Gold Wing Road Riders Association. Maryland/Delaware District Newsletter. District Directors, Bruce Hill & Regina Smith

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1 Gold Wing Road Riders Association G O L D W I N G R O A D R I D E R S A S S O C I A T I O N M A R Y L A N D / D E L A W A R E D I S T R I C T S T A F F D I R E C T O R S B R U C E H I L L & R E G I N A S M I T H (MD- B)E M A I L : B R U C E. H I L L V E R I Z O N. N E T R E G G I E S M I T H G M A I L. C O M A S S T D I S T R I C T D I R E C T O R S K e n n e t h & D e i d r e T r a s s ( M D - B) t r a s s 5 g c o m c a s t. n e t D a n n y & P a u l e t t e H o r t o n ( M D - L) c a n d y o r a n g e 1 g m a i l, c o m EDUCATORS Al General & Jackie Bond (MD-J) anjfoto@gmail.com ASSISTANT EDUCATOR Jeff McCarter mccarter@4-shore.net TREASURER Terry Gardner (MD-J) a90098@verizon.net COUPLE OF YEAR COORDINATOR LOGISTICS COORDINATOR Lillian Cruz (MD-B) Lillian.Cruz-Bradford@comcast.net UNIVERSITY COORDINATORS Bob & Julie A Hearn (MD-I) rahearn914@aol.com MEMBERSHIP ENHANCEMENT COORD. Keith & Wanda Johnson (MD-I ) keith@md.metrocast.com NEWSLETTER EDITOR Cathy Kelley (MD-H) cathykelley49@gmail.com MOTORIST AWARENESS COORD. Bill Little (MD-I) falconwlittle@aim.com VISITATION COORDINATOR Sue Miller (MD-H) ladybluesuemiller@gmail.com WEBMASTER Terry Gardner (MD-J) a90098@verizon.net EVENTS COORDINATOR Allen & Gwen Willingham (MD-J) hawillingham@verizon.net AMBASSADORS Hampton & Sharon Conway (MD-B) ummhamp@yahoo.com TRAVEL COORDINATOR Steve Kelley (MD-H) stevekelley@gottogotravel.net BIKE & AUTO TAG COORDINATOR WINTERTHING COORDINATOR Ray Hartman (MD-I) racingnwinging@msn.com Maryland/Delaware District Newsletter September 2018 V V O L U M E 3 7, I S S U E 1 4 District Directors, Bruce Hill & Regina Smith Wing Ding has come and gone with members of the MD-DE District having a great time in Knoxville, TN. Next year Wing Ding 41 is August 28 31, 2019 at the Gaylord in Nashville, TN. Now is a good time to start planning for it. It s between 650 and 700 miles for most of us. Maryland - Delaware was well represented at WingDing 40 this year. There were a total of 8,093 in attendance with 77 new members This year the light parade and grand parade were combined with 425 participates. The person that won the new Gold Wing this year, Tom Peck from TN Chapter B, was the same person that won in I need to get to know him. And in the 50/50 drawings they gave way $4,643. There were seven (7) countries outside the US in attendance. We want to thank the members from Chapters B, F, I, and J who came out and helped us with the parade staging, which was our District s volunteer assignment. They all did a wonderful job with nothing but praise for them for the job the Team did. WinterThing is just around the corner and it s not too late to join us. So all you Star Trek and Star Wars fans get your Light Sabers and phasers charged up and join us in Ocean City, January 3-5. As all ways it s going to be a lot of fun. And when your friends are talking about how much fun they had, you can join in the conversation and not be left out. The Canadian Atlantic District Rally next year is in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, August 1-4, The Canadian Central District Rally next year is in Niagara-on-the Lake, Ontario, Canada, in mid July Dates not yet confirmed, when they are I ll pass them on. The 2018 Baltimore/Washington Ride for Kids fundraiser is September 23rd at Turf Valley Resort, 2700 Turf Valley Road, Ellicott City, MD, For the past number of years GWRRA has been the biggest fundraiser. Ride for Kids is the longest-running, most successful motorcycle charity event in the nation. Since 1984, motorcyclists have raised funds to help children with brain tumors, which are the top cause of cancer deaths in children. American Honda is the presenting sponsor of Ride for Kids. Other national supporters include Cycle World magazine, Dunlop, Cardo ScalaRider, Scorpion, and AMA. We invite you to ride with us to cure the kids! The first two District rides were very successful and we want the third one to be as well. So come join us and Chapter F when it s rescheduled for a Leaf Peeping ride through scenic Western MD. More information will be coming in the form of when the new date is set. I hope you enjoy what s remaining of the summer and I know we're looking forward to autumn. We usually say fall but I was reminded recently we shouldn t talk about 'fall' around motorcyclists!

