Jan 2018 New Directors Ramblins 1 Activities for 2018 2-4 Remembering Mike Zagorski 5-6 District Paperwork Mtg 7-12 New Members 13 Polar Bear Run 14-23 Golf & Donkeys in AZ 24 Snowmobiling in MN 25 Sharon and I are honored to be your new Directors. I hope we can fill the shoes of Dan and Angie. We will do our best with everyone s help. For those who don t know we came here from Iowa. Sharon worked as a motel manager for Baymont Inn and Suites before she retired 2011. I worked in law enforcement after leaving the USAF. I was a city officer for over 13 years and a County Sheriff for 20. I retired Dec 31, 2008. Sharon and I have two daughters who live in Iowa and 5 grandkids who also live in Iowa. Sharon is all excited as we have a great grandchild on the way due March 11. (lt is a boy) We started riding motorcycles in the late 70 s when I bought a 1000 for our anniversary. Sharon was soooo excited. Over the years we worked our way up to the current 1800 Trike we now enjoy riding. Over the years we have covered a lot of the western US and Canada. We are looking forward to the position of Directors and will do our best to have a fun and enjoyable year. Ride Safe and Have fun Chuck and Sharon Eddy
Jan 2018 2018 New Officers Chapter Director Chuck & Sharon Eddy Assistant Chapter Directors Mike & Steph Catlett Treasurer Bob Gunter Newsletter/Webmaster Valerie Hewett Ride Coordinator Skip Klink Membership Enhancement Don Hewett Sunshine Person Mona Harrison Quarter Master Dan Drennon Meet to Eat Jean Penuel Couple of the Year Valerie & Don Hewett January 1/01 Polar Bear Run to Lake DeGray 1/27 District Paperwork Meeting 11:00am - Ozark Folk Center, Bod-arc building, Mountain View, AR (2 hours) February 2/8 Chapter E Valentine Dinner 5.30 PM at Rocky Mtn Grill 5812 Airport Rd Pearcy, AR 2/10 2/11 33 rd ABATE Swap Meet Bike and Car Show Arkansas State Fairgrounds Hall of Industry, West Roosevelt Road, Little Rock, AR. March 3/03 Missouri Spring Fling (Theme: Mardi Gras), Inn at the Grand Glaize, Osage Beach, MO 3/9 3/18 Daytona Beach Bike Week, Daytona Beach, FL April 4/06-4/08 Spring Fling Motorcycle Rally Benefiting Veterans, (Cabot or Jacksonville, AR 4/12 4/14 Tennessee District Spring Fling, (Theme: Sounds of the Sixties), Pigeon Forge at the Country Cascades Hotel 4/12 4/14 Louisiana District Rally Ramada Lafayette Conference Center, Lafayette, LA 4/10 4/18 40 To Phoenix (Wilmington, NC to Chula Vista, California) Layover in Conway, AR 13 Apr 4/30 5/04 Spyderfest - Bolivar and Springfield Missouri, Pitbull The Rock Dealership
Jan 2018 2018 New Officers Chapter Director Chuck & Sharon Eddy Assistant Chapter Directors Mike & Steph Catlett Treasurer Bob Gunter Newsletter/Webmaster Valerie Hewett Ride Coordinator Skip Klink Membership Enhancement Don Hewett Sunshine Person Mona Harrison Quarter Master Dan Drennon Meet to Eat Jean Penuel Couple of the Year Valerie & Don Hewett May TBA Hub Motorcycle Resort (Closed) An other destination to be discussed later. 5/02-5/06 Thunder Beach Spring Rally - Panama Beach, Florida 5/04-5/05 Steel Horse Rally, Ft. Smith, Arkansas 5/17 5/19 Texas District Rally Brenham, Texas 5/28 Flags at Cedarvale Cemetery, 7:00am put up, 4:00pm take down 5/31 6/02 Missouri District Rally Wingin the Ozarks, Branson, Missouri June 6/02 Peak to Peak Poker Run Queen Wil helmina State Park 6/09 Hot Springs Village Triathlon, Lake Balboa 6/14 6/16 Kansas District Rally, Pittsburg, KS July TBA Arkansas District Rally August 8/06 8/12 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Sturgis, SD 8/17-8/18 Music, Mountain and Motorcycles, Mountain View, AR 8/28 9/1 GWRRA Wing Ding 40, Knoxville Grand Entertainment Palace, Knoxville, TN
