Gold Wing Road Riders Association Southeast Region A - South Carolina District CHAPTER SC G TRI COUNTY WINGS BERKELEY CHARLESTON DORCHESTER The Official Publication of the GWRRA Tri County Wings, Charleston, South Carolina March 2015 Welcome to Chapter G Bringing the Fun to our Friends and Family Just a picture review of the past month. SC District District Director Phil & Judy Stone Assistant Dist Director Craig & Karen Miller J.W. & Yolanda Worley Chapter G Team http://gwrra-sc-g.org/ Chapter Director Assistant Director MJ & John LeBlanc Assistant Director Melvin & Bernie Painther Rider & Asst Educator Craig Miller Motorist Awareness Karen Miller Mbrship Enhancement Coord Anita & Fred Hull Chapter Treasurer Evelyn & Dan Pittman 2015 Couple of the Year Ron & Sissy Morris Activity Coordinators Anita Hull Karen Miller Kathy Truluck Goodie Shoppe Dan Pittman Newsletter Editor Webmaster We started the month with the Super Bowl Pot Luck. Wow what a game, and what a twist at the end. At our chapter meeting, we announce the new officers for the new team. Yep folks it appears you are stuck with me for awhile. Nope I m not going to try to make all of you happy, but I ll give you my best as long as I can. But best of all, we announced our new Chapter Couple of the Year. What a surprise for Ron & Sissy. Welcome aboard. Then some of us went on the ride after the chapter meeting, to Murrells Inlet, to the Marsh Walk. Beautiful day for riding. Later in the month, we went off and joined Chapter J in Myrtle Beach on their Valentines Day Dinner. Good food, good music, and a good time had by many. At the end of the month, we went off to Lexington, SC for their plaque capture. Another great ride. I hope all who joined in had some fun. NEXT CHAPTER GATHERINGS Saturday Mar 7 TH & Apr 4 TH
Chapter Director P.O. Box 61885, North Charleston, SC 29419 843-847-1444 director@gwrra-sc-g.org Well folks, it is official. I m your new chapter director. Whether you see that as a good thing or bad thing, I hope I can count on your support over the next however long. I have a simple philosophy over what I see my role as. I m merely here to help make things happen. What things well, that is up to you. Because I hope I never loose sight that this is your chapter. Yours to have fun, to plan rides, and do things together as a family. Nope I will not be able to come up with all the ideas. Otherwise, it would be my chapter, and that is not the goal here. I want US to do what WE like to do, but in order to do that, YOU have to let US know what that is. So, if you were looking for an opportunity to make a difference then speak up and let s see what we can do as a chapter. My first goal was to have a full staff. Nope, they want all be perfect, and Yep they may even get it wrong once in a while (unlike me naw I can t even say that). But, unless you provide suggestions, ideas, inputs, or even some thoughts, then you will get what you get. Now, if you are one of those who have already given up on us, then I m sorry, and I hope you enjoy what time you have left. But if you like something from the past, or have an idea of something you haven t seen, then now is the time to bring it forward. As for what I see in the future. I hope a lot of fun. But fun don t come without a little work on someone s part. We are starting off with a great team, and they have brought some great ideas to the table already. We ve already experience a lot of fun, with a great turnout for our meetings and other events. I m extremely hopeful of things to come, and look forward to some of the events we are working on. Now if we can get a few more rides, and a few people to be willing to plan and lead some rides, I will be enjoying where we are going a little more. But to have the rides, we need some ideas from you on where you want to go. So, the year is young, the weather is hopefully getting warmer, as my buddy on the page here says. So let s take advantage of Maintenance Day in March, get our bikes out and looked over, and ready to ride. We have some great things planned, and, I m hoping I can get some of you out for some Rider Education Seminars. You see, we are going to try for Chapter of the Year for 2015. I need your help to make this a success. And I m positive, we can do it. But it takes us doing some things we haven t been doing in the past. Some things I hope you and I can find fun and educational. We all win that way. So take a moment to welcome the new team, and let s give them a hand. volunteers. And thanks for those who have already done so much. So, until next time, ride safe and often, They are ALL 2
