Blue Knights FL XXII Palm Coast, Florida. Monthly Roundup November 2014

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1 President s Message As November is here the cooler weather is coming and we change to black ride shirts. Be sure to order you long sleeves. Our new slate of officers are nominated with no opposition so at the November meeting Bill G. - President, George Z. Vice President, Dave L. Secretary and Bill L. Treasurer will be voted in for If any member would like to hold the treasurer spot I know Bill L would love to give it up as he has a lot going on. This is your chapter it takes members to step up to see that it goes on and runs and not just the same members. We supported some good charities last month with the Ride for Food and the Frank Celico ride. This is two years in a row we have had members involved in accidents during the Celico ride. Amazing that Jack H. just got bruised, banged up, and scraped up from his accident. It s great to see Mike P. walking around after his ten minute bicycle ride last August that turned into overcoming a bunch of injuries that he is still dealing with. No matter what differences we have as members of the Blue Knights XXII one thing is true that when a member goes down or needs help we come together. So RIDE WITH PRIDE and be safe. Gary Monthly Meetings: Second Wednesday of each month, 7:00 pm, at the Flagler County Emergency Operations Center, 1769 E. Moody Blvd., Bldg #3, Bunnell, FL (Next meeting November 12, 2014) Web Page: October Membership Meeting Twenty-three members and one guest were in attendance. Old business discussed: Our Chapter Christmas party is on the same evening as Palm Coast s Christmas parade, 12/13/2014; therefore as a Chapter we will not be able to attend. The Chapter gave gift cards to Bob and his son Jason as a token of our appreciation for the hard work they put in so we could enjoy our annual picnic. The Chapter will be providing a scholarship again next year to a Flagler County high school student and the paperwork was recently submitted by Chairman Tony D. New business discussed: To clarify a Chapter question about Honorary members to Regular members, International was contacted for guidance. Answer: We need ten Regular members for each Honorary member. If you know any Law Enforcement Officer types who ride a motorcycle, try to recruit him or her. The Chapter agreed to make a donation to the Cure for Cancer, a Domestic Violence Shelter and to sponsor a hole at a golf tournament to benefit veterans. Page 1

2 Nominations for Officer Positions: Bill Gallagher, President; George Zampella, Vice President; Bill Lodico, Treasurer; and David Lydon, Secretary. Breakfast Rides Every Tuesday 12 to 15 members or more show up at Denny s Restaurant, 7 Kings Way, Palm Coast, for some breakfast, camaraderie and about a 100 mile ride. Road Captain Jack Pierce leads us on varying routes. Chaplain s Corner I am still recuperating from RC Surgery with an added complication.i am unable to walk do to a sist that developed behind my left kneecap. Keep all of our riders in your prayers, remember safety first. Since I am laid up I must count on you to let me know what your needs are or the needs of others.remember to say a quick ride prayer before starting out. My thoughts and prayers will always be with you. God Bless All of You "God is good all the time" Condolences to the Maher Family James Maher ( ), 87, of Tappan, NY, passed away peacefully at home on October 23, He was a long time parishioner of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church in Tappan. James was a decorated Navy war veteran who proudly served his country in World War II and the Korean War. After being discharged from the Navy, James, served in the NYPD. He retired from the NYPD after 28 years of service as a Deputy Inspector. He was commanding officer of both the 32nd and 47th Precincts among other commands. James was a member and past president of the Hudson Valley 10-13, former treasurer for the Captains Endowment Assoc., member of Rockland County Shields, and Knights of Columbus of Blauvelt, NY.James is predeceased by his wife and his eternal love, Helen. Devoted children, Jay Maher and wife Lisa of Palm Coast, FL, John Maher and wife Denise of Blauvelt, NY, Ann Koesterer of Orangeburg, NY and her husband Dennis, Helayne Duffy of Tappan, NY. Cherished grandchildren, Jay Maher, Elizabeth Solis, Richard Maher, Chris Maher, Sean Maher, Jimmy Maher, Shannon Koesterer, Katelyn Koesterer, Jillian Koesterer, and predeceased by his grandson Dylan Maher. Also survived by four greatgrandchildren Mikayla, Jay Jr., Rafael Jr., and Annison. Also survived by his sister Ellen and brother Joe, and many nieces and nephews. Page 2

3 Quartermaster Tony Dolce The order for the Black Sweat Shirts, T-Shirts, Hats and Back Patches will all be available at the Blue Knights meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 12th for you to pick up. Bring your check or cash if you still owe money for any of the items. I have a couple of Blue Knights windshield banners available, if anyone is interested. I want to thank so many of you who had paid upfront and made the process of payment to the printer so much easier for me. If you will not be able to be at the meeting and wish to pick up your order, please contact me the week before to arrange a pick up. My address: anntonyd@cfl.rr.com or call me at home at Community Church ride. We were given a list of locations to go to with some directions, for example we were directed to go to Lehigh Trail parking and look for clues based on what the sheet said. One that was good was when we got to the High Bridge Road Park, we had to find a picture of a fruit or vegetable and then we were asked a question, "What has technology replaced?"; Hello... well we walked around and looked for clues to the answer to that question. After a while and frustration, good detective work we found a 'pay phone'. Eureka, we found the answer. On to the next location we rode. It was a fun activity and the weather was great. It was a neat team activity which all seemed to enjoy. By the way, the Blue Knights came in second in the course of seek and find and the only reason we came in second is that there were too many 'older' guy making too many meaningful stops. We only missed first by a shake or two. Tony Last Month s Rides / Events Grace s Food Pantry Charity Ride On October 11, the Chapter was represented at the Grace s Food Pantry Charity Ride. It turned out to be a treasure hunt ride in which you rode to different points and picked up clues as you meandered the route. Tony D. provided this account of the experience: Just thought I would share with you what it was like yesterday (10/11/2014) on the Grace Page 3

