Gold Wing Road Riders Association Friends for FUN, Safety and Knowledge

Transcription

1 GWRRA Region N NC District Wake Forest Wings Gold Wing Road Riders Association Friends for FUN, Safety and Knowledge Chapter Gathering: The second Sunday of each month at Golden Corral located at: Capital Blvd., Wake Forest, NC Phone Embedded in the September issue is ж. Read and Find Me. Map Chapter Directors John & Lena Bryant director@wakeforestwings.org Eat at 5:00 PM Meet at 6:00 PM Page 1 of 20

2 Chapter Staff Assistant Chapter Directors Roger & Sue Turner Educator, André Eason Treasurer, John Rooney Membership Enhancement Joy & Glenn Kennedy Chapter Couple, Roger & Sue Turner Newsletter Editor, Lena Bryant Chapter of the Year Coordinators Glenn & Joy Kennedy Webmaster, Rick Yost Photographer, Debra Lawler Ways and Means (GWRRA Goodies) Roger & Dolores Patterson Care Bear, Sue Turner Ride & Motorist Awareness Coordinator, Brad Bradford Mark Your Calendar Sept 10: Talent Show Practice Sept 11: Grandparents Day Sept 11: NC-X Monthly Gathering Sept 22, 23, 24: Wings Over the Smokies Most rides depart from Cruizers Capital Blvd. Wake Forest, NC NOTE: Arrive for safety briefing 15 minutes before scheduled KSU In This Issue Page 3: From the Chapter Directors Page 4: From the Ass t Chapter Directors Page 4: Education Over Weight Trailering Page 5: From Your MEC Page 5: Editor s Reminders Page 6: From Your MAC Page 8: From Our Chapter Couple Page 9: From Our Ride Coordinator Page 11: Mascot Xavier s Travels TLC, Birthdays, Anniversaries, NC-X In Action, Local Chapters, District & National Events, Ads, NC-X Event Calendar NOTE: Support Our Advertisers! Let them know you saw their ad in the Wake Forest Wings, X Files. Page 2 of 20

3 From Your Chapter Directors It s the Dog s Days of Summer, the heat is on and yet the Chapter continues to ride, participate and is having fun. I want to formerly introduce Joy and Glenn Kennedy as our new Membership Enhancement Officers. They were sworn in at our August gathering. Joy is very energetic and will introduce many new exciting twists and turns to our gatherings and other fun activities. Joy and Glenn, welcome aboard. Lena and I left on the 17 th for Wing Ding 38 in Billings, Mt. Instead of the 600 and 700 mile days of the past we decided to limit our days to 400 miles or less and take time to enjoy the scenery. Two days were set aside to visit cousins in Leavenworth KS and three days in and around Yellowstone National Park. We stopped in St. Louis to eat lunch at Sweetie Pies and that is a story to be told later. For those that are not familiar, Sweetie Pies is a reality TV show based around a restaurant owner who once was a backup signer to Tina Turner. The ride itself was mostly uneventful. We did get caught in a thunder storm the first day and endured 35 plus mph wind gust in Wyoming. The temperature ranged from a high of 97 the day we left to a low of 64 in Idaho and in parts of Yellowstone; of course in the 40 s at night. The south entrance to the park was closed due to a wild fire so we diverted our route and stayed in Driggs, ID for a couple of days. We spent a day in Jackson Hole and the Tetons before heading up to the west entrance of the park. We took the grand loop stopping by to see Old Faithful before heading out through Cody. We got to see some buffaloes, Elk and Moose but no bears. You bet Lena was on the lookout the entire time in the park. Twelve days and about 2850 miles we arrived in Billings on Sunday the 28 th. Monday was a relaxing day with a short ride around Billing and finding the Metrapark where the rally is held. We are in charge of the Recruiting Booth, Information Table and Statistical Awards and presenting a seminar so starting 12 noon on Tuesday we will be quite busy. We do have enough volunteers to allow time to visit the vendors see all the new and exciting products and spend some money. There is lots of fun activities planned this year so we are looking forward to a fun time in Billings. Upcoming Events Reminders 1) Chapter Gathering Sunday, September 11, 2) Wings Over the Smokies, September 22 ~24 and, 3) X-toberfest Saturday, October 15 th. Until next month next month have fun and ride safe. John & Lena Page 3 of 20

