ones by joining Level I of the GWRRA Riders Education Program. It would be the best present you could ever give to yourself and your family. It's simply a commitment, or contract with those you care about, to ride safe. All it requires is having had 5,000 accident free miles and your promise and commitment that you are going to ride as safely as possible. You will be registered with GWRRA across the country and your promise never has to be renewed as it truly is a commitment for LIFE. RIDER EDUCATION WORD SEARCH - DECEMBER 2010 R D N S E C I O T D S N T L T S R A R S S R E K C K T D I I G I E A HONDA R O N E I T 2 R F C N G W M A R E GOLDWING L F U N D O R E T H C O K E C G R FRIENDS U E I E E I R T D A L I R T D O S FUN S C G R R I A E K P L R U E 2 K T SAFETY KNOWLEDGE D D N A E O A T D T L M L C I C N RIDER EDUCATION G N I W D L O G S E T W I L I R E TRAINING I T N A U E I N V R O T L O W T M TCLOCS INSPECTION N O I T C E P E S N I S C O L C T MOTORIST AWARENESS N N A S A A L A K C T F Y T O A I MEDIC FIRST AID I G R I T S K T L F N T C E T A M SKILLS R O T R I H A S S 2 E R E I T O M LEVELS N T N O O D D A H F R I E N D S O CERTIFICATION A U A T N O I T A C I F I T R E C COMMITMENT R I I O I D A S I N R L S A M N M CHAPTER NCF2 T L H M I N T D M S I W F M H F E Page 3
Monkeying around at O Berry Center with Chapter F-2 s Couple Of The Year! From the Chaplain s Corner This time of year can be a very exciting time. Several things are happening at the same time. Thanksgiving is in November. Christmas is in December and shortly after Christmas, we start a brand new year 2011. For many people, November and December can be a very stressful time. Some are trying to figure out how they will be able to see all their family members, how they will have time to get all the cooking done, how to work out all the travel arrangements, how to take off time from work (especially all the year-end reports) and the most important thing of all, how to find time to finish all the Christmas shopping. It makes me tired just thinking about everything that has to be done. In addition to all of the above, the house has to be clean and straight and decorated for those who will be visiting over the holidays. Our family, also, will be trying to get all these things done. Our son, Brad, and his wife, Brandi, and their daughter, Caroline (10 mos.) from ND will be spending some time at our house. In the midst of all that is going on, I always try to keep Thanksgiving a big part of all that takes place. I am so thankful for my family, past and present, and look forward to being with some of them during this season. I am thankful for the friends we have had over the years and what they have meant to our family. But, also, we are so very thankful for all of you in F-2. Barbara and I thank you for your love and friendship. You are our Gold- Wing family and we always look forward to those times we are all together. May God bless each of you during this season and bring happiness to you and yours! Happy Trails! Davis and Barbara Bowen December 2010 Issue of National Insight Newsletter (page 7) Membership Enhancement Program Couple of the Year and So Much More! Some of the reasons you were honored to represent your Chapter as the Couple of the Year can be found in those simple letters Couple Of the Year. Couple - You are a caring couple who are concerned about your fellow Chapter Members. You Are a cheerful couple whom others think of and smile. You are a creative couple coming up with new ideas and new ways to look at an issue. Of - You are an outgoing couple who welcome others into the Chapter. You are an optimistic couple shining a positive light on any situation. You are an open-minded couple who are willing to listen to all sides of any topic. Year You are a couple who is young-at-heart. You are a couple who yearns to ride every chance you get. You are a couple who say yeah when people talk about GWRRA as you are excited about the organization. These are the same reasons why you would represent your Chapter in the District Selection to become the next District Couple of the Year! The time is approaching for each of the wonderful Chapter Couples to make your Chapter proud by being a part of the District Selection process. If you are honored by being selected, there is only one requirement; represent the District at the Region Selection process. You will continue to support your Chapter and GWRRA if you were not selected that is a given. Phillip and Terri Kozlowski Chapter Directors, Georgia Chapter D CHAPTER F-2 COUPLE OF THE YEAR Page 4
