CHAPTER E BATTLEFIELDWINGS NEWSLETTER CHAPTER E HOME OF THE REGION N EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR

Transcription

1 CHAPTER E BATTLEFIELDWINGS NEWSLETTER OCTOBER CHAPTER E HOME OF THE REGION N EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR

2 CHAPTER STAFF Chapter Directors Gordon & Julie Combs Assistant Chapter Directors Dan & Martha Jo Fritz Chapter Educator Larry Gray Chapter Goodies Richard Wilson COY Sly & Tina Savage Coordinator Karen Kestner Historian Photographer/Newsletter Editor Diana Evans Lead/Dinner Ride Coordinator Dan Fritz Recognition and Awards Coordinator Tom Evans Technical Coordinator Greg Kestner Treasurer Nancy Groves Web Dude Rob Hardisty Assistant Ride Coordinators Frankie Chapman Bob Dorminey Greg Kestner Mike Nelson Ed Hoeferkamp Dave Calahan

3 CHAPTER DIRECTOR NEWS Greetings Team "E", grace and peace to all. Well, we have a new newsletter editor up and running. Please thank Diana Evans for agreeing to be your newsletter editor. I'm sure you will find her approach refreshing and new. Let s take a look since our last newsletter. On Sunday, September 2nd, Julie and I hosted a last minute Labor Day cookout. In attendance were Ed & Wanda, Sly & Tina & Sly's son & girlfriend, Ron & Linda, Dan, Greg & Karen & Alec, Butch & Nancy, Mike & Keri, Debbie and Julie & I. Every one brought their own meat to grill and a dish to share. We ate well and had tons of fun. Even though none of my neighbors have never met Tina, they all now know the word KABAM as Tina scared the poopies out of us when she screamed it out at Wanda. We have laughed a lot over that one. On Saturday, September 8th, Julie and I along with Larry set out for Chapter C's Fall Sprawl. Upon arrival, we caught up with Dan & Martha Jo, Sly & Tina, Tom & Diana & their grandsons, Jim & Bev, & Mike & Carol. We had a great time and Dan won a plaque for longest distance 1 up and Julie and I won for longest distance 2 up. The steaks were fantastic and we gorged ourselves on food. On Thursday,September 13th, we had a dinner ride to Old Country Buffet. In attendance were Butch & Nancy & Marylynn, Tom & Diana, George & Brenda & Russell, Martha Jo, Debbie, and Gordon & Julie. We ate our bellies full and listened to my band play. On Saturday, September 15th, we were treated to a maintenance day / pot luck at the Kestner's. In attendance were Greg, Karen & Alec, Larry, Butch, Dan & Martha Jo, Jeff, Keith, Bob & Ella, Lloyd & Mary, Gordon, Julie & Christian, Debbie, Linda, Mark, Jim, Frankie. Many bikes were worked on and lots of food consumed. As is usual, many of the guys hung out in the garage while many of the ladies sat outside under the awning and enjoyed the conversation. The kids played all around. A fun day was had by all. On Saturday September 22nd, a large contingent of us set out for Maryland Chapter B's Fish Fry. On the ride was Gordon & Julie, Dan & Martha Jo, Sly & Tina, Tom & Diana, Ron & Linda & Mark, Larry & Kathy, John & Helen, Ed & Wanda, Jim & Bev and Tracy & Katreice. That's 21 people from your chapter folks, we sure made an impact. We had our fill of fish and also carted home some awards. Have you noticed that on every one of these events I have listed, the theme seems to be lots of food and volumes of fun. If you re not coming out with us, you really should try. The first weekend in October was Rally in the Valley. I didn't write down all in attendance but is over 35 of us. Julie and I would like to give a heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped at the hospitality table. I got a lot of positive comments on how well the hospitality table was. You re the best. A big thank you to Sylvia who purchased and organized the table decorating for Friday night. Even though the judges did not think we won, we sure thought we did. I would also like to thank Jim & Bev for shopping for the food and opening up their camper for our annual RIV Saturday picnic. Sly & Tina competed for Couple of the Year and although they did not win, they sure did us proud. Also, a big congratulations to our own Chapter Educator, Larry Gray, who was presented the Region N Educator of the Year Award. Way to go Larry. That's it for now. Next month I'll talk about our Fall Fantasy, dinner rides and other events. Be safe, behave & be there. Gordon

