February

Next gathering at Buffet City, 3877 Holland Road, on March 12, eat/socialize at 6 PM, gathering at 7 PM.

Chapter Director’s Corner Hi Everyone, Well it’s February, and once again Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his burrow in Pennsylvania. He saw his shadow and if a groundhog emerges from its burrow and sees its shadow, then six more weeks of winter weather is on the way. That might mean we could be cooler than Bob and Ann Lutton

last year for our Polar Bear Run. This month has two big GWRRA events, one was canceled, Dis-

trict’s Wingless Weekend, because of snow and the other, well, will see. The other event is the chapter’s Polar Bear Run. We are hoping for good weather and keeping a positive attitude. In sports, the biggest event of the year was played…the Super Bowl…in New York and everyone was expecting snow. The weather was nice for the game and ended up getting bad the next day. As for the game, I’m thinking the average player’s age of Denver played a big part in their demise. You all know if the Pittsburgh Steelers were playing them it probably would have been a different outcome. The football world was Manning-stunned and they are still wondering what happened. But it appeared Seattle’s youthful and aggressive defense really gave the entire Denver offense a big surprise. As for chapter news, I have decided to have us continue to participate in the Chapter of the Year program. We also need to get new members in the organization. Having the staff being responsible for the majority of the program is unfair to them and to you. Therefore, I’m asking for your commitment to participate in our events, rides, training and other social events. I’m asking you to make this chapter as prosperous and competitive as possible, while having fun in the process. The District is promoting the visitation cards program again this year. We all need to carry the cards to every event and have it initialed by an officer of the visited chapter or district staff. The places you need to have the card are chapter visits, other chapters’ rides and events, training and conventions (rallies). If you are not sure if you need the card, take it and have it signed. We will discuss the card at our next gathering. Finally, I want to close with our main event, the Polar Bear Run. For those new members, this is our event and our Inside this issue chapter’s money maker. Let’s show our biker friends who Chapter Director’s Corner 2 come to our event that we have planned a great time, good food, lots of prizes, and a great ride for them. Remember, Upcoming Events 3 we are going to make the ride the following Sunday for the VA-K Chili Cook-off Flyer 4 chapter. Hopefully, the riding season is right around the corner. 5 When you’re able to ride, make sure to ride safe and as often VA-C Spring Thaw Flyer as you can. Chapter Educator 6 Bob & Ann Lutton Chapter Directors

On The Cover: Chapter of the Year announcement group picture at Polar Bear Run. Chapter VA-B February 28, 2014

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Membership Enhancement

8

Chapter FUN

9

Leadership

10

Region Information

11

District Information

12

National Information

13

Editor’s Notes

14

Chapter Gathering Notes

14

2014 Convention Schedule

15

GWRRA Contact Info

16

Upcoming Events

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Chapter VA-B February 28, 2014


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Chapter Educator Tips Quiz!

Motorcycle Safety

Test your motorcycle safety knowledge with the below quiz. Answers to the questions are at the end of the article. If you are not confident in your answers to the majority of the questions, it might be time to refresh your knowledge by taking a motorcycle safety course. 1. What is one of the best ways to increase your skills as a motorcycle rider? a. Join a motorcycle riding organization Learn to ride from a friend or family member Take a formal riding course Practice on your own while relying on experience

Matt Merciez

b. c. d.

2. The main principles of safe curve negotiation are: a. Look where you want to go, use the front brake to adjust speed in the curve, and open the throttle up wide as you exit the curve b. Keep your head level with the horizon, use the rear brake only, and disengage the clutch to coast through the curve c. Look 15 feet in front of you, heavily apply both brakes in the curve, and open the throttle wide as you exit the curve. d. Keep your head level with the horizon and your eyes pointed to where you want the bike to go, select a safe speed prior to entering the curve, and gradually throttle up as you exit the curve 3. Peer pressure from riders within your group can lead to you riding outside your comfort zone, too fast for your experience level, and beyond the capabilities of you and your motorcycle. a. True b. False 4. Good relative positioning to other vehicles and within your own lane reduces the chances of you: a. Being struck by another vehicle b. Falling into another vehicle's blind spot c. Being less visible at hazardous intersections d. All of the above e. 5. Riding a motorcycle defensively can be characterized by which of the following phrases? a. Hope for the best, plan for the worst b. The best form of training is experience c. Drive like you are invisible d. Both A and C