2 ASSISTANT DISTRICT DIRECTORS.DANNY & PAULETTE HORTON September, Back to School time for the learning to get underway. As I write this we are getting ready to leave for WingDing, and really looking forward to it. We are taking the motorhome and trailering the bikes. Yes, we have gotten the old people syndrome. Looking back, I can remember seeing a bike on a trailer and saying I trailer with my bike not trailer the bike, (pulling the Bunkhouse camper) who would ever want to do that? Time changes everything (if you don t believe that just wait twenty-four hours the next time you make a decision and see if it changes). SOOOO, we are getting older and hopefully have gained some knowledge worthy of sharing, now all we have to do is find someone willing to listen. Something that I have been considering is the stigma that Goldwing riders have been labeled (bunch of old folks). During some of the sales classes I have attended over the years I have learned you must capture the attention of your prospect. With that in mind, what if we approached other motorcyclists with the world's largest family. Dedicated to our motto, Friends for Fun, Safety and Knowledge? Invite them to attend our gathering then introduce them to GWRRA and the benefits it has to offer. Last month Paulette and I visited VA-C in New Port News Va. We went for a moonlight (Cloudy no moon) ride on Saturday night. There were seven cars, our two bikes and about 20 friends. We rode for an hour to a small restaurant on the water around Williamsburg Va. Had a great meal and rode back to Va. Beach to our camp site. Their Gathering was Sunday at four pm in a Pancake & Steak House. About thirty members attended and like many other gatherings was a lot of fun. During our stay it rained every day except on the way there and on the way home. We have come to the conclusion if it is raining, we are camping. During WingDing we plan to attend a few classes and one will be a class for District Director s and I am hopeful the knowledge we gain will benefit all of you, so I hope you will be willing to listen. Until next month, ride safe and share your passion. Danny & Paulette

3 ASSISTANT DISTRICT DIRECTORS. Kenneth & Deidre Trass During my early Navy days I learned a hard lesson about recognition. The under lying issue was caused by my personal attitude about rewards for work. If I do a good job and I know it then that was all that was needed. Well, my leadership got an overhaul because I failed to do two things, one, failing to recognize the good work of my division, individually and as a group. Two, I failed to ensure the awards we did present went to the deserving person(s). The incident caused dissention and demoralized my division. It took a while before I recognized my failure and for the division to get back on track. Have you ever felt unappreciated, overlooked, disregarded or dissed? Thinking to yourself thoughts like: after all the work I did, or my name was not on the list or why were they recognized but not me. I ask you to think about that because what I am about to say will have others thinking this way so you have to be aware that these feeling may come about in some of your chapter members. Singling out members of a group for recognition is a necessary but tenuous action. What I learned from my early Navy days was that award and recognition are vital to the success of an organization. It is human nature that you want to be appreciated for whatever a person may do. Particularly when there is a positive outcome and in situations where we missed the mark but a significant effort was made. We need to start making recognition part of routine in gatherings. Recognition can be as simple a verbal thank you to a member at a gathering or as formal as a plaque/citation at an affair or event. We must look for more ways to do this in between. I strongly recommend that you have your Chapter Team members take a look at the awards section of the MEP Guide ( This guide list several different Fun awards which are effort based and pure humor. You don t have to do the selection yourself. If you decide to use any of these awards assign members of your team the responsibility of choosing the awardee. There is also a You Make a Difference certificate developed by MEP Team. The certificate is found on the Officer Resources page, under the MEP Programs and Recognition banner, in the right column. The link is - It is just a way of giving an informal thank you for a members effort for a project, event or special assistance for something. The format is provided and you fill in the blanks. Folks take the time to browse thru the MEP web page at the GWRRA website some great ideas. When people are being recognized and having fun they will come back and want to stay involved. It could help motivate some of your JAMs to get off the bench and get more involved not just attending events/rides but take on some leadership/responsibility roles. It can help expand the size of your core members who are always there for you. We must continue to look for ways to get who we have coming to gathering to want to come back again and again, staying an active member in your chapter and GWRRA. Rewards is just one tool in the tool box to help make retention happen. See you on the road, Kenneth & Deidre

