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Gold Wing Road Riders Association
REGION WEBSITE:
http://bigskyregioni.org
Region Directors
Terry Huffman
[email protected]
Cheri Huffman
[email protected]
Assistant Directors
TBD
Region Educators
Mike and Lynn Briggs
[email protected]
Region Trainers
Dave & Sheila Chavez
[email protected]
Motorist Awareness & COY/IOY
Coordinators
Mike & Janet Turner
[email protected]
[email protected]
Membership Enhancement
Garry & Maxine Alexander
[email protected]
Treasurers
Dianna and Fred Borke
[email protected]
Region Ambassadors
Region I Communications
Coordinator
Doug and Donna Deskin
[email protected]
Webmaster
Mark Bridge
[email protected]
Newsletter Editor
Marla Muirbrook
[email protected]
News and Views for April 2015
Director’s Corner - April 2015
Communication, Communication,
Communication…is there anything more
important?
The definition of communication: “the
imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions,
or information by speech, writing, or signs”.
If decisions are made, and nobody knows what those decisions are, how can
they move forward? If someone asks you to do something, but doesn’t
make that request clear, will you know what to do? The answer to both of
those questions is no! If you have a problem or solution to a problem and
someone else has the same problem, but no one is communicating are you
both working twice as hard on the same issue? The answer is, of course you
are. If we don’t communicate then there is no sharing of ideas, no assisting
others with their problems and no wonderful opportunities to brainstorm
on why to make things better.
So…what is the solution? We have been given many tools to help us be
successful, and one of the most recent tools is “ZOOM”. So, for anyone
asking themselves, “what is Zoom?” Zoom is a video conference system that
allows us to hold conference calls via video chat. So, what is the big deal
you might ask…the big deal is that it not only gives us the opportunity to
communicate real-time with our peers, but also with our teams. We can
exchange ideas; give each other updates on what is going on in our Region,
District, and Chapter etc. or ask for help with problems we may be having.
It is also an opportunity to share information up and down the chain of
command. Information from Home Office shared from the Deputy Director
to the Region Director, that information can now be shared with the Region
Team, and the District Directors who can share it with their teams and the
Chapter Directors…who can share it with their teams and then pass the
information on via newsletters, email blasts or at their Chapter Gatherings.
And it works in reverse as well, information is meant to move not just down,
but also up the ladder from members all the way up to Home Office. Sweet
idea if we use it.
Region Helper
Alexia Velasco
Vendor Coordinator
Mary Hunter
[email protected]
Couple of the Year
ID District Directors
Don and Sharon Weber
[email protected]
m
MT District Directors
Chuck and Betty Bonnett
[email protected]
OR District Directors
Mike & Joy Bean
[email protected]
www.gwrraoregondistrict.com
WA District Directors
Reggie Porter
[email protected]
WY District Director
Rich & Dalene Goetz
[email protected]
www.gwrra-wy.org
NATIONAL WEBSITE:
http://www.gwrra.org
GWRRA Directors
Ray & Sandi Garris
[email protected]
GWRRA Deputy Directors
Anita and J.R. Alkire
[email protected]
So, who is “Zooming”? Currently each 3rd Wednesday of the month, our Deputy
Directors Anita & JR Alkire hold a meeting with the Region Directors from the
“I”ncredibly “F”un Regions (I & F), and they have even asked Region J Directors
to join in our Zoom Meeting to allow more sharing.
On the 3rd Tuesday of each month, we hold a Zoom Meeting with the Region I
Core Team to share and gather information. Each member of the team brings us
up-to-date on what is going on in their area of responsibility.
On the 4th Wednesday of each month, we hold a Zoom Meeting with the District
Directors in Region I, being that we are so spread out in our Region, this is the
ideal way to get closer without the disadvantage of having to travel hundreds if
not thousands of miles to do so.
All of these monthly meetings are extremely amazing and the information
shared, and the opportunity to connect is like nothing we’ve been able to do in
the past. So, what is the next stop in spreading the communication? Region I
has purchased the Pro Version of Zoom, a cheap deal at only $9.99/month,
District Directors, please contact me to discuss “Zoom” in your Districts, we may
be able to save you some money.
So…now that we have the tools let’s start communicating, communicating,
communicating, it’s not only fun….it’s IMPORTANT!!!!
Until next month…Live the Adventure….Ride Safely!!! (and communicate  )
Terry & Cheri Huffman
Region I Directors
Leadership Training in the Region
Leadership Training in the Region
Continuing from what I started last month in
describing the essence of Leadership, here is the
next part of the article reproduced from an article
presented recently at www.mindtools.com. Below
is the second part of the article.
Source:
www.mindtools.com
Once again, Leadership: A Definition
According to the idea of transformational leadership , an effective leader is a
person who does the following:
1. Creates an inspiring vision of the future.
2. Motivates and inspires people to engage with that vision.
3. Manages delivery of the vision.
4. Coaches and builds a team, so that it is more effective at achieving the
vision.
Continuing our examination of each element in more detail, below is the next part of the article:
2. Motivating and Inspiring People
A compelling vision provides the foundation for leadership. But it is the leaders' ability to motivate and inspire
people that help them deliver that vision.
For example, when you start a new project, you will probably have lots of enthusiasm for it, so it's often easy
to win support for the project at the beginning. However, it can be difficult to find ways to keep your vision
inspiring after the initial enthusiasm fades, especially if the team or organization needs to make significant
changes in the way that they do things. Leaders recognize this, and they work hard throughout the project to
connect their vision with people's individual needs, goals, and aspirations.
One of the key ways they do this is through Expectancy Theory. Effective leaders link together two different
expectations:
1. The expectation that hard work leads to good results.
2. The expectation that good results lead to attractive rewards or incentives.
This motivates people to work hard to achieve success, because they expect to enjoy rewards – both intrinsic
and extrinsic – as a result.
Other approaches include restating the vision in terms of the benefits it will bring to the team's customers, and
taking frequent opportunities to communicate the vision in an attractive and engaging way.
What's particularly helpful here is where leaders have expert power. People admire and believe in these
leaders because they are expert in what they do. They have credibility, and they've earned the right to ask
people to listen to them and follow them. This makes it much easier for these leaders to motivate and inspire
the people they lead.
Leaders can also motivate and influence people through their natural charisma and appeal, and through other
sources of power, such as the power to pay bonuses or assign tasks to people. However, good leaders don't
rely too much on these types of power to motivate and inspire others.
For next month, the article will go into “managing delivery of the vision”. As always, if there is a particular
leadership topic you would like to see presented in the future, please do not hesitate to let me know. For now,
keep those “learning caps” on and ride safe whenever on the road.
“The more you know the better it gets”
Dave & Sheila Chávez
Region I Trainer, SUT
From Our Rider Educator
So, it’s spring and that means that a lot of us will be taking the bikes out for the first time in a long time. Here are a couple
of reminders to think about:

Do a real thorough TCLOC check of your bike if it’s been a while? You never know what might have gotten into that
air filter or in the engine and chewed on hoses and things……
Better to discover it in the garage instead of 60 miles down the road!

Fresh fuel and an oil change might just keep the Mechanic away. We all know that fuel goes bad and it seems that
it goes bad faster these days. Even if you put a fuel stabilizer in, a tank of fresh fuel is an easy thing to do.

Hopefully you have been keeping your battery on a maintainer. If not, you may be in the market for a new battery.
Letting them run down is pretty hard on the battery.

How about you and your riding gear. Check your face shield for scratches. What a great time to put a new one on
and you get to see all of the spring flowers more clearly. Make sure you find all of your cords and cables if you use
them. Check the zippers on your jacket and riding pants. Now is the time to make any sewing repairs that you have
been putting off.
So you’re all ready to go for a ride. Remember that it may have been a while and your riding skills might just be a bit rusty.
Take a few minutes to think about riding and perhaps take short ride in a low traffic area to get back into the swing of
things. Yep, those riding skills are perishable so now is the time to start to renew them.
I know I talked about riding courses a couple of months ago, so I know you are thinking about taking one as it gets a bit
warmer. Let your Chapter Educator know that you are interested. We are planning lots of courses this year so come join us
and plan on having a great riding season.
Remember,
Take the long Road /:\
Mike and Lynn Briggs
Region I Educators
Region I Communications
COMMUNICATION!!!!
Communication on a group ride is essential. Everyone needs to know, how long the total ride will be, when and
where are the scheduled Pit Stops. Where and when are we stopping for lunch.
A good suggestion, before the ride, supply all of this information on paper. Giving everyone a final map noting
the group's route, itinerary, and the location of fuel, meal, rest or lodging stops. Sometimes, if the ride is large
enough, you may be asked to notice who is at your back so you can watch out for him. That way if everyone
keeps visual contact on the bike right behind you, you could pull over safely and wait for that rider to be sure
everything is ok. This would be a great form of COMMUNICATION.
Plan to arrive with your bike prepped, a full tank of fuel and everything else you plan to bring on the ride. Hand
signals should be reviewed so that you can communicate with the other riders during the ride. Hand signals are a
useful tool to keep the group aware and cohesive on the roadway.
A good rule of thumb is to plan rest and gas stops approximately every 1-2 hours, between 50 - 120 miles. You
should also consider planning the first rest stop within one (1) hour of departure. This allows those who need to
re-cycle their morning coffee the opportunity, and also allows for checking and readjustment of luggage.
Remember, headwinds and high speeds will increase gas consumption and decrease mileage.
Hand signals; An excellent form of COMMUNICATION. Before we had CB Radios, bike to bike and driver to
passenger we had to depend on hand signals. It is still an excellent backup plan, or when someone in the group
doesn’t have a CB or any working form of COMMUNICATION.
Every time a group of motorcyclists takes to the road together, they inevitably have a moment where they need
to COMMUNICATE with each other. If everyone is equipped with Bluetooth headset, then all they have to do is
talk, but let’s be realistic. While Bluetooth systems are getting better and less expensive, the vast majority of
riders still don’t use them.
So, how are we expected to communicate? The best way to get your message across, when riding in a group, is to
agree on some common hand signals. American Sign Language requires the use of both hands, making that a bad
choice for motorcycling. Chart above is a standard Hand Signal Chart that can be added to, or taken away from at
the beginning of the ride.
Ride Safe and remember to COMMUNICATE!
“Rolling Along”
Donna and Doug Deskin
Region I Communication Coordinators
News from the district directors
Idaho District News
A note from the “IDAHO ROCKS”
Good Morning Gold Wingers
Idaho is shaping up greatly. We had 17 people take the University Trainer Seminar and now waiting for everyone
to give a class to receive their Certificate. On April 18th 2015 we are having an OCP Seminar in Boise, Id. Check
on the Idaho Web Page for details if anyone in your Districts would like to participate.
Great news for the Idaho District Convention. On Saturday night after the BBQ Spare Ribs we will have Dave’s
Magic Tricks entertaining us. I hope he doesn’t cut anyone in half. Reminder to all the ‘Idaho Rocks’ they’re back
and the Idaho District Convention is on July 2, 3, 4, 2015. We will have our design of the T-Shirt out within a
couple of weeks. I believe the entertainment on Friday and Saturday Nights are a little different than we all are use
to . Come and enjoy with us.
Happy Trails to You
Don and Sharon Weber
Idaho District Director
Montana District News
Time is running out to reserve your camping space or hotel room in Deer Lodge for the
2015 Montana District Convention, “Break Our Your Wing in Deer Lodge”
July 23, 24, and 25, 2015
The Cut off date is BEFORE the 1st of May 2015 to assure your hotel room / camping space and rates!
Deer Lodge will be experiencing over flow from Butte's Evel Knievel Days being held on the same weekend, so
please book your lodging early!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lodging
Host Campground: Indian Creek RV Park & Campground, I-90 Exit 184
50 Amp $27.90 +Tax
745 Maverick Lane
30 Amp $25.50 +Tax
Deer Lodge, MT 59722
Tent
$16.20 +Tax (No power)
You MUST call (406) 846-3848 and ask for the GWRRA rate BEFORE 1 May 2015.
Stay @ Indian Creek RV Park & Campground and get a one-time 10% off at the 4B’s Restaurant and
a one-time $0.02 off on gas or diesel at the I-90 Auto Truck Plaza.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Host Hotel: Travelodge, I-90 Exit 184
Single King $50.00 +Tax
1150 North Main Street
Single Queen
$50.00 +Tax
Deer Lodge, MT 59722
Double Queen $60.00 +Tax
You MUST call (406) 846-2370 and ask for the GWRRA rate BEFORE 1 May 2015.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Camping inside the Old Montana Prison:
Camping includes basic rest rooms; Showers are available at Indian Creek for $4.00 per shower.
Old Prison Museum
Dry Camping
$15.00 +Tax
1106 Main St
Dry 15 Amp Camping
$20.00 +Tax (Limit 5)
Deer Lodge, MT 59722
You MUST call (406)-846-3111 and ask for the GWRRA rate. BEFORE 1 May 2015.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Get your registration in and be a part of the fun! There will be a cowboy/cowgirl western hat contest! Make it wild,
authentic, clean, dirty, or make it sparkle! Wear your favorite western hat!
A light parade will be on Friday evening at sunset! Let’s dazzle them with the lights on our bikes after dinner and
an ice cream social.
Saturday, all our bikes will go to the Old Montana State Prison and we will have our Bike Show in the “Yard” of
the Old Prison. Sparkle and Shine will be the item of the day!
You can ride from Deer Lodge to a wonderful candy store in Phillipsburg called the “Sweet Palace” and it sits next
to the Logo Sapphire Store. You can buy your honey a new piece of sapphire jewelry made from sapphires in the
local area and then have a great piece of candy (there is sugar-free for those that want that). This ride is
approximately 120 miles or 2.5 hours of riding time, plus a little shopping, and a bit to eat to top of a great time.
There is so much rich history in the area of Deer Lodge it will amaze you. While you learn the history of the area,
you can do a poker run with the local merchants, visit the local museum, shop at the Prison Store and purchase
some crafts made by the local prison population housed in the new Montana State Prison east of town.
There is so much history in the area that you can learn about some things such as checking out an actual working
cattle ranch that runs a lot like it did in the 1860s. You can check out the Railroad Museum, the Car Museum, or
taking a walking tour of the town and learn a little about the historical buildings in Deer Lodge.
Did you know that Deer Lodge served for the filming on such films as 1985’s Runaway Train starring Jon Voight
and 1992’s Diggstown starring James Woods and Louis Gossett Jr.?
While you are “Breaking Your Wing Out in Deer Lodge” the host hotel will be the Travelodge so if you need help
with anything or just want to stop and chat, look Sandy and Willie up at the Travelodge and they will be able to
assist you on whatever you may need. Your hosts at the Indian Creek Campground will be Betty and Chuck
Bonnett. They will also be able to help you with anything you may need for your stay in historic Deer Lodge.
We are going western so bring your blue jeans, boots, hats, and western wear and help us have a great rally! There
will be lots of door prizes, brown bag drawings, give always, and most importantly there will be TONS of fun!
Come laugh with us and have a great time!
Please access the Montana District Web Page for registration and info! Please help Montana have a great turn out
for our Rally!
District Website: http://www.gwrra-mtdistrict.org/
or contact the Montana District Director Chuck Bonnett by e-mail [email protected]
or call 406-256-9396.
Your GWRRA Montana District Team welcomes you to Deer Lodge!
Oregon District News
April 2015 From the Director’s Desk
Although the weather has been rainy with showers, many of you are still out riding. Please be careful of large
puddles, railroad tracks and wet tar strips; use your lights as the cloudy skies make for darker days and slow
down if necessary. Starting in April GWRRA chapters begin having fund-raising rides. Please support not only
your chapter, but visit other chapters and try to support their fund-raisers. All of Oregon’s chapters are close
enough to several of Washington’s for us to visit their chapter gatherings or rides. You will be making new
friends and have fun doing it.
We know of a road we hope you will ride in July. The one that brings you to the Oregon District Rally at the Hood
River County Fairgrounds in Odell, Oregon (just 7 miles from Hood River, Oregon and the Columbia River Gorge;
in the beautiful Hood River Valley.) Please check the end of this newsletter for the registration form and more
information.
ARC and TRC training classes are being planned. The ARC tentatively set for the last weekend in April, with the
classroom portion in Silverton and the course training in east Salem. The TRC training classes to be held in May,
the exact date is to be announced. Please contact your Chapter Educator or Chapter Director if interested as
classes are limited in size.
Your chapter MEC’s call the new members to GWRRA, but you as a member can call new members and
personally invite them to chapter activities. You are the best advocates of the fun we have.
Ride Safe!
Mike and Joy Bean
Oregon District Directors
Washington District News
Hello to region I
As the WA District Director I would like to personally invite each and every one of you to our Convention 2015.
Washington State is very busy preparing for our district convention 2015. Our dates are July16th, 17th, 18th and
home on the 20th.Gates open up Thursday the 16th at 12:00 PM (noon).This year our convention is going to be
held in Port Townsend, Washington, our theme is Happy Days back to the 50s. With that I am going to give you
some of the highlights to look forward too. Friday night we are having an ice cream bar where you can order
banana splits, milkshakes, malts and anything that can be made with ice cream instead of just having an ice cream
social and the cost for this is free. We will have live music along with that a sock hop is planned on Saturday night
along with our Saturday night dinner. Our dinner is $15:00 a plate and for that, you will receive fried chicken, your
choice of baked beans, potato salad, macaroni salad, green salad and a dessert , dinner roll and your drink. We
have camping on site for $15 a night for tent trailers and RVs that are fully contained with that, you would receive
water and electric. There also is a RV park on site and you have to get a hold of the fairgrounds to set up your
reservations for your RVs.
For our Saturday night dinner there is a competition, each chapter will be responsible for decorating a table up in
our theme and they will be judged, and there will be a prize for winner.
Of course we are going to have a bike show and a light parade and all of the normal things that we've always had at
our conventions, plus with some surprises along the way. So everybody get out your poodle skirts, guys get your
white T-shirts out and come to the 2015 Washington District convention and let's all have a great time.
We have our registration form on district website and if you have any questions or anything, you may contact any
of us and will try to help you.
At least in my mind, riding season is just around the corner and I know everybody's working on their conventions
and getting everything set up please once you get all your information together send it to our webmaster so we can
get it on the district website. We would like to promote for you all. It’s going to be a great riding season looking
forward to seeing each and every one of you soon.
WA District Directors
Reggie and Chuck Porter
Thanks for all your support
APRIL MILESTONE GWRRA ANNIVERSARIES
34 YEARS
JOHN BOYD
WA-O
33 YEARS
JANITA COX
WY-A
31 YEARS
RONALD D DAVIDSON
MIKE T. BRIGGS
30 YEARS
JOSEPH W LOHRENGEL
DORIS M LOHRENGEL
LYNN M BRIGGS
29 YEARS
DON R BEYELER
ELEANORE I BEYELER
PAUL E BENNETT
CHERYL J DAVIDSON
28 YEARS
GARNEY G ARCAND
DONNA DESKIN
EUGENE L MYERS
PAMELA J MYERS
DIONISIO GARZA, JR
WA-E
WA-P
WA-L
WA-L
WA-M
WA-L
WA-I
27 YEARS
RICK C NEIL
RICHARD VANDERSLOOT
MT-M
UA
WA-I
WA-I
WA-I
26 YEARS
RONALD O HARTZ
WY-B
25 YEARS
LYNN A FRISBEE
WA-Q
20 YEARS
DENNIS G MURPHY
MERVIN BARKER, JR
WA-V
OR-J
ID-A
ID-A
OR-I
WA-L
Oregon District Convention 2015-– June 9-11 -– Odell, OR
http://www.gwrraoregondistrict.com/
Registration/Flyer is available on OR District website
Preregistration date June 8, 2015
Wyoming District Convention 2015-– July 9 - 11, -– Buffalo, WY
http://www.gwrra-wy.org/events/registration
Registration and Schedule is available on WY District website
Preregistration date June 8th, 2015
Region J Convention 2015 –Aug 1-3-- CRANBROOK, BC, Canada
http://gwrra-regionj.ca
Online Registration and information is available on Region J Website
Preregistration due June 1, 2015
Idaho District Convention July 2-4, 2015 –Kamiah, ID
http://gwrra-id.us
Registration and Flyer is available on Idaho District Website
Preregistration due by June 1, 2015
Montana District Convention 2015 -– July 23-25 – Deer Lodge, MT
http://www.gwrra-mtdistrict.org/
Registration and Flyer on MT District Website
Preregistration due by June 20, 2015
Washington District Convention 2015—July 16-18—Port Townsend, WA
http://gwrra-wa.org/Flyers/2015/2015_Washington_District_Rally.pdf
Registration/Flyer is available on WA District Website
Preregistration due by July 3, 2015
Big Sky Region I Convention 2015 -– August 5-8 -– LEWISTON, ID
http://www.bigskyregioni.org
Registration is available on Region I Website
Preregistration due by July 11, 2015
Wing Ding International Convention 2015 – Sept 3-6 – Huntsville, AL
http://www.wing-ding.org
Registration, Schedule, Vendor List, etc. on Wing Ding website
Preregistration due by July 16, 2015
Make some plans ~ Make some rides ~ Make some memories!!
2006 Goldwing with 2011 Lehman Monarch II Trike Kit
with 3% Rake
Low Mileage, CB, Heated Seats and Grips, Set up for Gerbing heated clothing, Utopia
backrest, Trailer Hitch, Triple Ring of Fire, Driving lights & more. Low Mileage 38,000.
No problems with fit and finish. Maintenance kept current.
$25,000.00
Mike Bean
Oregon District Director
503-951-2668
Communication is the key- let’s talk.
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