Chapter Directors Lyle & Sheri Altes

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1 Texas Chapter O was chartered in April While the Chapter uses the name of Austin, Texas, as a location identifier, Chapter O's participants come from many cities, towns and communities in Central Texas. Come join us at one of our gatherings or rides! Our Gathering time/location and local, District, Region and Headquarters GWRRA contact information is on page 14. Come join us for a ride, see our Ride Schedule on page 2, or just visit us online: Some of what s inside Article Page CD Article 1 Kickstands Up 2 In Memory of Jack Miller 3 MEC Article 4 An Original - Jack Miller 5 T2 Ride - Zimmerhanzels 6 River Road Ride 6 Rider Ed Article 7 Hays City Store Ride 7 Quacker Dynasty 8 Health Benefits to MC Riding Bluebonnet Rally & Camping Info TX District Rally Reg. 12 Chapter Meetings 3rd Thomas Buffet, 9710 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX Join us at 6:00 pm to eat and visit. Meeting 7:00 p.m. Hey O Chapter Directors Lyle & Sheri Altes Well here we are it is rally time and we have our fingers crossed that the weather is good and the turnout is high. We have 3 rides planned this year. One will be on Thursday, 4/5 and another on Friday, 4/6 and finally the ride on rally day which is Saturday, 4/7. We have several vendors lined up this year and the rally will have games, a bike show, good food and of course, our Silent Auction. Speaking of silent auction, it is not too late to donate items for the auction. We need good quality items, gift cards, etc. If you have anything to donate, let me know and we will make arrangements to get them. Also, to earn extra participation tickets, help us support the Fredericksburg Food Bank by bringing in non-perishable food items. If you have not registered for the rally, please do so by April 2 nd. The price goes up after that and we will have a $50 drawing from all pre-registered attendees. Pre-registering also helps us determine how much food to order for our delicious lunch. We look forward to seeing all of you there. This is the one time (198030) of year we get to see so many of our members and friends in one place and it is so fun to reconnect with everyone. The weather is getting nicer which means it is time to get out and ride. We have already had several good rides recently and we have been discussing some great ride destinations for this spring and summer so please watch your s, this newsletter and the ride schedule on our website for updates. All riders are welcome. Take care and ride safe. We look forwarding to seeing you all at the Bluebonnet Rally.

2 Kickstands Up! UPCOMING EVENTS Additional rides will be announced via the website and Google Groups. For an up-to- date monthly list, visit the Chapter O web site at Date Chapter Event Location Contact/ /Web Phone 3/29/18 Statewide Motorcycle Safety Forum 4/7/18 Bluebonnet Rally Norris Conf Center 2525 W Anderson Lane Lady Bird Municipal Park, Fredericksburg, TX Lyle Altes Lyle Altes /12/18-4/14/18 Louisiana District Rally Lafayette, LA Red Roussel /15/18 Meet Up with 40- Phoenix in Amarillo Amarillo to Phoenix Randy Reese /17/18 Chapter O Meeting 5/15/18 Chapter O Meeting 5/17/18-5/19/18 Thomas Buffet 9710 N Lamar Blvd Austin, TX Thomas Buffet 9710 N Lamar Blvd Austin, TX Lyle Altes Lyle Altes TX District Rally Brenham, TX Jim Woodul /25-27/18 Hoot in the Ute Midway, UT 5/31-6/2 Missouri District Rally Branson, MO Ken Lueckenotte /14-16 Kansas District Rally Pittsburg, KS gwrraks.com/kansasdistrict-rally.html 8/28-9/1 Wing Ding 40 Knoxville, TN wing-ding.org/ 9/13-15 Colorado District Rally Gunnison, CO com 9/27-29 Oklahoma District Rally Lawton, OK 10/11-13 Mississippi District Rally Gulfport, MS 2 miss.gwrraregiona.org