4 Rider Education Al General and Jackie Bond, MD/DE District Educators Ever find yourself not having enough room on your bike when packing for a trip? Do you travel 2up and need extra room to pack for two? What to do? Get a trailer! We have been traveling for years with a trailer and really enjoy the benefits of having that extra room. The first trailer we had was a home build one. This was easy. Just go to your local freight store and purchase a trailer frame, then add a car top carrier. Put the two together and you have yourself a neat little cargo trailer. If you want something a little more refine, you can find a few companies that make a ready made cargo trailer. Either way there are benefits of using a cargo trailer when traveling. Using a cargo trailer not only gives you more space for your stuff but takes the weight of your gear off the bike. The is really helpful especially when traveling 2 up. Now I am not saying to take everything including the kitchen sink, just the little extras for those extended trips. Even camping trips become a little more doable. Using a large motorcycle like a Gold Wing has no problem pulling a small cargo trailer. Most of the time you won t even know it s there. While this is easy to do with a Gold Wing the rider will still have to make some adjustments and considerations while pulling the trailer. Here are some thing to keep in mind. Pulling a trailer will increase your stopping distance The trailer will push the bike while braking or deceleration Uses more available traction Adds weight directly to the rear suspension Adds length to the whole rig. This means you must give yourself more room when passing, 4 wheelers may not expect it, and harder to park. More fuel stops (less gas mileage) Just like your bike, it s important to maintain your trailer and do a pre-ride check. Tire wear and pressure Bearings are in good condition and lubed. Check bearing seals. Suspension is in good working order Trailer lights are working properly Connecting the trailer to the bike. Make sure the trailer is properly connected to the ball or pin on the hitch and latched. The latched is locked with either a latch pin or trailer lock. To prevent the latched from releasing. Lubricate the latch and ball. Safety chains are properly connected. Use two safety chains that are crossed and connected to the hitch frame. Not the receiver insert! This keeps the trailer connected to the bike in case the trailer tongue comes of the ball or pin. Having the chains crossed forms a cradle for the trailer tongue in case the tongue comes off the ball or pin. Packing a trailer will take some care. The load weight must be properly distributed to give the trailer the proper tongue weight. The tongue weight standard is 10 to 15% of the trailer total weight. Example: 150lb trailer with a 100lb load = 250lb. This means that the tongue should be 25 to 37.5 lbs. If the tongue weight is too light may push up on the back of the bike during braking and cause the trailer to sway. To much weight may light the front wheel of the bike, overstress the suspension and cause excessive tire wear and heat buildup. Read your trailer owner s manual for specific recommendations. We enjoy the benefits of traveling with a trailer. To be able to keep the weight down on the bike and pack for extending traveling is a plus. If you would like more information on traveling with a trailer either take a trailering course or seminar. Happy traveling and stay safe,

5 District University Coordinators Bob & Julie A Hearn We rode almost 400 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and it was fantastic. We stopped at the Peaks of Otter for lunch, arriving at the B&B around 5 PM. As we pulled into the driveway, we were greeted by the Innkeepers / Owners Margaret and Jim. After some Lemonade, and freshly baked Chocolate Chip cookies, we settled in for the night. Dinner consisted of some wine from the Peaks of Otter Winery, along with the leftovers from lunch, while sitting on the back porch relaxing from the day of riding. TN. Update on Julie: She is now weaning herself off the Cane, and we had been slowing increasing our time on the Trike in preparation for Wing Ding in Knoxville Tennessee. As I am writing this article, we are sitting in Pigeon Forge TN, and things are going well. It took us two days to get here, spending a relaxing night at the Glade Valley B&B, off the Blue Ridge Parkway, right over the border in NC. The next morning after a fantastic breakfast at the B&B, we headed out for Pigeon Forge / Knoxville We ll report on the rest of the trip in next month s newsletter article. Stay tuned At the end of July, we plugged into the PA District All Chapters East rally held at the Old Mill Stream Dutch Wonderland. The MD-DE District was well represented as there were members there from three different Chapters, MD-H, MD-I, and MD-L. We stayed at the Amish View Inn & Suites located about 5 miles away from the Campground. The event was hosted by Chapter PA-B, and they did a fantastic job. Everyone enjoyed themselves and are looking forward to another event next year. During our time there we visited the Strasburg Railroad Company and enjoyed one of the Train rides thru the Amish countryside. The last day there, we shopped at the Outlets, making our trip complete Julie found another Guess purse!! Robert & Julie A Hearn MD-DE District University Coordinators MD-I Assistant Chapter Directors MD-I Membership Enhancement Coordinators