4 From Your Assistant Chapter Directors As I write this article, I am about to head out to Billings, MT for Wing Ding 38. I am leaving on Wednesday morning, the 24th. I have not planned my route yet, but I know a couple places that I want to hit along the way. I plan on being guided by the traffic, weather, and the Lord. I will stop when I get tired or feel like it. I do not want to be tied down with having to be somewhere by a certain date/time, other than being in Billings by Wednesday the 31 st. Along the way, I would like to stop by a couple of our national parks, including Mammoth Cave National Park, Teton National Park, and Yellowstone National Park. Coming home, I want to stop by Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Wind Cave National Park, and Badlands National Park. Unfortunately, Sue will not be able to travel with me. Her broken arm has not healed to the point that she feels she can safely ride with me. In addition, she has doctor's appointments scheduled while I will be traveling. This should be a great trip. In next month s issue I will tell everyone about it. Roger & Sue Over Weight Trailering When traveling long distances some people have the tendency to over load their bike. This can result in being unsafe. The manufacture has a weight restriction on the trunk and saddle bags. Most motels and hotels have laundry rooms so it s not necessary to take a lot of clothes. Extra weight can make handling and stopping different from what you may be used to. When pulling a trailer that is over weight is even more dangerous because it will not tow like it should and could sway behind you and cause you to lose control and have an accident. The next time you pull your trailer, keep the weight limit in mind. André Eason NC-X Educator Page 4 of 20

5 From Your New MEP Officers Thanks NC-X for all your grace and your encouragement at our July gathering, and also thank you for covering my back and picking up the points I missed. James and Debra s shoes are big and beautiful, and impossible for Glenn and I to fill; so with your permission and acceptance, we ll walk in our own shoes. James and Debra, I tip my hat to you; you have done a great job and are no doubt responsible for several of us joining this chapter. I applaud your many selfless works for NC-X over the past several years. NC-X please don t let them leave without expressing your gratitude for what you have seen them do for you. Also please know that we will be as open to constructive critiques as we are to gracious encouragement, seeing them as one in the same. As we try out our new ideas and ways, please feel free to let us know what works and what doesn t work for the group, what we can improve and how we can improve. Our first and foremost goal is to serve the group at large, bringing everyone together in a sense of participation and laughter. This will happen as we have fun together! So let s all go for it. fun gatherings, fun rides, fun destinations, and fun events. Be forewarned I m known for eccentric, unconventional activities, but don t be scared, this is never at the expense of harm or embarrassment to anyone, and relax, not everything will be wacky and mysterious. Since Glenn reins me in so effectively, there will also be plenty of conventional activities also! Just be brave and let s all have fun together. Your new MEC officers Joy and Glenn Kennedy Imbedded in the September issue is ж. Read and Find me. Have FUN Reading and don t forget to me at editor@wakeforestwings.org with the exact location of the imbedded picture, phrase or object for a chance to win a door prize. Special Invite To All.. Come and join in with us at our September gathering for a chance at the Marble Drawing. There is currently $429 in the pot. Chinese Auction: Bring your $1 bills. All proceeds are donated to the O Berry Center Gifts On Cycle. Auction item TBD but it will be nice! Lena Bryant Newsletter Editor Page 5 of 20