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Chapter Educator Continued 6. What percentage of motorcyclists killed in motorcycle-related crashes did not have the proper classification or "M" class? a. None of them had the proper class b. 33% c. 11% d. All of them had the proper classification 7. At 60 mph, a motorcycle will cover 88 feet in one second. What technique can be used to reduce your reaction time in avoiding hazards at potentially dangerous intersections? a. Covering your brakes b. Riding next to another vehicle c. Opening the throttle Swerving 8. To prevent target fixation, you should keep your head level with the horizon and your eyes pointed toward ____________. a. Where you want the motorcycle and yourself to go b. 20 feet in front of your current position c. The scenery around you Both B and C Matt Merciez VA-B Educator

Motorcycle safety quiz answers: 1. c, 2.d, 3.a, 4.d, 5.d, 6.c, 7.a, 8,a. Page 7


Membership Enhancement Program Coordinator Recruiting & Retention! Greetings wonderful GWRRA members, You are wonderful because you are members of a great organization, a great chapter, and you have and are friends to many other GWRRA members throughout the country, and the world. Where am I going with this opening? Because of the way this organization is organized, you have the freedom to participate with your assigned chapter or with any other chapter of GWRRA. You can participate as much as you want, or as little, but why wouldn’t you want to have fun with friends Nanette Mizner you have met through GWRRA. The key in this statement is to participate. As the designated Membership coordinator, it is important that you understand your role in GWRRA. It is with everyone’s participation that the group stays strong, stays friends, and grows. We are at a pivotal point in GWRRA, as the long term members start decreasing their riding, members retire and move away, age and medical issues keep us from participating, WE need to keep each other motivated to get out and participate in the activities we can. Whether we ride or drive to an event, we owe it to ourselves to stay active, in the long run, this will help us physically and emotionally. The other pivotal item is maintaining and growing the organization. As the total number of Goldwings and Valkyrie levels out, or even reduces, we as an organization need to reach out to motorcyclists of other types of bikes. Be it other Hondas, Harleys, Suzuki, BMW, or Kawasaki, these riders are all potentially Goldwing or Valkyrie owners. How many of us had something other than a Goldwing at some point? I would venture to say 99%! A Goldwing is not really a starter bike for anyone, it is a progression from let me try something small to I need something I can travel on. Not everyone reaches the “Goldwing” phase at the same time, but many “mature” riders enjoy the comfort, handling, and power of our great Wings. So next time you are out, riding or driving, and you see one of these potential Goldwingers, strike up a conversation. Even if it just plants a seed, they may eventually come over from the dark side and own a Goldwing. They may even become your new best friend, with this group of awesome people, you just never know. In the end, if we don’t grow the organization by keeping the friends we have in the group and bringing in new members to be our friends, GWRRA will suffer. Nanette Mizner VA-B MEPC

Chapter VA-B Participant Birthdays and Anniversaries

February Birthdays 1st—Jim Sexton 26th—Matt Merciez February Anniversaries 3rd— Joe & Linda Desmoreaux If I missed your birthday or anniversary, send an e-mail to [email protected] with your special date and I will get you next month.


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Chapter FUN - Chapter Visit to VA-O On January 26 ten VA-B participants visited VA-O in Newport News. It was an informative gathering. Several VA-O participants went to Lobby Day in Richmond and gave us a full report on all the bills. VA-L also has a large group there. In attendance were Bob and Ann Lutton, Bob and Jan Gunter, John Bowles, Jim Sexton and Carol Hill, Kathy Pettit, and Glenn and Nanette Mizner.