6 Invitation from Danny and Paulette Horton Sept. 15th (Saturday) 10am to 7pm, Paulette and I are going to be there with all our fun! Please Join us for much merriment. It would be great to make this a District event so we could share laughter with all of you fun loving adventurists. This Years Story Line: Revel Grove, Oxfordshire, England The year is King Henry VIII, accompanied by his sister Margaret, Queen dowager of Scotland, Anne Boleyn and the royal court visit the village of Revel Grove as part of their annual summer progress and the village's Harvest Festival. The village has a new mayor - Richard Mondes, former slightly-villainous mayor of rival village Tiddington. Mayor Mondes also has a new wife, the lovely Baroness Marney. After years jealously watching the royal court choosing to visit Revel Grove over his nearby town of Tiddington, Mondes is thrilled he can finally play host to King and Court. The day begins well, although eyebrows are raised as it is noticed the Queen is not in attendance, but the King openly flaunts Mistress Anne Boleyn. The King is seeking an annulment from Queen Katherine and hopes to quickly marry Anne Boleyn. The case has been dragging on for years. Cardinal Wolsey assues King Henry that a Court will be assembled, and all will be settled very soon. But then an unexpected visitor surprises the King, and no one's future seems assured! The Maryland Renaissance Festival For more than thirty seven seasons the Maryland Renaissance Festival has provided a unique outdoor entertainment experience to patrons from all over the world. The festival is more than a crafts show, more than an entertainment venue. For many people it has been a family tradition that now spans a generation. Patrons who visited the festival as a child now return to introduce their kids to the unforgettable world of the Maryland Renaissance Festival. Enter the gates of Revel Grove and leave the hectic pace of the twenty-first century behind. Slow down. Leisurely stroll our beautiful wooded paths. Quaff an ale and relax in one of our pubs. Shop for unique, handcrafted gifts. Let the kids play in our free children s area complete with a beautiful pirate ship. You won t find any video games here! No mindnumbing computer-generated special effects. The magic, pageantry, songs, and laughter are all real. Located at 1821 Crownsville Road, Annapolis, MD Please contact Danny or Paulette at candyorange18@gmail.com to let them know if you will be joining them. Tickets: Adults $26 Seniors $22 Children 7-15 $11

7 You are cordially invited to join us On the last MD/DE District Ride, a Leaf Peeping Ride in Western MD OCT 6, 2018 MEET AT: 10:30 am Sheetz at Huyetts Crossroads MD RT 40 & MD RT 63 and kick stands up at 11. For those joining us further West we will meet at Loves Truck stop off I 12:30-12:45. We will then proceed to Deep Creek Lake and stop there for dinner. CONTACT: Jeff and Jeanie Kauffman at or j_kauffman@myactv.net with any questions and RSVP.

8 For those folks going on the Leaf Peeping Ride hosted by MD-F here are some Lodging options near Hagerstown MD if you are too tired to ride on home. 1) Motel 6, Massey Blvd Hagerstown MD 21740, (301) ) Country Inn and Suites,17612 Valley Mall Rd. Hagerstown, MD ) Springfield Suites, Valley Mall Rd, Hagerstown, MD ) Courtyard Marriott,17270 Valley Mall RD Hagerstown, MD 21740, ) Holiday Inn Express, 241 Railway Ln, Hagerstown, MD 21740, ) Ramada, 1718 Underpass Way, Hagerstown, MD 21740, ) Super Truck Stop, Blake Rd, Hagerstown, MD 21740, ) Homewood Suites, 1650 Pullman Ln, Hagerstown, MD 21740, Campgrounds: 1) KOA Campground Hagerstown/Antietam Battlefield ) Yogi Bear Jellystone Park Lappans Rd Williamsport MD Chapter Directors, do not forget your snapshot report, due to Bruce on the 18th of the month. The form and instructions can be found on the district website: Photos from Wing Ding in Knoxville TN

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10 FOR SALE 2003 Ford Thunderbird Maryland State Inspected and Ready to Roll VIN: 1FAHP60A23Y Mileage: Warranty: Does NOT have an existing warranty Vehicle Title: Maryland Clear Engine: 3.9L V8 Gasoline 282 H.P. Transmission: Automatic with Manual Shift Option Interior Color: Black w/red Inserts/Trim Exterior Color: Torch Red Body Type: Power Convertible w/ OPT. Red Hardtop Sub Model: Two Door - Premium For Sale by: Owner Present Location: Bel Air, MD Delivery available OPTIONS: 17 7 Spoke Chrome Wheels Anti-Spin Brakes AM/FM Stereo w/6-cd Changer Audiophile 9 Speaker Sound System Heated Seats Engine Oil Cooler Thunderbird Branded Floor Mats Perimeter Anti-Theft Supplemental Fog Lights Daytime Running Lights - About 8000 miles on tires. I m the second owner and I have always kept it in the garage. It has seen no snow and very little rain. It is clean inside and out. Asking Price: $16, Contact: Steve Kelley

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