Chapter U Gathering 20 January 2016 FUN – FUN – FUN
FuN = “U” + CHAPTER U!!
2016 is off and running. Hopefully everyone has kick started their New Year and is gearing up for the riding and rally season. There are a host of GWRRA activities being conducted during the next 3-4 months and we want to see you at as many as possible. Fun is Fun, but it’s a lot more Fun if you have Fun with FUN friends.
½ of your new Chapter Director team
After the Pledge of Allegiance and ensuring everyone had signed in for the meeting, Chapter Director Steve Van Gilder made administrative remarks and discussed the agenda for the evening. Ed Smith was called upon to tell a joke for the assembled crowd. It went over like an ice floe falling off a glacier, good times, good times. Steve also mentioned that Scott Hay was taking pictures of Riders at the Gathering and to make sure to get your picture taken before departing for the evening. Steve thanked Chapter members for their help in making Chapter U such a great Chapter in 2015. He also thanked Court and Diane van Sickler for their leadership as Chapter Directors in 2015.
Steve announced a contest for the February Gathering for the person wearing the oldest motorcycle related shirt. 5 raffle tickets will go to the winner.
Contestants must model their entry and selected dignitaries will do judging.
Chapter H guests
We had 32 GWRRA members and 4 guests from Chapter H, attending the January Gathering. It was good to see some folks we haven’t seen in a while, i.e., Gary and Diana Ellis and John and Judy Curtis.
The better ½ of your new Chapter Director team
Donna Van Gilder recognized the January birthdays and anniversaries, which were greeted by a round of applause for those celebrating.
GWRRA Life members
Steve went over the following events scheduled for January and February.
Should leadership not be provided in advance, those who show up on those days should agree on a route and assign Road Captains from among those assembled. If you take pictures and provide a short write up of your adventure, we will publish it in the Newsletter and post it on the Chapter U website.
January
23 January, Saturday - Ride to Gonzales Jail, depart KPS at 8:30 am 31 January, Sunday – Just Ride
February
Monday, February 1 - 1000 – meet at KPS for Hooky Ride departure - Were going to the Hungry Horse Restaurant in Boerne for lunch - there will be a pick- up at the Valero Gas Station on Hwy 46 & 3159 at approximately 10:45 a.m.
6 February, Saturday - Ride to Painted Churches with a possible stop at the Shiner Brewery, depart KPS at 8:30 am
13 February, Saturday - Valentine's Day ride for lunch, Location TBA 15 February, Monday - (Holiday) President’s Day
17 February, Wednesday - “Chapter Gathering" for Chapter U will be at the La Cabana Restaurant, upstairs room, at 170 Buffalo Place Cibolo, TX
20 February, Saturday - Ride to LBJ Ranch/Johnson City; depart KPS at 8:30 28 February, Sunday – Just Ride
17-19 March – Region H Rally will be in Marshall, TX and the theme will be
“Three Ringed Circus.”
31 March - 2 April – Louisiana District Rally, Lafayette, LA.
In addition to these two months your Chapter Team has coordinated a calendar of events for the rest of 2016. The calendar is flexible and provides a start for planning for the rest of the year. If you have ideas on rides or events to participate in please pass them on to your leadership team.
Ken and Connie Jordan, Chapter Rider Educators, asked Chapter U members to verify the status of individual training through the GWRRA Rider Education portion of the web site. Ken and Connie led members through that process.
Ken also presented patches and recognition to the following five members for advancing in the Levels program:
Ed Smith – Level I Helen Smith – Level II Rick Kendrick – Level II Pat Kendrick – Level II Scott Hay – Level II
Big Bend/Ft Davis Coordinator
Rick and Pat Kendrick, Hospitality Ambassador’s, updated members on status of 4 Day/3 Night ride to the Ft Davis/Big Bend area, departing on Friday, 29 Apr 16 and returning home on Monday, 2 May 16. This trip will be over four days and Rick has scheduled a variety of activities. If Big Bend is on your bucket list, opportunity is knocking. Confirmation and the making of reservations needs to be conducted very quickly as spaces and reservations in the Big Bend area are filling up rapidly.
Talking for Tux
Tom Hendricks, Membership Enhancement Coordinator, is asking for Rider assistance in determining what Chapter U likes to do, where they want to ride and how to continue to have FUN, keeping all involved and still appealing to new members. A few of the things of note the Chapter has done lately or needs to prepare for are:
a. Region H honored the Chapter U Newsletter by awarding a Certificate of Appreciation for being the 2d Runner-up in the Region Newsletter competition for 2015.
b. We have started a “Where’s Tux”, similar to GWRRA’s “Where’s Wingy” to stimulate the reading of our Newsletter. Look for it in our February edition. There is a prize!
c. The Chapter trifold (The trifold provides information on GWRRA and Chapter U on two sheets of paper which are folded in as a trifold) has been updated and is on the MEC portion of the web site. Print off a few copies and as you see people who are not members of GWRRA or Chapter U, provide them a copy and hopefully some will become members.
d. The 2016 Region H Rally is coming up! There are a host of events/competitions our Chapter can be involved in, i.e., Best Dressed, Chapter Jacket, Chapter Shirt, Newsletter, Mascot, Scrapbook, Theme Dressed, Windshield Cover, Bike Shows, Banner, and COY.
e. The above competitions are also normally a part of most of the
District Rally’s, so plan accordingly.
f. FYI – We have our raffle every month at the Chapter Gathering and our sponsors and individuals in our chapter donate the prizes. If you have motorcycle, GWRRA or related things that we could use as raffle prizes, we could use your donations. For every item donated you will receive a raffle ticket for the evenings drawing.
Tom Hendricks, Newsletter Editor, reminded everyone that the deadline for the February Newsletter is 23 January. If you see something the group would find interesting, prepare a brief write up, take a few photos, and we’ll try to publish them in the Newsletter.
What a tangled web they weave
Ed Smith, Webmaster, reminded everyone that all Chapter U pictures are on Shutterfly and can be accessed through the Chapter U website. Everyone was reminded to check the Chapter U website, texaschapteru.org, to verify the dates, locations, times of rides, and other Chapter activities for the upcoming months.
Ed is also posting many items for member knowledge and recruiting purposes, i.e., the Trifold for recruiting and better understanding of the basics of Chapter U and GWRRA. Ed is here to help, let him know if he can make your riding experience better.
Steve Van Gilder won the drawing for the GWRRA number of a Chapter member in attendance at the Gathering. As we had a winner, $10.00 will be inputted for next month’s drawing for a new total of $10.00.
Sal and Phylis Pesta, Chapter U Couple of the Year, reminded everyone that Phylis had the Chapter U scrapbook available for viewing. If you want to see what your Chapter did last year look in the scrapbook. Excellent job, Phylis.
Donna Van Gilder, 2016 Chapter of the Year Coordinator, asked members to forward copies of GWRRA related training and other events that would aid in the process of becoming the 2016 Texas District Chapter of the Year. Donna also thanked Connie Jordan for her professionalism and great work on the 2015 Chapter of the Year input.
The 20/30/50 raffle was won by Mike Whiteside, (20%) and Tim Gressler, Jr.
(30%). The winner of the Kent Powersports gift certificate was Tim McKee. Gift cards to the La Cabana restaurant were won by Mike Whiteside and Tim McKee.
Now that’s a happy man!
A special thanks was given to the Whiteside family, who provided dessert for the evening. The Chapter will provide dessert for the February Gathering in honor of Chapter U’s 10th Anniversary.
And, as always, we want to thank our La Cabana Restaurant waiter Zack for his outstanding service, and to those who donated raffle items including our sponsors Kent Powersports in Selma, I35 North Honda in New Braunfels, Mitchell Motorsports in Kyle, Texas and La Cabana restaurant in Cibolo, Texas.
Another winning Gressler The next Gathering will be 17 February.
Write up provided by Tom Hendricks and photos provided by Chapter Photographer, Helen Smith and Assistant Chapter Photographer Scott Hay.