4 Gary W. center The Frank Celico Foundation Memorial Ride On October 25, the Chapter was represented at the Frank Celico Foundation Memorial Ride, with an unfortunate incident along the way. If you haven t heard by now, member Jack Howell went down, but with what could only be divine intervention, managed to survive. Other than looking like a 180 pounds of hamburger, he had no broken bones. Once a Marine, always a Marine. Right Jack? At the Black Cloud Page 4

5 Information will be forwarded via and the newsletter regarding additional details for overnight trips. You are encouraged to make suggestions for any rides you d like to the club to consider. Other Upcoming Rides /Events Celebrate our Veterans November 11 th. Upcoming FL XXII Rides and Events November 1 (Saturday) to Sugar Loaf for lunch. JB Boondock s Bar & Grill, Howey-in-the Hills November 8 (Saturday) Lions Club Pancake Breakfast December 6 (Saturday) to Spring Garden Ranch, Deland for lunch. December 13 (Saturday) Christmas Party at Elks Club. April 18 (Saturday) Chapter s Law Enforcement Memorial Ride. Dates are subject to change based on weather etc. Happy Thanksgiving to All!! Rider Safety Group Rides 1. The first thing you want to do is organize the ride. This can be as informal as standing around in a parking lot, or as formal as a special meeting to hand out maps and cellphone numbers. 2. Remember that riding in a group does not mean you surrender any decision-making when it comes to your safety. Ride your own ride, and don't go any faster than you feel comfortable going. 3. When picking your route and the stops you'll make along it, consider the stamina of the group, the experience of all the riders, and the limits of the motorcycles in the group. Remember, these are your friends. If it's going to be a long ride, be sure to take a few breaks along the way. Page 5

6 4. You'll need to communicate while on the ride, so make sure everyone knows the signals you'll use. so each rider can maneuver side-to-side if need be. Avoid side-byside formations as they shrink your space cushion. 5. When creating your formation, it's wise to have your experienced riders at the lead and running sweep. Consider positioning the less-experienced riders immediately behind the leader. This allows the front rider to adjust the pace if necessary. 6. Ideally, the sweep rider will have a cellphone to call for help if a motorcycle is disabled, or if there has been an accident. 13. Trikes and sidecars should stay in the center of the lane, and should be given the same amount of cushion as if they were a car. 14. As turns get sharper, or as visibility decreases, move back to a single file formation. You'll also want to use single file when entering or exiting a highway, at toll booths, or when roads have a rough or questionable surface. 7. If the goal of the ride is to keep the group together, the leader should only go at the pace of the least-experienced rider. 8. While riding, don't fixate on the motorcycle in front of you. Instead, remember your basic training. Look well through the turn to where you want to go. 9. If the group is riding faster than you are comfortable with, let the sweep rider know you're dropping out and ride at your own pace. So you may reach your destination a few seconds behind the others, but you will get there, and that's what's important. Keep in mind, it's all about fun. 10. All riders are also responsible for making sure their motorcycles are mechanically up to the task. Before you even meet up with the group, make sure you've got plenty of fuel in the tank, and that you've taken care of all those maintenance issues. Not sure what to check? Use T-CLOCS. You really don't want to be the reason for stopping the group for something mechanical you could have prevented. 11. If it's going to be a large group, consider establishing a buddy system among the riders, or divide the group into smaller five- or seven-rider packs. That way, if something goes wrong, you don't have 25 motorcycles sitting on the side of a busy highway. Also, smaller groups can more easily navigate through city streets. 15. At intersections where you've come to a stop, tighten the formation to side-by-side to take up less space. As the light turns green, or when traffic opens up, the bike on the left proceeds through the intersection first. 16. Remember we share the road with many other vehicles, and it's against the law to block an intersection. 17. When parking, try to get the group off the roadway as quickly as possible. If you can, arrange in advance to have pull-through parking at your destination, or at the very least, make sure there is ample parking for your size group. Borrowed from the American Motorcyclist Association. Humor A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store, but couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked the stock boy, 'Do these turkeys get any bigger?' The stock boy answered, 'No ma'am, they're dead.' 12. On the road, motorcyclists should have at least a 2-second cushion in front and behind them. If you want to keep the group tight, consider a staggered formation. Leave enough room per lane Page 6

7 Blue Knights XXII in the News Members in Business Services: Airport pick up/drop off, home security audits, handyman and pet sitting. 10% Off for BK members. Page 7