Chapter FUN - Chapter Visit to NC-E2 They are only a little over an hour away, and we love to visit NC-E2. There gatherings have been on the second Saturday for a while, but no more. They are moving their gatherings to the third Thursday to accommodate their members better. We enjoyed our visit that included Bob Lutton, Bob and Jan Gunter, and Glenn and Nanette Mizner. There were also several members from VA-L in attendance including Chapter Directors (CDs) Jeff and Carm Stobie, Couple of the Year, Zach and Angie Bon, Former CDs Dave and Linda Harris and several others.

Chapter FUN - Appetizer/Dessert Night Due to Wingless Weekend being cancelled, John Bowles opened up his home on Saturday Feb 15 for an impromptu Appetizer/Dessert Night. Everyone had a great time reminiscing about all kinds of events, especially some recent camping adventures. We also talked about some upcoming overnighters and will put out some info on these in the near future. We had fourteen VA-B participants enjoy the night, besides our host John, we had Bob and Ann Lutton, Jim Sexton and Carol Hill, Nick and Teresa Knox, Matt and Diana Merciez, Dave Seate, Dennis and Kristen Weston, and Glenn and Nanette Mizner.

Chapter FUN - Chapter Visit to VA-U We had planned to stop at a gathering on the way home from Wingless, but since it was cancelled, we decided to go to VA-U. We all got there through different paths. Some of us had gone to Maggiano’s for lunch at short Pump and some rode up on their bikes. It was a good gathering. They played a game from minute to win it and it was fun watching Dennis Weston and a new member Tom try to get the ball out of the Kleenex box.

Chapter FUN - Chapter Visit to VA-C At VA-C’s February Chapter Gathering, District Director Dennis Weston was on hand to swear in new Chapter VA-C Chapter Director and Assistant Chapter Director. John Newbauer stepped up to start his second round as VA-C’s Director. Susan Brown stepped into the Assistant position.

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Leadership Changes At February’s gathering District Educator, John Bowles made it official by swearing in Matt and Diana Merciez as Chapter Educators for VA-B. (right) At VA-C’s gathering Dennis Weston swore in John Newbauer and Susan Brown as new CD and ACD. (Left)

At our Polar Bear Run on Feb 23rd, Tommy and Gayle Wilson didn’t only announce that Chapter VA-B was Chapter of the Year for 2013, but they announced and swore in Nanette Mizner as the new District Membership Enhancement Coordinator, filling in the position Tommy and Gayle vacated only days before.

Chapter FUN - Crazy Supper On February 22 Dennis Weston and Glenn and Nanette Mizner headed north with our good friends Tommy and Gayle Wilson to just outside Winchester for VA-F’s Crazy Supper event. This is one of those events you just have to attend to appreciate. Chapter Fs staff does an outstanding job putting this event together. We had a blast as did everyone else.


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Region N Directors Region N! Once in awhile I like to revisit some of my favorite articles, written by some of my favorite GWRRA leaders who were great examples of how to live life with grace and compassion. One that I'll always treasure is a former North Carolina Trainer, named Paul Granger. The following article was written by Paul, just months before he lost his battle with cancer. I hope you enjoy it: Alan & Carolyn Little