3 IN LOVING MEMORY Jack Arthur Miller June 3, 1924 February 28, 2018 Beloved Father, Grandfather, Great Grandfather and Friend. Jack and his buddies. Jack A. Miller, age 93 of Austin, passed away February 28, He was born in Memphis, Texas on June 3, Jack graduated from Memphis High School and received a degree in civil engineering from Texas Tech University. He served in the navy during World War II as a pilot in Bombing Squadron 19 and was honorable discharged in He was married to Sue Beth Miller. Jack owned his own road construction company and made a career for himself in that industry. He was a member of First United Methodist Church in Austin and he had a passion for motorcycles. Randy and I were able to attend Jack s Memorial Service and I m so glad we did. I learned things about Jack that I never knew like he was a naval aviator in World War II. This is actually a picture of Jack in his plane. Jack was very active in Chapter O. Following are some pictures of Jack participating in meetings and rallies. Round Rock Express Game with Chapter O Jack wins big at the Chapter O meeting Playing games at rallies Jack often won the oldest rider award at rallies. 3 In 2009, Robby Winfield wrote a Member Spotlight article on Jack. See page 5 for a re-print of that article.

4 Membership Enhancement Coordinator Dawn Sprague OH YEAH CHAPTER O It was sooooooooooo great seeing everyone at our Chapter Meeting on March 20th!!!! Thank You Tim Driscoll for "Volunteering" to put together the Covered Wagon for the Texas District Rally Competition!!!! Congratulations to Gayle Thomas for finding her GWRRA Number in the March Newsletter and receiving her $10.00 Prize!! BIRTHDAYS April 11th Tricia W April 17th Enrique G April 19th Kathy R DON'T forget to bring your 2 dozen cookies for the Bluebonnet Rally. Thank You!! Also, we are doing the non-perishable food drive for the Fredericksburg Food Pantry. They have given me a list of the things that they really need: Sugar Peanut Butter Can Meats Soups Flour Cereal Can Fruit Can Vegetables BUT, anything that you donate will be greatly appreciated!! The Prestigious WING NUT Award went to Randy Reese (he wasn t there to accept). You be the Cinna- MAN!! ANNIVERSARIES April 10th Lyle & Sheri A April 20th Ken & Teri B April 30th Dexter & Linda P The Progressive Drawing was for $5.00 and the Lucky Winner was Jim Tidwell. Alas, he didn't make the meeting so next month, the drawing will be for $10.00 Now for the Door Prizes & 50/50: The Traveling Theme Cage -- Russ Miller (filled with Easter Bunnies, Easter Eggs & Easter Candy) 50/50: 20% -- $ Richard Seay 30% -- $ Israel Guerra Can't wait to see everyone at our Bluebonnet Rally on April 7th. Until Then Ride Safe, Ride Often & Have Fun! GWRRA ANNIVERSARIES 1997 Harry B 4