4 CHAPTER EDUCATOR NEWS Thanks, Now Let s Review I learned in September that we had been chosen Region N Educator of the Year. Wow! I say we because I certainly didn t earn this honor alone. The way I see it, I m standing on a lot of shoulders here. Gary and Jackie Wall were wonderful District Educators to work under last year; same for Jim Sharkey and Renee Starkweather this year along with their assistants (Ken and Georgia Siadak and our own Karen and Greg). My two predecessor Chapter E Chapter Educators (Gordon and Greg) taught me the ropes and did the work when we had seminars during the winter months. There would have been no seminars without them they took the time to become GWRRA certified seminar presenters. Finally, the extraordinary members of Chapter E made the major contribution to our success by encouraging me after monthly safety talks, newsletter articles, seminars, PLPs, or anything else I arranged. Thank you all. Now, after you are done patting yourself on the back, let s get down to business. I think it would be worthwhile to review some of the things I have mentioned in this column before or have presented at one of our monthly meetings. I believe the key to our continued safety as riders and co riders is having, using, and refining a personal riding strategy. Let s call that HURPRS. Having (H) one is just the beginning and it wouldn t be effective at all if you didn t use (U) it. Once you re using a personal riding strategy (PRS), you need to continue to refine (R) it. The refining step is where you make modification to account for your riding experiences (especially close calls), things you hear or see (statistics, other people s close calls), things you read in books and magazines on riding, etc. each of these items is something you must ponder and then decide how to include it in your PRS. Let me say it another way. We can all probably agree that our PRS can be roughly described as Search, Evaluate, Execute (MSF s SEE). But if you haven t thought through how to include the things you hear, see, and read in a way that works for you, you re a mere babe in implementing a PRS. Here s what I mean. If your idea of searching is merely to look around as you ride, you ve missed the point entirely. If you pay attention to other road users and the road conditions, you re getting warmer. If you look for other road users and road conditions and pay special attention to certain things in certain situations (e.g. left turners at intersections because you know the statistics about left turners), you re getting warmer still. Etc, etc. If your search engine does all these things efficiently (almost without thinking about it) and you have a personal technique that keeps your search engine from shifting into neutral during your rides, you ve reached searching nirvana. Wonderful. Like searching, evaluating and executing must be refined/personalized and must become habitual. This can be accomplished by practice but practice sometimes takes work. To evaluate better, you need to expose yourself to more situations and think through the possible outcomes. At one our meetings I had us all close our eyes and think about coming upon a dog in the middle of our lane on a curve. Then we froze time and decided what to do. Finally, we resumed time and, with our eyes still closed, executed our planned actions. Even though this was only a mental exercise, we had exposed our brain to a situation and taught it how to respond. We need to do this kind of thing anytime we are exposed to a set of circumstances we may run across in a future ride. Practicing the execution phase of SEE can only be done on your motorcycle. Parking lot practices are a good start here. Most of what we have done in PLPs is fairly slow riding but it is certainly possible to go to a large lot on your own and kick the speed up a notch. Practicing a quick stop at the first stop sign you encounter (traffic behind you permitting) on each ride is also something you can do. And, you can swerve around real or imaginary pot holes to sharpen those skills. Think up your own things to practice and then take the time to actually do them. Pre ride activities should also be part of your PRS although they fall outside of the SEE framework. Consider the following list of things we have talked about over the last couple of years. Can you account for each in your PRS? Are there any you know you have been lax about? Check tire pressure often Perform TCLOCKS regularly Wear your gear, every ride Head check before every lane change Ride your own ride, don t get caught up in the crowd Stay hydrated

5 Stay warm Ride within sight distance No alcohol while riding and be very careful with prescription drugs Keep a 2 second following distance (minimum) Choose lane position to see and be seen Look where you want to go when you encounter a surprise Be smooth in all control actions Use an outside inside outside path of travel in curves Slow, look, press, and roll in curves Early in this article I presented the acronym HURPRS. You might have thought that silly and unnecessary. It was but let me tell you why I did it. Sylvia and I are playing around trying to come up with a Chapter E Rider Ed rhyme/song/chant/ditty or something that contains rider ed nuggets of truth. (Actually, Sylvia is doing the work here I assure you I am not good at rhymes and songs.) The idea would be to develop something we could all use to remind ourselves of things we should know as well as be in a format that is easily remembered. Because of my strong belief in HURPRS, it will be a centerpiece for this ditty and I needed something short and sweet. We will let you know how this project turns out. Larry