Assistant Chapter Director MJ & John LeBlanc MJ - 508-517-7715 John - 774-253-6647 email: acd-1@gwrra-sc-g.org Question What do you get when you mix man s best friend with the sense of freedom one gets from riding a motorcycle...in a word joy! Now I must confess that I do not have a motorcycle sidecar and currently don t know anyone who does. But after watching this brief movie trailer it captured my interest. Used widely by the armed forces, police and even racing enthusiasts, they are now growing in popularity for man s best friend, his dog. Does your dog give you that sad look when you are about to leave the house without them? Wish you could bring them with you? Well, filmmakers, Eric and Geneva Ristau found that many dog owners had a solution. They produced and directed a documentary film called Sit, Stay, Ride: The Story of America s Sidecar Dogs. It follows the adventures of 18 riders along with 15 dogs and looks awesome. Riding in the open air, your canine co-pilot can go along for a short trip around town or keep you company on your next long distance road adventure. This is a great way to bring joy to you and your dog, not to mention all the smiles you bring to those who pass by. As I write this article, the words from a song of Harry Chapin It s got to be the going not the getting there that s good! echoes in my mind. You can watch a preview of the film at www.sidecardogs.com MJ & John LeBlanc 3
Assistant Chapter Director Melvin & Berti Painther 843-761-2894 email: acd-2@gwrra-sc-g.org We've been traveling some in the month of February. Our trike stayed in the garage and pouted because he wanted to go. Maybe next time. Bertie and I went to Smithfield, S.C. for their "big" money maker for the year, the "chili Cook-off". They had 22 -entries and paid three places. There was a good turn-out, even with the bad weather and some bad road conditions. They had enough people to come they were able to have six $100, 50/50 drawings. We traveled on 4-wheels as the temperature never got above 33 degrees until we were back in S.C. We enjoyed seeing old friends and GWRRA family. We look forward to our next visitation. Hope some of our new GWRRA friends will join us. Our "Green Machine" says me too. Melvin & Berti Painther Traveling with your 2'nd ACD's--Melvin and Bertie 4
Tid Bits of Information Here are some other news items you may find of interest. Submit info for this page to admin@gwrra-sc-g.org. Tomato Pie 3-4 tomatoes, sliced thinly 1/2 C cheddar cheese, shredded 1/2 C mayonnaise salt & pepper (about 1/2 tsp, or to taste) 1 tsp onion, grated basil, marjoram or oregano (about 3 tsps., or to taste) pie crust, baked Mix cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, and onion. Blot tomato slices dry. Layer half of tomato slices, then half of the cheese mixture over pie crust. Repeat. Sprinkle seasonings on top. Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly. NOTE: C = cup tsp = teaspoon Couple of the Year At our Chapter Meeting on February 7th, Sissy and I were honored as the new Couple of the Year for 2015. This award really did come as a surprise to both of us, we are new to GWRRA and just been trying to enjoy and have fun. A little bit about us, I will just say we are both in our 50's. We have five kids and four grandkids. When we have all the family at the house, it is almost like a party now. We enjoy just about everything outside; biking, boating, fishing, hunting and we love cooking out. Some of the things I like about GWRRA is the willingness to help new members with things like rides, safety, maintenance, friendships, and get togethers. Floyd and Kathy have been a very good role model for us and Sissy and I just hope that we can keep going in a positive direction and honor the members of Chapter G throughout the coming year. Sincerely Ron and Sissy Morris HUNTING AND FISHING Just a little something about sc hunting and fishing licenses for people with disabilities. With a letter from social security, veterans administration, or etc, you can receive a three year license for free. The form from SCDNR is at the following link. www.dnr.sc.gov/regs/pdf/disabilitylicense.pdf Ron Morris DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME Don t forget, this month we have Daylight Savings Time on Sunday, March 8. This month, we move our clocks ahead by one hour (spring ahead). So, before you go to bed on Saturday night, don t forget to move your clocks ahead one hour. And if you have one of those Atomic Clocks, you may have to set it close to the window in order for it to automatically set. Member Business Ads/Cards? We are going to offer ads for our members with businesses in our newsletter. Each one would get the space of about a business card. If you have a business, and would like to advertise in our newsletter, send your info to admin@gwrra-sc-g.org 5