5 Member Spotlight An O riginal Jack Miller Reprint from December 22, 2009 By Robby & Tricia Winfield on behalf of Jack Miller What can you say about Jack Miller? Well Jack is an O riginal even though he was not one of the charter members, he has been around awhile. He believes he joined Chapter O in 1983 sometime. Jack actually took up the hobby of riding motorcycles in 1981 sometime. His first bike was a Honda CB750 and his first Gold Wing was a cc bike. Then he bought the bike we all see him riding the cc Wing. Jack is a Native Texan who was born and raised in Memphis, Texas. Where is that you ask? Memphis is located in the panhandle region at the crossroads of Texas Highway 256 and US Highway 287 about 87 miles south east of Amarillo. He was the only child in his family. His father was a book keeper in the Memphis area. Jack graduated from high school there and headed for college at North Texas Agriculture College in Arlington or what we now know as UTA (University of Texas at Arlington). Then with WWII, Jack joined the Navy and was sent to flight school to become a pilot. Guess where they sent him? It was the year 1943 and he came to Austin to the University of Texas for his ground school or as Jack put it his class room training. That s when he fell in love with Austin. Jack was then sent to Kerrville for his first flight training and then on to Athens, Georgia and California for more advanced flight training with dive bombers. His tours of duty included Hawaii, China, Philippines and the Atlantic on aircraft carriers. Jack separated from his military duties in After the war he went to work at a flight school in Fort Worth as an instructor. Jack went back to school in 1948 and graduated in 1951 from Texas Tech as a civil engineer. He went to work for the FAA doing engineering upgrades to the Omni Stations in Ponca City, OK. and Gallup, NM. until the Eisenhower administration started cutting jobs. Then he went to work for the Highway Department in Abilene, TX. Jack moved back to Austin in 1954 and went to work for Collins Construction. Collins did signs, guardrails and traffic lights to regulate traffic flow. Jack worked for them for 7 or 8 years. The he took the plunge and started his own company. Jack Miller Construction was born and they did the same type of work as he had previously done with Collins until he agreed to be bought out by a competitor and Jack retired. At one point Jack was married for 12 years and had 2 children and also has one grandchild. His children live close by in Cedar Park and Georgetown and he visits them several times a week. Jack also has a friend he made during the war, Pops who is now 90 years old. Jack takes Pops to doctor appointments to help occupy his time and to help out a friend. Jack, as a member of Chapter O has always been a JAM Just A Member and has not held any positions or offices but he really loves the chapter fellowship. Jack has only been to one Wing Ding and it was in Springfield, Missouri. He has been to many rallies in Marshall, TX and enjoys the smaller rallies put on by various other chapters close to the Austin area. Jack has been going to the Chapter O Rally since joining the Chapter, including the Dam O Campout which he believes started in 1987 when it was at the dam at Lake Buchanan on a member s property. He remembers the entertainment in the form of skits as put on by the members. As Jack remembers it the original charter members of chapter O were all named Bill. He wonders if that was a requirement for the founders. Thanks for being our O riginal member Jack. It was a great conversation and fellowship that Tricia and I enjoyed over breakfast getting to Spotlight you. 5

6 T2 Ride to Zimmerhanzel s BBQ in Smithville Kathy Reese On Tuesday, March 13 we decided to attend the T2 meeting and lunch ride. We met T2 at Central Texas Powersports in Georgetown (their usual meeting spot). They had coffee and donuts waiting for us and we gathered in their meeting room. Scott ran a short meeting, discussed upcoming events and turned the floor over to Fred Gnuechtel who was prepared with photos to talk about a recent trip to Big Bend. He had a lot of good tips about what to see when touring the area and how to plan your days while visiting. As the meeting wrapped up, Fred (who was leading the ride) gave a brief description of the route to Smithville where we planned to have lunch at Zimmerhanzels BBQ. We gathered outside, put on our gear and headed out on our way. It was a beautiful day to ride and as we were about 10 miles out off Smithville, a truck approached us flashing their headlights..this is the universal symbol for slow down police/ sheriff/highway patrol ahead. We slowed our roll and as we came around a curve there it was. A local sheriff had the road block. At first glance we weren t sure what the problem was but we were immediately diverted to a road to our left. (279595) As we rounded the turn, we could see lots of smoke going across the road. Then we saw flames and a firetruck emerging from the smoke. There was a wildfire and you could see that a lot of land had already been burned. We all stopped so Fred could reroute us. After a few minutes, we were on the road again. About a half mile down the road, our route appeared to change to a dirt road. Again, we stopped to evaluate. Fred said it looked like the highway was only about 3 miles down the road. Scott, who was riding his NEW 2018 Gold Wing decided to turn around and head home. He spent the day before cleaning his bike and he wasn t going to be able to stay for lunch. So the rest of us forged ahead. There were various road conditions in the next 3 miles, ranging from packed dirt to caliche to 6 good old rocky road. We even crossed a very old narrow, wooden bridge. I was glad we were on 3 wheels that day. Finally, we hit real pavement and in about 5 miles we arrived at Zimmerhanzels BBQ. The food was great and the company even better. The fire and detour were something that could not have been predicted buy Fred did a great job getting us through it. Scott proved that everyone should always ride their own ride. If you re free, you should join T2 for their next meeting. It is always followed by a lunch ride. Most will not be as unpredictable as our ride, but I promise you ll have FUN. River Road Ride Steven Thomas We met up at the Whataburger on FM There were 7 people and 5 bikes and one jeep. We took back roads though Wimberley, then up FM 32 through the Devil s Backbone. We then crossed over to FM 306 then down to the River Road along the Guadalupe River. Then we ate lunch at The Gristmill River Restaurant.

