BlackSheep Pen. Chapter A Des Moines, Iowa. September This month, gathering will be September 10th, Ray & Sandy Garris.

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1 BlackSheep Pen Chapter A Des Moines, Iowa September 2016 International Director Ray & Sandy Garris Deputy Director B & E Bruce & Barb Beeman Region E Director Bob & Nicki Fowkes director@gwrra.org bbbeeman@charter.net director@gwrra-region-e.org Chapter Gathering First Saturday of every month at Hy-Vee in Altoona 108 8th St SW, Altoona Breakfast 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM Meeting 8:30 AM This month, gathering will be September 10th, 2016 Inside this issue Chapter Team...2 Iowa District Team District Director: Tom & Sue Wright gwrrawright@mediacombb.net Assistant Director: John & Yvette Moravec iamoravecfam@yahoo.com Educational Trainer: Roxanne Oder roxy50421@hotmail.com Membership Enhancement: Roger Munson & Roxanne Oder rjmunson@frontiernet.net COY...3 Director Message Assistant District Director Message. 5 Sheep Tales (MEC Message)...6 Ram Wisdom/Safety...7 Web Master RAMs...9 Sponsors Article by Carol McHugh..11 Randy s Trivia...12 Western Home...13 Announcements 14 Senior Rider Educator: Doug & Mary Ann Boemecke dhboemecke@mediacombb.net

2 Chapter A Team Members Assistant Chapter Directors Chapter Directors Randy & Debbie Heath Dave & Diane Tingle Chapter Rider Educators Chapter Membership Enhancement Dennis Irvin & Donna McCullough John & Pam McDowell Chapter Mailings Debbie Heath Assistant Chapter Directors Mark & Roberta Chapter Treasurers Mike & Carole Martin Chapter Web Master Chapter Newsletter Scott Johnson Beve Bolen-Johnson

3 2016 Chapter Couple of the year Congratulations Debbie & Randy Heath

4 Shepherds Stories Dave & Diane Tingle Chapter Shepherds The Black Sheep as usual when asked to participate in a program they meet it head on and exceed expectations. I am talking about the Des Moines Ronald McDonald House program. Organized by Barb and Roberta. A job well done by them and the flock. We look forward to a long future working with Ronald McDonald house of Des Moines. Mother Nature hasn't worked well with us on some of our planned activity's but we have had some great dinner rides and meetings. Keep your weekends open as there are a lot of things planned as we move into the fall riding season which normally has some fantastic riding opportunity's. There are a lot us finalizing travel plans to Wing Ding in Billings Mt. I hope every one has a safe and fun trip. A camping outing is planned for October with a possible outing in September. Standby for future development on this. Note to all that September meeting is the 10th of the Month, not the first Saturday. Have fun and be Safe. Dave and Diane Tingle Directors Chapter A Des Moines, IA

5 Sheep Outriders Randy & Debbie Heath Assistant Directors Well, here we are September. Where did the summer go? Many of the Blacksheep will be going to Wing Ding in Billings Montana. We still have plenty of ride time here in Iowa these next few months. As the weather cools and the days get shorter, fall is right around the corner. The end of August and the beginning of September mark the days of school starting back up. Which, also means school buses will be out in full force. Remember you must stop for a school bus that has its stop sign extended and red lights flashing. I personally stop when they have stopped and the yellow lights are flashing. You just never know where those school kids may come running from. I have had them ride their bicycles out in front of me both in my truck and on our wing. I have had chapter members come to us about some interesting rides. We will get some of them into our calendar for next year, we do plan on some destination rides yet this year. Thank you everyone for your suggestions it does help with trip planning. Deb and I have had a busy summer as many of you have also. Hopefully things will slow down a bit. We still have plenty of things to do according to the chapter calendar. As I was reading through the August Wing world a couple of articles caught my eye. One of them was about trailering. Page 50. ( Don't let the tail wag the dog. ) Towing a Trailer by Stu Oltman, Senior Technical Editor. Another one is Fluid flush. Flushing your 1800's critical fluids. By George R. Woodside. Page 40. And the third one would be The Red Page from American Honda. ( Checking your Oil ) Page 20. All of these articles are informative. If you don't have the September issue let me know and you can borrow mine. Thank you from Randy & Debbie. Have a great September and be safe out there. Randy and Debbie Heath Assistant Chapter A Directors