Chapter Educator Craig R. Miller 106 Heritage Ln, Summerville SC 29483 twowingcircus@att.net 843-345-7890 SAFETY Asst. Chapter Educator P.O. Box 61885 North Charleston, SC 29419 meltong@cfl.rr.com 843-847-1444 Ok the weather will be getting better soon and we need to check our BIKES and make sure they are safe to ride. Some things to look at are tires, brakes, oil, brake & clutch fluid, water level and our riding gear. There will be a chapter maintenance day in March. If you have something you want to do, make sure you have the parts to do it, there will be folks to show you how to do it but you will have to do the work. Some jobs are complicated and will take all day so give yourself the time to do what you are planning. This one will be at Floyd and Kathy Truluck s home. If you have not looked at taking a Rider Ed course you might want to talk to. He is planning on putting one on and would love to have you take the course. We all need to brush up on riding skills as we have been off our bikes for a couple months and need to practice some of the skills we have forgotten over the winter. If you think you do not have skills that you have picked up over the many years that you have been riding that are not good for your survival when you are out on the road, you are wrong. We all have things that we do that are not the way we should do them when we ride. We need to look at them and change the bad habits we have picked up over the years. If you have a co-rider you owe it to them to be the best you can be. They have no control over what you do other than not getting on the bike. DO YOU WANT THAT? Craig Miller 6
Motorist Awareness Division (MAD) MAD Coordinator Karen Miller 106 Heritage Ln, Summerville SC 29483 twowingcircus2@yahoo.com 843-345-7890 Motorist Awareness has been a part of the GWRRA Rider Education program since 2003. GWRRA is a 501.c.4 organization, which means it is a Not for Profit organization. It is the strong rider education emphasis that GWRRA has established that qualifies the organization for it s Not for Profit status. Initially, GWRRA encouraged rider education for RIDERS of motorcycles in an effort to increase safety. In time, however, they realized they were only addressing half of the safety issue. The REST of the motoring public was being totally ignored. The answer was the Motorist Awareness Division of Rider Education. Below are some topics addressed by the MAD program: Approximately three-fourths of motorcycle accidents involved collision with another vehicle, which was most usually a passenger automobile. Seventy-three percent of the accidentinvolved motorcycle riders used no eye protection, and it is likely that the wind on the unprotected eyes contributed in impairment of vision which delayed hazard detection. In the multiple vehicle accidents, the driver of the other vehicle violated the motorcycle right-of-way and caused the accident in two-thirds of those accidents. Intersections are the most likely place for the motorcycle accident, with the other vehicle violating the motorcycle rightof-way, and often violating traffic controls. The drivers of other vehicles involved in collisions with motorcycle are not distinguished from other accident populations except that the ages of 20 to 29, and beyond 65 are overrepresented. Also, these drivers are generally unfamiliar with motorcycles. For these reasons and more, we would like to inform motorists of things they can do to assist in reducing crashes, nearmisses and conflicts with motorcycles on the modern highway. Motorists and motorcyclists are dying in greater numbers. It is time to take action to stop and hopefully reverse this trend. It is time for Ride Aware! As members of GWRRA and Chapter SC-G, we all share in the risk of encountering at least a Near Miss every time we take our motorcycles out on the road. As a result, we all have a vested interest in educating as many members of the general motoring public as possible of the hazards we face, the differences in our riding experience over theirs and what role THEY can play in making sure EVERYONE returns home safely. I invite you all to support and participate in any Motorist Awareness activities that Chapter SC-G coordinates. Together we can make sure more people Ride Aware! Karen Miller 7