One of my least favorite experiences is going to a fast food restaurant. I can remember when fast food franchises first came into being, they were cheap and fast. Now, over the years they have become slow and expensive. Along with that, the employees leave a lot to be desired in the customer service area. Recently upon visiting a local fast food restaurant, I was waited on by a young lady who was experiencing her first day on the job. From the beginning to the end of placing my order, she ordered the wrong hamburger, charged me the wrong price, entered it as a takeout order when it was to be eaten in, and finally she made the wrong change when I paid for the order. She made one mistake after another, but, oddly enough, I was not bothered by it because all through the process she was saying, “I am sorry sir, this is my first day at work”, "I am sorry sir but I confused your order" on and on she kept smiling and apologizing and then finally said "thank you for being so patient with me". She made some mistakes but they really didn't bother me because she had a good ATTITUDE. Leaders, listen up! A good attitude is everything. A good attitude can and will make a difference not only in your leadership role but in your personal life. What then, is a "good" attitude, and what did that fast food restaurant employee possess that seemed to smooth out all of her rough edges? First, a good attitude is one that chooses the positive over the negative. Zig Ziglar once said that “positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.” I must reluctantly admit that most of my life my natural inclination was to be a negative thinker. But now, in my senior years, I have finally learned how much easier life can be, how many tasks become much easier because I approach them with a positive attitude. Secondly, a good attitude is one that makes you happier more often. That fast food employee was making one mistake after the other but it seemed that she was happy doing it. Have you ever been around someone that just seemed to be happy all the time? Chances are they were probably a person that you would say had a good attitude about most everything. Thirdly, a good attitude is one that brings out the best in others. People like to be around other people that possess a good attitude. This is especially true with those in leadership roles. I have seen Chapter Directors that may be a little rough around the edges, they may not have all the spit and polish, they may not dot every "i", or cross every “t” but they still command a following and are successful just because they have a good attitude that soon becomes infectious to others. And lastly, a good attitude is one that does not just happen. It is one that you have to work at every day! As I write this last paragraph, I have just returned from one of my many visits to the hospital. While I was there one of the nurses made my stay more comfortable just because of her good attitude. I asked her one day, "How do you maintain such a good attitude?" Her reply was, “I rely on my faith and the teachings of my parents and grandparents, but I still have to work on it every day”. Each of us may have to call upon some source of motivation outside of ourselves but it still takes work on a daily basis. So, if you have not developed a good attitude, try it, you'll like it! Written by Paul Granger, a former NC District Trainer

Working for you

Alan and Carolyn Little

GWRRA Region N Director

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Virginia District Directors As winter continues to bear its nastiness down on all parts of our great State, we are left with taking to our four-wheeled vehicles to get around. Don’t forget these same four-wheeled vehicles will take you to another Chapter’s gathering. Car pool with your fellow Chapter members and go collecting visitation signatures and chapter bars. I know it seems like a good time to just cuddle up on the couch and wish the world away, but this is also the best time to visit each other. Just think, you don’t have to worry about hydrating yourself properly, heat exhaustion, sunburned noses, or sweaty helmet hair. And you don't have to be embarrassed about showing up in a vehicle vice on your bike. Dennis & Kristen Weston The traditional thought most people have for Wingless Weekend is it’s the time to introduce each Chapter’s Couple of the Year. It’s time to see who received their chapters nod for being helpful, ambitious, and just all around good eggs. And, although this is true, we want you as Chapters to look at yourselves and recognize each other for doing an outstanding job month after month, year after year. You don’t need a personal recognition from the District or Region to tell each other you’re doing a darned good job. Turn to that person sitting next to you and thank them for coming to each gathering. Look at the person across the table that always volunteers to run the door prize table at your event. To the one that remembers to bring the cookies to your meetings to celebrate birthdays. Thank your Chapter Director for being there for you each month in the so many ways you may not be aware of. Look at the person that always volunteers to take drag on your outings and give them a hearty thanks. It takes every one of us to make our Chapters function. While it’s nice every year to be able to pick one couple to celebrate, we need to remember to celebrate each of us and recognize ourselves for the hard work we put into being great Chapters, members and friends. We encourage all of you to pat yourselves on the back in recognition for another year of a job well done. Dennis & Kristen Weston Virginia District Directors