7 RIDER EDUCATOR Texas District Randy & Kathy Reese CRASHING The famous American motorcyclist, Cook Neilson, in a old copy of Cycle Magazine listed all the motorcycle crashes of his friends, family, acquaintances, and magazine staff. Then he had this to say: "Everybody I know who has spent any time at all riding a motorcycle on the street has crashed. Getting off is the inevitable escapable consequence of getting on. It makes no more sense to expect a crash-free motorcycle riding career than it does to expect to play a set of tennis without hitting one into the net, or a game of pool without blowing your position, or ten rounds of boxing without catching one on the nose. You ride bikes; you crash. Now tell me this, all you "It-can't-happen-to-me" ers: suppose you awake this Tuesday suffused with the absolute knowledge that at 10:00 a.m. you will have a crash on your motorcycle. The certainty of it is overwhelming; as you break into perfect consciousness you can practically feel the thumps, the scrapes, the scratches and the burns; the forlorn, smoking wreckage of your motorcycle is palpable in the mind's eye. Got that? Now. How will you prepare for the morning's ride, knowing there will be a crash at 10:00 a.m., knowing you will be the feature attraction? If you really believe that swill about helmets obscuring one's vision, helmets leading to strangulation, helmets causing one's neck to snap and helmets impairing one's hearing, then I suppose you will venture out of your house, onto your motorcycle and toward your crash bare-headed. But if not - if you can imagine your head flinging off some blue-haired lady's front fender, or thwacking crisply into the pavement, or glancing off a parking meter pole; if you can imagine what it will feel like to take a truly thundering shot to the temple; if you can imagine how the outside world will look through eyes that no longer communicate to a functioning cognitative apparatus - then I believe that faced with the inevitability of your 10:00 a.m. crash, you will put on your helmet and buckle up tightly. Ah, you're thinking, but of course, faced with an inevitable crash, naturally I will wear a helmet. But who says a crash is inevitable? You think it isn't? Why should you be different from Loughlin, my father, Halesorth, Schilling, Boiler, the Hansen brothers, Homchick, Kohr, Stein, Vamvas, Irban, Lague, Muhifeld, Stepp, Jennings, Sargent, Stermer, Phillipson, Crowder, Browne, Pererra, Dickenson. Friedman, Riggs, Hodges, Thomas, Moses, or me? Why should you be special?" Think about it. All The Gear All The Time Hays City Store Ride Ken and Teri Burnett Assistant Chapter Directors We had 3 bikes, 1 trike and 5 riders meet up at the Whataburger in Kyle on Saturday March 24 th. Steven Thomas led us on a ride on several back roads through the countryside. We road through Driftwood, Wimberley and along River Road on our way to the Hays City Store where we found 2 other riders on a trike had already arrived for lunch. The day was overcast, a little windy at times, but a pleasant temperature for riding and sitting under the Oak trees for lunch. We enjoyed friendly conversations and a delicious lunch before heading out to go our own separate ways home. The clouds started to break up and the sun came out on the way home, so of course it got warmer. Teri and I had left out early that morning to enjoy the day and to avoid I-35 due to some construction and the fact that it's I-35. We headed over to Gourdough's Public House on South Lamar for a unique breakfast. Boy was I surprised when we pulled into the empty parking lot and the place was empty and dark. I had googled the location, but who would ever think that a doughnut house wouldn't be open until 10:00 am? Anyway, I got to hear about that the rest of the day. It's a good thing that our lunch and dessert was so good! 7