Monthly Ride Reports Here are some recent ride reports from our members. Submit info for this page to admin@gwrra-sc-g.org. LETS MAKE RIDING FUN We have chances to ride all month long starting with the Chapter Gathering, so lets get our bikes out and ride. Remember, if the weather man says it's 50% chance of rain, he is also saying there is 50% if no rain. We all have good looking bikes so lets ride to the meet and eats if possible. It might be getting a little dark going home, but that will give us all a chance to light them up. St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner, so lets get out and have fun. If this man can have on his mini bike, I know we can on our BIG BIKES. GREAT opportunity to go and meet someone you don t know yet. Another great ride would be down to the sunshine state of Florida to the FL rally they have going on this month. These are some rides that anyone can ride to. Some of us need to get on the phone during the week and call another member and invite them to get out of the house and ride for a lunch. Who knows, maybe we can find a new destination along the way. Impromptu This month we also have a chance to ride some new roads we don t normally ride. Chapter J in Myrtle Beach has invited us to join them along with any other bike riders for their picture scavenger hunt. That is a rides can be a lot of fun. Ron Morris 8
What Happened Last Month Here are some other news items you may find of interest. Submit info for this page to admin@gwrra-sc-g.org. Ride After the Chapter Gathering After our Chapter Gathering on 7 Feb, we took a ride out to the Murrell s Inlet Marsh Walk. It was a beautiful sunny day for the entire ride. It was crowded but there were a lot of vendors, arts, crafts and food. When we had our fill, we headed home, stopping for dinner along the way, and then crossing the Ravenel Bridge in time to watch the sun setting. What a beautiful view and ride it was. Valentines Day Dinner Some of us joined Chapter J for their Valentines Day Dinner at Valentino s II Italian Cuisine. Chapter J were great hosts, and the dinner at Valentino s was awesome, the music was great, the service was great, and all who went had a good time. Some of us stayed went over early to Myrtle Beach and forged the cold weather. We even got to go to the Alabama House and watch one of their shows, which was great. As for the Valentines Day dinner, it was very nice and fun event. We had two Meet to Eats scheduled last month on Thursdays, 12 and 26 Feb. On the 12th, we were supposed to meet at the Wild Buffalo Steak House, but when we called for the tables, we found out they were closed for remodeling. So we quickly regrouped and moved it to King Street Grill, across the street at the Northwoods Mall on Rivers Ave. We had a great turnout with 17 folks attending.. Then on the 26th we met at the Toast of Summerville on Trolley Rd and had a great time. Again, the food and service was great and we had 24 folks to show up. Definitely a restaurant we will have to put back on the list. District Plaque Capture This month took us to Anderson SC, to the Harbor Inn restaurant. The good was great, and we had a lot of fun. There were two $112.00 give a ways for the 50/25/25 drawing. Kathy s Craft Night Kathy's Craft night was moved to Friday evening, 20 Feb so folks could attend the Valentines Day dinner. This month everyone got to Crochet Infinity Scarf s. Apparently, everyone had a good time, and there were lot s of great looking scarf s. Meet to Eats This month, they also announce the District Chapter of the Year winners. This year, congratulations goes out to Chapter J from Myrtle Beach, who were quite surprised. Congratulations Chapter J. 9
What s Happening This Month Here are some other news items you may find of interest. Submit info for this page to admin@gwrra-sc-g.org. Chapter Gathering / Ride Saturday, 7 March We will have our normal gathering this month, eating at 8:30 and meeting at 9:30. After the meeting, we plan to take a nice casual ride to Port Royal, weather permitting. We are going to the water, so dust those bikes off and let s go get our feet wet. Meet to Eats Thursdays, 12 & 26 March We have two Meet to Eats scheduled for this month. The first one on the 12th, we will go to Jim N Nick s Bar-B-Q. Then on the 26th we will go to Easterby s Family Grille. We ve been to Jim N Nicks before and had a great time. Easterby s has will have a section for us so we can just have a blast. So let s go and enjoy ourselves and have some fun. Chapter J Scavenger Hunt Saturday, 14 March We are going to join Myrtle Beach for their Scavenger Hunt. See flyer on last page. Kathy s Craft Night Kathy's Craft night has been rescheduled from it s normal second Friday night to Friday evening, 20 March, at Kathy's house, on 7 Hobonny Lane, Charleston, SC 29407. This month they will make Deco Mesh Spring/ Easter Wreaths. So come on out and join the fun at 7pm. If you need more info, you feel free to contact Kathy at mkt321@comcast.net or by cell phone at 843-509-9669. Monthly Rides We are looking for ride suggestions. So please send any suggestions or ideas to the team at g-team@gwrra-sc-g.org. We are working on rides after each of our chapter gatherings, but can always use ideas. Tell us about one of your favorites from the past. Monthly Plaque Capture Saturday, date: Our monthly plaque capture this month will take us to York, SC. They have not announce the eating times or location, so check the calendar on the website for more information. For the ride up, we will plan to meet at the Hess Gas Station, just off I-26 exit 199B (1518 N. Main St, Summerville) at a time to be determined (see web) and take some nice backroads going up (weather permitting). If we have bad weather, we will go in four wheels. As for the ride back, well we will decide what we want to do once we get there. And this month, if we have a pretty good turnout, we even stand a chance of winning the plaque. And remember come two, three or four wheels, but come. Hunting Island Campout March 20-21 Joe and Jeanie have reserved site 164 at Hunting Island State Park near Beaufort for the nights of March 20 & 21. At the moment, there are a few available campsites next to and close to site 164, but Hunting Island is a popular campground and tends to fill up. Basically, if you want to go, you should reserve a campsite ASAP. There is an Oyster Roast for the Blue Knights being held that Saturday afternoon that they plan to attend. The oyster roast is $20 per person and they need to buy the tickets before March 12. If you just want to camp, of course you don't have to attend the oyster roast. The other option is that you could just go eat at the restaurant while they are out back at the oyster roast. However you would want to do it, we would still have fun camping for the weekend. If you would like to join them, please let Joe & Jeanie know, especially if you want Oyster Roast tickets. You can contact them at skydivr911@aol.com. 10
MARCH 2015 GWRRA Event / Ride Schedule for Chapter G Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Daylight Savings Time Begins 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 St Patrick s Day 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Chapter G Gathering & Ride Chapter J Scavenger Hunt Kathy's Crafts Night Chapter MX Day Florida Rally / Convention - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -> Team Meeting 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 Palm Sunday Plaque Attack Chapter G Gathering & Ride THIS MONTH IN CHAPTER G 7 MAR - Chapter Gathering & Ride - Ryan s, 1314 N Main St, Summerville, Eat 8:30am, Meet 9:30am, Ride about 10:30am 12 MAR - Meet To Eat, Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q, 4964 Centre Pointe Drive, North Charleston, SC, Eat at 6:30pm 14 MAR - Chapter J Scavenger Hunt. See flyer on last page of newsletter. 20 MAR - Kathy s Craft Night. Deco Mesh Spring/Easter Wreaths, 7PM. 21 MAR - Chapter Maintenance Day. 8am start. Pot Luck at 1:00pm. 22 MAR - Team Meeting 26 MAR - Meet To Eat, Easterby's Family Grille, 2388 Ashley River Road, Charleston, SC Eat at 6:30pm 28 MAR - Plaque Attack - Info to Follow. Upcoming Events 19 April Ride for the Kids in Columbia Spring Mountain Trip Planning Eat at 6:30pm 12 MAR - Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q, 4964 Centre Pointe Drive, North Charleston 26 MAR - Easterby's Family Grille, 2388 Ashley River Road, Charleston 11
APRIL 2015 GWRRA Event / Ride Schedule for Chapter G Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 28 29 30 1 2 3 4 Palm Sunday Good Friday 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Chapter G Gathering & Ride Easter Kathy's Crafts Night 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Ride for the Kids, Columbia Team Meeting Tax Day 26 27 28 29 30 1 2 Frogmore Plaque Attack THIS MONTH IN CHAPTER G 4 APR - Chapter Gathering & Ride - Ryan s, 1314 N Main St, Summerville, Eat 8:30am, Meet 9:30am, Ride about 10:30am 9 APR -, KSU 6:00 TBD, Ms. Rose's Fine Food & Cocktails, 1090 Sam Rittenberg Boulevard, Charleston, SC, Eat at 6:30pm 10 APR - Kathy s Craft Night. Glittered Jar Candle holders, 7PM. 18 APR - Chapter Frogmore and Rider Ed Seminar. Eat at 1:00pm 19 APR - Ride for the Kids in Columbia, see District Website for more information. www.gwrrasc.com 19 APR - Team Meeting (Subject to change) 23 APR -, KSU 6:00 TBD, Bear E Patch Cafe, 1980 Ashley River Road, Charleston, SC, Eat at 6:30pm 25 APR - Plaque Attack - Info to Follow. Upcoming Events 14-16 May - Alabama Convention Spring Mountain Trip 12 Eat at 6:30pm 9 APR - Ms. Rose s Fine Food & Cocktails, 1090 Sam Rittenberg Boulevard, Charleston 23 APR - Bear E. Patch Café, 1980 Ashley River Road, Charleston
MAY 2015 GWRRA Event / Ride Schedule for Chapter G Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 26 27 28 29 30 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Mother s Day 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Team Meeting Kathy scrafts Night 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Chapter G Gathering & Ride Alabama Rally / Convention - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > Ashley River Baptist Church Car & Bike Show 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 THIS MONTH IN CHAPTER G 2 MAY - Chapter Gathering & Ride - Ryan s, 1314 N Main St, Summerville, Eat 8:30am, Meet 9:30am, Ride about 10:30am 8 MAY - Kathy s Craft Night. 7PM. 14 MAY - Ride to Meet to Eat, KSU 6pm from TBD, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, 1370 North Main Street, Summerville, Eat at 6:30pm 17 MAY - Team Meeting Memorial Day 23 MAY - Plaque Attack - Info to Follow. 28 MAY - Ride to Meet to Eat, KSU 6pm from TBD, St James Place Grille, 216 Saint James Avenue, Goose Creek, Eat at 6:30pm Plaque Attack Chapter G Gathering & Ride Upcoming Events 18-20 Jun Georgia Convention 9-11 July Wings over Smokies 16-18 July SC Convention 13 Eat at 6:30pm 14 MAY - Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, 1370 North Main Street, Summerville 28 MAY - St James Place Grille, 216 Saint James Avenue, Goose Creek
THE BULLETIN BOARD DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS DECEMBER ANNIVERSARIES George Dangerfield... March 7 John Lewis... March 8 Jeanie Hyatt... March 25 Richard Carter... March 27 Bill Neischalk... March 30 Richard & Cindy Carter... March 19 GWRRA CONVENTIONS 19-21 Mar 2015 - FL District 14-16 May 2015 - AL District Note: If you are new to Chapter G, or if we've missed your birthday or anniversary, please send an email to Evelyn Pittman pittmaneb@gmail.com. Include your name, birthday (no year needed) and anniversary (also no year needed). 18-20 Jun 2015 - GA District 09-11 July 2015 - NC District 16-18 July 2015 - SC District Daylight savings time is next month, which means Spring has almost sprung. Look out for the morning frost, and the cool evenings. Make sure you keep warm gear handy for when those temperatures drop suddenly. Layers Layers. FRIENDS FOR FUN,, SAFETY AND KNOWLEDGE, S 14
Chapter J Scavenger Hunt Chapter J would like to invite all the chapters from SC and surrounding states to a Scavenger Hunt in Myrtle Beach scheduled for March 14th. Our Chapter participants Gary & Briget Brookshire have worked tirelessly organizing and getting donated prizes! The flyer is below, and we would love to see as many people as possible attend for some fun, riding, and also a way to raise money for Back Pack Buddies. Help4Kids / Backpack Buddies is a 100% volunteer organization that relies solely on donations. Children should not go to school hungry or without proper clothing, shoes or school supplies. We believe going to school prepared will help them learn and be better able to finish school and go beyond the cycle of poverty into which they were born. In addition, children should not be hungry during the summer when school is out and they have no access to breakfast and lunch. We believe children should have the opportunity to grow, learn and be a child for as long as they can while receiving the basic needs as all other children. Every dollar collected goes for the kids. This year we are celebrating 25 years of feeding hungry children. Have fun and ride safe, Dan & Veronica CD / SC-J 15