Jan 2018 2018 New Officers Chapter Director Chuck & Sharon Eddy Assistant Chapter Directors Mike & Steph Catlett Treasurer Bob Gunter Newsletter/Webmaster Valerie Hewett Ride Coordinator Skip Klink Membership Enhancement Don Hewett Sunshine Person Mona Harrison Quarter Master Dan Drennon Meet to Eat Jean Penuel Couple of the Year Valerie & Don Hewett September TBA Arkansas Hog Rally TBA Hot Springs Motorcycle Rally 9/10-9/15 11th Annual Scooting the Ozarks Rally - Quality Inn in Eureka Springs is the host hotel 9/15 Chapter E Picnic/Gathering - Avery Pavilion next to dam at Lake Ouachita off Blakely Dam Road 9/26 9/29 19 th Bikes, Blues and BBQ, Fayette ville, AR 9/27 9/29 Oklahoma District Rally Cruising on a Wing, Apache Casino Hotel, Lawton, OK October TBA TBA TBA Ride the Ozarks Rally Harrison, AR Arkansas District Rally AR-K Rally 10/24-10/28 Thunder Beach Fall Rally - Panama Beach, Florida November TBA Leaf Peeping Trip Eureka Springs, AR 11/11 Flags at Cedarvale Cemetery, 7:00am put up, 4:00pm take down December 12/06 Chapter E Christmas Party The De Soto Club, Hot Springs Village, AR TBA TBA District Christmas Party Salvation Army Bell Ringers/ Angel Tree
REMEMBERING MIKE Mike and I met in 1982 at work in St. Petersburg, Florida. We were married in 1983 at a small chapel in Tampa and had our wedding reception at the Don Cesar Hotel on St. Petersburg Beach. Mike had his CDL and was a truck driver for years. He also drove a limousine in Manhattan for a few years. He was an avid car guy, loved airplanes, motorcycles and astronomy. He used to ride his brother s Indian, and at one time had a Suzuki of his own. He thought it would be fun to drive an 18-wheeler together as a husband/wife team. After some persuasion, I agreed to go to truck driving school and work as his second driver. We were on the road for about fourteen months when Mike was offered a dispatcher position with Ryder. He stayed with Ryder for 12 years. He then went to work for Chep USA as a Logistics Supervisor. In 2007, while still living and working in Orlando, we decided to build our retirement home in Hot Springs Village. In 2012 Mike bought a Can Am Spyder and we enjoyed riding around Florida with the Can Am Spyder Club in Orlando, traveling to Key West, St. Augustine, Jacksonville, and Daytona. When we both retired in May, 2013, we packed up our house, cat and Spyder to move to our retirement home in the Village. We became members of GWRRA Chapter E, going on many great rides with the best group of people we ever rode with. In 2014 Mike traded our 2012 Can Am Spyder for a 2014 RT. When we took the 2014 Spyder to Springfield for service, Mike fell in love with the Can Am F3 sport motorcycle. Of course, he bought one and we were a two-motorcycle family for a while. Mike s love of astronomy also prompted him to buy a telescope and join the Village Stargazers Club, attending star parties, functions at the Mid-America Science Museum and the planetarium at Henderson State University. In April of 2016 Mike was diagnosed with a tumor on his pancreas. He went through surgery to remove the tumor, then chemo and radiation and a hernia, requiring another surgery. Throughout this whole ordeal, he never gave up hope. Both our families came to visit and spend time with him. He talked his nephew into taking him for one last ride throughout the Village on our Spyder and he loved it. Mike was in hospice at home for almost a month before he passed away peacefully, holding my hand. Now when I look up at the night sky and see a twinkling star, I like to think that it s Mike winking at me!!