8 Quacker Dynasty Randy& Kathy Reese International Couple of the Year This weekend, we took our first official trip as the International Couple of the Year to the Florida District Rally. The rally was held at a beautiful Hilton hotel in Altamonte Springs/Orlando. We have always heard this was a really good rally and it certainly was. Their theme was the Quacker Dynasty and everything related to this rally was duck related from the games to the music they played to the competitions. There were over 600 participants in this 3 day event that included vendors, raffles, games, seminars, chapter challenges, costume contest, a sit-down dinner, entertainment, and more. They even provided reserved parking for everyone on motorcycles. Parking became a bit of an issue for those in cars because the hotel had also booked an MG Car Club that same weekend. The MG club needed space for the cars they were driving and their trailers and MGs they were hauling with them. They have assured the Florida District team that this won t happen again. One of the big draws for this rally is that they give away a brand new Gold Wing motorcycle. This year it was a 2017 Gold Wing or $10,000 cash. At closing ceremonies, everyone waited patiently to see if their name would be drawn. Unfortunately, the winner was not in attendance which made it a bit anti-climactic but they did call him on the phone and we all cheered loudly for him so he could hear our excitement for him on the phone. The money raised from the bike raffle pays for rider education and medic first aid training for all members in the district. They get to attend these educational events free of charge. As the Texas District Educators, we thought that was really cool! They also had a very successful Couple of the Year basket raffle. All the money raised from the basket raffles is given directly to the couple so they can upgrade their vests if they choose and they can use the money to travel to other rallies and help promote the COY program. Randy and I were asked to help judge their District Couple of the Year selection. This was our first time to do this and we had such a great time. We thoroughly reviewed the new Couple of the Year handbook as these couples will be participating in the new process that involves the new territories. There were two lovely couples participating. They were Bruce and Ann Brooks and Carl and Kathy Williams. Carl and Kathy (center couple in picture) were selected as the 2018 Florida District Couple of the Year. They were very excited and enthusiastic about their year ahead. We were also lucky enough to get to meet and hang out with two of the couples that will be participating in the International Couple of the Year selection process at Wing Ding this year in Knoxville. They are Dan and Mary Costello (with Mary s sweet Mama ) from New Jersey and Phillip and Elaine Williams from Mississippi. It was so much fun sharing a table with them at the COY social and they enjoyed sparring with each other about the upcoming ICOY selection at Wing Ding. I almost forgot, I got to sit in the 18-wheeler with motorcycles placed around the sides and back. You climb (literally) into the truck seat and then look in the side mirrors to see what you can see. I was NOT able to see ANY of the bikes at all. Be Aware when riding and/or passing truck. They CAN NOT see you. We had a great time at the Florida District Rally. If you ve never been, put it on your list. The Osborns were there too and we had a lot of fun hanging out with them and getting together in the evening for dinner. My only regret is that we somehow missed the Order of the Red Spoon ride to Dairy Queen. Oh well, maybe next time. 8

9 Kathy Reese Newsletter Editor Health Benefits to Motorcycle Riding Originally posted by: Clint Lawrence Founder of Motorcycleshippers Chances are you ve heard how dangerous it is to ride a motorcycle. How you are just risking your life being on your bike and you must have a death wish. For the most part, motorcycle riding is safe. It requires you to be extra attentive and aware of your surroundings. You have to think more, but you are still able to relax and enjoy the ride. Whether you re going to the grocery store two blocks away or driving through open mountains in the fall, any rider will tell you, there s nothing like the rumble of the bike beneath you and the feeling of being one or whole with your bike. It is a lifestyle and a passion, and it also has numerous health benefits you may not have known you ve been gaining. You can soak in these benefits regardless if you prefer to street ride or off-road ride. The benefits come from both types of riding. Mental Outlook When people think of health, they often see health in strict terms of the physical body and tend to overlook mental health. Motorcycle riding is beneficial for physical as well as mental and emotional health. There is an array of benefits and they are not limited to these listed. Riding off-road or on streets is a great way to enjoy physical exercise and clear your head for a while. But the big thing is, it helps your brain. It improves your mood. Plain and simple. Riding makes you happy and boosts endorphins. Riding increases energy levels and your mental outlook. This does wonders with regards to helping you increase your happiness and mental health, which in turn, increases your life span. Who doesn t want to enjoy living a little longer so you can keep riding? Core Strength and Stability Just riding and enjoying a scenic view or riding to the grocery store down the street can improve core strength. Think about it. You have to work out your core just to keep yourself upright on a bike. Factor in some wind, and you are definitely working yourself out a lot more. Maintaining the correct posture while riding also helps to keep your body in shape and can improve muscle tone because it s a low-impact exercise. Neck Strength Riding can also improve your neck strength. For some, this may not seem like a big deal, but for others with back problems or neck problems, it s almost like a therapy to the neck and back. Make sure your bike is fitted and adjusted to fit you correctly. Craning or straining your neck will do the opposite and you don t want to do any damage to your body. Stronger Knees and Thighs It can also help strengthen your knees and thighs. Individuals with knee or thigh issues will find riding a motorcycle is a kind of physical therapy. It requires you use your knees and thighs, but without straining them too much. Over time, you ll build muscle while eliminating any pains. Calorie Burning Have you ever thought you re getting your daily exercise just from your motorcycle seat? Riding takes effort, especially compared to driving in a car. Just being a passenger on a motorcycle you can burn 50 calories, but as a passenger in a car? It increases your insulin sensitivity too. This helps your metabolism, which will help you burn calories and store less fat. Riding is fun. It s an experience. You can enjoy these health benefits without even trying. You can t complain about that. Now go out and ride! 9