Assistant District Directors, East Greetings! Well, can you tell it’s February? Can you tell it’s winter time? Are you going crazy wearing all the heavy coats, boots, gloves and all the warm stuff? If you are, you are not alone. To say it has been interesting so far this winter is an extreme understatement. And of course the groundhog had to stick his little bitty furry frozen head out of his hole and see his shadow and then run back in to get under the covers. Just be patient, warmer days are coming. Just not fast enough. The Officer’s meeting was the kick off for 2014. We had great attendance and lots of great ideas shared and discussed. It was a very good Saturday and was good to see everybody. With the year ahead of us, the chapters in the East are busy, busy and busy. There are new officers in just about every Chapter. Lots of fresh and exciting ideas, and of course lots of fun planning going on even as this is being written. It is great to get out and visit other chapters and especially to participate in their events. We kick off the event calendar in the east with Chapter B on February 23rd with their annual Polar Bear Run. Come join us for a great day. Next up will be Chapter C and their Spring Thaw event on April 5th, always a great time. Then the following weekend Chapter L has come up with a brand new idea for their event and it will be on April 12th. It is a Tax Day Car, Truck and Bike show. What a great idea. You won’t want to miss this one for sure. Then on May 10th Chapter D is having their event which has a change in venue this year. Chapter D is going back to the picnic event along with a poker run and a special tribute to all Moms. There will be lots of food and fun to be had on May 10th. Then in June, Chapter O will be having their Casino Picnic. What a great time this is. Where else can you go and lose a million dollars and laugh about it? Then later in the Summer Chapter U will be having their annual poker run on July 26th. It is always a beautiful ride in the Hanover county area. Chapter W is still working on their event which be announced in the near future. So as you can see there is a lot to do and this only includes the East. The remainder of the state has their events going on and will need all of our support. Be sure to check the websites for each chapter for additional information. Let’s get out and visit and make new friends in 2014. There is no better time to do that than right now and this year. It is always good to meet up with our friends from other chapters but there are a lot of new members that many of us have not met yet. So let’s do it. Until next month, ride often and ride safe. And oh yea, keep warm! Rich & Debbie Bonham, ADD East

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National News Warm or Cold - We are Wingers! Lately our National news headlined all the frigid temperatures we were having all over the Country. Many records on the cold side were shattered. We were constantly concerned about the welfare of our Members all around the U.S. and Canada with the plunging temperatures and the addition of lots of heavy snow. Ray & Sandy Garris

As these extremes finally returned to just the normal winter conditions, we found ourselves still thinking about our Members in the "Cold Country." Having always lived in either Southern California or Phoenix, we have trouble relating to these Members and how they cope with winter conditions.

As we browse through the many newsletters we receive from many of the Chapters, Districts and Regions, we noticed the many wonderful activities already planned for our Membership during the winter. One more time we are reminded what clever and innovative leaders we are blessed with throughout our Association. Our Members are invited to "Winter Rendezvous", Winter Warm-Up", Beach Party Wingo, Cabin Fever, Crazy Supper, Sweetheart Week end, Spring Fling and lots more. These fun-filled events all feature some very innovative ideas like a bike show (no bike in person, just a picture) game nights, themes with costumes, skits, raffles for Couple of the year baskets, Funny Hat Contest, Swap meet, Mascot contest, Pet show, and many more. These are all recipes for FUN. The ingredients are already in your Chapter membership.

The best part of these great ideas for winter events can also be used in areas where the very hot weather can limit our riding. I am looking forward to seeing some of these clever ideas being featured inside the air-conditioned spaces while the temperature outside is 105 degrees or more. No matter whether your machine has 2, 3 or 4 wheels and is hot or cold, we have a FUN activity planned for you. All we need is your participation and support. Ask your Chapter Director today if you can help make it happen. Have a lot of FUN Ray & Sandy Garris GWRRA Directors


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From the Desk of the Editor

Hey all, Another winter month has passed behind us, moving us closer to better riding weather. The chapter team has been trying to come up with some great rides and looking at some events for the year. But we need your input to make sure we are going places our participants want to go. Over the 30 plus year of the chapter we have been to a lot of places! Some once, some every year, but there are places we haven’t been ever or not for a long time. So we need your assistance to add some favorites and little known ride destinations to spice up our ride schedule. So email the ride coordinator at [email protected] and he will do what he can to find the perfect day to go on the perfect ride. Glenn Mizner March being right around the corner, I want to mention that if your bike has been sitting for several months it is time to think about doing some maintenance, besides your pre-ride T-CLOCKS, you may need an oil and filter change, a coolant check, check your knobs, switches and other controls for proper operation. Come April, it may take several days to get work done if you need to take it to a shop. This will come as a surprise to most of you, but this is the last Newsletter I will be putting together for VA-B, at least for now. With the new position that Nanette and I took on as District MEPC, we decided that we should give the opportunity to someone else to edit your newsletters. I am proud to announce that your new Newsletter Editor will be Diana Merciez! Diana will do an awesome job and is excited for the challenge. Please continue to support her with your member articles and photos to keep VA-B’s Newsletter one of the best in GWRRA! Glenn Mizner VA-B Newsletter Editor

February Gathering Information February’s gathering is usually all about Polar Bear. Well Bob actually kept it short, putting out the information for when to be there, where to take your donations for the prize table, asking for food donations, and the important part, getting chapter participants to volunteer to help out where they can. We also talked about Wingless and the impending snow storm that was just finishing up dumping about a foot of snow on Charlottesville and western Virginia. Unfortunately this storm led to cancelling Wingless Weekend. New members, Sam and Rosa Edge joined us for their first gathering. They joined after Dave Hunter triked their bike in the fall. We look forward to getting to know them better and seeing them on some rides. We also had visitors from VA-L and VAO including VA-O ACDs Ray and Tammie Pierce, District Treasurers, Lee and Mae Cappis. From VA-L we had Jeff Stobie and John Skinner.


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Holiday Inn—Tangle wood Salem, Virginia October-9-12, 2014

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GWRRA Contact Information National Information

800-843-9460

Fax

[email protected]

877-348-9416

Chapter VA-B Staff, in the “757” Chapter Director

Bob Lutton

641-5510

[email protected]

Chapter Director

Ann Lutton

641-5510

[email protected]

Assistant Chapter Director

Jim Sexton

287-7080

[email protected]

Chapter Educator Member Enhancement Program Coordinator (MEPC) Couple Of The Year

Matt Merciez

646-1822

[email protected]

Nanette Mizner

270-4921

[email protected]

Treasurer Chapter Of The Year Coordinator

Jim Clagett Diana Merciez

306-4455 515-2404

[email protected] [email protected]

Newsletter Editor Webmaster

Glenn Mizner

270-6451

[email protected]

Matt Merciez

646-1822

[email protected]

Ride Coordinator

Jim Sexton

287-7080

[email protected]

Virginia District District Directors

Dennis & Kristen Weston

757-463-4429

[email protected] or [email protected]

Assistant Director (West)

Wayne & Kathy Whitworth

540-586-0984

[email protected]

Assistant Director (North)

Rick & Elsie Baker

703-318-5899

[email protected]

Assistant Director (East) District Educator

Rich and Debbie Bonham John Bowles

804-536-9025 757-663-2057

[email protected] [email protected]

Assistant Educator (West)

Med Miller

540-588-9556

[email protected]

Assistant Educator (North)

OPEN

Assistant Educator (East)

John Skinner

757-482-5700

[email protected]

Chapter of The Year Coordinator

Gayle Wilson

District MEPCs and Couple

Glenn & Nanette Mizner

540-238-3263 757-270-6451 757-270-4921

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

District Trainer

Ken Taylor

703-819-6766

[email protected]

Treasurer

Mae Cappis

757-588-1426

[email protected]

Newsletter Editor

Kathy Skinner

757-482-5700

[email protected]

Webmaster

Dennis & Kristen Weston

757-463-4429

[email protected]

Rally Vendor Coordinator

Trish Adams

757-538-9989

[email protected]

Rally Camping Coordinators

Keith & Carol Lindgren

757-547-2773

[email protected]

Special Events Coordinator

Bobbie Jo Harrison

540-890-2890

[email protected]

Region N Staff Region Directors

Alan and Carolyn Little

704-485-4756

[email protected]

Region Educators

Kyle & Mitzela Craig

910-624-3224

[email protected]

Motorist Awareness Program

Wayne and Elva Grant

910-977-7601

wegrant.ec.rr.com

Region Trainers

Jim & Beverly Rambo

Member Enhancement

Tommy & Gayle Wilson

Region Couple

Boyd & Dianne Hixson

540-238-3136 540-238-3263 423-838-1051 423-284-2591

Region Treasurer

Sharon Simonick

210-218-2264


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[email protected] [email protected], [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]