On Saturday Jan 27, Chuck & Sharon, our new Chapter Directors, Angie & Dan Drennon, our Past Chapter Directors, and Valerie & Don Hewett, our Couple of the Year for 2018, attended the District Paperwork Meeting in Mountain View. Its objective was to swear in all our new Officers for 2018. In addition to that, we had a guest from Headquarters, Jere Goodman, who is one of 6 Assistants to the President of GWRRA, Anita Alkire. Jere discussed many items. The following are the highlights from his discussion YOU DO NOT NEED TO OWN A GOLD WING OR ANY OTHER MOTORCYCLE TO BECOME A MEMBER OF GWRRA. ALL YOU NEED IS TO PAY YOUR DUES!! Everyone is encouraged to welcome new comers and visitors and to make them feel WEL- COME! Regions went away to streamline the process If no District Director, your chapter could be merged with another Chapter. There are now 6 International COY s Sam Lister nominated himself & Belinda Lister, to be District Directors. Belinda Lister will become the District Newsletter Coordinator Our own Don Hewett will be the District Membership Enhancement Coordinator. He is presently our Chapters MEC. Go to http://www.argwrra.org/district_team.shtml to see all the changes
Our new District Directors (They are going through an approval process now) Our Guest Speaker, Jere Goodman A very Busy Person Are they having fun or what????
Greg Reinhardt, Rider Coach. Trains riders Another Busy person
The Austins say good bye as the District Directors
Members! Some of you may have already seen or heard that there is change coming to GWRRA. This is to share with you the changes that will be happening and we want you to hear it from us. Below are the links to the videos to introduce the changes. The one that says Members is for all to watch and a great place to start. If you want more details, the second video is for Officers but anyone can watch. Here is a brief overview. The change to our Chapters is to shift them from feeling like they had to have a meeting each month to do the "business" of GWRRA, to more of a get together to share stories, adventures, safety tips and any new information from GWRRA and then to go for a ride. Specifically, you'll see that we have taken the Rider Educator away from the Chapter. We have added a Chapter Ride Coordinator who will be an Officer of Rider Ed. This move is to facilitate a softer approach to our Rider Education Program, often called the Levels Program, and move the program promotion and administration to the District. We want the Ride Coordinator to share safety tips on riding, clothing, preparing for a ride and more in an effort to guide our Members to adopt our safe riding philosophy. Our approach will be different with our Members but our message will still talk about rider safety. Our primary goal with this change is to help our Chapters to create adventures, memories, friendships, social time and great motorcycle rides for the enjoyment of the Members of GWRRA. Our Districts will gain some responsibilities but we want them to focus on building great memories, have adventures and great rides and enjoying the Members, while they bring a great message from the Program they represent to all of our Members, whether they affiliate with a Chapter or not. The District will open their arms wide to make certain you are included in the fun!
Obviously, We need your picture
9 Cars, 4 bikes Bike riders were Steve, Dan, Vin & Rick 23 people in total
Sylvia & Dan have been coming to the Polar Bear Runs for over 15 years Time to take a nap
Jan 2018
Jan 2018 Dan, Steve,Vin & Rick rode their bikes Geri & Valerie wore their animals to keep them warm Don met some Harley riders at DeGrey Lake
Jan 2018
Girls just wanna have fun So do the boys
Pictures from around AZ. First one is from the Ping vault. Ping golf is HQ d in Phoenix and the vault contains gold plated clubs (mostly putters) from the winners of PGA & LPGA tournaments. A copy, but in solid gold is given to the player. One putter was pointed out to be worth $34,000 at the time it was made. Second picture is from Oatman AZ just outside of Laughlin NV. Wild donkeys come into town to beg for food. The town was started around a gold mine.
Out enjoying the trails in Crane Lake, MN Judy & John Bowers