10 April 2018 GWRRA Texas Chapter O Newsletter CAMPING INFORMATION ON NEXT PAGE

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14 Chapter O Team Chapter Director Lyle & Sheri Altes Assistant Director Ken and Teri Burnett Secretary/Treasurer Tricia Winfield Membership Enhancement Dawn Sprague Ride Coordinator Ken Burnett Couple of the Year Tom & Dawn Sprague Newsletter Editor Kathy Reese Ways and Means John & Wanda Osborn Webmaster Lyle Altes Camping Coordinator Tom Sprague Seamstress Gayle Thomas Merchandise Coordinator John & Wanda Osborn Chapter of the Year Coordinator Kathy Reese Motor Awareness Coordinator Randy Reese Texas District Team District Director Jim & Alvalin Woodul Assistant Director Dan & Donna Rymarz Assistant Director Tom & Dawn Sprague District Rider Educators Randy & Kathy Reese Ride Coordinator Open Assistant Educator Chris Schoenthal Treasurer Tim Brooks District Trainer Open Assistant District Trainer Jim Scholes MEC Coordinators Lyle and Sheri Altes COY Coordinators Dale & Carleen Garrett CHOY Coordinator Sheri Altes COY Sal & Phylis Pesta Vendor Coordinator Michael Pineda Newsletter Editor/Webmaster Tom Sprague GWRRA National Team President & Wingman Anita & JR Alkire aalkire@gwrra.org Director of Rider Education Tim & Anna Grimes tgrimes@gwrra.org Director of Membership Enhancement Larry & Penny Anthony mepgwrra@gmail.com Director of GWRRA University Clara & Fred Boldt toledotriker@gmail.com Director of Finance Randall & Janet Drake financedirector@gwrra.org Director of Motorist Awareness Mike & Barri Critzman itsawingthing@hotmail.com Executive Director Overseas Dan & Rachel Sanderovich dan.sanderovich@gmail.com Motorist Awareness Coordinator Scott & Judy Finnell Chapter O Monthly Gathering Want to experience Friends for Fun, Safety and Knowledge first hand? Chapter O s March 2018 Gathering will be Tuesday, March 20, 2018, at Thomas Buffet, 9710 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX (2 blocks north of Rundberg Ln. on west side). Come join us at 6:00 pm to eat and visit with your friends. The meeting will start at 7:00 pm. Please see page 2 for our Ride Calendar of Events. For more information, we encourage you to contact any of our team members or visit our websites (links to all are provided on this page). Wondering why you should join GWRRA? Check out the benefits you will enjoy! 14

15 OUR SPONSORS IH 10 West San Antonio, Texas (210) YAMAHA POLARIS SUZUKI KAWASAKI HONDA Friends For FUN SAFETY AND KNOWLEDGE 15

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17 Gold Wing Road Riders Association Texas Chapter O GWRRA Motto.. Friends for Fun, Safety, Knowledge Ride Safe in 2013 Lyle and Sheri Altes 7619 Holly Oak Circle Austin, TX