February 2020 Volume 6, Issue 2

CHAPTER Y GATHERING BLUE COMET MOTORCYCLE

FACILITY 4042 Mensch Road

Skippack, PA Gathering Time 9:00 a.m.

February 22nd 2020

Inside this issue

Chapter Y Staff 1

Upcoming Events 2

From the Desk of

Nettie 3-4

Your Assistant

Chapter Directors 5

Member Ehancement

Coordinator 6

Person(s) of the

Month 7-8

Contributed Articles 9-10

From the Web Side 11-13

PA District Director 14

PA District Ride

Educator 15-16

For Sale 17

Flyers 18-21

G.W.R.R.A Team 22

Chapter Directors

Nettie McFarland director@gwrrapa-y.com

Assistant Chapter Director

Pete & Ruth Grillo assistantcd@gwrrapa-y.com

Treasurer

Ben Robinson treasurer@gwrrapa-y.com

Member Enhancement

Coordinator

Lee Little mec@gwrrapa-y.com

Ride Coordinator

Rich McFarland rides@gwrrpa-y.com

Chapter Secretary

Katie Green secretary@gwrrapa-y.com

Sunshine

Jane Youells sunshine@gwrrapa-y.com

215-498-3781

Goodies Store

Cathy Fenley goodies@gwrrapa-y.com

GWRRA PA District Chapter Y

Harleysville PA www.gwrrapa-y.com

Motorist Awareness

Coordinator

Russell Kriebel motoristawareness@gwrrapa-

y.com

Chapter Skill Enhancement Advisor

Doug Little rider-ed@gwrrapa-y.com

Couple of the Year

Coordinators

Doug & Lee Little coyc@gwrrapa-y.com

2019-2020 Couple of the Year

Bob Cox & Katie Green coy@gwrrapa-y.com

Roll For Dough Coordinator

Pete Grillo rfd@gwrrapa-y.com

Newsletter Editor

Joan Cope newsletter@gwrrapa-y.com

Web Master

Dan Reisinger webinfo@gwrrapa-y.com

DIRECTORS OF GWRRA

Jere & Sherry Goodman

director@gwrra.org

Home Office, Phoenix, AZ 800-843-9460

www.gwrra.org

PA DISTRICT DIRECTORS

Harold & Diane Jackson

Jackson2@zoominternet.net

814-589-1307

www.codynparker.com

CHAPTER Y STAFF

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********************* 2020 Events *********************

PA CHAPTER Y EVENTS February 8 … 5:00 PM … Informal Dinner …

Franconia Heritage Restaurant 508 Harleysville Pike Telford, PA 18969, Contact Gail Sperlbaum dinners@gwrrapa-y.com so she can advise the restaurant of the number of attendees.

February 22 …9:00 AM … Chapter Y Gathering

Blue Comet Motorcycle Club Facility, Mensch Rd., Skippack

Around the PA District 2020 March 14 … District Couple of the Year Fun Day March 18 … District Officer Conference May 3 … PA-M Hobo Stew May 9 … PA-B Spring Fling, Lancaster Central Park Lancaster May 14-16 … PA District Rally, Altoona Grand Hotel, Altoona June 7 … PA-H Dice Run, Bloomsburg June 12-14 … PA All Chapters West, Treasure Lake KOA, Dubois, Host PA-I July 18 … PA-R Gum Ball Run August 1 … PA-W Bug Run August 16 … District Ride-In Sept. 4-6 … PA-Q Chicken BBQ & Campout Sept. 11-13 … PA All Chapters East, Bodnarosa Motel & Campground, Berwick Florida District for our Snow Birds! 2020, March 19-21 … Florida District Rally… Luck of the Irish, Hilton Hotel,

Altamonte Springs, FL

National Wing Ding 42 … JUNE 30-JULY 4, 2020 … Springfield, Missouri

To our members celebrating in February

To our members celebrating in February

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From the Desk of Nettie

Nettie McFarland

Good Day Chapter PA-Y!

WOW what a great few weeks we have had so far! Good job to everyone, from officers, staff and members.

We have had our first few get togethers of the new year! Informal dinner was well attended, and it seemed that all had good food and a great social time together. We had a great turnout to our January’s meeting. Some of us had lunch together at the Franconia Café after the meeting, again good food and great social time.

I would like to remind everyone to be proud of our chapter and organization and show it. One way is to wear your vest and add patches and pins to it. You only must add the big patch in the back with its 2 rockers, 1 on top and 1 on bottom. This tells people who do not know you who you are associate with, Chapter PA-Y. Plus, just 3 on the front, remember we do have a goodies person (Cathy Fenley) with whom you can purchase these patches from. If anyone has a problem with the cost, please just let me know and I will see what we can do for you.

We will have information on shirts and jackets at our February Gathering:

Cost, color, sizes and where to purchase them.

We all can show our Chapter -Y spirit by dressing up for our Gatherings. We will dress for the next month holiday. At February’s meeting we will dress in our Shamrock “St. Patrick’s Day” attire. Also, who dresses up the most will receive a surprise from our chapter. You Chapter Director will dress up but is excluded from the gift, since she will be purchasing it.

Chapter PA – Y has great members and that is the reason I stepped up to be director. However, we need more. In the coming year, we would like to focus on attracting both more members and younger members. If you have some implementable ideas, please let us know.

One of things we will doing is putting together packets for new members and we would ask that each of us carry 2 packets in our bikes. This way when we meet or see bikers, we can share with them. Also did you know what if you get someone to join GWRRA any chapter and they include your name on the paperwork you receive a pin to proudly where on your vest.

Thank you for your ideas and friendship. We look forward to a great year of riding and camaraderie.

Looking forward to an early spring with all the rain showers at night! Hey at these temps and weather it should be an early riding season. One can only hope.

Our Chapter Director

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Why I Ride

author unknown

I see people fumble around when they try to explain to a non-rider what the appeal of a motorcycle is all about. Here is my version.

When people ask why I ride, I don't know how to answer quickly. Sometimes I am even asked “Do you have a death wish?” It is quite the opposite. It is a life-wish, or more accurately, a life-celebration. A motorcycle is not just a two-wheeled car; it's the difference between watching TV and living your life.

On a motorcycle I am reminded of how alive I am, and of the intimate features of everything around me. When I ride, even the familiar seems strange and glorious. The air has weight and substance as I push through it and its touch is as intimate as water to a swimmer. I feel the cool waves of air that pool under trees and the warm waves of air that fall through them. I can see everything in a sweeping 360 degrees, up, down and around, unrestricted by ceiling or dashboard.

Smells become vivid. All the tree smells and flower smells are like chemical notes in a great plant symphony. I can smell each honeysuckle I pass by. I can smell the patch of freshly cut grass, and freshly dug earth in a garden. I know when the rabbit scurries away to a safer bush. I know when a raccoon stops to watch me, or the squirrels get excited. You may not know this, but I can hear the leaves rustle and the bugs making noises. People passing by in cars are completely oblivious to nearly all the glorious things that are going on all around them. A motorcycle rider can feel and touch the sun rays, hear, feel, smell, and see the wind. A ride on a summer afternoon can border on rapturous. The sheer volume and variety of stimuli is like a soothing bath for the nervous system, an electrical massage for my brain, a system check for my soul. It brings smiles out of everyone who wants to be there.

Transportation is only a secondary function. A motorcycle is a joy machine. It’s a machine of wonders, a metal bird, a celebration of all that's around you. It’s light and dark and shiny and dirty and warm and cold lapping over each other; it’s a conduit of grace, a catalyst for bonding the gritty and holy. The same bit of rain we usually hide from becomes a truly joyous thing.

Cars lie to us and tell us we’re safe and powerful, and in control. Motorcycles tell us a more important truth: We are small, and probably moving too fast for our own good, but we are more alive outside the cocoon than when we lock ourselves up and strap ourselves in out of fear. As Burt Munro used to say - "you can live more in five minutes than most people live in a lifetime." I don't know how to say it any better than that.

Nettie McFarland Chapter Director PA-Y

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from Your Chapter Assistant Directors Pete & Ruth Grillo

CPR / First Aid Re-Certification

Hard to believe that the holidays are already over and we are into a new year. We had a great holiday season with our son John and his girlfriend visiting for the holidays. This is a quiet time of the year when the bikes are put away and the boat is out of the water all covered up for the winter. This is a good time to catch-up on activities that we do not have time to do over the summer months.

So, we decided to take our yearly vacation to Disney World during the last two weeks in January. This is one of Ellen’s favorite places. She enjoys visiting all the parks and going on all the rides. Her favorite rides are Soaring in Epcot, It’s a Small World in Magic Kingdom and she even has become a daredevil with rides like the Tower or Terror ride in Hollywood studios and the Avatar: Flight of Passage in Animal Kingdom.

Getting my CPR / First Aid re-certification will be next on my list to maintain my Level IV s Tour Rider in the GWRRA Levels Program and my Instructor certification for the PA Motorcycle Safety Program (pamsp.com).

Over the last two years Nick Bykowski has been very kind and taught the CPR/First Aid course for our chapter. Nick does a wonderful job as an instructor and everybody who took the course enjoyed it. Nick will again provide the course for Chapter PA-Y and will be setting up a 2020 time frame to present the CPR/First Aid certification. Check your certification and if you need to renew it please be sure to sign up when Nick schedules the course.

Pete and Ruth Grillo Assistant Chapter Directors PA-Y

Our Assistant Chapter Director

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Membership Enhancement Coordinator

Lee Little

Great start to 2020… big attendance at the January events… Informal Dinner, Gathering and after Gathering lunch. Look for your February newsletter and Group Works notices to keep you up to date on chapter happenings. This time of year curtails riding and gives more time to socialize and get to know more of our members… come out to our Informal Dinners – a great time to learn more about the folks you ride with… come out to a Gathering and/or Training event, get to know your officers, have fun sharing information.

Wishing happy days to all those celebrating birthdays and special anniversaries this month. Sending special thoughts and get well wishes to those facing difficulties this month… know that your fellow members care. Wishing all members have an opportunity to attend and participate in the upcoming month’s activities.

Our GWRRA Directors, Jere and Shirley Goodman have reminded us to be proud of our chapter and organization and show it. In the New Member Orientation Guide it discusses vests, pins and patches! When you attend various GWRRA events, whether it be a chapter Gathering or special event, a State Rally, or a dinner or ride, you will notice many Members wearing leather or fabric vests with pins and patches. Most of the pins and patches represent a fond memory of a “ride” or “event” the Member has participated in. Others represent a volunteer leader position the Member holds or has held, while others signify the achievement level in the Rider Education Program or a Leadership Training course. These pins and patches are basically souvenirs that are fun to look back on for the memories each represents. There is not a right or wrong way to display your pins and patches on your vest… and wearing a vest is certainly not required. GWRRA requests Officers to wear their vest as their commitment to the organization and shows their name and chapter position.

At our January Gathering, CD Nettie provided name tags for each person as they signed in. This was a great help to all members… those long time members as well as our newer members. Our chapter has grown to 175 members, some get to attend events frequently, while others can attend sporadically. The name tags helped us to put names with faces… as we attend more events, we will get to know each other better. Dan and Joan, our newsletter editors, urge us to include names with pictures submitted thereby also helping place names with faces.

Again, we’re starting 2020 with a new slate of officers… new ideas… continuing on the fun of riding we joined this chapter to do. They are hard at work getting everything organized… they are your volunteers… you show your support in participating in the gatherings, dinners and rides they strive to make available to you. Kudos to them for stepping forward for our benefit!

Peggy Kratz & Lee Little

Member Enhancement Coordinator

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Getting to know – Ellen Grillo

Ellen Grillo is a member of GWRRA Chapter Y along with her parents Pete and Ruth Grillo. Ellen is a fun loving 21-year-old who loves to rider in her 2015 Goldwing Hannigan sidecar. Ellen brings smiles and joy to the Chapter Y events. Ellen also participates in the GWRRA levels program and is currently at Level I.

We were asked to write a little about Ellen and introduce her to the chapter. Ellen was born with Beckwith-Wiederman Syndrome (BWS). BWS is a very rare genetic overgrowth disorder that can affect several parts of the body with an estimated occurrence of 1 in approximately 13,000 people. Common features of BWS are overgrowth of various parts of the body, enlarged organs or an enlarged tongue. Also with BWS there is a small chance of cognitive delays.

Ellen has been impacted by these cognitive delays and is non-verbal. She does her best to communicate verbally but it may be difficult to understand her. She uses an iPad with a communication application called Proloquo2Go to communicate. We have added many pictures of Chapter Y members and chapter activities to the application so Ellen can share her stories of Chapter Y events with others. Ellen also has Absence Seizures which are controlled by medication.

Sometimes Ellen can become overwhelmed and emotional in certain situations such as large noisy environments, unfamiliar locations or large group of people she is not familiar with. It might take a little while for Ellen to regain her composure and then she usually joins back into the activity and has fun.

Last year (2019) was a big year for Ellen. In March, Ellen turned 21 and in June she graduated from Methacton High School. Over the summer Ellen started the next step in her young adulthood. Ellen receives 35 hours of one-on-one support per week. Ellen and her aid are very busy during the week. Two days a week Ellen volunteers at Meadowood Senior Living Community where she works in laundry services folding towels and pillowcases. Another day Ellen volunteers at Habit for Humanity where she tests donated lightbulbs, distributes the lights bulbs to the appropriate departments and helps stock shelves. Ellen also volunteers at Peter Powerhouse where she performs lunch runs for CHOP and helps at blood drives. At the blood drive Ellen greets people, provides snacks and drinks to people after they donate blood. Starting in the spring, Ellen will also be volunteering at Willow Creek Farm Preserve community food bank where she will be helping with gardening. The rest of the time Ellen goes to the YMCA for swimming and yoga. So, as you can see Ellen’s calendar is very full.

As many are aware, we have a Goldwing with a Hannigan sidecar, which Ellen thinks is her motorcycle. How we purchased the sidecar was an interesting story. Ellen has always wanted to ride on my Honda Valkyrie but we would not let her because of safety concerns. So back in 2018, we decided that a sidecar might be a good way to get Ellen involved in motorcycling. In that year, many members of the chapter were going to Wing Ding 40. On the ride to Wing Ding, I told everybody we

Person(s) of the Month

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wanted a sidecar for Ellen. A joke was made that the goal was to find Ellen a sidecar at Wing Ding 40. I responded by saying there is a little chance we will find a sidecar that I like at Wing Ding for sale.

Well as it turns out on the first day we walked into the vendor area at Wing Ding, on the floor in front of the Hannigan booth was a 2015 red and black 40th Anniversary Edition Goldwing with a Hannigan GTL sidecar with a For Sale Sign on it. Instantly I knew it was the right bike. I called Ruth and told her about the bike, and we agreed to take a chance and purchased it. Hoping that Ellen would like it.

I had to go the Hannigan factory in Murray, KY to pick up the bike and ride it home. The trip home was wonderful, and it took about 3 days riding through the mountains of KY, VA and MD to get home. When I arrived home, we showed the bike to Ellen. She had a big smile and jumped right into the side. From there you know the rest. Ellen just loves to ride in her air-conditioned sidecar with a big smile on her face. Saying Hi to everybody.

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Information Provided by: Motorcycles.com From Nettie McFarland

As I sit here and try to think of what to write for my article, for February’s Newsletter, I decided

to search the web for safety ideas. It is funny that I found an article about Best Motorcycle Earplugs. Who would have thought that we needed earplugs? I thought yeah ok if you ride a loud Harley then I guess I could understand it. But we ride Goldwings, but as I read this article, I found out that it is not necessary what we ride but the air around us.

Since hearing usually plays second fiddle to vision when riding motorcycles, people sometimes forget how vulnerable their ears are out there on the road. The sound of your helmet traveling through the air at highway speeds is more than enough to damage your hearing over the long term – or even the short term if you’re wearing an open face or half-helmet. While it may go counter to your initial thoughts, wearing earplugs can help you hear better. When your ears aren’t completely overwhelmed, you can hear more sounds.

Currently, we’re experiencing a Gold Rush of new earplugs directed towards powersports and other noisy activities. These new generation earplugs have been tuned for the frequencies they reduce, making it possible for riders to protect their ears and still be able to carry on a conversation at a stoplight. The good news is that, when properly inserted, they work better than just about anything else at lessening the intensity of the sound reaching your ears. However, they have some shortcomings. First, if improperly inserted, their effectiveness is radically lessened. Second, many riders feel that the uneven damping of frequencies make sounds muffled and unclear.

Should I wear earplugs on my motorcycle?

Ask a room full of motorcyclists this question and half the room will respond… “What? Speak up. I can’t hear you.” In our opinion, you should listen to the other half of the room. As mentioned at the top of this page, just the wind noise can hurt your ears if sustained long enough. And you don’t need to be traveling fast, either. There’s a misconception that wearing earplugs means you won’t be able to hear a thing. While it’s true it might be harder to hear someone in their car talking to you at a stoplight, you definitely don’t lose your sense of hearing, and you often are able to hear your own motorcycle better. The thing about hearing loss is that it doesn’t occur overnight. Years of riding without earplugs will inevitably cause damage, and though you may not go completely deaf, your ears will definitely not be as sharp as they could be. Is it Legal to Wear Earplugs While Riding a Motorcycle?

Before investing in some motorcycle earplugs, you may want to check whether it’s legal in your state to wear them when operating a motorcycle. Most states don’t have any laws prohibiting earplugs, therefore making them legal (or more accurately, “not illegal.”) According to the American Motorcyclist Association, only California, Ohio and Maryland have restrictions on riding with earplugs.

Ohio has an outright ban on wearing earplugs in both ears when operating any vehicle, though there is legislation currently being reviewed by a state senate committee that would permit motorcyclists to wear ear protection. In California, earplugs are allowed so long as they do not inhibit

Contributed Articles

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the rider from hearing horns from other vehicles or sirens from emergency vehicles. The law in Maryland is similar, but further restricts riders to using just custom earplugs.

Are custom earplugs better?

Not necessarily. To get into the reasons why, it’s easiest to create a pros and cons list. The Pros of going custom are self-explanatory, primarily the fact you have a set of earplugs you know will fit your ears. Also, some companies can integrate custom speakers into the mold, turning your custom earplugs into a set of custom earbuds, to attach to your phone, GPS, or other device. Alternatively, there are cons to going custom. First of which is the cost. Going with custom earplugs is expensive (relatively speaking) and you may not need them if off-the-shelf plugs fit in your ear canal just fine. Being a one-of-one entity, if you lose your custom earplugs, you’re screwed. Granted, silicone earplugs are also a financial burden if they’re lost, but the ding on your wallet isn’t nearly as bad as custom. Compared to generic foam jobs, however, the cost delta is huge. Another issue with custom earplugs that affects a small number of people is it sealing so well against your ear that it disrupts your equilibrium. We would have never considered this ourselves if it didn’t happen to one of our own MO staff members. Obviously, keeping your balance on a motorcycle is important

What Are the Best Motorcycle Earplugs (updated Jan. 2020)?

This is really a loaded question, as there are so many variables that come into play, not least of which is the shape of your ears. As such, there is no single answer. Are you trying to block certain frequencies, or do you simply want to block as much noise as possible? Do you want your earplugs to have speakers built-in, or is a simple piece of foam all you need? Ultimately, the best earplugs are the ones that fit your needs and your budget.

Get online and you decide which one work for you?

Nettie McFarland Chapter Director of PA Y

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From the Web Side…

Dan Reisinger, Webmaster

Hi Chapter Y!

What has the ground hog decided for spring? Happy Valentine’s Day!

I am getting anxious to see what the Ride Coordinator and Road Captains have come up with for our chapter rides in 2020. I am seeing other chapters publishing their rides for the year and many of them are going to be very exciting for their chapter participants! I also got to thinking about the ride leaders. In case you were wondering; to be a ride leader you don’t have to be a Level IV rider, you don’t have to have a certificate and Road Captain patch, or even enrolled in the G.W.R.R.A ride levels (although that is not a bad thing!). But there are some qualities that I have noticed in ride leaders over the years.

What might these qualities be?

1. Empathy. 2. Attentiveness. 3. Patience. 4. Organizational skills. 5. A safety attitudes.

Your list of qualities might be longer or different but let’s take a look at “my” view of these

qualities for being a ride leader. These qualities are what I have observed over the years of riding with different ride leaders. Some had all of these qualities, some had more qualities, and some had a combination of some of these qualities and other qualities.

Empathy:

Why do I list Empathy? The definition of empathy is “the ability to understand and share the

feelings of another”. A ride leader needs the ability to gauge every rider in a group. Understand that their riding ability may not be as advanced as they view themselves and be aware of those abilities without verbalizing or having body language that compromises sharing the fun of motorcycle riding. The ride leader wants to share the feelings of fun of riding that brought the group together and brought them on the ride.

Attentiveness:

“The action of assiduously attending to the comfort or wishes of others.” WOW! Does that

ever fit a ride leader! From the decision of where you’re leading the group to the moment the last group member heads home, your attention is on the razor’s edge. You are either volunteering to lead a scheduled ride or scheduling the ride itself to a place you have wanted to see or a new place you are curious about and you want to match the roads to the wishes of the group. If you are talking Chapter PA-Y; you know the least amount of time on any road identified as Interstate is a hit! We know that sometimes that “Interstate” is necessary because of an overnight ride or a special

From the Web Side

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invitation, otherwise the more back roads the better. But attentiveness also means paying attention assiduously to the riders behind you. Being aware of the group being too spread out or too close together. Paying attention that the group stays in a staggered position when on a straight-away and in single file on curves. That the group is maintaining the two second “rule” between each other. That new and inexperienced riders are not exceeding their riding skills. That the group is enjoying and comfortable on the ride. You want to be attentive to these situations and slowing down when the group gets to spread out and increasing speed when they get too close. You don’t want to put your group in the position to have to aggressively ride to keep up or brake repeatedly to slow down… Rides should and will be fun when you pay attention.

Patience:

As much as you might want to “twist that throttle”, as the ride leader you are not actually riding

your ride but the ride of the new rider or the inexperienced rider in your group. You have to gauge their skills to your ride so they are comfortable and will want to feel welcome on the next ride. What you also want to do is be aware of their riding actions and make note of what can improve their riding skills. The more they develop good riding skills the more they will be able to join you when they are able to “twist that throttle” and feel the wind in their face.

Organizational skills:

What in the Sam Hill does “organizational skills” have to do with being a ride leader? Well, it

starts with the planning of the ride. You want to make sure that everyone arrives or starts off the ride with a full fuel tank and an empty bladder. So you want to either start at a location that has gas pumps and convenient facilities or has them in a convenient location for everyone to stop before arriving at the meeting place. You also want to have your first stop planned within an hour or hour and a half of the kickstands up time. No matter how well planned, the bladder just doesn’t ever start empty at the beginning of a ride. The stops after that can be planned between an hour and a half and two hours.

At the very beginning of the ride you want to hold a ride meeting! You want to make sure you go over hand signals with the group. I know most Gold Wing riders have CB radios, but they don’t come as standard equipment and some opt not to spend the big bucks to add them. Also, we are not a limited motorcycle group but welcome all makes and models of motorcycles (and riders) to join us so we want to be able to communicate on the ride with them.

You want to make sure you have copies of the ride route to handout depending on the size of the group. You definitely want to have your copy and a copy for you tail gunner (sweep) so if the group gets separated there is a rider who can take over for the separated group until you are back together. It doesn’t hurt to have a copy (or even email out a copy) for each rider who signed up for the ride. I like having a copy when I am on a ride because if it is a destination I really enjoy I want to remember the route and the destination. I can’t remember a ride I didn’t enjoy in all the years of riding with Chapter Y and I have a lot of ride routes to prove it!

A Safety Attitude:

You want to start and end every ride safely! From the moment you wake up the morning of the

ride, safety should be the second thought on your mind. Has the weather changed from the planned

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weather? Are YOU physically fit for the ride? Are YOU mentally ready for the ride? Are YOU prepared for the ride?

The first three questions relate to checking the overall start of the ride. While we don’t “mind” riding in the rain, unless it is something pressing, it is probably better to reschedule that ride. Now the fourth question is more generic since everyone on the ride should be asking themselves that question.

1. Is your motorcycle in good condition? a. Tire air pressure and condition. b. Controls – how are your clutch, hand brake, foot brake, and shifter lever? c. Lights – low beams working, high beams working, turn signals working, brake

lights working, and if you have them flashers working? d. Oil level correct, any leaks appearing, or coolant level OK? e. Chassis OK? Does the steering freely go from each lock position (full right

and full left)? Is the suspension set for just you or is it set for two-up? And are you riding solo or two-up so you need to adjust your suspension?

2. Did you make copies of the route so every rider can follow your plan? 3. Are you prepared for the pre-ride meeting? 4. Do you have all the riders cell phone numbers? 5. Do all the riders have your cell phone number? 6. Last – Are you ready to ride???

Does number one look familiar?

Once you have addressed these preparation steps you are ready to have fun and enjoy the

wind in your face with friends! And who doesn’t want to have their friends have a safe ride? As the ride leader you want to make sure that everyone joining you also wants to have friends having a safe ride.

At your first stop take a few minutes to review that first hour to hour and a half to measure how you group maintained their distances and their positions in the group. Do you need to talk to your tail gunner about some not keeping up or some crowding the group? This is when you can make the best decisions for the rest of the ride. Remember the ride is for fun. It is not a race. Smell the flowers and feel the wind in your face. . . Start safe and you will have a great time ending safe – and prepared for that next ride.

Dan Reisinger

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Pennsylvania District Directors… Harold and Diane Jackson

It’s February and I’m sure you have heard we are in a new decade! The whole month of February will be 02/2020 and the second day of February will be 02/02/2020. Oh, my what fun we can have this month with twos and zeros. Does anyone know what day will have the most “2s and zeros”? Will it be February 02 or February 20?

This month is the drawing for the PA District raffle. Good luck to everyone who purchased a ticket. Thank you to each and every one of you for selling the raffle tickets and turning the money in on time! Chapter checks will be distributed at Officer Conference in April.

Officer Conference is April 19, 2020 at the Trinity United Methodist Church in Clearfield, PA beginning at 10 am. We encourage all officers to attend. RSVP’s are due to us by April 10th. This year you and/or your chapter and the district need to come up with some recruitment ideas so, we can recruit new members in your chapter. Please let us know what your idea is.

FUN Day is March 14th! All 2020 Chapter Couple of the Year, Chapter COY Coordinators and Chapter Directors are invited to join in FUN Day. The event is being held at the Trinity UMC in Clearfield. The church is providing lunch for $5/person; the fee will be collected at FUN Day. RSVPs due on March 6th.

Have you registered for the PA District Rally? This is the last month you are eligible for the $100 cash drawing with a full registration.

The PA District Rally is being held May 14-16, 2020 in Altoona, PA at the Altoona Grand Hotel. And this year’s theme is “Ride Back in Time”! The district team has been working very hard during the year and have many FUN things planned.

Don’t forget there are several extra events to consider signing up for on the registration. Thursday evening Welcome Party that includes a meal Riding Classes: Advanced Rider Course (ARC) - space is available Trike Rider Course (TRC) - class is full - waiting list only

Road Captain Course (RCC) - class is full - waiting list only

GWRRA Medic-First Aid course on Saturday - space is available (Fee is for class

supplies)

Book your room by calling 814-946-1631 dialing directly into the Altoona Grand Hotel; room rate is $95 & includes breakfast

Thank you, Chapter Directors and Chapter Treasurers, for turning in your 990N and year end financial work on time.

Have you looked at the 2020 Calendar of Events on the PA District website? The year is going to be very busy with chapter gatherings, rides, dinners and ice cream. We hope you are planning on attending the PA District Rally, All Chapters West, district rides and Wing Ding.

Remember to always ride safe!

Harold and Diane Jackson

PA District Director

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FROM YOUR PA DISTRICT EDUCATOR… Chuck & Evelyn Stone

Hi Everyone:

Some of us are starting to think about getting out on the road again.

Since we are closing in on the 2020 riding season and most of you are working on getting your bikes ready to go, we need to start to refresh ourselves on the procedures that we will be using this riding season.

SAFE PASSING

Think about what the other driver might do and what you should do when you pass.

When you must pass another vehicle, Motorcycle operators offer these safety tips:

• Look well ahead, especially on a two-lane highway.

• Leave enough room to pass safely and don’t assume that oncoming traffic will slow down for you.

• Make sure that you are in a legal passing zone and above all else, check the yellow centerlines and look for “No-Passing” signs.

• Be certain that you have enough distance between you and any on-coming traffic to safely pass the vehicle in front of you. You will have to exercise caution here and briefly ignore the two-second rule as you move your vehicle into a passing posture. Although you will not be using the two-second rule, weather conditions, road surfaces, terrain and traffic will play an important part in determining your safe following distance as you begin your passing maneuver.

• Communicate with other road users. Use your turn signals to alert others of your intentions.

• Check your blind spots! More often than not, other road users (vehicles) have a tendency to linger along-side motorcycles.

• Look in both mirrors and make a head check before you move to avoid cutting off another vehicle or running it off the road.

• Make your pass quickly, but do not exceed the speed limit. If you must travel over the speed limit, the pass is illegal and unnecessary.

PA District Educator

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• Once the passing maneuver is complete, signal you return to the right land and don’t slow down! Give the vehicle behind you plenty of room. If you have to slow down, this could irritate the driver behind you and may also be another sign that you passed illegally.

• If you are riding in a group, the same rules above apply except that when the leader decides that a pass is necessary he should notify the tail gunner to secure the lane and when notified by the tail gunner that the lane is secured the entire group on the leaders signal should move out into the passing lane, make the pass and when the tail gunner reports to the leader that he has cleared the vehicle being passed return to the travel lane in the same manner.

Passing is one of the more dangerous maneuvers in motorcycling and should not be taken lightly.

Again, we encourage everyone to get involved in the Rider Education program to improve your

riding skills and knowledge so that you and your passenger enjoy the ride and return home safely.

Remember ATGATT.

“Ride Safe and Ride Proud”

Chuck & Evelyn Stone

PA District Educators

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For Sale

Chapter Y member Mike & Barbara Silverman have the following items for sale.

• Ladies size 8 Joe Rocket 7 1/2” high waterproof riding boots. Very good condition. Worn only 3 or 4 times ($40 OBO)

• Man’s Large, New Gerbing heated jacket liner with all controls/attachments plus new heated gloves- not worn

• Woman’s New Gerbing heated jacket liner with all controls/attachment plus heated gloves. Worn only a couple times

• New, never used very good quality 9” round & 18” long diameter trunk bag with two side end zipper pockets plus rain cover ($40)

• GL1800 side saddle bags and trunk bags (set). ($30)

• Woman’s denim chaps

• Like new Woman’s GWRRA riding jacket w/liner and body armor ($125) Hi-Vis yellow

• Man’s summer light mesh ventilated Hi-Vis jacket with body armor jackets and new gloves

• Woman’s light blue winter Tourmaster riding jacket with quilted liner with armor; good condition

• neck scarfs, cooling scarfs

• mini tire foot pump

• new Butler mug with lid/new; not used (was a spare)

• Stock (OEM) GL1800 Windscreen for 2005-2010 years Anyone interested can call and/or visit us at our home at 1055 Kingscote Dr, Harleysville, PA; my cell 267-205-6617...or we could bring items and meet people where convenient.

For Sale

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FLYERS

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Go to our website www.gwrrapa-

y.com for the access to the PA

District Rally files that have

information about the Ride Back In

Time sign-up, bike & light show, and

2020 talent show!

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GWRRA Team

Team GWRRA

GWRRA Website Home Office, Phoenix, AZ 800-843-9460 www.gwrra.org

Director of GWRRA Jere & Sherry Goodman director@gwrra.org

Director’s Assistant Tom & Renee Wasluck 570-474-1014 tom.renee11@gmail.com

Director of Rider Education Susan & George Huttman 828-368-2249 director-re@gwrra.org

Director of Membership Enhancement Larry & Penny Anthony 205-492-9728 mepgwrra@gmail.com

Director of GWRRA University Clara & Fred Boldt 641-484-5140 toledotriker@gmail.com

Director of Finance Randall & Janet Drake 303-933-6073 financedirector@gwrra.org

Director of Motorist Awareness Mike & Barri Critzman 760-486-3405 itsawingthing@hotmail.com

ICOY – USA NE Territory - Year 2019/2020 Bob & Liz Fowler (NJ District)

PA District Team

PA District Website www.gwrrapadist.org

District Director - D-E-I-N-P-Q Harold & Diane Jackson 814-589-1307 jackson2@zoominternet.net

Assistant District Director – C-S-T-W Chris & Christie Hull 814-766-2286 rchull275@gmail.com

Assistant District Director - B-K-V-Y Mike & Shirley Prince 717-495-5400 mikep@gwrrapav.org

Assistant District Director – H-M-R-X Open for candidate

District Treasurer Sharon & Ed Golanka 724-938-7876 barnyardgang@zoominternet.net

District Membership Enhancement Pat Delo 814-328-5133 patdelo27@gmail.com

District Educator Chuck & Evelyn Stone 814-652-6554 redtrike@embarqmail.com

District Ride Coordinator Diane Jackson 814-589-1307 jackson2@zoominternet.net

District Motorist Awareness Open for candidate

Senior District University Coordinator Gerry & Bonnie VanArt 570-759-9304 gbvanart@msn.com

Assistant District University Coordinator Tim & Crystal Brakebill 724-816-9934 12wingnut@zoominternet.net

District Couple of Year Coordinator John & Glenda Leib 717-766-5467 crabcakelady@yahoo.com

District Couple of the Year - 2019/2020 Chris & Christie Hull 814-766-2286 chrishull@embarqmail.com

District Newsletter Editor Pat Cole 814-726-2673 colepatricia68@gmail.com

District Webmaster Mike & Darlene Ammerman 412-795-6685 auwinger@verizon.net

District PEDS List Coordinator Mike & Shirley Prince 717-495-5400 mailman@gwrrapav.org

District Roll for the Dough Bonnie & Gerry VanArt 570-759-9304 rollforthedough@gmail.com

District Goodies Coordinator Dave & Cindy Marconi 814-781-6383 raidersdavecindy@yahoo.com

PA - Y Team

PA District Website www.gwrrapa-y.com

Chapter Director Nettie McFarland 267-644-7874 director@gwrrapa-y.com

Assistant Chapter Director Pete & Ruth Grillo 215-688-6956 assistantcd@gwrrapa-y.com

Treasurer Ben Robinson 610-970-0991 Treasurer@gwrrapa-y.com

Membership Enhancement Lee Little 215-721-1074 mec@gwrrapa-y.com

Membership Enhancement Peggy Kratz 610-888-4865 mec@gwrrapa-y.com

Ride Coordinator Rich McFarland 267-471-0736 rides@gwrrapa-y.com

Chapter Skill Enhancement Advisor Doug Little 215-721-1074 rider-ed@gwrrapa-y.com

Motorist Awareness Director Russell Kriebel 215-368-5516 motoristawareness@gwrrapa-y.com

Sunshine Jane Youells 215-498-3781 sunshine@gwrrapa-y.com

Goodies Store Cathy Fenley 267-733-7773 goodies@gwrrapa-y.com

Newsletter Editor Joan Cope 215-280-5697 newsletter@gwrrapa-y.com

Webmaster Dan Reisinger 215-280-5697 webinfor@gwrrapa-y.com

G.W.R.R.A. TEAM