6 From Your Motorist Awareness Coordinator Brad Bradford There weren t any seminars conducted during August but there was at least one incident worth mentioning. On Saturday, August 13, several members of NC-X rode to the Good Earth Peanut Company in Skippers, VA. Everyone rode either bikes or trikes except me as my bike was in the shop being prepped for Wing Ding in Billings, MT. I drove my car and there were 3 motorcycles (John Bryant, James, Glenn and co-rider Joy) and 2 trikes (Lena and Debra Lawler). The trip to Skippers was mostly uneventful. However, the return trip had a bit more drama than any of us had wanted or expected. We rode back roads in both directions and I followed the bikes in my car. The group was following an SUV and the speed was approximately 60 mph which was acceptable to everyone. At some point, I noticed a blue van-like vehicle rapidly approaching from my rear. The closer it got, I thought that based on his speed and obvious aggressiveness, I should close the gap between me and the bike I was following. I soon re-assessed that idea because I didn t want to take the chance that the vehicle would try to squeeze between me and the bike because he wanted the space in front of me. I decided to back off and sure enough, he passed me but would have likely have passed at least one of the bikes except for the fact that there was an oncoming vehicle. He continued to follow the bikes for approximately 5 miles but also kept attempting to pass but couldn t find a safe way to do so. Finally, he saw an opening and passed all 5 bikes and would have passed the SUV as well but an oncoming vehicle forced him to cut in front of the lead bike in a dangerous, careless, and inconsiderate manner. As soon as the oncoming vehicle passed, he immediately passed the SUV. This guy passed on the wrong side of double yellow lines as he exceeded 80 mph in a 55 mph zone. Our return took us through Louisburg at which point I split off from the group while some of them stopped for gas. A traffic light caught this wreck less driver and I stopped next to him and let him have it! I let him know that his dangerous maneuvers could easily have caused harm to not only the bikers, but to any number of other highway users. I also let him know that I had called his license number in to 911 and that he was likely going to have a visitor at his home whenever he arrived. The guy never made a comment during my one-sided discussion with him and when the light changed, he did what he had been doing previously, driving off very rapidly without a care in the world. Page 6 of 20

7 My advice to you would be to always be vigilant when riding our bikes and be prepared to make maneuvers that minimize your chance of being involved in an unfortunate incident. Until next month, Safe Riding! Brad Some members of the NC-X and GWRRA family need a little Tender Loving Care. Please keep these folks in your prayers and transmit all of your positive energy their way. John & Polly Murphy, Jan Humphries, Sue Turner, Johnny Hilliard Wedding Anniversaries Johnny Hilliard Birthdays Rick Crawford Teddy Harding Bob (Goose) & Dorothy Richards John Rooney Rosy Rosenthal Roger Turner GWRRA Anniversaries Beth Broadway Lena Bryant Peter Martella Lena Bryant Page 7 of 20

8 From Your Chapter Couple of the Year The Couple of the Year program is a great program in GWRRA. This is our second year being honored as the NC-X Couple of the Year (COY). It has been an honor, and we thank-you for allowing us to have this opportunity. Since this is our second year, we must step down next year and allow NC-X to honor another couple. The COY Program is a great way to get involved in GWRRA. As others have said, being a COY is the only staff position in the Chapter where you really have no duties. You can be as involved, or a little involved, as your time permits. You can visit other chapters as your time permits, but visiting is not required. Sue and I did visit other chapters and chased the NC East Coy plaque quite often, especially after I retired and had the time to make the visits. During our time as COY, we built friendships with several of the other COYs. These friendships will last beyond our time as COY, and we plan to continue to visit other chapters as time and finances permit. In addition to visiting other chapters, we also took part in the Selection Process for District COY 2015 and we are planning to participate for We did not enter with the intention or expectation that we would win, we did this to have FUN! In addition, we had a great time going through Selection. We are also friends with the other COYs going through Selection. One other thing we did as NC-X COY was to plan and arrange the chapter Valentine Lunch in February. This was easy to do. We picked a restaurant, asked people to sign-up and made the reservation. Then we enjoyed the lunch with the rest of the chapter. One of the benefits of being the COY is getting a chance to see much better how GWRRA operates. Being part of the Chapter staff and attending the staff meetings gives you a great opportunity to learn about GWRRA. Many of the current GWRRA leaders got their start as chapter COYs. It is a great way to observe and learn. When you are selected as NC-X Chapter couple for 2017, accept the position as it is given, as an honor, for you are being honored not for what you will do for the chapter, but for what you have already done. Sue and I will gladly share our experiences with you and will be happy to answer any questions you might have. Roger & Sue Page 8 of 20

9 From Your Ride Coordinator Brad Bradford NC-X visited The Homeland Creamery in Julian, NC in August. Homeland Creamery is family owned and operated by the Bowman family. The family produces their own dairy products, including some really good ice cream, eggs, and beef. Members from various chapters attended although this was not a typical chapter event. NC-X was well represented by Glenn and Joy Kennedy, Roger and Dolores Patterson, John Rooney, and me. The ice cream was great, the ride was fabulous (although Glenn didn t particularly care for my lead of the group back home as he prefers back roads. I had to remind him that I m still a newbie to NC and not yet familiar with all the back road possibilities). The only real disappointment, if there was one, was that I had hoped to take a tour of the farm but they weren t doing tours on the day we were there. I ll have to put this trip on my bucket list of places to visit again sometime in the future. Figжure 1 Above: Members from multiple chapters attended the farm. We also visited the Good Earth Peanut Company in Skippers and Farm to Fork Restaurant for lunch in Emporia VA. The original intent had been to visit Aunt Ruby s in North Carolina but they were closed on the date we planned to go (August 13). The ride was great although I had to go by car as my bike was being prepped for my trip out west. Those that did ride included John and Lena, Glenn and Joy, James Lawler and the big surprise was Debra riding her Can Am Spyder. What a great surprise and Debra handled the ride like a seasoned rider! Way to go Deb! The return ride was great for the most part but we had a bit of a scare by a jerk that felt that he owned the road and everyone else just needed to get out of the way. More on this in the Motorist Awareness article. There were also Page 9 of 20

10 the normal rides to visit other chapters but I think the extreme heat during the month of August put a damper on riding. However, many of us will be leaving near the end of August to head out west to Billings for Wing Ding. Others will be participating in other ride events. As always, I d love to hear from you all about your rides and would also be very interested in places you d like to ride. Until next month, Safe Riding! Brad Ride Coordinator The impetus for a National Grandparents Day originated with Marian McQuade, a housewife in Fayette County, West Virginia. Her primary motivation was to champion the cause of lonely elderly in nursing homes. She also hoped to persuade grandchildren to tap the wisdom and heritage their grandparents could provide. President Jimmy Carter, in 1978, proclaimed that National Grandparents Day would be celebrated every year on the first Sunday after Labor Day. Grandparents Day this year falls on Sept. 11th Page 10 of 20

11 Mascot - Xavier s Travels Hi My Faithful Followers One of my fellow chapter members, John Rooney is a LIFE Member who I have never been anywhere with before so I asked Care Takers John and Lena if I could spend a few days with him. They said Why not, it may be fun for me and give them a break. Oh boy, I was so excited! I will finally get to ride on a Harley. I asked John, Why are you keeping me in the trunk like a criminal? He took me out and introduced me to some new friends, Garfield, Odie, The Beaver, and even some Harley hogs. I asked, "Hey, put my new friends on a GoldWing". I was sitting on top of Garfield s head. Top of the world Ma, top of the world! All of us went to Jacksonville to check on Grandma Rooney. Well, not only did I get to pretend to be a parrot and sit on Grandma Rooney's shoulder, I also found a long lost distant cousin, Buddy the Chinese Pug. I introduced myself as Xavier T. Bulldog. So, yes, I took a trip on the dark side. I knew something was up when this guy said, "Come on Xavier; take a walk on the wild side". I heard myself thinking doo doo doo do do do do do doo. Whoopee! It s great to be back. 80 MPH with a bugs eye view was a bit hard to take. Please check my teeth for bugs. Xavier T Bulldog Page 11 of 20

12 NC-X In Action WOtS Talent Show Practice 8/4 Brad Bradford John & Lena Bryant Glenn & Joy Kennedy Roger Patterson John Rooney Jones Lake State Park, Elizabethtown 8/6 Glenn & Joy Kennedy NC-X Weekday Breakfast Club Ride Capitol PowerSports & Briggs Restaurant 8/11 John & Lena Bryant Mike & Jan Humphries Glenn Kennedy Roger & Dolores Patterson Roger & Sue Turner John Rooney Rick Yost Chapter Visitations 8/2 NC-C2 Smithfield Roger & Sue Turner 8/9 NC-Z Rocky Mount Roger & Sue Turner WOtS Talent Show Practice 8/11 Brad Bradford John & Lena Bryant Glenn & Joy Kennedy Roger & Dolores Patterson Roger & Sue Turner John Rooney Good Earth Peanuts Co in Skippers VA & Farm to Fork Restaurant 8/13 Brad Bradford John & Lena Bryant Glenn & Joy Kennedy James & Debra Lawler WOtS Talent Show Practice 8/15 Brad Bradford John & Lena Bryant Glenn & Joy Kennedy Roger & Sue Turner John Rooney Wing Ding 38 Billings, MT 8/30-9/3 Brad Bradford John & Lena Bryant Roger Patterson Roger Turner Remember the key is to PARTICIPATE. Participation = FUN. Page 12 of 20

13 NC-X Calendar, September 2016 Sunda y Monda y Tuesda y Wednesd ay Thursda y Frida y Saturda y 1 6:30pm NC- D Greenville :00 am NC- S2 Sanford :30pm NC-C2 Smithfield Open House Capital Powersports 11 5:00pm NC-X Monthly Gathering :3pm NC- Z Rocky Mount :30pm NC-H2 Durham 6:30 NC-F2 Garner Talent Show Practice Glenn & Joy Ride TBD :30 pm NC-E Cary Wings Over the Smokies 23 Wings Over the Smokies 24 Wings Over the Smokies 25 12:30pm NC-K2 Fayetteville Birthdays Rick Crawford Teddy Harding Goose Richards Dorothy Richards John Rooney Anniversaries Johnny Hilliard Page 13 of 20

14 Capital Power Sports, Star Road, Wake Forest NC Saturday October 15, :00 A.M. 3:00 P.M. Fun Derby Ride Derby Ride Relays - Tickets $2 1 st Place $50 Obstacle Course 2 nd Place $25 - Drawing Games - 50/50 Matchbox Car Races - People Choice Bike Show Over 25 Door Prizes - $1 Auction for O Berry Ctr. Pre- Registrants eligible for $25 Drawing Monthly Gathering starts at 2:00 P.M. Registration $10 Includes Lunch, 1 Fun Ride Drawing, 1 Door Prize & 1 Grand Prize Ticket For more information, please contact John Bryant, or Roger Turner, Director@Wakeforestwings.org I/WE AGREE TO HOLD HARMLESS THE GWRRA, THE CO-SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS, AND ANY PROPERTY OWNER FOR ANY LOSS OR INJURY TO SELF OR PROPERTY BY REASON OF PARTICIPATION IN THIS EVENT. Rider Name Chapter or Organization Co-Rider Name Chapter or Organization Adult Pre-Registrations X $10.00 = 12 and under Free Admission On-Site Registration is not eligible for $25 Pre-registration Drawing Please make checks payable to GWRRA NC-X The Release Form must be signed by all registrants and returned along with payment to John Rooney, 1312 Lagerfeld Way, Wake Forest, NC Page 14 PRE of 20 REGISTER FOR ENTRY INTO $25 DRAWING - PRE-REGISTRATION ENDS 10/08/2016

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19 Support All Our Advertisers Village Dairy Bar & Grill 701 North Bickett Blvd. Louisburg, NC CALL-IN-ORDERS ARE WELCOME Mon Thurs 10:00am -8:00pm, Fri Sat 10:00M 9:00PM, Sunday Noon-8:00pm Thank You to our Sponsors. Please support our sponsors when you are in need of the Products and Services they provide. Your Ad Could Go Here! Wake Forest Wings (GWRRA Chapter NC-X) is located in Wake Forest, NC. Our Newsletter is circulated to a diverse group of people all over North Carolina and is also sent to the Region staff that resides in North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky. In addition, your advertising will appear on the Chapter s website ( The advertising rates listed below are for 12 consecutive months 12 issues and can be modified anytime without additional charges. Business card - $25.00 One quarter page - $50.00 One half page - $75.00 Full page - $ Please contact newsletter editor, at editor@wakeforestwings.org Page 19 of 20

20 Deputy Director National Team Bob & Nan Shrader Appalachian Region Region N Team Director of GWRRA Ray & Sandi Garris director@gwrra.org Rider Education Bob & Althea Berry berryconsulting@comcast.net Directors Region N Glenda & Alan Keough g.keough@live.com Director Of Training Clara Bolt toledotriker@gmail.com Membership Enhancement Larry & Penny Anthony mepgwrra@gmail.com North Carolina District Team District Directors Cindy & Roy Bryant rcbryant@suddenlink.net Assistant Directors, East Bobby & Susan Womack bwomack@charter.net Page 20 of 20