6 SHEEP TALES John & Pam McDowell Membership Enhancement John here with Pam..This has not been a very good summer for riding in Iowa, what with tropical heat and drenching rains. I don t remember any other year when so many Black Sheep events have been cancelled due to the weather. Hope we get out of this weather pattern soon! On July 28 we had a Dinner Ride to Patrick s in Adel. Randy Heath led 10 bikes/trikes with 17 Sheep on a beautiful ride through the countryside. The weather was surprisingly perfect! On Aug. 9 there was a RAMS Ride to Clear Lake and Mason City. The small group of 7 toured the Surf Ballroom and Museum in Clear Lake and visited Mason City Honda in Mason City. The Aug. 11 Dinner Ride to the Rusty Duck in Dexter was cancelled due to weather. Aug. 13 was our Monthly Gathering at Hy Vee in Altoona. There was a small flock of 26 in attendance. It made the odds better of winning the many good prizes that were donated for the drawings! Randy Heath led a ride afterward with 8 Sheep going down to Princeton, MO for lunch at the Crossroads Bar and Grill. (Also, we bought some pies and bread from the Amish in Lamoni!) Many of the Black Sheep are going to Wing Ding in Billings, MT. It runs Aug. 30-Sept. 3. We are excited to be going west. Pray for dry weather and safe riding. On Sept. 8 there will be a Dinner Ride to Frosty s Pub n Grub in Lacona. Meet at Southridge Mall near Sears at 6:30 p.m. for the group ride. Our next Monthly Gathering will be Sept. 10 at Hy Vee in Altoona. Meeting starts at 8:30 a.m. Come earlier if you want the breakfast buffet. There will be a ride afterward, weather permitting. On Sept. 22 there will be a Dinner Ride to the Checkerboard Restaurant in Pleasantville. Meet at Southridge Mall near Sears at 6:30 p.m. for the group ride. Sept is the Iowa District Rally in Dubuque and will be held at the historic Hotel Julien. As always, refer to the Chapter A website calendar for all event details and any changes that may occur. May your travels be safe!! John & Pam McDowell GWRRA IA Chapter A Membership Enhancement Coordinators

7 Ram Wisdom Dennis Irvin & Donna McCullough Rider Educators We missed seeing all your bright smiling faces at the gathering this month. Looks like we missed lots going on too. Good ride after the gathering to Missouri and also some went to Chapter W's event. With those rides in mind and keeping in mind that many are getting ready to travel a long distance to head to Wing Ding and all the riding around that comes with it, I thought this piece that I borrowed from the Rider Ed's page Take 5 seemed apropos. Everyone, please take care of yourselves and ride safe. To have a safe ride and trouble free trip, a good T-CLOCS inspection is required to make sure your motorcycle is in top condition. As you already know, T-CLOCS is a simple acronym used to remember motorcycle components that should be examined during a pre-ride inspection. The components are Tires and wheels; Controls, such as levers, throttle and switches; Lights and other electrics; Oils and other fluids; Chassis, suspension and other drive -line components and finally, Stands. Since we have a T-CLOCS for our motorcycles, lets have a checkoff for the rider too and we can call it; T-CARE T Training. Develop the knowledge and skills to ride safely and handle unexpected situations through class room training and supervised practice sessions. Fortunately, we have many experienced and trained riders in GWRRA to help us develop safe riding skills. The GWRRA Levels program is a good way to be recognized and be acknowledged for being a trained, safe rider. C Conditioning. Fatigue is a major factor for your safety during a ride. It's hard to stay alert and focused to what's going on around you to make quick and correct decisions when fatigue sets in. It's easy to say get some exercise and lose that weight, but reality usually dictates otherwise. We all know our limits so take a break if you find yourself getting fatigued. When riding in a group, if your tired, call for a break. I guarantee that someone else in the group is tired also and will be grateful for a rest stop. As we grow older, we may find that we are no longer bullet proof and may require medications to stay in a healthy condition. If you find yourself losing focus and becoming fatigued due to a medical condition, take a break or call for a break to medicate and recover. A Attitude. The gray matter between your ears is another major factor for safe riding. Don't ride when you find yourself distracted from the job at hand. If your angry or otherwise distracted, stop, collect your thoughts and get in a good place mentally. Stay focused and use the SEE (Search, Evaluate, Execute) method to stay aware of any situations around you so you can react quickly and safely. If you have a co-rider or are in a group, think of the others around you to keep them safe also. R Riding Risks. There are many factors that add to the risks of riding a motorcycle. Traffic, weather, road conditions, directionaly challenged (lost), fatigue, experience, skill, attitude, etc are all part of conditions that can affect safe riding conditions. When planning a trip, keep in mind a plan to reduce risks as much as possible. Even when just riding to the store, wear a helmet, boots, gloves, layered riding clothing, gloves and a carry a first aid kit, tools and a cell phone. E- Expectations. The GWRRA motto is Friends for Fun, Safety and Knowledge. We have a lot of fun riding with our friends and welcome all who want to ride with us. We want everyone to enjoy handle bar therapy with us and to arrive safely to the end of the ride. This just doesn't happen, it takes a lot of hard work by a lot of volunteers in GWRRA to live up to this motto. So, commit to riding safe, keep enhancing your skills and knowledge and someday, you too can be a volunteer to help others to have safe riding fun with us. Dennis and Donna Rider Educators Chapter A

8 Web & Newsletter News Web Master: Scott Johnson Newsletter: Beve Bolen-Johnson Scott & I do not have any changes to report this month. Scott & I will be going to WingDing to start off our vacation and then we will be off to Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Victoria, Vancouver and then to Cranbrook to see the kids & grandkids. We will be gone for 3 weeks, so we will not be at the September gathering and I will ask now that if you could please have your articles sent to my on or before the 15th so I can start on the newsletter as soon as we arrive back home. Enjoy all your travels, stay Safe & have FUN!!!

9 R A M Trails By : Tim Pherigo Tim Pherigo contact for the RAMs RAM Rod TIMPHERIGO2@msn.com On Tuesday 7 of us met at the Ankney Cafe for breakfast. Only 6 of us headed north to Clear Lake for a day of sightseeing. This has to be considered an official ride as we made about 5 U turns due to road construction. We finally made it to Clear Lake and did some riding around the lake. We stopped at the Surf Ballroom and took a tour of it. There were a lot of pictures of singers and bands from days gone by. We went next door to a resturant for lunch. Then we rode a little further along the lake and saw he some neat houses. It was then on to Mason City and David Voy showed us some homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. A short stop at the Honda dealer and we were on the road back to Des Moines. Of course we did have to stop for ice cream on the way home. It was a great day weather wise with a great bunch of fellow Gold Wingers. We are looking into the possibility of an overnight ride to tour the Indian Motorcycle factory. Will post the information as soon as it is available. Tim Pherigo