SEPTEMBER 2010 APPALACHIAN GAZETTE ARTICLE SPEED Most of us have seen the Sport Bike riders dodging in-and-out of the traffic. Some may give a proper signal and some may not. The end result is that speeding in traffic is extremely dangerous to the Rider and/or Co-rider and the vehicle operators. These not withstanding, all speeders are not just Sport Bike riders. Others ride Cruisers, Touring and Sports Touring motorcycles. We must remember that as we get older we lose reaction response time. Additionally, our eyesight changes a lot and not for the good. If you were to read as many accidents reports as I do, you would discover that many riders are going into a turn to hot and lose control and get killed. The other condition is that many are running wide into the turn and don t know how to correct this action. Also, there is the peer pressure of others on the ride. Peer pressure can be a very dangerous thing because it has caused many a rider to ride beyond his or her abilities. Some have played follow the leader and made it; some have not. Morgues are being filled because of this game that some people like to play. Don t let this happen to you! Your family is depending on you. To correct this trend we first need to realize that we all don t have the same riding abilities. We need to stop fooling ourselves and take an ARC, ERC, TRC or SRC course. Now there are those that say I ve been there and have done that; why do I need to do a rider course again? The best answer that I can give them is that a person continues to learn until we end up in the morgue. In closing, slow down, ride your own ride and don t let others influence your riding. "One Team, One Unit!" Kyle T. & Mitzela Craig GWRRA Region N Educators In GOD We Still Trust...Here in America! The front line of safety begins with you, the motorcyclist and Safety Is For Life Excerpt from NC District December 2009 Article: Winter Riding We all know that winters in North Carolina can change in just a few moments. To be prepared for winter riding, one needs various articles of clothing. A pair of warm, insulated, waterproof, over-the-ankle boots are always one of the first things one should consider. The reasoning behind this is that when riding, the upper body core and the fingers and hands are usually moving, creating some motion and heat, while the feet are normally in a stationary mode. Therefore, this portion of the body is losing heat because of the lack of motion. The next item would be a good pair of insulated riding gloves. After that, one should always dress in layers with lightweight, synthetic, insulating garments. This decreases the bulk factor, but increases the heat factor. A nice electric vest or an electric jacket liner can serve the purpose of keeping the body core warm. When one is riding and part of his or her body is cold or has a chill, then this person is not riding safely. Being cold has a tendency to make your mind wander elsewhere, and think about other things. This detracts from your attention being placed on the roadway and traffic conditions. Stay warm, ride safely, reduce your travel distance, and take in more warm liquids. Winter riding can be just as pleasurable as spring, summer, or fall riding. It all depends on the manner which it is approached and executed. Kyle T. & Mitzela Craig District Educators Page 5
NC-F2 Chapter Meeting Mystery Ride NC-Q (Wilmington) Meeting Salvation Army Volunteering NC-S2 (Sanford) Meeting Benson Christmas Parade O Berry Gifts on Cycles Chapter Christmas Party Erwin Christmas Parade NC-C2 (Smithfield) Meeting November 18th November 19th November 20th November 25th November 27th December 3rd December 4th December 4th December 6th December 7th NC-F2 Chapter Meeting December 16th Mystery Ride December 17th NC-D2 (New Bern) Meeting December 20th NC-F (Jacksonville) Resolution Ride January 1st NC-X (Wake Forest) Meeting January 2nd NC-C2 (Smithfield) Meeting January 4th NC-F2 Staff Meeting January 6th NC-Q2 (Dunn) Meeting January 9th Horizons Class January 15th NC-Q (Wilmington) Meeting January 15th NC-E (Cary) Meeting January 18th Departure place and time for rides will be forwarded by email. You may also contact Shawn for additional information Please visit www.gwrranc.org for a current list of meeting changes and cancellations as well as other information. SANTA S CHECKING CHAPTER NC-F2 S RIDE CALENDAR DECEMBER ANNIVERSARIES Wallace & Babette Smith 12/14 DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS Mike Noonkester John Stephenson Troy Wheeler Kathy Keegan Rick Parrish Kelvin Boney Robert Gehring 12/1 12/2 12/2 12/9 12/9 12/22 12/27 We had an awesome time at O Berry Gifts On Cycles; followed by another great Chapter Christmas Party! A HUGE thanks to Verna and everyone that helped to make it a memorable night. For those of you that didn t make it a new tradition was started this year. Santa Cecil is on the move! If you weren t at the party and don t know what this means MAYBE we ll fill you in before our Christmas part in 2011. (Just kidding!) Chapter Meetings are held on the 3rd Thursday of each month at Carolina Barbecue on Hwy 70 in Garner. We eat at 6:30pm and meet at 7:30pm. We encourage you to bring a nonperishable food item to be donated to our local food bank. And to top it all off IT SNOWED!!!!!!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Page 6