6 SEPTEMBER COY NEWS LETTER Hello to all my GWRRA Family and Friends. The leaves are beginning to fall, the temperature has begun to cool down and we are so looking forward to Rally in the Valley. On September 1 st we began the month with excitement. For starters, a group of us went to a dinner show in Maryland at Medieval Times. Thanks Ed for driving and using your GPS to get us there without making any wrong turns. Ed has taught me the importance of having a GPS. Those present were, Ed & Wanda, Dan & Martha Jo, Jim & Bev, Shawn & Debbie, Harlow & Sharon from Chapter-U and Sly & Tina. If you have never seen Knights on horseback using Shields to protect themselves from Jousting and fighting with Swords and other weapons to defend themselves, you have really missed a treat. It was also amazing to see the horses dancing and bowing to the crowds. As I previously said, you really missed a treat. On September 2 nd, Gordon and Julie decided to have a last minute Cook-Out. Many of us went over and brought food we like and shared it with all that were there. How fulfilling and delicious it was, but the most important part of all was the fact that we associated together as GWRRA family and friends. Linda, Wanda, Tina and I played Mexican Domino s and of course the challenge was on. At one point Tina yelled BA BAM so loud when she connected the last domino, Wanda almost dropped her SMORES (everyone laughed). My youngest son, Sherard came down for the weekend, spent time in Richmond with his girlfriend and her family. I told him about the cook-out and they came up and had a wonderful time and enjoyed the food as well as some new found friends. Since he has gone back to Connecticut, he told me that whenever we have functions with our GWRRA Family, please let him know because they want to come down and spend time with such friendly people. He now has a motorcycle and is enjoying riding it in the Milford/Bridgeport, Connecticut area. I perceive that one day he will also become a member of GWRRA. On September 7 th, we left for our first Fall Sprawl weekend and what a most joyful occasion to attend. I would like to begin this topic with some safety advice. I bought new tires for my 1800 in March I occasionally check my tires but not on a regular basis. Over the summer I noticed that I had to put air in the rear tire three times, however, I never checked to see if there was anything wrong with the tire. As we were packing on Thursday Night to leave and I hitched my trailer to the bike, I noticed how difficult it was to move the bike in the garage. I checked the air in the front tire, fine, I checked the rear tire, and it had less than 10 Lbs of air in it. I decided to check to see if anything was wrong as to why it would have such a small amount of air in it. Low and behold, there it was, a NAIL that had been in it for a long time, in fact, I could hardly see the head. So I urge you to check your tire pressure on a regular basis. I filled the tire with air and rode to the Motorcycle Factory in Woodbridge, VA on Friday to have a new tire installed. Although we arrived in Kilmarnock much later than planned, we arrived safely. Thanks to Dan and Martha Jo Fritz for helping us pitch our tent made for two people, and also set up our canopy. Our tent was referred to as a Cocoon because of the size. Also thanks Dan for cooking such tender Pork Loin. Thanks Tom and Diane for the Salad and Desert. Tina and I provided Pasta and a Vegetable. This was Tina s first time camping and she loved it. Upon bedding down the first night, we shut off our night light in the tent and as I was about to dose off, Tina commenced to shout SLY, THERE s A BUG CRAWLING ON MY HEAD ; my heart was pounding as I scrambled to get the light on. We couldn t stand up in the tent as it was too small, we rolled around trying to find the bug and after a few minutes, there he was crawling on Tina s night shirt on her stomach. We threw the bug out, but by this time I am sooooo awake, I couldn t go back to sleep. I think Dan and Martha were laughing at us because, after a few minutes of us talking and laughing Dan said Alright Kiddies, behave yourselves over there, its bed time. We took his advice and went to sleep. It was rather warm but bearable, however the humidity was at an all time high. We slept through the night except for the use of a Porta Potty (Thanks to Gander Outdoor and Sports wear). While we were there, we adapted very quickly to primitive living. On Saturday morning, we heated our Bath Water in a Pot to wash up in a Basin. We took turns using the tent for our baths. As you know, in those circumstances, you only wash the necessary parts etc... After struggling with not turning the basin over and not being able to stand up in the tent, I was so exhausted that I had to lie down and rest before putting my clothes on. Thankfully I brought along a small fan and an auxiliary battery starter kit to generate energy for the fan. That kept the air circulating in the tent. I promise you that next year our living conditions will be better. However, times like those really bring relationships closer together. During our stay there, we met many new friends and also attended a beautiful wedding. We also watched an outdoor movie as if we were at the Drive-In Theater, remember, that s where we had some of our best times and became closer in our relationships. On Sept 22, many of us went to a Fish-Fry at Chapter-B in Bowie, MD. What a beautiful ride going up. There were 21 members from the E-Team. We were well represented and we also won several items such as money and other gifts. Tina won a Plaque for Best Paint Job in the 1500cc category also, Kathy White won a Plaque for her bike as the best 1200cc and Dan won a Plaque as the best Trike. The ride back was perfect as well, especially when we stopped for Ice-Cream. We are looking for more opportunities for Ice-Cream rides. On Sunday, Sept 23 rd, we participated in the Parking Lot Practice. We had a great time there as well. Thanks to Larry Gray for teaching us how to handle our bikes. We look forward to learning more about safety in our sport. As usual, we are proud to represent Chapter-E and are willing to assist anywhere and anytime as needed. Sly & Katina Savage COY 2007 Yellow tent was home for the weekend! (Picture added by Diana Evans)

7 October 2007 BATTLEFIELD WINGS CHAPTER E Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 Staff Meeting Lonestar Restaurant 3 4 RALLY IN THE VALLEY SEE PHOTOS 5 RALLY IN THE VALLEY SEE PHOTOS 6 RALLEY IN THE VALLEY SEE PHOTOS DINNER RIDE OLD COUNTRY BUFFET FALL FANTASY SEE PHOTOS Monthly Meeting Dynasty Buffet SEE POSTER Grave s Mountain Dinner Ride Evans 40 th Anniversary Party MEET AT THE WAWA RT 17 NORTH 12:00 27 HARRISON ROAD COMMUNITY CENTER 3:00 pm 27 VA W CHESTER HALLOWEEN DANCE

8 LAST MONTH: Dan and Martha Jo Fritz were presented with Assistant Director patches at our September meeting. UPCOMING: NOV 3 VA J GOLDWING CELEBRATION NOV 6 STAFF MEETING NOV 10 PITMAN S POT LUCK NOV 15 DINNER RIDE OLD COUNTRY BUFFET NOV 24 DAVIS DINNER INVITATION DEC 15 CHRISTMAS PARTY 2008 WING DING RETURN TO CALENDAR

9 Together they have found a friendship, raised a family, and built a beautiful marriage. You are most warmly invited by the children of Thomas and Diana Evans to participate in the joyous celebration of their parents' 40th Wedding Anniversary to be held on Saturday October 27 th 2007 at 3 PM Harrison Road Community Center 4728 Harrison Road Fredericksburg, Virginia Dress is semi casual with cake and Refreshments to be served RETURN TO CALENDAR

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11 Join The Davisʼ for their Annual Thanksgiving Dinner. Address: Anthony & Althea Davis 7361 Gamin Run Drive Locust Grove, VA Phone: Date: November 24, 2007 Time: 2:00 pm Directions: To: 7361 Gamin Run Drive Locust Grove, VA From the North: 1: CAPITAL BELTWAY miles 2: Take I-95 S towards RICHMOND. 0.1 miles 3: Merge onto I-95 S miles 4: Take the VA-3 West exit, exit number 130B, towards Culpeper. 5: Once on Route 3 west follow for about 12 miles to route 20. When coming down route 20 and you get to the 4 and a half mile point slow down, because the next patch of woods on your left is where you turn. If you make it to the school you went too far. When you see the word SCHOOL wrote on the road, make the next left turn up dirt road driveway which is Gamin Run Drive, and we are the first and second driveway on left. RETURN TO CALENDAR

12 DATES CHANGE EVERY MONTH SAME PLACE, SAME BAND, GOOD FOOD! RETURN TO CALENDAR

13 LONE STAR STEAKHOUSE & SALOON 2051 PLANK ROAD FREDERICKSBURG, VA STAFF MEETINGS ARE SCHEDULED FOR THE FIRST TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH MEET AT 6:30 PM TO EAT MEETING STARTS AT 7:00 PM ALL MEMBERS ARE WELCOME! RETURN TO CALENDAR

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15 CHAPTER EVENTS, MEMBER NEWS person for now. As I explained before, I m only giving this a try as I m not sure it s my cup of tea. We have enjoyed meeting so many new friends, the various rides we have gone on, and the events we have attended with the group. Dinner rides are fun to do, but oh the calories!! Fall Sprawl was extremely interesting to say the least! One grandson was fascinated with the potato gun, of course. Rally in the valley was busy for us as we participated in the sidecar/trike course that was offered. Enjoyed watching sidecars fly for the first time. The weather was wonderful, we won two door prizes, and we saw some seriously funny skits! We look forward to next year and enjoying the event even more, now that we know just about what to expect?? Hello to all our new friends! My name is Diana Evans and my husband Tom and I only joined the GWRRA family in June of this year. Our fearless leader, Gordon, promptly began to assign us chapter duties. Thanks again Gordon. I have been appointed the historian photographer/newsletter n.org/region Plaque.html Till next time, Diana Evans Just found this recently: