CHAPTER E BATTLEFIELDWINGS NEWSLETTER

Transcription

1 CHAPTER E BATTLEFIELDWINGS NEWSLETTER CONTENTS TITLE PAGE COVER 2 STAFF 3 DIRECTOR S NEWSLETTER 4 5 EDUCATOR S NEWSLETTER 6 7 MEMBERSHIP ENHANCEMENT 8 CHAPTER COUPLE NEWS 9 10 CALENDAR 11 UPCOMING EVENTS 12 MEMORIAL RIDE DONNA THOMAS 13 MEETING PLACES STAFF 14 CHAPTER MEETING 15 BIRTHDAYS 16 ANNIVERSARYS 17 MEMBER NEWS 18 FOR SALE 19

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

3 BATTLEFIELD WINGS, VA E CHAPTER STAFF Chapter Directors Gordon & Julie Combs Assistant Chapter Directors Dan & Martha Jo Fritz Chapter Educator Larry Gray Assistant Chapter Educator Bob Dorminey Chapter Couple Dan & Martha Jo Fritz Chapter Goodies Coordinator Richard Wilson Charity Coordinators Mike and Keri Nelson Lead Dinner/Ride Coordinator Dan Fritz Assistant Dinner/Ride Coordinator Sly Savage Membership (MED) Coordinators/Hosts and Welcome Sly & Tina Savage Newsletter Editor/Photographer/Historian Diana Evans Program Coordinator Gordon Combs gorcom@msn.com FRITZNFRIENZ@aol.com LARRY.E.GRAY@BOEING.COM bobdorm@wildblue.net FRITZNFRIENZ@aol.com richwil97@comcast.net 2wingsanttr@cox.net FRITZNFRIENZ@aol.com savagese@verizon.net savagese@verizon.net ladydi1650@verizon.net gorcom@msn.com Activity Coordinators Debbie Little and Julie Combs Recognition and Awards/Flyer Coordinator Tom Evans Secretary/Treasurer Nancy Groves Special Events/ Coordinator Karen Kestner Assistant Special Events Coordinators Mike & Carol Lucas Technical Coordinator Greg Kestner Debbie.little@medicorp.org/gorcom@msn.com hungrybear1@verizon.net NancyGroves@cs.com kgkestner@erols.com mlucas3544@alo.com kgkestner@erols.com Webdude Rob Hardisty webdude@battlefieldwings.com

4 CHAPTER E DIRECTOR S NEWSLETTER Riding season looks like it has finally arrived. The weather is getting better with each day. This month again found some of us out and about. On Saturday, April 12th, Sly and Tina, Tim and myself ventured up to Chapter I in Manassas for their Bull Run Roundup. You missed a fun time. They had a wheel chair game that left all of us in stitches from laughing so hard. Tina let go of the wheel chair with Sly in it and it almost hit a vehicle. We had such a great time and came away with full bellies and some good game prizes. Some of our chapter went down to Chapter C's (Newport News) Spring Thaw on April 12th and stayed over for Chapter L's (Chesapeake) after tax day poker run. Many thanks to all who supported our sister chapters. On the 13th, Larry and Greg conducted an ERC course at Germanna Community College. With the exception of one bike breaking down, I heard they had a good course. On April 19th, I supported the Habitat for Humanity Poker Run by sponsoring a vendor table for my agency. They had a pretty good turnout for their first event. I look forward to it again next year. Some of our members participated in the Virginia Triathlon as ride guides on the 19th and 20th. I heard that some of out guys got on the wrong side of some park service ranger and he was not very professional. I thank the guys for supporting this and earning some money for our chapter. I know that Butch, Greg, Frankie, Sly, Bob and Tim were there. If there were others, I apologize for not getting your name. On the 26th, Mike Lucas again organized the team for the MS Walk in Fredericksburg. I could not participate that day but I heard all went well. Thanks again Mike for your willingness to get this done. On Saturday, May 3rd, Martha Jo and Ron led 8 others on a ride to Chapter R Harrisonburg in an attempt to capture the Virginia traveling plaque. First, let me thank all of those who answered my many s pleading for as many as we could get to go. Second, we lost out on winning the plaque because we were 3 people short, 3 PEOPLE. That's all we needed to win and we could

5 not get more than 10 people to try and help our event on the 10th by winning the plaque. Let s just say I was disappointed with the turnout and leave it at that. Saturday May 10th did not start out very well for our E Lim Piks. It was raining and the forecast called for rain till mid day. Many of us were afraid our event would not go well but we pressed on. Well, we were wrong. We had over 70 people register and we had a very good turnout despite the weather. I would like to thank everyone in our chapter who came out, worked in the rain, and supported us. You made me proud. We had over 20 members show up to help. Everyone said they had a good time and ate some great food. And to top it off, the rain stopped around 12 and the sun came out. We had 5 visiting chapters and two riders from Maryland. Thanks again to the team members who were there. This Saturday, the 17th, we will have a maintenance day at my house. We start at 9 with a meal at 12. We will be doing light maintenance (fluid changes, etc), then the chapter will provide hot dogs and sloppy joes, chips and sodas. Please bring a dish to share. That s all for now, let s get out and ride. Gordon

6 CHAPTER E EDUCATOR NEWS Continuous Improvement, Little By Little I need to vent a bit; I just got out of a staff meeting at work. My boss brought up the need for us to get better and better at what we do get more efficient. Come on, do I need somebody telling me how to do my job? The boss said this is just good business if we don t get better and the competition does, we d be the ones out of work soon. Doesn t he think I m working hard enough? The boss went on to say we should have a plan for improving our performance and a way to measure our performance regularly so we can track it and see if we are getting better over time. Holy cow, give me a break! Am I supposed to keep a tape measure with me at work? He also wanted us all to make sure we My pet gator Fido sleeping in the kitchen. The chair keeps him out of the dining area so he doesn t pee on the carpet. had some reasonable improvement goals to work toward. Man, I don t need all this intervent life. My boss ought to just let me do my own thing! ion in my I feel better now that I ve got that off my chest. Let s get on to something more fun like motorcycling and motorcycling safety. After all, that s what I m supposed to write about and you didn t come here to read about my meddling boss. Here we go. We ve all heard that motorcycling fun and safety get better and better as our skill increases. I d like to encourage each rider in VA E to continuously improve their riding skills. This just makes good safety sense. Riders who don t strive to get better and better may find themselves in over their head in some unplanned riding situation and thereby experience undesirable (or worse) results. Each of us should develop a plan to improve some specific aspect of our riding skills and a way to measure how we are progressing. Start by setting a goal that is neither too easy nor too hard. Then, get out there and make it happen. In more detail... The Goal: What riding situations bother you? Choose some skill you would really value and then choose a level of that skill that would be reasonable for you to attain if you really tried.

7 The Plan: Choose a plan that will take some work (aka practice) on your part. Your plan might include reading a book or article or watching experts who have a skill you want to have for yourself. Plan out how to measure present and future performance. Try to make performance measurement as objective as possible. Measurement might include having someone else grade your performance but avoid this if you can because your mentor will be under great pressure to tell you what you want to hear and you need objectivity. The Measurement: Now go execute your plan and measure your performance periodically. Don t expect miracles but rather look for noticeable (measurable) improvements over time maybe what seems like too long a time. Make a graph of your progress if you like. This might sound silly but if you have something tangible like a graph you update now and again, it keeps you motivated to do better. Here is a specific example I made a spectacle of myself on a trip Frankie, Greg, Gordon, and I took to Deals Gap several years back. I saw Greg making tight circles in the parking lot while the rest of us were dilly dallying around getting suited up. I said to myself I can do that and proceeded to try. I made ½ lap of a full lock turn before falling. This provided great amusement to the others on the trip (many of you have probably heard the story). After that humiliation, I decided I would learn how to control a Gold Wing at slow speeds. My plan to accomplish my goal was to mount little wires on the engine guards sort of like the curb feelers people had on their cars years ago (I hope someone reading this knows what I m talking about). My idea was that if I could not lean the bike until I heard these feelers hit the pavement, I was a sissy they were set to hit at about a 1 degree lean angle. As I practiced and got comfortable hearing the feelers drag for complete circles, I adjusted the feelers to be a little more challenging. For some period of time I couldn t get them to touch but with continued practice I was again hearing my favorite feeler music. I finally graduated to little extensions on my foot pegs that replace the feelers but do the same thing and I ve improved my performance to the point that I can practice in public and not humiliate myself (usually). You may not care a hoot about full lock turns but give something that is important to you a try and then brag on yourself as you get better and better. You ve got a whole riding season to work with. Larry

8 MEMBERSHIP ENHANCEMENT Hello again to our GWRRA Family. We pray that each Chapter E Member has had a wonderful month filled with delight and bliss. With all the much needed rain for the month of April, I have noticed that everyone s lawn is as green as ever. No comparison to last year s dry season. I had some very pleasant experiences during the month of April. I had the pleasure of talking to many members in our chapter by making phone calls about renewing membership and or lapsed membership. Why do I say these were pleasant experiences? I observed each conversation for its content and found that people really don t want to leave GWRRA; however, sometimes they/we get wrapped up in our everyday lives and forget things. It was so fulfilling to talk to a previous member who lost a Spouse and stopped coming to the meetings/gathering due to the spouse s deteriorating health. After a lengthy conversation, that individual has agreed to attend Fredericksburg s E Lim Pics and also stated that there was a need/want to come again and be part of the meetings/gatherings. Hopefully that individual will read this and know that WE CARE. On another conversation I was able to get a former member to attend our April meeting/gathering and took application to renew membership. It always makes one feel good when he/she can help another person. Our attendance has grown this year, I do believe it s because of the fun, safety & knowledge that is discussed when we get together. Katina took the ERC course last month on a rather brisk and damp Sunday. I decided that she didn t need me there to watch over her as she was in good hands. It was one of the Sunday s I had to sing in the Choir at Church. I never leave my phone on in church but since my wife wasn t with me I felt it best to put the phone on vibrate. While singing a song, my phone buzzed. It was Tina sending me a text message. It said HELP! I replied What s up? she said Need U I replied emergency? she said yes. I walked outside to call her. Her bike broke down. I had to leave a very good Sermon to pick up her bike with my trailer (Battery died). She was cold and couldn t finish the course because of her bike failure. Better luck next time Darling. Because of that she no longer wanted to ride her cc Goldwing. We sold it and now have purchased a 2002 GL1800cc. You go girl!! As the MED Coordinators for Chapter E, we look forward to serving you and ask that each one of you get involved with the chapter events and rides. When you get involved you become part owner of a successful chapter. Much Love Sly & Katina

9 COUPLE OF THE YEAR Plaque Attack Busted By Martha Jo Fritz Ten members of Chapter E on 9 bikes headed for Harrisonburg, VA with high hopes of capturing the Virginia Traveling Plaque. We separated into 2 groups according to the GWRRA safe riding instructions as taught to us by our award winning Chapter Educator, Larry Gray. The first group was lead by Ron Hardesty with Bob Dorminey as his back door. The second group was lead by Ted Odle with Tom Evans as his tail gunner. These 4 gentlemen skillfully guided the following riders to Chapter R s poker run: Diana Evans Tim Hayes Eva Hayes Tony Pouladowski Mike Griffin Martha Jo Fritz Ron chose a route that kept us off of Interstate 81. It was a beautiful and aromatic ride. You couldn t help but notice that the picturesque landscape was cow country. Even the hay fields were generously fertilized with the natural offerings of the local bovines. Luckily, the wind picked up for the return trip and blew away the odiferous potpourri radiating from the rolling hills painted in every shade of Spring green sprinkled with wild flowers galore as we rode from Harrisonburg though to the Blue Ridge Mountains.

10 Many of us not only enjoyed the food and fun that Chapter R offered but also spent time inspecting the wares available at the Harrisonburg Honda dealer. Many people took advantage of the discount offered to the attendees. I personally took advantage of the service department and had them inspect my scooter (I was riding on a stale dated sticker). Boy, would I have been embarrassed if I had gotten caught while travelling with nine of my closest buddies waiting for me to sign here, ma am. You can pay this ticket at the county Courthouse. Ted, being a retired police officer, promised to be my mouth piece if I got stopped on the way out. Instead, he got me special attention from his friend at the Dealership and got me right in for the inspection. Thank you, Ted. As for the Plaque, Chapter O from Williamsburg also made the trip in hopes of taking the plaque home with them. Here is how the numbers stacked up: Chapter E Chapter O 10 members 8 members 93 miles each member 195 miles each member (I think that they were all on bikes) 930 total miles 1,560 total miles Congratulations, Chapter O! Better luck next time, Chapter E.

11 MAY 2008 CHAPTER E BATTLEFIELD WINGS SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY RIDE TO CHAPTER VA R STAFF MEETING FREDNECKSBURG ELIMPIKS MAINTENANCE DAY POT LUCK 18 Triathlon, Culpeper MEMORIAL RIDE GENERAL MEETING

12 UPCOMING EVENTS: MAY 3: VA R Harrisonburg A Time to Ride MAY 10: VA E FREDNECKSBURG E LIM PIKS May 17: VA P Charlottesville Great Adventure VA E Maintenance Day May 18: am = Triathlon, Culpeper pm = Memorial Ride, Donna Thomas May 29 31: Region N Rally n.org/region 2008Rally.html June 1: Richmond Ride for Kids VIRGINIA DISTRICT AGENDA FOR 2008:

13 Gordon sent this out on May 6, 2008: Team, During our staff meeting last night, your staff has decided to reschedule the Popes Creek dinner ride scheduled for Sunday May 18th. In it's place we will participate in a memorial service for Donna Thomas. We will meet at the route 17 WAWA at 12:45 for a 1 pm departure. That will get us there no later than 2:30 where we can offer our condolences to the family. We will go for a dinner ride after the service at a place to be determined. I will lead this ride. See the notice below for additional details. If you have any questions, please call. Gordon Combs Chapter Director VA E Fredericksburg, Battlefield Wings GWRRA Certified Seminar Instructor Home Cell Work gorcom@msn.com gordoncombs@allstate.com MEMORIAL SERVICE SET FOR DONNA THOMAS Donna Thomas (77), participant of Chapter VA F (Winchester) & Former GWRRA VA Asst. District Director, passed away Thur. morning, Mar. 20, with heart failure following kidney problems. Orin has announced that on Sun., May 18th, there will be an open house Celebration of Donna's Life from 11am 4pm at the North Mountain Fire Hall (at the entrance to Shawnee Land, off Rt. 50, west of Winchester). Orin has asked that as many Goldwingers in vests and on Wings as can attend, please and meet the family. An entree and cold drinks will be provided, so please bring a side dish to share. Orin & Donna have been participants of GWRRA VA for over 18 yrs and Orin thanks all of his friends for their support. Memorials may be made to the National Kidney Fdn, 30 E. 33rd St., New York, NY, or to Special Love Inc., Camp Fantastic, 117 Youth Development Ct, Winchester, VA Cards may be sent to 822 Back Mountain Rd., Winchester, VA Please keep Orin and their family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

14 STAFF MEETINGS ARE SCHEDULED FOR THE FIRST TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH MEET AT 6:30 PM TO EAT MEETING STARTS AT 7:00 PM

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16 Chapter E Birthdays May 06 Althea Davis 06 Christian Taylor 13 Claude Revely, Jr. 14 Will Davis 16 Jim Travis 18 Bob Jones 18 Tracy Williams 18 Kathy O Neal 22 Katrice Williams 24 Sylvia Gray 24 Jessie Baldwin 24 Lexie Hardisty 28 Marcia Kallen 31 Bev Travis

17 Chapter E Anniversaries May 04 George & Brenda Karhan 17 Sonny &Kerrie Pratt 20 Tony & Sharon Poulakowski 27 Abe & Theresa Zino

18 CHAPTER E MEMBER NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS BROCCOLI CHEESE CASSEROLE 1 pkg. Pictweet Broccoli Cuts 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 small jar Cheez Whiz 3 Tablespoons butter or margarine, melted ¾ cup cracker or bread crumbs Cook broccoli according to package directions; drain reserving liquid. Mix soup, cheese and vegetable liquid until melted. Pour over broccoli and mix. Place broccoli mixture in greased baking dish. Top with buttered bread crumbs. Bake at 325 o for 30 minutes. SUBMITTED BY: Karen Kestner

19 FOR SALE FOR SALE 2002 Bunk House camper with large add a room den, carpet for inside, cooler rack with cooler, travel cover, 5 leveling jacks. Asking $ OBO Call Dan Fritz at (540) FOR SALE; 1986 GL1200 Aspencade. Royal Blue With around 78K miles. Has CB radio, Driver back rest, Floor boards Wheel-toe shifter, trailer hitch, passenger arm rests, also has an extra windshield. Asking $ OBO For more info call Dan or Martha Jo Fritz (540)