10 Arena Champions StormLakeHonda.com Storm Lake Honda Sales Trike Your Bike.Net Marc Hyland Motorcycles / ATVs / Scooters 1603 Euclid Avenue Des Moines, IA GarvisHonda.com Garvis Honda Sales 4645 Center Point Road NE Cedar Rapids, IA Phone: (319) Fax: (319) McGrath Power Sports 301 S Jefferson Way Indianola, IA (515) FAX: (515) VanWall.com Van Wall 2500 E. 7th St Atlantic, IA (712) FAX: (712) Nishna Valley Cycle.com NVC 1900 NW 86th Street Clive, Iowa (515) FAX: (515) Ryans.com Ryan's Grill Buffet & Bakery 325 8th Street SE Altoona, IA Phone: (515) Fax: (515) Tim Forbes Website Infinite Color Works Mike De Moss co-owner mike@fenderscycle.com

11 It s all about the Adventure By: Carol McHugh It all started in 1970, August to be exact. A road trip with my mom and sister to visit family friends in Wisconsin. I immediately made friends with the middle daughter, Sue. We spent the first couple of days riding the Shetland pony and playing with their big St. Bernard, Coco. Then one afternoon, Sue asked if I wanted to ride their mini bike, but had to ask my mom first. I was thrilled. My mom, not so much. After lots of pleading and begging, and promising that I d do all the household chores for the rest of the summer break, she finally gave in. Sue s dad gave me a quick rundown on how to operate the mini bike. Once I sat on the seat and twisted the throttle, I was hooked. Fast forward to Bob, my husband, and I were on a honeymoon cruise to Alaska. At one of the stops, we met two couples with Gold Wing trikes. After talking to them, Bob said that he wouldn t mind having a Gold Wing trike one day and asked if I would ever consider riding on the back. The word, No was followed quickly by I want my own and it will be a Harley. So, nine years later (April 2012), I took the Rider s Edge New Rider s Course in Eastern Iowa. I spent four days in a classroom and on a practice range with five other motorcycle newbies. It was the most exciting yet the most stressful four days of my life. I passed both the written and skills tests. Three months later, I got my first motorcycle, Blue, a 2008 Suzuki Boulevard C50. Ten months later, I traded in Blue for Lucy, a 2013 Harley Davidson Tri-Glide (trike). What do I love about riding my own motorcycle? The freedom, the independence, the wind on my face (when I m wearing my half helmet), riding whenever I want, and being responsible for my own actions. These are just a few. I ve met lots of other women riders and belong to a wonderful group out of Des Moines. When this group does ride together, we get noticed. I m proud to say that I put on over 21,000 miles on Lucy in three years, most of it riding with my husband. Together we ve been to Madison, WI and Huntsville, AL. We also do a lot of riding with our friends. Deciding to ride my own motorcycle has never been a bad decision. In fact, it s one of the best decisions I ve made. I love the friendships I ve made and the people I have met. There are new adventures out there and I m looking forward to all of them. Carol McHugh

12 Trivia Corner By: Randy Heath 1. What famous movie did Marlon Brando star as the leader of a menacing bike gang? 2. What is the approximate ratio of motorcycles to cars world wide? 3. What famous actor drove a motorcycle over a German prison camp's fence in the 1963 movie The Great Escape? September Trivia Answers By: Randy Heath 1. The Wild One 2. 1 bike for every 2 cars. 3. Steve McQueen

13 Western Home Every Day is a New Adventure Clara Boldt Director, Training ~ GWRRA 708 East High Street Toledo, IA toledotriker@gmail.com Good Evening The Chapter I Western Home Event (Giving residents and staff of the Western Home rides on trikes) in Cedar Falls will be held September 18, We will have a drivers meeting at 1:30. Bring your drivers license & proof of insurance. RSVP as possible so I have a count on trikes. Clara

14 Announcements Des Moines Ronald McDonald House Please pass on to your members. If you have not reserved a room for the District Rally you need to get it done right away. The block goes off on the 27th of August. Also please pre-register for rally. It cost nothing and we need to know how many to plan for lunch. I noticed some of the members who have already reserved their room have not Yet registered. Tom & Sue Wright District Directors-Iowa 484 Ida Drive Marion, Iowa gwrrawright@mediacombb.net Fax: