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January 2020

Gold Wing Road Riders Association

Monthly Chapter

Gathering

1st Saturday

of the month

Eat at 8am

Meeting at 9am

4705 US Hwy 98N

Lakeland, Florida

Chapter Directors

Ed & Dottie Bahrenburg

(607) 427-8777

Gwrra.ed.dottie@gmail.com

2020 Couple of the Year

Kenny & Deb Weberman

January Events

New Year’s Party Dec 31st

Gathering Jan 4th

Bubba Q’s BBQ Jan 7th

All Chapter Conference Jan 11th

All Chapter Conference Jan 12th

PDQ’s Jan 15th

Fresh Country Buffet Jan 18th

Team Meeting Jan 20th

Dairy Queen Jan 23th

Kumquat Festival Jan 25th

MFA/CPR/AED CLASS Jan 26th

Romeo's Jan 28th

2017 Florida District

Chapter of the Year

National Director Presidential Assistant Florida District Directors

Jere Goldman Bob Shrader Bill & Cheryl Smith

Friends for Fun, Safety & Knowledge

Rick & Madalena Buck

Assistant District Directors

District Contact for the Fireballs

All Chapter Conference

January 11th & 12th

Hilton Hotel

350 Northlake Blvd

Altamonte Springs, FL

WWW.lakelandfireballs.org

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By the time you have

read this Christmas has

passed and the New Year

has just started. What

resolutions did you make

and do you think you will

be able to keep them?

Dottie and I will go out on

a limb here and tell you

OUR resolutions---We

want to have MORE FUN

this year. Last year was

good for us FUN WISE but

we think we can do better

this year with YOUR help!

We have lots of things

planned for January start-

ing with the Chapter New

Year’s Eve party at Leo

and Sue’s. The January

Gathering is a few days

later and we just might

take a ride to Parksdale

for Strawberry shortcake..

Most of your Chapter

Team is going to the

Chapter Conference on

Jan. 11 and 12 to hear

firsthand about the

changes in the Organiza-

tion. On Sunday 1/26 we

are having a CPR/AED/

First Aid class. At the

Gathering in February 2/1

we will be having a Rally

work day so remember to

bring your game and silent

auction prizes. Of course

the FireBall Rally is Satur-

day Feb.15. It is our only

fun-fund raiser so we need

all hands on deck to assist

in making it a success.

A big THANK YOU to Jim

and Alice Bontrager as

they have served the

Chapter well as the 2019

Couple of the Year. At our

Holiday Party it was with

pleasure that Kenny and

Debbie Weberman were

named as our 2020 Couple

of the Year. If you have

not congratulated them

yet, please do so.

A quick word about the

“Bike Tickets” We have

lots!!!! The sale of the tick-

ets is what pays for all the

“FREE” classes that are

available to Florida GWRRA

members. If there are not

enough tickets sold --- our

Free classes disappear. To

the best of my knowledge,

Florida is the only District

that provides no cost on

the Bike training classes

and the MFA/CPR classes.

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Ed & Dottie Bahrenburg

Chapter Director

Things are getting busier

with most of our snowbird

friends either here or will

be here very shortly. Due

to the increase in number

(a very good thing) it

changes up a few things.

It Is a little harder to se-

cure restaurant rooms

and more care is needed

to our ride management.

Bigger groups mean we

are more spread out and

that creates problems un-

less we communicate fre-

quently and clearly. Also,

the snowbirds are not as

familiar with the routes

and turns and that causes

confusion. More mem-

bers need to be ready to

lead and drag as the

number of riders increase

so we can have smaller

ride groups

Ed Bahrenburg CD for the

FIREBALLS

It’s a NEW YEAR

There are two questions

that are asked when any

proposition is offered.

The first one is “How

much does it cost?” The

second one, is its twin

brother: “What do I get

out of it?”

In other words, people

are looking for a reward.

They are constantly look-

ing for things where they

can get something out of

it. The truth is that doing

a thing is its own reward.

When the task is done,

there accompanies it a

sense of accomplishment.

When life does not have

any sense of accomplish-ment within it, it becomes

humdrum, dull, and even

dead. Instead of thinking

about what kind of mone-

tary benefit you can get

from it or what kind of in-

fluential prestige will be

rewarded for it, always

remember that doing a

thing is its own reward:

that sense of accomplish-

ment when you see

something that needs to be done and do it. Don't

shift the burden of re-

sponsibility to somebody

else. When you do that

as you shift the burden

you also shift the bless-

ing. The most blessed

people are the people who

see a need and fill it. Yes,

whatever thing you do is

its own reward.

As you have opportunity to

do good unto all people,

put it down in your little

day book and underscore it in red. "DOING A THING

IS ITS OWN RE-

WARD." (This article came

from the GWRRA web site)

IT WILL BE SUMMERTIME

SOME TIME

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DOING A GOOD THING IS ITS OWN REWARD

Membership Enhancement

Jim & Alice Bontrager

If I only knew how to sing,

I would break out in happy

song but…… that’s not go-

ing to happen, sorry. I

don’t want to hurt anyone’s

ears. So, I’ll just wish you

all a very, very Happy

New Year!

On Thursday, December 5th

there were a group of folks

that came together from

the Ft Myers and surround-

ing chapters, that worked

together to clean off the

range and helped Denis

Turcotte and me paint it for

the TRC class as well as an

ARC class.

We now have it ready to

accommodate ARC classes.

I am in the process of get-

ting another ARC Instructor

to assist Ray Vega to con-

duct the ARC classes there.

As soon as we get a date

set for the class it will be

posted on the district web-

site as well as notifying

each chapter in the area.

Please be patient. It is

coming.

Pam and I had a surprise

visit from our grandson

this past week. He is

home on leave from the

Navy for 14 days. Not only

a surprise for us but he

didn’t tell his mother and

dropped him off at her

front door. I thought

she was going to kill

me. LOL She knew

nothing at all about

him coming for Christ-

mas. SURPRISE!!

Pam and I do a charity

thing every year at this

time, we ring the bells for

the Salvation Army. It’s

just the thing we do.

While doing it we see some

sights as you can well im-

agine. Some of the worst

are the traffic issues. Peo-

ple are not paying atten-

tion to their driving. There

are so many distractions

right now due to all the dif-

ferent Christmas displays,

peoples costumes, pa-

rades, etc. It is a danger-

ous time to be out on the

roads. Especially for mo-

torcycles! If you are out

on your great steed please

be extra diligent. Be ever

alert! Put your head on a

swivel like you never have

ever before. Spin it 360.

They are not looking out

for you so look out for

them!

If you want to go out and

look at the beautiful

Christmas lights please re-

lax and take your four

wheeler. Pick a designated

driver and switch off so all

Page 5

can see and all are safe.

Common sense is the rule.

Most of all, be safe and en-

joy!

And something that may be

furthest from your mind

are those raffle tickets but,

hey, they could be good

stocking stuffers! Might

make a gift to mail to

friends? Okay, I’m just

trying to help. Yes, I do

have a few thousand left to

get out before the rally.

So, if your chapter needs

some please let me know

and I’ll get them to you.

So hard to believe the

Chapter Conference is star-

ing us in the face. Right

after Shrimp ‘R’ Us on Jan

1 then the Conference on

Jan 11, 12. WOW, right

around the corner. Well, I

hope to see many of you

there! Until then please

remember to

Ride Safe, Ride Aware,

Rick & Pam Northrop,

Chelsea too

Rick & Pam Northrop

Rider Education

Greetings Fireballs from your

chapter Ride Coordinator.

January 18 — 10:00 AM depar-

ture from RaceTrac Gas (US 98

No. & Marcum Rd.). Ride to Fresh

Country Buffet in Zephyrhills

January 25 — 9:00 AM departure

from RaceTrac Gas (US 98 No. &

Marcum Rd.). Ride to Kumquat

Festival in Dade City.

Please check the Fireball calen-

dar and watch for the weekly

“Happenings” emails with addi-

tional information for each desti-

nation. And more to come in Feb-

ruary 2020!

Let’s Ride!

Leo Soucy

Page 6

Ride Coordinator

January 2020 Riding Adventures:

GWRRA Anniversary

Congratulations to

Ron Cawein 1997

Karen Tomlin 1997

Dave Wing 2006

Michael & Rosemary Grimes 2007

Jackie Wood 2016

Debbie King Jan 3rd

Keith Dunn Jan 6th

Kathy Rumohr Jan 7th

Amy Livingston Jan 16th

Mike Willis Jan 17th

Rich Baxter Jan 20th

Jim & Cindy Pozenal January 3rd

Page 7

Pa

Santa didn’t show up but he sent Mrs.

Clause and her many helpers to make it a

fun filled day.

!

2020 Fireballs

Kenny & Deb Weberman

2020 Couple of the Year

Named at 2019 Christmas Party

There are lots more Photos on our

website www.lakelandfireballs.org.

Mike and Sue do a wonderful job as

our photographers, so take a look.

The prices for advertising in our Monthly Newsletter are as

follows:

(Yearly Rates)

$25—business card

$50—1/4 page

$100—1/2 page

$150—full page

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Ed & Dottie Bahrenburg

Chapter Directors

2448 Snowy Plover

Lakeland FL