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Women in the Wind International, Inc. Issue 186 Jul / Aug 2016
“Just a reminder to ride as though you are invisible,eyes covering all four points of view. Remember,even though they look dead at you, they usuallyaren’t seeing you.”
WITW South East Michigan Chapter
Shootin’theBreeze
In This Issue:President Report Pg. 3•Chapter Listings Pg. 4•Officer Updates Pg. 6•Chapter Chats Pg. 10•Just Ride Pg 20•2017 Winter International Registration Pg 21•WITW Logo Gear & Pins Order Info Pg 22•Member Updates Pg. 23•
Issue 185 / Page 2
International OfficersPresident ~ Cat [email protected]
Vice President ~ Nancy [email protected]
Secretary / Safe Mileage ~ Dee [email protected]
Treasurer ~ Jett [email protected]
Merchandiser / Founder ~ Becky [email protected]
Canadian Administrator ~ Myra [email protected]
Historian ~ Jennifer Frank “Lil Bit”[email protected]
Newsletter Editor ~ Alani [email protected]
Web Mistress ~ Donna “Where2RoadRunneR” [email protected]
Safety Coordinator ~ Cathie [email protected]
Maintenance Coordinator ~ Karen [email protected]
Motorcycle Rights Coordinator ~ Shari [email protected]
Shootin’ the Breeze Submission Info:1. Submission deadlines:February 1; April 1; June 1; August 1; October 1; December 12. Include your Chapter name in the subject area of your email.3. Article limit: 400 words4. Photo limit: One (1) picture5. Photos must be attached as a separate jpg, tiff or raw file6. Please make sure the picture is an original (unedited), the bigger the better. Small pictures are not
good for print.7. EMail all submissions to the Newsletter Editor ([email protected])8. A reply will be sent to you acknowledging receipt of your submission.9. Submissions received after the deadline will be in the next issue.
Membership Address ChangesPlease send all membership address changes via snail mail and/or EMail to:¨ Jett Ford, WITW International Treasurer, 496 Redwing Rd, Chula Vista, CA 91911 ¨ EMail: [email protected]
Women in the Wind International, Inc. Founded 1979 Editor’s NotesWell, I’m finally moved and hadthe honor of riding with the lovelyladies of the WITW Rocky Mountain Chapter! I haven’t been ableto ride as much as I’d like, though,between weather, work, our newhome & a few minor bike issues,but I’m hoping to finally get to ridesome twisties, or as they’re calledin Austria “sweeps.”
Thank you for keeping your articlesunder 400 words! I don’t mindhaving to trim them back a bit, butnot when they’re 500+ words, as Idon’t know what to keep or remove.
I’ve tried to update/correct clubcontact info, but if you see any errors, please do let me know, andI’ll fix them for the next issue.
Hugs!
WITW STB Editor—Alani Selvey
User Name:
memberMember Password:
Becky16(New Password as of July 15, 2016)
www.womeninthewind.orgLook for us on Facebook!
Positively BadBy Cat Grabowski, International PresidentI’m a Monty Python fan… I know. You either love ‘em or hate ‘em. But I enjoyed theirhumor in my early years, growing fond of their weekly antics and skits on their show,Monty Python’s Flying Circus. (No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!) One of my favorites was the Hells Grannies. It was a motorcycle “gang” of older women who harassed“defenseless” young men, sped through the town on their bikes and stole telephonebooths. It was a funny turn on the negative image of the intimidating motorcycle gang
combined with the polar opposite positive image of the sweet little old lady (Make Tea Not Love!) You can stillfind them on YouTube. I now find it most entertaining that I am of a certain age where I would qualify to be amember of Hells Grannies. So here I sit in dark shades sporting a black leather jacket with my chains, big boots…and graying hair. The common perception is negative, but I want to be seen as promoting a positive image. Hmmmmm.As I thought about the “promote a positive image” of our mission statement, it occurred to me that we have International Officers for Safety and Maintenance respectively, but there is no Positivity Officer. The Positive Imageis an integral part of our identity. It’s important. We demonstrate to the public who we are each time we ridedown the street, sport our back patch, interact with people or represent WITW at an event. People watch andthey remember. How one person conducts herself impacts the entire group as a whole. Who, then, is responsiblefor supporting and maintaining our Positive Image? How do we know that we are promoting a positive image?The twisted thing about this whole topic is a positive image wouldn’t be positive without a negative image.We are all, every one of us, ambassadors for promoting a positive image. Each of us bears that responsibility. Byraising the bar for ourselves, we raise the bar for the group. How we are with one another and how we are inpublic set the standard for what is expected of us. (By their deeds you shall know them.) And we are a wonderfulgroup of women who ride motorcycles, have a fantastic time with each other and do great things.Everyone has a little “bad” in them and you all know how good it feels to be a little “bad” now and then. It goeshand in hand with throwing your leg over a saddle and firing up the beast. I recently saw a marketing image fora major motorcycle manufacturer that said, “Bad Choices Make for Better Stories.” Granted, (I think I just heardour Safety Officer fall off her chair) there is some truth to that, but how far you take it is a choice that needs tobe well thought out. Responsibility and accountability are necessary components in any decision regarding behavior. However, it is possible to be “bad” and still promote a positive image. They are not mutually exclusive. Itjust takes finesse, and therein lies the fun.I am convinced that what you put out into the universe is what comes back to you; preferring to remain positiveand see the good in others, promoting ideals that will challenge me to be a better person, a better rider, a bettermember of my Chapter and my International Organization are choices that are available to every member. Bepositive. Be better. Treat each other with respect. Promote a positive image of women and motorcycling. It’s up to us to dance along the edge and be just “bad enough” to still be good. ……Always look on the bright sideof life (whistle)********************************************************************************************For those of you attending our Summer International Meeting in Hershey, PA, I hope you will attend the Officers’Symposium. We’d like representation of at least two members from each Chapter attending, however, everyoneis welcome to attend. I will be presenting on the topic of “Working with Interesting People.” It will be both interesting and informative – and, hopefully, useful for those in a leadership role on a local level. Join me!We had a wonderfully “positive” suggestion made by member Beth Germann from the Vivacious Vixens Chapter.After discussion, first with the Executive Officers and then with the International Officers, we conducted someresearch and believed it was a viable suggestion that we could make real. It was discussed at the InternationalMeeting in Charleston and received most positively. As an organizational policy, going forward, any new memberwho is an “active” service member, or “active reserve” service member, serving locally or deployed, will havetheir International Dues waived. Each year at renewal time, beginning March 2017, any member renewing providing proof of current active or reserve active service will have their International Dues waved for that year. Thisis one small way we can, as an organization, demonstrate our appreciation for our members who serve our country. Thank you, Beth, for the great suggestion.
Issue 185 / Page 3
Officer Updates—President
Issue 185 / Page 4
WITW Chapter Listing
CANADA Bridge City Thunder Chapter3154 33rd Street WestSaskatoon, SK S7L 6V5 Canada [email protected] Canadian CougarsBox 20022Leduc, AB T9E 6R2 [email protected] Chinook Outriders ChapterBox 45 Site 6 RR6 LCD9Calgary, AB T2M 4L5 [email protected] Crowsnest ChapterP.O. Box 1002Blairmore, AB T0K0E0 Canada [email protected] Desert Dolls ChapterMedicine HatP.O. Box 127Irvine, AB T0J1V0 [email protected] Drayton Valley Chapter483354 AvenueDrayton Valley, AB T7A 1C3 [email protected] CANADA Edmonton Chapter3623 43A AvenueEdmonton, AB T6L 4K5 Canada [email protected] Highway Hunnies Chapter201 Woodland AveBuena Vista, SK S2V 1B4 Canada [email protected] Midnight Sun Chapter5121 Forrest DriveYellowknife, NT X1A 2W5 Canada [email protected] Prairie Roses Chapter939 Manor Place SERedcliff, AB T0J 2P0 [email protected] Saddlebags Chapter109 North Patterson St.Prince George, BC V2M 3H9 [email protected] Shiftin’ Sisters Chapter970 13th StreetKamloops, BC Canada V2B 3C9witw[email protected] Skeena Valley Riders Chapter71753 Kenworth StTerrace, BC V8G 4P2 Canada [email protected] White Line Drifters Chapter561156 AvenueRockty Mtn House, AB, T4T 1H7 [email protected] WindSun Riders Chapter315 7A Avenue SouthLethbridge, AB T1J 1N3 Canada [email protected] BRITAIN Dragon Riders Chapter50 St Peters RoadUpwel Wisbech,Cambridgeshire Great Britain PE 14 [email protected]
GREAT BRITAIN Wolf Spirit Chapter2 Wycliffe RoadHaydock, St. Helenes, MerseysideGreat Britain [email protected] STATES:AZ—Cactus Cuties ChapterP.O. Box 3701Kingman, AZ [email protected]—Desert Diamonds Chapter6234 N. 31st AvenuePhoenix, AZ [email protected]—Desert Divas ChapterP.O. Box 5753Lake Havasu City, AZ [email protected]—Faultline Riders Chapter214 Truckee LaneSan Jose, CA [email protected]—Fire and Ice Chapter1799 N. Leonard AveClovis, CA [email protected]—Ladies of Chrome & Leather Chapter5398 Greenbrier Dr.Riverside, CA [email protected] CA—Lady Hawks Chapter8155 Centra RdPaso Robles, CA [email protected]—Sol Sisters (San Diego) Chapter8525 Summerdale Road #249San Diego, CA [email protected]—Steel ‘n Hearts Chapter40640 Millstream LaneMadera, CA [email protected]—Mtn & Desert Sisters Chapterc/o: Virginia SemlerPO Box 1683Bayfield CO 811221683Mtn&[email protected]—Mountain Hi Riders ChapterP.O. Box 7762Colorado Springs, CO [email protected]—Rocky Mountain Chapter4868 Barn Owl DriveFrederick, CO 80504info@witwrmc.orgCO—Valley Vixens Chapter0283 County Road 63South Fork, CO [email protected]—Wind Dancers Chapter615 Peace DriveGrand Junction, CO [email protected]—Bad Girls Chapter2701 Southern Pkwy WBradenton, FL [email protected]—Bay Area Chapter19001 Norller Ct.Lutz, FL 33548witw[email protected]—Curves & Chrome Chapter501 Oak Hill Circle Unit 41Lakewood Ranch, FL [email protected]
FL—Dangerous Curves Chapter931 Woodbridge CourtSafety Harbor, FL [email protected]—Ironhorse Roses Chapter14365 Evans Ranch RoadLakeland, FL [email protected]—Island Breeze Chapter2316 NW 9th PlaceCape Coral, FL [email protected]—Livin’ in the Wind Chapter305 Antigua DriveMerritt Island, FL [email protected]—She Shore Riders Chapter239 Dahlia CourtBradenton, FL [email protected]—Silver River ChapterP.O. Box 772952Ocala, FL [email protected]—Space Coast Riders Chapter1018 Citrus Ave., NEPalm Bay, FL 32905[email protected]—SunShine Sisters Chapter 8112 Stirrup Cay Ct.Boynton Beach, FL [email protected]—Wicked Sisters Chapter1502 SE 43 StreetCape Coral, FL [email protected]—Georgia Peaches Chapter225 Paces Overlook TraceDallas, GA [email protected]—Hoosierettes Chapter11115 Ohio StreetCrown Point IN [email protected]—Oz Outlawz ChapterPO Box 750332Topeka, KS [email protected]—Pink Diamonds & Steel Chapter1043 N. 135th RoadMinneapolis, KS [email protected]—Vagabond Sister Chapter1320 Old River RoadMansura, LA [email protected]—Iron Eagles ChapterP.O. Box 2Sabillasville, MD 21780[email protected]—Great Lakes ChapterPO Box 193Wyandotte, MI [email protected]—South East Michigan Chapter692 Oak StreetDundee, MI [email protected]—Red River Valley3310 Village Green DrMoorhead, MN [email protected]—Dixie Angels Chapter16254 Henry House RoadSaucier, MS [email protected]—Jersey Girls Chapter564 Dupont Street—Rear HousePhiladelphia, PA [email protected]
Issue 185 / Page 5
NJ—Jersey She Devils ChapterP.O. Box 113Leeds Point, NJ [email protected]—NJ Renegades Chapter25 Shore RoadWayne, NJ [email protected]—Rolling Stones Chapter121 Old New York RoadPort Republic, NJ [email protected]—Shore Riders Chapter618 Carroll Fox RdBrick, NJ [email protected]—Desert Curves Chapter1850 Slideview WayWashoe Valley, NV [email protected]—Sin Sity Sisters Chapter5109 Wildroot RdLas Vegas, NV [email protected]—Black Rose ChapterP.O. Box 913Pleasant Valley, NY [email protected] NY—East End Girls ChapterP.O. Box 673Eastport, NY [email protected]—Freebirds Chapter609 Kings HighwaySaugerties, NY [email protected]—Hudson Valley Hoydens Chapter723 Beekman Road, Lot 51Hopewell Junction, NY [email protected]—Long Island ChapterP.O. Box 2305Seaford, NY [email protected]—Red Riding Hoods Chapter34 Stratton RoadNewark Valley, NY [email protected]—SLV Vixens Chapter264 LaComb RoadNorfolk, NY [email protected]—Akron Chapter745 Chenoweth Dr.Akron, Ohio [email protected]—Central Ohio Diamond Girls Chapter2973 Francis Scott Key WayColumbus, OH [email protected]—Maverick Airheart Dollz Chapter80 Dronfield RdTroy, OH [email protected]—North East Ohio Chapter2133 19th StreetCuyahoga Falls, OH [email protected]—Toledo Chapter6441 Jeffers RdSwanton, OH [email protected]—Dreamcatchers Chapter116 North T StreetMuskogee, OK [email protected]—Leather Angels ChapterP.O. Box 3214Bartlesville, OK [email protected]
OK—Pink Pistols Chapter31505 Homer Lane RoadShawnee, OK [email protected]—Twisted Sisters Chapterc/o Stephanie HatterP.O. Box 4873, Tulsa, OK [email protected]—Babes By The Bay Chapterc/o Angel Springer62744 Old Wagon RoadCoos Bay, OR [email protected]—Northern Women Chapter31801 Driver RoadTangent, OR [email protected]—Wild Rogue ChapterP.O. Box 1528Phoenix, OR [email protected]—Silver Hawks ChapterP.O. Box 24Lackawaxen, PA [email protected]—Susquehanna Valley Chapter460 Harvest DriveHarrisburg, PA [email protected]—Vivacious Vixens Chapter118 Allyson LaneShohola, PA [email protected]—Low Country Ladies Chapter119 Heron LaneGoose Creek, SC [email protected]—4Season Sistas Chapter409 Bivens LaneNiota, TN [email protected]—Angels n Steel Chapter112 Laural DriveSpring City, TN [email protected]—Dragon Gypsies Chapter926 Mecca PikeTellico Plains, TN [email protected]—Kountry Gurlz Chapter6650 S. Lamont RoadOrlinda, TN [email protected]—Steel Magnolias Chapter897 County Road 180Athens TN [email protected]—Whitewater Diva’s Chapter171 Doc Evans LaneBenton, TN [email protected]—Angels in the Pines Chapter58 Fisherman’s TrailHuntsville, TX [email protected]—Bayou City Sisters ChapterPO Box 10Beasley, TX [email protected]—Gulf Coast Tempests Chapter3217 Scenic Shore DriveSeabrook, TX [email protected]—Diamond Roses Chapter5678 Sutter LaneWoodbridge, VA [email protected]
VT—Green Mountain Spirit Chapter279 Parker RdPittsford, VT [email protected]— Milwaukee Area ChapterP.O. Box 270512West Allis, WI 53227witw@womeninthewindmilwaukee.orgWI—Wisconsin Northern Lights ChapterW5317 Loon Lake CircleShawano, WI [email protected]—Afton Saints & Sinners ChapterP.O. Box 391Afton, WY [email protected]
WITW Probationary ChapterListing
Chrome Contessas5623 Hickory StreetMentor, OH [email protected]
Daughters of Odin46 Goodspeed AveMeriden, CT [email protected]
Maiden Voyageurs288 Country Rd 824Gamaliel, AR [email protected]
Sinister Sisters617 Winter Wren LaneBlythewood, SC [email protected]
Wild Gypsies 1624 S. Cotta StVisalia, CA [email protected]
Please Double CheckYour Chapter’s Information
Please send Chapter changes to:Cat, Becky, Jett, Donna & Alani (pg. 2)
Issue 185 / Page 6
Officer Updates—Vice President
Officer Updates—Secretary
I think I have contacted an official case ofwriter’s block. After writing over 80 articlesfor our newsletter, I had to ask our executive board what I should write about. I gotno response until I sent out a second request. Jett, our Treasurer, suggested I writeabout the sisterhood. I appreciate Jett’ssuggestion, but that is topic that coversquite a broad spectrum.
I looked up the word sisterhood. As soonas I read the definition I figured I was in bigtrouble. Sisterhood is a bond between twoor more girls, not always related by blood.They always tell the truth, honor each
other, and love each other like sisters.
I stared at the words in trepidation. Loveeach other like sisters. Flashbacks of mychildhood came to the forefront of mymind. My sister and I tortured each othergrowing up. Fortunately my sister and I didgrow up and we have a loving relationshipnow. We decided my mother liked dramaand she stirred it up between us. She stillsays things to my sister, like “Why don’t youpaint like your sister?” That can build resentment quickly but we have learned todiffuse it immediately. We don’t fuel anyfire Mom tries to start. Mom is 97 and sheis still at it.
I started looking at my experience with mysisters in WITW. It has sometimes beensimilar to my early childhood; fighting overpetty things and stressing over not gettingmy way. Then I had to have a “grow up”moment and realize that I am an adult and
I actually do have the skills to act like a realsister to my chapter members and to myorganization.
Take a look at your role in the sisterhood.Are you calming storms? Are you complaining about someone and stirring it up.Are you the mother that likes to watch allthe drama? Are you harboring resentments that keep you from enjoying yourgroup? Are you a true friend to your sisters? Are you patient and kind to all ourmembers? Do you let everyone have avoice in the decisions? Are you wearing asmile? Are you friendly to everyone, notjust to those you know? Do you try tomake things better?
If you can tell the truth, honor each other,and love each other like sisters you will beguaranteed a wonderful experience withour sisterhood of Women in the Wind.
NancyIhasz
It seems like when writing my past few articles for the STB, I havejust attended a WITW gettogether. This time is no different as Ihad the pleasure of attending the Ride CA event which is the California WITW chapters’ annual event and was hosted by the SolSisters chapter. This was the 3rd annual and was started by mychapter, Ladies of Chrome & Leather, and we didn’t even know ifanyone from other chapters would attend that first year. But allthe CA chapters did show up that year and this year we even hada few attend from chapters outside CA like Desert Curves, CactusCuties and Wild Rogue. Our next Ride CA will be hosted by ourLady Hawks chapter in Paso Robles. Sol Sisters THANK YOU for theoutstanding job!
I would like to touch on one of the purposes of our organizationwhich is “To promote a positive image to the public of women onmotorcycles.” One of the reasons I joined WITW and started theRiverside, CA chapter was I wanted to spend time with other ladieswho had a like interest – the love of motorcycling, which soundedwonderful to me! I had been a member of the HOG chapter formany years and although I had some great times with that group,I longed for riding with just ladies at times. I have been a memberof WITW since January 1999 and during that time I have reallystrived to help get rid of the negative ideas that the general publicseem to have of bikers. That means I go out of my way to act politely and with manners. When entering any kind of establishment,if someone is close behind me, I hold the door for them, smile and
ask them how they are doing. Sometimes this will start a conversation, especially if it is a woman and I am with my chapter. I letthem know we are really different than the male biker groups. Ithink all members of WITW should be cognizant of the peoplearound them and act politely. I have to admit when I get away forthese WITW events, I do like to drink a little and let my hair downa bit (the LOCAL members reading this would probably argue thatI don’t party enough) but we can still party without being boisterous, using profanities in a loud manner so that the public hears,and drinking in excess. Now, I do know that I dropped the “Fbomb” a few times during the Ride CA weekend. Oops! Thankfully, I don’t believe it was ever overheard by the general publicbut I am also reminding myself that even when getting caught upin the moment of telling a story, we must try to promote a positiveimage. This is just a reminder to all our members to think aboutyour actions when amongst the general public. Are you promotinga positive image to the public?
After thinking for a few months that I would not get to go to Hershey, PA, I am thankful tosay that my boss told me totake a few days off and go.I actually had in my STB article to have a Hershey'sKiss for me but now I willget to have my own IN HERSHEY and I was able tochange my article just intime. See you all in Hershey! WOOHOO!
DeeNorman
What is in a profit? What is a forprofit corporation doing in my WITW world? That’sthe big buzz around our WITW organization. Our little social club is all grown upand now we have a new name and a newway of doing “business.” I hope to shed alittle light on our organizational operationsand maybe clear up just a little on whereWITW stands in the world of corporationsand how we as members, chapters, and officers fit in to it. Since its inception, WITW has never everbeen out to make a profit. The goal was tobring likeminded women together to ridemotorcycles, encourage each other andpromote that positive image! Keep it simple, right? For years WITW Officers andmembers referred to WITW as nonprofit –because we were not out to make money.Our primary goal remains centered on motorcycling, and our focus is not on “makinga profit”, but we do. The term “nonprofit”when referring to WITW was not the correct one to use from the beginning, butwho knew? We were just social chicks!Now members are asking, “Why did we gofrom nonprofit to profit?” We didn’t actually. But, before I go there I want to explain thedifference between three specific designations: “nonprofit”, “for profit”, and “not forprofit”. Now, there are some REAL expertsout there in WITW that I am sure can givedetailed, line by line definitions, but I amon a learning curve here. Please rememberthat! As it is, one WITW friend gave mesome great reading material – it’s going totake me a year to get the real gist of this,and I’ve only had the handles since January.That being said, I am certain we’ll have updates in future issues as we learn togetherwho we are and where we are headed.Here goes!The most significant difference is the reason each entity might exist:
Nonprofit: Usually refers to organizations that funnel all their income intoprograms and services that meet a“charitable” goal. Think about organizations that “feed the hungry”, or conduct “cancer research”. They do this allthe time, not just on a weekend pokerrun. Nonprofit organizations usuallyrely on outside donations and grants tokeep them going. Nonprofit can be a501c3 – where donors can write offtheir donation. As a result, the organization is expected to utilize the funds
to maximize benefits to their targetedrecipients (cancer research, educational grants, etc.). That’s kind of whatwe do, but not in a charitable sense.Nonprofits usually do not pay taxes tothe IRS. There is a board of directors,and no members can benefit from thefunds collected so board memberscannot get paid (benefit).Forprofit: These organizations areusually founded to make money, generate income – that’s the main purpose. Sales & revenue are thelifeblood of the company. Think oflarge chain stores, or the local plumberwho just grew by two trucks. Since forprofit organizations make their ownmoney, they get to spend it differentlyas well. These can be small or largecompanies, or corporations. Oh, thisdesignation pays taxes to Uncle Sam.By establishing a corporation, the company pays taxes, not the “owners”.Members can benefit directly fromfunds received. Notforprofit: Usually this is an organization that participates in a hobby,such as motorcycling! This organizationis established for something other thanmaking a profit. The downside is, if theorganization continues to make toomuch profit every year, is it really notforprofit? Maybe, as the IRS allows fora certain amount of cash sales to occur.In our case, a 501c7 designation mightapply. This designation is exempt frompaying income tax if they are organizedfor pleasure, recreation, and othernonprofitable purposes. The centralpurpose of a social club is to providebenefits to its members. The fundsmust be acquired from members, notoutside. With me so far? This is totallydifferent from “nonprofit.”
After a while, as we grew, dues startedcoming in, tshirts and logo gear becameavailable, and WITW started helping hostchapters with seed money to get themgoing with WITW International events.WITW has a giant annual operating budget(over $20k.) We spend a lot on our members! Time rolls on and we (past WITW Officers) realized that it was not making senseto operate without any designation. WITWwas never truly nonprofit to begin with,and now how do we process dues, shirtsales, and expenses in a responsible manner? Where was I? Oh yeah… Why is WITW nowWITW International, Inc. – a for profit corporation? Do our Officers get a salary? Howdoes this affect our Chapter? Do we haveto change our Chapter status? All greatquestions! There are more questions I'msure we will cover in upcoming issues. Thatis my commitment to you. First and foremost, our current slate of officers includes
two newbies, Cat Grabowski and myself.Coming in on this a little after the fact, allfive of us have been reviewing our incorporation documents, our business operations,and what that means for our WHOLE organization. We are committed to getting usall on the same page!Based on our healthy bank account, in 2014the four Executive Officers of WITW metwith a lawyer in Ohio to figure this out. Atthat meeting, it was determined that creating WITW International, Inc. was by farthe best course of action at that time to getus on the right course. The four officersthen took care to ensure that our traditionsand bylaws would still hold the value theyhave always had, and would continue toguide us for years to come. At no time hasWITW International, Inc. paid a salary toany officer, nor are there any plans to in thefuture. We are all volunteers baby!Here’s the real deal – we are a “corporation” to protect our volunteers from taxesand liability – our GOAL (ALL of WITW) isnot to make a profit, it’s just how we wereset up for accounting and taxes. That canchange! As your new Officers review the requirements for 501c7 vs our current status,we’ll keep you in the loop. Thanks to myWITW friend for the lead in the right direction.One more question I’ll cover: “How doesWITW International, Inc. status affect mychapter?” Answer: WITW does not manage or control your Chapter funds. Chaptersare not required to have Chapter dues orhold fundraisers. Until my research provides otherwise: WITW Chapters are responsible for Chapter finances andreporting, similar to Harley and Hog Chapters. Chapters are responsible to determinewhat status they may qualify for (i.e.501(c)7). I am continuing to review and digdeep for answers related to WITW andChapter finances. Please, do not panic orchange your Chapter financial status if it isalready set up! This is a high priority for theBoard and we will provide solid direction,soon!So that is the general story of how we haveevolved, but there are still so many questions, right?! Don’t I know it, Sister! We arenot done by any means. I have so muchmore to share with you, but this is a lot todigest for now. I told you when I was running for this position – I’ll give to you as Iknow it, I’m all about explaining. You and I– we are all Members of this GREAT organization. Getting our Board together outsideof 40hour week jobs, family, riding, andsleeping on East/West Coast is not easy!We are communicating in the wee hoursand doing what we can to address all concerns. See you all in Hershey, PA!
Issue 185 / Page 7
JettFord
Officer Updates—Treasurer
SAFETY MONTH is almost gone! Has yourchapter done a Safety Event? There is stilltime, but it is short! Please get your SafetyEvent information to me by July 15 so yourchapter can be on the Safety Honor Rolland receive a lovely certificate!Please participate: In Charleston and since,20 chapters have completed the 2016Safety Questionnaire. One of the major re
quests was for information on group riding.An article on doing a thorough preride wasIn the STB March/April edition. I will continue to focus on group riding issues in theSTB articles and many of the Safety Tips ofthe Month on Facebook. If you have particular concerns or input on group riding,please send them to me at:[email protected] You Ready For Group Riding?Motorcycle riding is a complex operation!There are very few other activities that require coordination of all 4 extremities doingdifferent tasks while the brain is constantlyaware of possible danger in the surroundings. Just learning to safely operate a motorcycle is an accomplishment!Now you want to add the social and physi
cal variables of group riding? Are youready?To start, are you comfortable on your bike?You know how to operate all aspects of itwithout having to look at where your handsand feet go. You have ridden many types ofroads and situations – city traffic, highways/freeways, small towns near schoolsand busy neighborhoods, hilly and twistyroads, and have learned to make quickstops and avoidance maneuvers. You areable to control your bike smoothly in justabout all circumstances. Good! This is absolutely necessary for safe group riding! Group riding is fun, safer than riding alone,and you discover great roads to ride. But it
Continued page 9
Issue 185 / Page 8
Officer Updates—Safety Coordinator
CathieSiglow
Hello from north of the 49th
We are now well into riding season withfantastic weather and at time of writingsurprisingly it is only June 1. I know my riding started a bit earlier than most as I trailered my bike to Arizona for the month ofFebruary. It was awesome... the weather,the riding, the scenery and everything else.The only thing not great was that winterconditions lasted until 120miles out ofPhoenix. UCK!!
Our riding season here inBC/Alberta/Saskatchewan basically startedwith a rush to organizing and/or attendfundraisers for the evacuees of the FortMcMurray forest fire. Our Edmonton Chapter was the closest to this tragic event andas far as I know we don’t have any members living in the Fort McMurray area. Thecomplete town was vacated and just nowin the process of heading back home to determine where they are in having to rebuildtheir lives. No lives were lost but ourprayers go out to all the families having toface this challenge of rebuilding.
Sad news...One of the new members ofWITW Edmonton chapter Juanita wentdown on her motorcycle receiving seriousinjuries. She is now breathing on her own
and has not had any medication to keepher unconscious but she has not gainedconscious strictly due to her brain trauma.Her family are waiting for test results onher condition and need all our prayers forgood results and speed recovery. Registration is open for the 2016 WITW CanadianRally and COUNTDOWN 70 days andcounting at the time of this writing. You cankeep updated and print out the registrationform on the WITW Canadian Rally Facebook group page or email White LineDrifters directly [email protected]. I am looking forward to seeing everybody at the2016 WITW Canadian Rally in Rocky Mountain House AB Canada.
Officer Updates—Canadian Administrator
MyraAbstreiter
Howdy from the Historian! Our WITW history is what we make of it, so help memake it great by sending in material! A BIGthank you to those who have sent in backpatches for the quilt and old event shirtsand mementos. It feels like holiday timewhenever I open the mail box and see asurprise package.
Being on bedrest with the twins on theirway, I have lots of time for history, so keepthe materials coming! I especially need material from previous International Meetings, most importantly group photos! Evenif old items don’t exist, send me a photos any shirt (or pin, patch, sticker) that accompanied the event and be sure to tell me thedate, location, and name of hosting chapter(s)!
Going along with cataloguing our International Meetings, I’m still working on thequilts. So, if there are any shirts floatingaround from past events, please send meone. Back patches, old or new, are always
wanted also! The back patch quilt will bearound in Hershey, even if I’m not, andeveryone will love how much it has grownin just 6 short months.
WITW as a whole is always growing andevolving which is why it is so important todocument our history of who we are andwhere we came from! The more materialprovided, the better it will be for everyone!If you have something special, please dropme a line, every piece of our history countsto preserve for the future! As the weatherwarms up, enjoy making your own history;ride safe and ride often!
Officer Updates—Historian
JenniferFrank
Issue 185 / Page 9
Continued from page 8requires a whole different set of skills.
Attention and Focus: Your attention mustexpand beyond you and your bike. It shouldinclude being award of all riders in thegroup and how they are riding, hand signalsfrom the Lead to pass back, signals fromriders ahead of dangers in the roadway,cars that may start to cut into the group toget to an off ramp, and keeping your ridingdistance safe (1 and 2 second rules) fromriders in front of you. As a single rider youare usually focused more on your own position on the road and dangers immediatelyaround you. In a group your attention andfocus needs to be broader than just thegroup – side roads, traffic well ahead of theLead and traffic behind the Sweep.Timing: Are you ready to accelerate from astop, after quickly checking adjacent roads,when it is your turn or do you still need toshift and then go? The general recommendation is to stay in 1st gear during ashort stop so you can quickly move out ofthe way if you hear tires squealing behindyou!When the group makes a stop for gas andrest, do you get gas, take care of necessitiesand then socialize or do you still need to goto the bathroom when everyone else isready to take off? Do you know how long ittakes you to put away your cell phone, puton your helmet, zip your jacket, put ongloves, hook up your M3 player, start yourbike and get into line to depart the gas station? We all have had this experience but
learn not to be the last one ready to leaveon a group ride. If you know how muchtime it takes you to get ready, watch theother riders and you can be ready well before the last person is ready. This takespractice and all groups have different timing on leaving a stop. Placement: Staggered formation is thesafest way for a group of motorcycles totravel together. You will need to be able tostay in the left or right “track” (left or rightside of the lane) of the lane. On straightroads you generally observe the “2 minuterule”, stay 2 at least seconds behind thebike in front of you and one second behindthe bike diagonally from you. This takessome attention and practice. Having bikesweave around the lane is dangerous andconfusing to other riders in the group. Additionally, guests or new riders may beasked to be near the front of the group orin the back of the group in front of theSweep. This varies by groups. Ask aboutthis when you plan to join a group.Know the riding rules of the group! Someriding organizations and clubs have writtenride guidelines, such as many HOG, BMW,and Gold Wing chapters. Gold Wing has national group riding guidelines and classesfor Leads, Sweeps and members. You canfind ride guidelines on the web. MostWITW chapters, at this point, do not havewritten guidelines, but do have verbal chapter riding rules. If a group has writtenguidelines, do read them! You will learn alot about a group by doing so. (This topicwill be covered more thoroughly at a latertime).
“Ride Your Own Ride”: This is a basic rulefor all riders! Do not push yourself to keepup with other riders and ride over your skilllevel. It is important to keep this in mindwhen considering group riding. Are you expected to be able to ride at or above thespeed limit on all roads? Are you expectedto be proficient on steep, curvy roads, areyou expected to run red lights or dart inand out of traffic to stay up with the group?You probably do not want to join a groupwhich requires all of this. You do need tobe aware of what riding skills you do anddo not have and the riding expectations ofthe group. If your style and skill level are really different from a groups expectations, this may not be the group for you. Conversely, does the group offer a mentorto ride with guests or new members, haverides of differing length and difficulty andexplain what those are, encourage newerriders to do short rides with members toimprove group riding skills. For each ride isthere a preride discussion covering thedestination, stopping points, what to do ifthe group is separated,? Does the grouphave a Sweep who will help anyone whoneeds to stop, and encourages positive attitude and behavior of all members towardeach other and the public? The bottom line here is that your skills andstyle need to adjust to the rules of thegroup if group riding is to be successful foryou and others. Successful group riding is acombination of all riders’ skill levels, attitude, attention, and willingness to work together for the safety and enjoyment of all.
Can you believe it s June already? I knowthat our sisters in the North are glad to seeriding weather. This is the time of year thatI pay my dues to the different organizationssuch as AMA, Abate etc. Which means it isalso time to remind you to get involved,join an organization or two that fight foryour rights as a motorcycle rider. E15 Fuelis still being debated. I have attached themost recent article from the AMA. Hope tosee you in Hershey for Summer Internationals 2016.
Motorcycle Ohio switches trainingprograms
New curriculum to start in 2017The Motorcycle Ohio rider training programis changing its course curriculum and takingthe program inhouse, beginning in January2017. State Program Coordinator ChuckStiteler announced the change to a curriculum based on the Idaho STAR materials andNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration model national standards for state motorcycle rider training programs. The newprogram will be known as Motorcycle OhioRider Enhancement, or MORE.
“For 2016, we will continue with our current curricula,” Stiteler wrote in a memosent to Motorcycle Ohio instructors. “MOis in the process of converting the IdahoSTAR classroom and range material over forour use.” In a March 17 press release,Stiteler said the change will “allow Ohio todevelop an integrated program with the assistance of other Ohio departments andOhio motorcycle riding organizations.” Motorcycle Ohio will control content, delivery,
instructor certification and future development. These materials will also form thebasis for upperlevel courses. MORE will bethe only curriculum approved for motorcycle endorsement in Ohio, the memo states.The Idaho STAR Motorcycle Safety Program– www.idahostar.org – is an Idaho Divisionof ProfessionalTechnical Education program and operates through the College ofSouthern Idaho in Twin Falls. The State Motorcycle Safety Administrators recognizesthe program as meeting NHTSA standards.
Proposed 2017 Renewable FuelStandard too high for marketplaceMay 18, 2016
EPA presses higher ethanol blends despitelow demand, lack of distribution network
PICKERINGTON, Ohio The proposed 2017Renewable Fuel Standard volume
Continued page 10
Officer Updates—Motorcycle Rights Coordinator
ShariDiCarlo
Issue 185 / Page 10Issue 185 / Page 10
Continued from page 9
requirements announced today by the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency would increase the mandated amount of ethanol inthe nation’s fuel supply chain, despite a lowdemand for higher ethanol blends and aninadequate distribution and sales network,the American Motorcyclist Association reports. The EPA’s proposed Renewable Volume Obligations call for 18.8 billion gallonsof biofuel for 2017, up from 18.11 billiongallons this year. The obligations for 2015were 16.93 gallons.
The AMA opposes any increase in the Renewable Volume Obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard.
“Even though the total obligations arelower than the statutory requirements, theEPA is creating an untenable situation forthe marketplace and raising the risk to motorcyclists and ATV owners,” said Wayne Allard, AMA vice president for governmentrelations. “The country is not on track tomeet the 2016 standards, and the distribution network can’t absorb any moreethanol. The consumer demand simply isnot there.”
Of the 18.8 billion gallons of biofuels proposed for 2017, 14.4 billion gallons wouldbe the conventional for corn ethanol. Ofthe remainder, 4 billion gallons would beadvanced biofuels, 2 billion gallons wouldbe biomassbased diesel and 312 milliongallons would be cellulosic.
But because of the Renewable Volume Obligation restrictions, the corn ethanolamount could rise as high as 14.8 billion.
The Congressional statute calls for 15 billion gallons of conventional biofuels in2017.
“Increasing the amount of ethanol in ourfuel supply, coupled with America’s decreasing demand for gasoline, is going toresult in higherethanol blends, such asE15, at more pumps and stations,” Allardsaid. “The widespread availability of E15and higherethanol fuels increases the riskthat owners will inadvertently misfuel theirmotorcycles.”
E15 fuel is a blend of 85 percent gasolineand 15 percent ethanol and represents a 50percent increase in ethanol over the common E10 blend most Americans currentlyuse in their vehicles.
None of the estimated 22 million motorcycles and allterrain vehicles in use in theUnited States is approved by the EPA to operate on ethanol blends higher than 10 percent. Using higherethanol blends in thosevehicles is illegal and may cause engine andfuel system damage and void the manufacturer’s warranty.
By again increasing the amount of ethanolin America’s gasoline, the EPA will furtherstrain the fuel marketplace by exceedingthe blend wall by hundreds of millions ofgallons. The blend wall is the point at whichno more ethanol can be blended withoutforcing consumers to use higher blends,such as E15, E30 and E85.
The AMA also is concerned the increasedreliance on corn ethanol could further reduce the amount of E0 fuel available. Sincethe distribution network for E15 and E85 islimited, fuel producers may be forced to reduce E0 output to stay within the RVO rule.
The proposed 2017 rule can be foundhere: https://www.epa.gov/renewablefuelstandardprogram/proposedrenewablefuelstandards-2017-and-biomass-based-diesel.
Chapter Chats
AkronAkron OH
It was on my bucket list to learn how to ridea motorcycle. My husband Bruce surprisedme with my first bike, a Kawasaki Vulcan900. He taught me the basics, and I tookthe rider’s course. 2 1⁄2 years later, he encouraged me to find other Lady Riders. Itwas at a local HD event where I first metthe Akron Chapter WITW.
Life really does begin at 50. I am so proudto be a part of my chapters Adventures.Last year’s River Run, Summer Nationals,our Monthly Road trips and our CharityEvents.
During our January 2016 meeting, Cathimentioned doing the “Iron Butt Challenge”.You must ride a 1000 miles within 24 hours.Our President Carol, along with Della haddone it 6 years ago. Think about this Challenge: at 60mph it would take 16 hours.Now factor in the facts: refueling, bathroom, eating, stretching. Now add in thingsyou can’t control: weather, traffic, road delays, border delays, bike malfunctions. Only
6 hours of cushion.
Cathi, Amy, Carol and Myself accepted theChallenge. 4 is the perfect group size forspeed and safety. Sunday May 29th we metat 4am at the gas station. Everyone getsfuel at the same time together. Your receiptstarts the clock, your odometer readingstarts the miles. We left Akron, Oh and traveled to Erie PA, Buffalo NY, over the borderto Canada into Michigan, then into Indiana,down through Dayton, Columbus and backto Akron.
During our Adventure, we had the Best Fortune of light traffic, good weather tempswith a chance of showers. We did experience a sudden downpour with small hail,so we took an early lunch hoping for sun.Our soaked clothes dried out as we continued on. About 2 hours from home, we werewearing down. The temp had dropped, fog,mist and the only traffic was US, whichmeant the presence of DEER. (Imagine purposely inhaling the stench of roadkill tohelp shock you awake) HaHa. We DID It,and WE EARNED IT. At one point Amy remarked that she just knew she could hearJudy saying “more tuff cookies in the mak
ing.”
Our June adventures include Ohio Bikeweek/ with the River Run, and a Doe Runto Niagara Falls. What I am MOST proud ofis that Age is just a number. I am so inspiredby the Ladies in my chapter and ALL of UsWITW. Cheers to all of us Sisters. Enjoy aSAFE, Fun, Adventurous Riding Season!!Denise Ellis
Issue 183 / Page 11
Chapter Chats
Chinook OutridersCalgary AB Canada25th Anniversary of the Calgary MotorcycleAwareness Ride – Sunday, May 15, 2016
Calgary’s longest running, continuous Motorcycle Awareness ride celebrated its 25th
Anniversary this year. Organized 25 yearsago by Mick Cawthorn, owner of Kane’sHarley Davidson in Calgary, the ride is heldeach year in May to bring a heightenedsense of awareness to the general publicthat motorcycles are back on the road.
May is Motorcycle Awareness Month andthe ride is held each year in honor of twolocal Pioneering Motorcyclists – Bob Kaneand Walt Healy.
This year, the Board and Organizing Committee wanted to add another longtimeMotorcycle Pioneer – Roger Hyde – for hisdedication to motorcycling, motorcyclists’’safety and mentoring new riders. His support to various fundraising events and charities spans 50+ years. Roger was Chair andChampion of the 2016 Ride, but sadlypassed away in November 2015. Roger’swidow, Cynthia was also on the OrganizingBoard and proudly rode with her family –daughter Lauren and son, Roger Young,along with dozens of friends, her Riding Sisters from Women in the Wind who turnedout to ride with and support them duringthe day’s events.
For the last two years, the event was heldat Grey Eagle Casino and Convention Centre. By the time all of the groups arrivedthere were between 500 – 600 bikes. Ashow and shine was held with two plaques– one in Roger Hyde’s name. The winner ofthis would be the “Board’s Choice”, selecting a bike that they felt Roger would alsochoose – one that the owner painstakinglyand completely customized in his own styleand presented in pristine condition.
The Calgary Police Service Motorcycle
mounted riders provided an escort to thelarge motorcycle parade that rode fromGrey Eagle to the venue where the live andsilent auction and meal would be held,Ranchmen’s.
Wood’s Homes was selected as the charityto which all proceeds would flow. The Organizing Board voted unanimously to askWoods to ensure the proceeds were sentto their Stepping Stones program located inFort McMurray to assist with their children’s programs in that community. FortMcMurray and surrounding areas weredevastated in early May from wildfires thatconsumed over 1,500 homes and businesses.
The Awareness Ride raised over $22,000for Woods Homes this year and was a wonderful tribute to the three Alberta Motorcycle Pioneers whose passion for riding wasevident in every area of their lives. Rogerused to tell new riders “It doesn’t matterwhat you ride – just that you ride!”
Cynthia Hyde
Calgary Chinook Chapter, Women in theWind
Desert CurvesWashoe Vally NV
Desert Curve ladies: Kathleen, Lori, Barbara, Kathy (self) and Julie on our first ridetogether to get some lunch in a place calledMiddlegate NV. They have a famous“ghost” burger so if you happen along theloneliest hwy between Austin and Fallon itis worth a stop. Our chapter has started amonthly picture contest for members to
submit. Each month is a different requirement. The picture has to have the member,her bike or her colors with the requiredsubject such as a historic place etc. It is agreat way for each of us to have a reasonto take a little (or long) ride for a picturethat fits into our individual schedule. Weare still contending with the unsettledspring weather but do our best to get themotors started.
Submitted by: “Comstock” Kathy
Diamond RosesWoodbridge VA
We’re ready for our close ups, Mr. DeMille!Diamond Roses Chapter was featured in avideo news feature story about women riders. Voice of America (VOA.com) filmedour charity ride from Quantico Marine Memorial to the Women in Military ServiceMemorial. Several Diamond Roses members participated in the ride, as well as acouple new lady riders who found us onMeetUp.com. Our story was featured inPakistan and an English version was donefor VOA.com/USA. We met with USAF RET.Brigadier General Wilma Vaught Check outthe video on our Facebook page!
We also enjoyed our annual East Coast Sisters Round Up to Hershey, PA for lunch anda beautify ride. Two east coast chaptersparticipated, New Jersey Renegades and Diamond Roses.
Diamond Roses welcomes two new members, Georgia & Anita, and a potential newmember, Sophia. We have hosted severalMeet & Greets over the past few monthsand have had good response on socialmedia gaining interest in our chapter.
Issue 183 / Page 12
Chapter Chats
EdmontonEdmonton AB Canada
A week after the devastation and havocbegan its swath of destruction. The windshad rapidly changed & sent the humongousfire on a path that would ravage Fort McMurray, Alberta. It was almost the size ofEdmonton, our provincial capital, within afew days it would grow to over 10 times itssize fueled by the tinder dry conditions andthe winds blowing in excess of 35 to 40kilometers per hour. The only thing that’sgoing to slow this beast down is rain, lotsof rain.
Some of the girls from the Women in theWind Edmonton Chapter (aka ‘Wild Roses’)rode out to Blackjacks Roadhouse Saloon inNisku, Alberta to help raise money for thestaggering number of evacuees who havebeen forced from their homes. So manydon’t have a home to go back to. They leftin such a hurry, needing diapers and babyfood immediately they left with theirloved ones and that’s it. Some were noteven allowed home to get any personalitems we all need and use every day i.e.:identification, medications, even theirshoes. BLACKJACK’S ROADHOUSE SALOONsponsored an awesome benefit selling delicious burgers for $5, 100+ rode in a miniPoker run, many businesses & individualsdonated, created, crafted or offered theirexpertise skills & items for the silent auction. The 50/50 draw lined one fellow’sjeans by $1600 with the other half going towards the relief efforts for Ft. Mac. All donations to the Red Cross will be matched bythe provincial and federal governments.
Tripling donations is great. There were
about 250300 motorcycles of all styles andcolors that turned out to support thefundraiser. The benefit raised almost$30,000 for the evacuees.
Apparently no prizes were won by anyWomen in the Wind ladies but we werehappy to socialize, build a burger andspend/donate to aid Ft. McMurray victimsleft scattered around the province, this isnow the biggest National Disaster inCanada’s history. We wish them all strengthto get through this life changing catastrophic event.
We are thankful for the amazing feats ofthe many emergency workers and first responders who evacuated 88,000 people ina single day. That is truly amazing no liveswere lost.
Damages are estimated to exceed 3 Billion.A month later evacuees could return andbegin to rebuild their lives, a long emotional road awaits.
Cheers. Jane
Dragon GypsiesTellico Plains TN
In April we rode our first official ride of2016 logging in 300 miles going up to Elizabethton, TN to visit a covered bridge andhave a picnic in the state park. The dogwood and cherry blossoms were in fullbloom. Then in May, we took Tennessee’sscenic Highway 70 from Maryville toCrossville enjoying the curves and ups anddowns in almost perfect weather conditions. The gentle breezes, sunshine andsweet scent of honey suckle surroundedeach of us as we made our way to Cumberland Mountain State Park. The Sunday buffet included fried chicken, roast beef,
veggies and desserts. Our meeting was aquick one. We rode over to the Cumberland Play House where we had front rowseats to the comedy, “Southern Fried Nuptials.” Laughter filled the room during bothacts. I continued to laugh as my mind revisited key scenes on the ride down Highway68 to home. Some say that “laughter is thebest medicine.” Combine that with ridingand you have a perfect day!!
But wait, Memorial Day found us onceagain enjoying sunshine as we rode overhills and hollows covered in wild flowers ofall colors. We dedicated our ride to thememory of our veterans and thanked thosewho had served in the services for ourcountry. After stopping for lunch in Hot
Springs, NC, we returned home past Cherokee Dam and the sweeping curves alongthe lake. We stopped at Jerry’s ice creamstop and said our good byes over peach icecream and chocolate cherry milk shakes.Another perfect day of riding!
Ginna Harrison & Connie Thomas
Georgia PeachesDallas, GA
Those of us who ride on two (or three)wheels give many reasons for our love ofthe open road on our bikes: Freedom. Excitement. Camaraderie. These loves makeus always aware of those who are unableto enjoy the road with us. A very importantpart of being a WITW Georgia Peach, is togive back.
This quarter, we have been very busy selecting our two charities, which we will support this year, as well as getting the fundraising planning underway. Once of ourmembers, Betsey M., made us aware thatsome of our vets, who are residing at theMilledgeville Veterans Nursing Home, arein need of basic toiletries and caring individuals. We plan to fill both of these needs.We are collecting soaps, shampoos, safetyrazors, etc, and will package them up and
present them, with as many of our chaptermembers as possible, in a festive atmosphere during the winter holiday season.Stay tuned for reports on how this went.
Another member, Kim V., made us aware ofa need within our local community. In November 2015, Janet Paulsen was ambushedby her husband and shot five times, beforehe turned the gun on himself and took his
Continued page 13
Continued from page 12
own life. Janet survived, but was left paralyzed from the waist down. In the sixmonths since the shooting, Janet has madetremendous strides in recovery but she stillhas a long road ahead of her, while she isalso caring for her twin boys. Her ferventwish is for a “Hipposcampe all terrainwheelchair” which will enable her to onceagain become active and enable her to better actively care for her sons. Because ofthis great need locally, we are finding numerous service providers (venue, music,etc) who are donating their sites/services,
to help us make this a success, and getJanet the Hippocampe she needs.
You would think that with the above, wehaven’t had time for any rides...and youwould be wrong! We had a spectacularride to Toccoa Falls, a beautiful 186foothigh waterfall that is one of the tallest freefalling waterfalls east of the MississippiRiver. Lunch at a nearby Mexican restaurant sustained us for the ride home.
Georgia Peaches continues to grow. Welcome our newest Peaches, Brenda, Wandaand Jeanne. We look forward to ridingmany miles with you.
Issue 183 / Page 13
Chapter Chats
Highway HunniesBuena Vista SK Canada
We are happy to say that winter is finallybehind us and we can start looking forwardto a season of riding here in Saskatchewan.We have an exciting season planned. I havethe privilege of being our chapters RideCaptain. A role I take very seriously as Iwant everyone to enjoy our excursions andfor all us to return home safely to our lovedones. I decided I would put on a Ride Captain training for our chapter this May and
was very happy with the turn out. I felt itwas important for all of our Chapter to understand what goes through the mind of aRide Captain during the rides. Now everyone will be able to better predict what theleads are thinking and prepare for any roadchanges that may arise. So with a monthof riding under our belts I can honestly sayI’ve never looked forward to a riding seasonas much as I am this year.
We started in April by getting together inMoose Jaw SK for our annual “spa weekend”. Which our Sisters from the northjoined us (Bridge City ThunderChapter). We are very lucky to have another Chapter so close that we can planand get together multiple time though outthe year. We plan to meet again for theWITW international Ride day. We alsostarted off this year’s season with a rideand picnic in the park. We were able tomeet up with the Bridge City Thunderladies for the 10th Annual Female international ride day as well. I think we had over30 women riders by the time we met at theTwisted Sister.
Goes without saying, what an amazing feel
ing to ride down the highway with a groupof women. Something I was able to sharewith my 7 yr old daughter, as she rides onthe bike for most of the rides. It’s awesomethat she is readily accepted into the groupand is our “miniHunnie” sometimes putting on more miles than some riders. I wasable to share my love of riding with her lastsummer when we packed the camping gearon the bike and headed off to the mountains of British Columbia. What a memorable trip that was for us. We put onapproximately 3000 km together. The joyon her face when she saw her first mountain, rode though her first tunnel and theafternoon we spent at The Enchanted Forest. From that day on I knew every summerwe would spend time on the motorcycleexploring some part of North America.Looks like BC maybe the destination thisyear again with a detour through the IceGlacier National park.
So from this Ride Captain to all Chaptersenjoy the summer and the wind. Until nexttime......... Ride safe.
Tricia Andersen
Ride Captain
HoosierettesCrown Point INIt’s finally riding season again in NorthwestIndiana. While we had a mild winter itseemed to linger and our first real groupride was not until May. This summer weare making a push in recruitment for additional members and have added a lot moreplanned rides to our calendar.
With the ride to Summer Internationals inPennsylvania in focus we are also concentrating on helping some of our less experienced riders with safety concerns for grouprides on highways. While we all appreciatea meandering ride on the back roads wealso know that to go long distance whenyou are limited on time requires the use ofthe highway. And that means sharing theroads not just with other cars, but semis aswell.
Some of our more experienced riders aretaking some advanced rider courses to improve their skills. Even those of us whohave been riding for years can learn a lot(or in some cases just reminded about whatthey already know). With safety as our priority and our focus on Hershey we are looking forward to a terrific riding season andhoping for continued cooperative weather.See you all in August!!
Issue 185 / Page 14
Chapter Chats
Hudson Valley HoydensHopewell Junction NY
Have you ever been cruising down theroad, loving that wind when suddenly youstart groaning as you see the barely movingtraffic up ahead? Then you see a highwayseparation for HOV or Express Lanes andwonder whether you were allowed onthose open lanes, or if you need that states’toll pass? Well I have and due to insufficientsignage and ignorance of laws, spent hoursin unsafe traffic. So for Safety Month theWITW Hudson Valley Hoydens Chapter, decided to research some of these laws andrules and share the knowledge with therest of our sisters.
A little background, legislation known as“MAP21”, revised the U.S. Code which allows States to toll certain vehicles for access to HOV lanes. This lawstates Motorcycles and Bicycles, if allowed,may not be tolled for using HOV Lanes.However, a State may elect to restrict motorcycle or bicycle (or both) use of an HOVfacility due to safety concerns. Generallyspeaking most all states have restricted bicycles, but not motorcycles.
It is also important to understand whattype of toll lanes are out there.
HOV High Occupancy Vehicle Lane These lanes have an occupancy
requirement, usually 2 or 3 people and aremeant to encourage
car pooling and reduce traffic during peakcommuting times.
HOT High Occupancy Toll Lane Theselanes are available to high
occupancy vehicles and Motorcycles without change; other vehicles are required topay a variable fee that is adjusted in response to demand. These HOT lanes canhave different names in different states:Managed Lanes, Express Lanes and theycan be HOV lanes or regular lanes thatallow any vehicle to use by paying a toll.The toll price is variable and changes depending on traffic conditions. HOV lanesusually have specific hours of operation,and these lanes will just be regular tolllanes outside of those hours, meaning ALLwill have to pay the toll.
So, Federal Law allows motorcycles use ofall HOV lanes without a toll.
However, is anything ever that easy...?Nope, some states require
passes, registration and/or accounts etc.
We would suggest you research any state’srequirements before
traveling there. But if you would like to seeour summary of certain state’s rules and requirements just email us at
And we will be happy to forward you the information we’ve collected.
Ironhorse RosesLakeland FL
Ironhorse Roses Chapter has had a busyfew months. First in early March the chapter went to Charleston, SC for the WinterInternational conference. This was one ofour sisters first long distance road trip soour learning curve was on and we all gainedinsight into our riding, hazards, and friendships as the ride progresses. We enjoyed
the weather, visiting the Angel tree and ofthe course the conference was a blast.Thank you to all the sisters that made theevent so successful! Our chapter won theaward of having 100% of the membershipattend and we went one step further and100% of us rode to the event. We hadgreat weather, enjoyed seeing old friendsand of course met new sisters too!
We have been working at our local HarleyDavidson dealership on Sundays, grillinghotdogs and hamburgers and earning tipsfor our chapter. We are using the moneyearned to offset any expenses we have forour Florida Chapter Challenge we are hosting on September 24, 2016. We will spendtime with our Florida sisters in Crystal RiverFlorida. The goal is to have every chapterrepresented and then the chapter that hasthe most participation wins the right tohost the event the following year. Ironhorse Roses has hosted the event twice inthe past 5 years so we are getting the hang
of organizing this and enjoy picking out thelocation and a weekend away from homeand spending time with our sisters.
In May we hosted a ride to the east coastand visited the Ponce de Leon lighthouse.Sister Ruth led this ride. She is no longer isa virgin and can lead group rides, travel onhighways long distance and has become avaluable member of the chapter. For afairly new rider this meets new criteria inher skill set and the focus on safety, preparation and then celebrating success hasbeen part of our sisterhood. Thank youRuth for joining us and taking the initiativeto venture new ground!
We look forward to the summer months inFlorida which means dodging the rainstorms, wearing plenty of sun screen, staying hydrated and enjoying road trips.
Until next time, rubber down!
Choochie
Chapter Chats
Issue 185 / Page 15
Lady HawksPaso Robles CA
We had a nice ride out to the “Earth QuakeCapital of California” Parkfield for lunch,wasn’t a big turnout but we had a goodride, great day and the food and service isalways good!
Wow, The San Diego WITW Ride Californiawas a huge success! Although I wasn’table to attend because of Family obligations, all the girls came back with somegreat stories of rides and all the fun thatwas had. Lady Hawks were also confirmedas the next host for the WITW RIDE CALIFORNIA 2017.
WITW PASO ROBLES/ CENTRAL COAST RIDECALIFORNIA 2017.
We are looking forward to planning andpresenting one of the best Ride California’sto date. We Have some of the most beautiful riding areas in California and are so excited to share it all with our WITWSisters!
So, stay tuned as I will try to give little tidbits here and there of some of the excitement that will sure to be building up for2017!
As always “Ride your own ride” and staysafe out there!
Ruth Myers
Jersey GirlsPhiladelphia PA
The Jersey Girls head to the Jersey shore....
On April 24th our infamous ride coordinator Stephanie led the group to “On the wayto Cape May”. It was definitely a “chaps”kinda day in the chilly morning air. It was arelaxing two hour ride along the back roadsof New Jersey headed to the tip of the Jersey shorebeautiful Cape May. When wearrived, we wanted to make sure we keptour bikes close together... it’s amazing how
many bikes you can fit in one parkingspot! We managed to get 5 in that day...The weather was perfect for strollingthrough the mall, shopping, laughing, anda stop at The Ugly Mug for lunch. Afterlunch it was a walk back to the bikes for ascenic ride home. This was a great ridefilled with laughs and the beauty of theback roads of New Jersey and just the beginning of the riding season.... many moreto come.
Bev “Taz”
Long IslandSeaford NY
The Saturday before Memorial Day was abeautiful day to honor those who gavesome and those who gave all as the LongIsland Chapter participated in the annual“Flags On” event at Calverton NationalCemetery. We’ve been participating forover a dozen years and it has become anannual event. Member Sylvette Serrano,not only coordinated the event with the or
ganizers, but led our group on a beautifulride using some wonderful back roads enroute to the cemetery. Once there, wewent to our assigned section and placed aflag at each headstone. Each monument isetched with the name, service branch andevent during which they served as well asthe dates of their birth and death. A silentthank you was offered up as each flag wasplaced. Following that we motored our wayto a small cafe for a bite to eat.
MilwaukeeWest Allis WI
It’s late May and there should have been ahandful of group rides to report, but thisSpring has been off to a wet and cold startso I’ll dip into nostalgia and serve up an article.
Some motorcyclists avoid riding at night.Its dangers abound in both the natural andmanmade world, and propelling ourselves
through space with limited vision can leadto as much alarm as exhilaration. Back inthe old days of weak brakes and poor lighting we tried to stop riding by sunset. Butmany years ago one ride opened a newworld to me: my friend and I were going tocombine our love of camping and motorcycling by riding to eastern West Virginia andsetting up camp. Strapping our pup tent,blowup pool mattresses, clothes, and supplies onto a Suzuki 380 GT and a Honda 400SS with a mess of bungee cords, we em
barked, arrived, set up camp, and hoped fora rainless trip since the mattresses wouldfloat in the leaky tent destroying anychance for a good night’s sleep. Thensomething amazing happened: a full moonbegan its ascent and we reacted by hopping on one bike for a short ride into Virginia to get a better look. The term is“lunacy” and we were about to becomeposter children. We rode all night through
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the mountains in the damp freezing airwith only sweatshirts and flimsy rain ponchos for warmth. We hit every rest stopand stood shivering and numb under thehand dryers, yet we kept following themoon 400 miles through the night. In themorning we sat on the beach in Virginia
and welcomed a beautiful warming sunrise,then turned around and rode back to ourcampsite.
Like many of you, I’ve worked my way up indisplacement through the years. I now ridea Gold Wing with bright headlights as wellas auxiliary lighting, and I still love ridinglate at night. Nothing compares to being
almost alone on the road, travellingthrough space in a stream of light, yourmind alert to unseen danger, but basking inthe moonlight under a canopy of starsmade visible by the absence of city lights.Not initiated? Pick a nice warm moonlitnight to give it a try and you too might gravitate to the dark side. It’s “lunacy” in thebest sense of the word. —Trish
Chapter Chats
Issue 185 / Page 16
Mtn & Desert SistersBayfield CO
Hello from sunny SW Colorado and NWNew Mexico! Our riding season is FINALLYhere and we are ecstatic! We are pleasedto report that our chapter donated $130
worth of much needed supplies to thePagosa Pregnancy Support Center in honorof Mother’s Day, including diapers, wipes,Kleenex, etc. They were so thankful for oursupport!
Due to unforeseen circumstances for acouple of our members, our Mayride/meeting was postponed. However,two of our members did ride that day tothe Wines of the San Juan Winery, south ofNavajo Dam/Lake, and enjoyed a sunny, ifsomewhat windy, day. After lunch at thewinery, they rode to the overlook at the topof Wolf Creek Pass where, much to the surprise of those in attendance, our very own
Daryn “Taz” Herrington received a formalproposal of marriage (they were already“informally” engaged) by her sweetheartDave Kempher! The attached picture is ofthat special moment! We are thrilled forthem both and blessed to be a part of theirhappiness! The wedding is set for August,2017.
June finds us planning to participate inSafety Month, as well as ride, ride, ride!Hope everyone out there stays safe and enjoys the warm sunshine (but don’t forgetthe sunscreen)!
Virginia “Sarge” Semler
Northern WomenTangent OR
The Northern Women chapter sends warmsummer wishes to all the Women in theWind as riding season kicks into high gear!
The weather was perfect for a ride at ourApril meeting to Bald Peak State Park (justnorth of Newberg) that has an amazingview. On the return trip, we came downthrough the pastoral west side of theWillamette Valley. After our ride, westopped to discuss potential safety issuesand how all of us can improve our awareness when riding together as a group.
For May, we take the month off to observeMother’s day but many of our memberswere out enjoying the lovely riding weatherthroughout the month.
On June 11, we are doing our club’s annualYoubetchorass Ride to 5 casinos in 1 day,440 miles. This route starts in the centralWillamette Valley and makes a loop to thecoast going through the 5 casinos on theway and then back down the valley.
We have more trips planned but are stillworking out the details. Come and join uswhile we count up the miles!
Some new and very useful Smartphoneapps that members were discussing at themeeting:
PureGas – Provides a list of ethanolfree gas stations in the U.S. andCanada
(http://www.puregas.org/) availablefor both iPhones and Android phones
REVER – This is a motorcycle app andtrip planner so you can create, shareand track your motorcycle rides on theWeb, iOS, and Android(http://rever.co/)
See you next edition, happy riding!
Northern Women Chapter
Sharron Fox
Photo Caption: April 2016 Bald Peak Ride,photo by Karen Zimmerman
Prairie RosesRedcliff AB Canada
Can I Call Myself A Biker?
Out of the parking lot, traffic, open roadBug splats, wind burning noseSweaty, shaky, missed a gear
But smiling broadly from ear to earConfidence building, life’s anew
A community of riders, not just a fewThis is just the start, so many sights to see
The journey is the reward, in the present I’ll beCan I call myself a biker, although a little shy
I am still very new to this but I will tryTo live up to the heritage of my kin
Take on what the road throws and be the bikerwithin
As new member to Women in the Wind –Prairie Roses Chapter new to this exciting,exhilarating and sometimes terrifying sport
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Issue 185 / Page 17
Chapter Chats
Continued from page 16
of motorcycle riding, I never imagined howpassionate riding can be.
I come from a family of riders and for onereason or another I wasn’t drawn to thesport as my family has been. I’ve watchedin awe but mostly left it with them. My lifetook some big changes, albeit well neededchanges and I finally realized how muchmore “being a biker” meant. It was exactlywhat I was searching for; community, livinglife in full colour, supportive people, fearlessness while facing fear, and simply
smelling the roses (or dead skunk) at 80clicks and loving it. Women in the Windprovide all those and more.
Being community minded, WITW recentlyvolunteered at a local bar to raise moneyfor the horrific blaze in Fort MacMurray.We were proud to be a part of the eventand have our picture with a local firefighter,as you can see. We are also involved inmany other fundraising events for localcharities throughout the year.
In addition to supporting community, supporting each other in Women in the Wind
has been paramount to me. I am new rider,making mistakes and learning with eachand every ride. I have been so very fortunate to have a group of women riders of allages and experiences share with me vitalinformation to help make me the best bikerI can be. I truly value their support andhow dedicated they and Women in theWind are to riding safely.
Although I feel my journey as a “biker” hasjust begun, I can already feel a lifetime ofriding within me.
Tessa Evans
Rocky MountainFrederick CO
Ladies, get those bikes dusted off and getthem rolling. Spring has sprung and wecan’t possibly have another snow storm! Ihave only been with WITWRMC for 3 yearsand it has been so heartwarming to watchlifetime friendships grow within our chapter. We all have a common interest, and wealso share stories of our successes and ourpersonal dilemmas. I’m so glad to be a partof WITW and getting to know more andmore confident, talented and ambitiouswomen. Excitement has been escalating aswe listen to the ride plans for the summerand the anticipation of the upcoming Nationals.
Several gals are riding to Hershey, PA thissummer. Those that cannot make the twoweek trip are meeting the group in Kansason their way back for a celebratory event.An annual ride we do in May is in remem
brance of our WITW sister, Kelly Banks. Sheis never forgotten and was with us, “Ridingon the Wings of Angels” as we visited theCare Center where she resided in her finalmonths. I was leading and took a wrongturn into the Home Depot parking lot. Thatwasn’t a mistake. Didn’t I tell you we weregoing to practice our parking lot maneuversin preparation for the safety class nextmonth? And then, off we go riding in twogroups. Both leads became lost along theroute but still ended up in the same designated stop within 5 min of each other. Weare awesome!! I love these unplanned adventures.
RideLikeaPro, is scheduled during Safetymonth in June. This is an excellent slow maneuver officer training class instructed byJody Peterson and her husband, Bill. Weare fortunate to have an opportunity to attend this skills class.
At our May meeting we had the pleasure of
meeting Alani Selvey from the Sol SistersChapter. She recently moved to Coloradoand is now a member of our Rocky Mountain Chapter. Quite a change from ridingnear the ocean, sand dunes, and the neverending sunny, warm days. As they say inCO, wait 10 minutes and the weather willchange! I look forward to showing heraround a bit as we ride the beautiful Colorado mountain roads knowing she lovesto take the curves on her hot red MonsterDucati. We also welcome our newest members, Celeste & Cindy (GiGi). Ride safe andenjoy summertime! Hopper
Silver HawksLackawaxen PA
The Silver Hawks are starting the 2016 riding season off Hot…Hot…Hot. That’s right,
hot as in South of the Border. Since the riding in the Northeast during the months ofApril and May are weather challenged theHawks decided to have a fund raiser. A localvendor, Casa De Jorge Salsa, produces anawesome product that is not only glutenfree but vegan and nut free. We figuredwhy not give it a try.
One evening all the Silver Hawks got together to sample several of the salsa products that we would sell. There were alltypes of flavors from fruity, mild, smoky hotand for the bravest of souls, a salsa called“stupid hot” measuring an 11 on the heatscale. The Hawks had an awesome evening
laughing, eating, and of course enjoying amargarita or two.
Through social media and our circles offriends and family, our fundraiser was asuccess. For our first time we were able tosell 129 jars. The Silver Hawks plan on making this a yearly sale. Not only was itfun but it will enable us to increase our charitable donations in the future. The Hawks are also preparing at this time for our annualevent, “Remaining Relentless For Nate” onSeptember 18, 2016. See you all at “TheSweetest place on Earth!”
Issue 185 / Page 18
Chapter Chats
South East MichiganDundee MI
Hello to all our WITW Sistas! Our ladieshave already been putting the miles onfrom the minute Mother Nature turned thepage. This is definitely our season and weare making the most of it. We’d like to welcome our newest member Karen Carr akaKC to our family, so glad to have ya!
We had our annual luncheon with theChapters and very much appreciate ToledoChapter for coming out and spending timewith us. Always a great time with our sistas.As we are sure you all know, the cagers areout with eyes closed. We’ve seen severaltragic accidents already. Also a few thatwere on purpose, amazing that someonewould aim for you. Just a reminder to rideas though you are invisible, eyes coveringall four points of view. Remember, eventhough they look dead at you, they usuallyaren’t seeing you.
When parking, try to find a spot you canpull straight out of instead of having to backout. We all love the sisterhood of ridingwith someone but at times we are outthere alone. It’s a great thing for mindclearing but in reality, it’s harder to see asingle rider. You are easily blended in withother surroundings. A few things to help,
ride center of your lane, bright clothing,bright lights on and yes, loud pipes or evenmusic. Stay out of their blind spot and notice if they are turning their heads to see ifthey are clear to switch lanes. Sometimesyou may need to catch their attention. Donot be afraid to give them a little pipe if youdon’t have enough time to avoid them(easing off the throttle or a quick lanechange).
A few of us were out riding and had a ladystart to come over into our lane. There wasn’t time or room to go anywhere so wegrabbed the clutch and hit that throttle andshe moved back quickly. Once we got to ared light, she rolled the window down andsaid, “So sorry I didn’t see you. Thank Godyou revved your engine or I would’ve hityou!” WOW! So please be careful out thereand enjoy your summer! We’d love to ridewith ya, not have to come visit ya!
Space Coast RidersPalm Bay FL
On June 7th WITW Space Coast Riders &Livin in the Wind Chapters invited our Sheriff Wayne Ivey to attend our meeting andspeak to our ladies on MotorcycleSafety. Sheriff Ivey addressed all questionsasked and also spoke to us about personalsafety. Sheriff Ivey invited us to join his of
ficers escort team for the Space Coasthonor flight line for our Veterans. We willescort the veterans to Orlando airportwhere they will be flown to Washington DCto visit their War Memorials. Our trip’s priorities are to ensure the safety and dignityof our Veterans!
SunShine SistersBoynton Beach FL
Happy Summer time to everyone! The SunShine Sisters Chapter are enjoying the sunand trying to get in lots of riding before thescorching summer heat or down pour hurricane rains. Personally, I rode as long aspossible until the belly got too big with thetwins, then I had to live vicariously throughmy WITW sister’s photos and stories.
A big success was the chapter meetup withLiving in the Wind! We didn’t get enough
of each other in Charleston, so we took anadded lunch date to mingle with our sisters.A beautiful afternoon ride led us to a greatoutdoor dining establishment where thesmiling faces awaited us. We can’t wait todo it again!
Random rides have taken us to many localfavorites and we’ve found some new undiscovered secrets. . Riding south along theocean is a favorite no matter what, butwhen it ends with two foot long hot dogs,old fashioned candy, and homemade icecream at Jaxsons, it just makes the day somuch sweeter. Heading west will eventuallyland us on the opposite coast as Florida isso skinny, but all the road side farm standsand sweet corn make for lots of stops alongthe way. The Everglades National Park is always good for a gator sighting and thetwisty unused back roads are always goodfor a full tank of gas. The SunShine Sistersare all about having good food, being sillywith lots of laughter, and enjoying the ride.
Hopefully everyone enjoyed InternationalFemale Ride Day! The SunShine Sistersturned our ride in to a family affair! Itstarted when we had a guest daughter onthe ride. The ride went to a hidden gemcafé where there were parents waiting tomeet us for lunch. So, not only did we getto ride loud and proud, but our families gotto brag about their awesome mothers,daughters, and sisters on their big bad motorcycles. Talking about promoting a positive image!
So, as the weather warms up, I hope everyone can get on their bikes and get theirknees in the breeze as much as we do!Chocolate and fun is calling our name andwe’re getting excited as Hershey is justaround the corner! Enjoy the summer andsafe travels to all!
Smiles thru the miles! Jen .... aka.... Lil’Bit
Issue 185 / Page 19
Chapter Chats
ToledoSwanton OH
The riding season is finally starting here inNorthwest Ohio but our chapter riding calendar is already full. Our newly formed ridecommittee has planned 16 rides in oursummer months, ranging from short daytrips around the area to overnight trips including a Ohio waterfall tour and a tripdown the “triple nickel” in southernOhio. We are also busy with our communityservice projects. We have had our firstAdapt A Highway trash pickup along one ofour favorite riding routes, finding interesting items such as discarded underwear,rounds of live ammunition and a toiletseat. The trash pickup was followed by asunny ride along the Maumee River
and lunch. We also have members on theplanning committee for the Camp Courageous Ride and Roast. Camp Courageous islocated in Whitehouse Ohio and is a residential summer camp for individuals withdevelopmental disabilities and this is oneof their fund raisers. It cost $1400 to sendone camper there for a week. We are proudto be one of the sponsors of this event toraise money to help defray some of thecost.
At our April meeting, safe mileageawards were presented to 18 members ofour chapter, including 6 first year participants. Our chapter turned in 82,678 milescollectively.
Toledo Chapter President Mary Ellen Mercer has finalized our packet for new members containing information on the chapter,
its members and instructional tips such asriding in a group and TCLOCKS for preparing for a ride. This has been a long intenseproject for Mary Ellen and her hard work isevident in the finished product and the newmembers will appreciate the wealth of information it holds.
Be safe Sara
Vagabond SisterMansura LA
Welcome Summer! With the kinetic energyof warm weather lots is happening in ourchapter.
Sunshine is happy she paid attention to theskies and ignored weather reports calling
for storms, getting some happy riding timein. Louisiana and Texas are still experiencing heavy rainfall and flooding
Gypsy has moved to Texas Hill Country andwas treated to an introductory tour by Peppermint Patti. Now living within an hour ofeach other, they look forward to riding together on a regular basis.
Skye finally made it to the Catskills of NewYork to pick up her “new” 1986 Rebel 450.She and her uncle have been doing systemchecks and local rides in preparation for hersolo ride back to Louisiana.
We are welcoming a new member in Central Louisiana. Angel bought Skye’s 1996Savage 650 and is scheduled for the MSFBRC in midJune. She’s very excited to finally be riding her own!
Ladybug is another prospective member inCentral Texas. She has been looking intowhen MSF courses will fit into her hecticschedule. In the meantime, she is becoming more familiar with Women in the Windand values our support and encouragement.
Dragonfly of the WITW Twisted SistersChapter has reached out to us. She is currently in South Central Texas and planninga move to Louisiana. We welcome her as aguest member and is included in all ourcommunications and ride invites.
The expansion of our chapter hasprompted our June Safety Project … mentoring/buddy guidelines. While mentoringis most usually thought of as a more experienced person guiding an inexperiencedone, we want the flow of information to goboth ways. Pairing up at meetings andrides will give us opportunity to know eachother better through oneonone communication. In addition, we ask each buddy togive the other one compliment and onesuggestion for improvement, and the samein regard to the meeting/ride. It is ourhope that we can each improve our skillswithout anyone feeling singled out, as wellas tailor our meetings and rides to ourmembers.
Deborah L. Halstead (aka ~Gypsy~)[email protected]
Wicked SistersCape Coral FL
Hi, my name is Kim, aka Thumper. I was recently elected president of our chapter,Wicked Sisters. I wanted to take this oppor
tunity to share what we have been doingfor the last couple of months.
We recently took a 170 round trip ride toSolomon’s Castle. The castle itself was builtby an eccentric artist to house his sculpture. It was built from recycled sheets of
aluminum and is 3 stories tall and 1200square feet! We had a great time touringthe grounds and getting into mischief!
In April we went to Cape Coral’s Bike night.
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Issue 185 / Page 20
Just Ride
Chapter Chats
Winsun RidersLethbridge AB Canada
Hello from Lethbridge, SouthernAlberta. Cannot believe two months havegone by already. Our chapter has beenbusy again. We have started our regularride nights on Tuesday nights. Unfortunately, the weather also changed though,so we have had a couple of crappyweeks. Lots of rain, which we did need
though.
Back to biking though, I would like to talkabout International Female ride Day. Thisdate coincided with a Toy Run organised byanother riding group in town. The toy runwas for our local hospital and also to getdonations for the fire victims in Fort McMurray. So we decided to do that run as achapter. We met up with about a 180 otherriders and did a ride through town with ourtoys ending up at our Tourist Centre.
This was my first big ride like this and it wasamazing to see all these bikers come together for a good cause. They did have apoker run after but we decided to split offand do our lady ride. It was truly an amazing day. The weather was good, and we really bonded as lady riders. Jo and I, whowere both riding with our learners licences,also got our road test done and both
passed. We would both like to thank ourchapter for the support and belief in us.
We have also got a new member, TammyKnight Jackson, who is on her way to getting her road test done soon. Our last couple of meetings we have been busy gettingorganised for the Canadian Rally in RockyMountain House. We are planning a preride before the rally through the RockyMountains. We are extremely excitedabout it. Most of the organising is done,hotels booked and registrations sent in.Before the rally in August though we havea lot of other rides that we will bedoing. Will keep you updated with all thatwe do. We hope you are all having a goodriding season and be safe out thereladies!!!
Continued from page 19
This is an event that happens 4 times a yearand attracts over 12,000 people from allover to listen to music, watch biker gamesand shop vendors.
Then four of us from the Wicked Sisters andLily Arenas from Island Breeze went to theLeesburg Bike Fest. It was a lovely 400 mileround trip ride to the north central part ofFlorida. We had a great time touring thetown, shopping and enjoying each other’s
company. We didn’t mind the heat withthe pool and hot tub to jump into at theend of the day!
We are coming into our part of the country’s HOT season and I am not personallylooking forward to it. But it is not too badwhen you are cruising with some of thefinest women I know.
We are busy helping the Island Breezechapter prepare for the Winter International meeting in January and I hope we get
to meet asmany of ourfellow WITWmembers aspossible!
Have a greatsummer!
Janet the Dragon GypsyBy Jenifer Smith, WITW Dragon Gypsies Chapter
Sing to the tune “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer”
Janet the Dragon Gypsy, had a plan to take a rideShe’d go to Cumberland Mountain, with her sisters by her side
All of the other Gypsies, waited for her patientlyThey never did see Janet, where the hell could she be?Then at last there came a call, Ginna knew the truth
Janet saw some chicks on trikes, and rode off with those other bikes.Then all the other Gypsies, laughed and set aside their gloom
Janet the Dragon Gypsy, you deserve a big ol’ spoon!
The moral of the story is: Always plan a short stop for a proper greeting, and when picking up members, never plan forthem to just fall in line.
WoWWomen in WomWomeWomenWomen Women iWomen inWomen in thWomen in tWomen in the Women in theWomen in the WindWomen in the WWomen in the WiWomen in the WinWomen in the Wind - 2017 Winter International
s Island January 26-29, 2017
Embassy Suites, 10450 Corkscrew Commons Drive, Estero, Florida 33928 Hosted by: Island Breeze and Assisted by Wicked Sisters
Member Early Registration Fee (Until November 1, 2016): $90.00 $______ Includes: Goodie Bag, Meet & Greet, Escorted Ride, Member Meeting and Banquet Guest Registration Fee (Until November 1, 2016): $80.00 $______ Includes all events except Member Meeting and Goodie Bag Late Fee if received after November 1, 2016: QTY: _____ (Additional pp fee) $10.00 $______ REGISTRATION SUBTOTAL $______
**Register by October 1, 2016 to be entered in the early bird prize drawing**
T-Shirt Order Indicate Quantity and Size: S___ M___ L___ XL___ *2XL___ *3XL___ $18.00 ea $______
Sleeve: S___ M___ L___ XL___ *2XL___ *3XL___ $20.00 ea $______ Women s Long Sleeve: S___ M___ L___ XL___ *2XL___ *3XL___ $25.00 ea $______ *$3.00 upcharge for 2XL and larger. TOTAL DUE (REGISTRATION/LATE FEE/T-SHIRTS): $______ Registration Information (please print): Member Name: _______________________________ Phone No.: ____________________________ Guest Name: _________________________________ Email Address: __________________________ Chapter: _____________________________________ Emergency Contact: ______________________ Address: _____________________________________ Emergency Phone: _______________________ City/State/Province/Zip: __________________________________________________________________ Will participate in group ride? ___YES ___NO (Contact Six Bends HD at 239-275-4647 for bike rental information) Will need vendor table? ___YES ___NO / CHAPTER NAME: ___________________________________________ Items to be sold: ______________________________________________________________________________ Payment Details: Make your check/money order in US Dollars payable to: Women in the Wind/Island Breeze Chapter. Mail check, completed registration and signed waiver form to: Sandra Cote, 1214 NE 14th Ave., Cape Coral, FL 33909. Hotel Accommodations: Embassy Suites, 10450 Corkscrew Commons Drive, Estero, FL 33928; Phone No.: 1-239-949-4222; Website: fortmyers.embassysuites.com. Let them know you are with Women in the Wind. Rooms will be blocked for until 11/15/16 at rate of $169 per suite. Questions: Contact Lily Arenas at 239-362-8492 or Sandra Cote at 401-741-1631. Waiver: I hereby state that I am experienced in and familiar with the operation of motorcycles and fully understand the risks and dangers to motorcycling. I am voluntarily participating in the Women in the Wind (WITW) 2017 Winter International Convention and I expressly agree to assume the entire risk of any accidents or personal injury. I release and hold harmless other participants, sponsors, officials and lessor of premises used to conduct this event. I additionally state that I participate in these events knowing the weather conditions, road conditions, and other similar conditions, factors and circumstances with these events may vary which may create any injuries I incur. I HAVE READ THIS RELEASE AND FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT I HAVE GIVEN UP SUBSTANTIAL RIGHTS BY SIGNING IT, AND SIGN IT FREELY AND VOLUNTARILY WITHOUT ANY INDUCEMENT. Member Print Name:__________________________________ Member Signature:___________________________________Date:_________ Guest Print Name:_____________________________________ Guest Signature:_____________________________________ Date:_________
Issue 185 / Page 21
Issue 185 / Page 22
WITW Logo Gear Price List
WITW Pins Price List
Here’s our system as it is now (we are working on an online order form to ease the process – stay tuned): Visit the WITW Logo Gear webpage at: http://witw1.com/ShirtInfo.htmlBack Patch, Shirts, Tanks, Sweatshirts, caps, hoodies, thermals, bling iron on, and MORE!Prices for each are on the website. QUESTIONS about orders go to Becky Brown at [email protected] place an order EMAIL BOTH Becky Brown & Jett Ford with your order details. [email protected] and [email protected]
IncludeItem / QTY / color / size, etc. Becky will ship to the Chapter address on file – if that changes let us know. If you want the order shipped to a different address – provide that in the email order.ONE order for the chapter, please do not have members send in individual orders. unless they are the only ones ordering ofcourse. To pay for the order: send payment to Jett Ford. Include a copy of the email if sending a check. Payable to WITW InternationalSEND TO: WITW International Treasurer, 496 Redwing Rd, Chula Vista, CA 91911OR you can pay via paypal at: [email protected] – include a WHO / WHAT / WHY note/instructions in paypal.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————Logo Gear Price List – good as of April 2, 2016Colors and detailed descriptions are available at: witw1.com/shirtinfo.html
*Price List (includes shipping): ANY Metallic Threads – ADD $2 for ea. pieceBack Patches $33eaHoodies – Pullover (run big) $35ea S, M, L, XL, 2XL Hoodies – Zip Front (run big) $37ea S, M, L, XL, 2XLShirts – Rib Knit Tanks $27ea S, M, L, XL, 2XL Shirts – Solid Color Tanks $20ea S, M, L, XL, 2XLShirts – Bella Style Ladies $25ea S, M, L, XL, 2XL Shirts – Crewneck Sweat $32ea S, M, L, XL, 2XLShirts – Solid Color Short Sleeves $22ea S, M, L, XL $24ea XXL $26ea XXXLShirts – Solid Color Long Sleeves $26ea S, M, L, XL $26ea XXL $27ea XXXLThermals (run small) $26ea S, M, L, XL, 2XLLogo Caps $14ea(Caps Front is WITW Logo & Lettering) Crystal Rhinestone WITW Logo $8ea(Caps Back can have up to 16 letters/spacesfor name, city, chapter, etc. $4 extra) *Remember – Add $2 ea. piece for metallic thread
Order Form will be available soon! For now – continue to email Becky Brown and Jett Ford
Here’s our system as it is now (we are working on an online order form to ease the process – stay tuned): Currently there are limited supplies of previous year pins – so you need to ask if that year is available (i.e. 2010). 25k, 50k, 75k milestone mileage rockers are available to any member wishing to buy one.QUESTIONS about orders go to Dee Norman at [email protected] place an order EMAIL BOTH Dee Norman & Jett Ford with your order details. [email protected] and [email protected]
Include: Item / QTY / color / year, etc. Items will be shipped to the Chapter address on file. If you want the order shipped to a different address – provide that inthe email order.Chapter orders are requested rather than individual orders, unless they are the only ones ordering of course. To pay for the order: send payment to Jett Ford. Include a copy of the email order if sending a check. Payable to WITW InternationalSEND TO: WITW International Treasurer, 496 Redwing Rd, Chula Vista, CA 91911OR you can pay via paypal at: [email protected] – include a WHO / WHAT / WHY note/instructions in paypal.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————WITW Pins Price List – good as of April 2, 2016*Price List (includes shipping):
Starter Pin (limited QTY) $5ea Colors: Red / Navy Blue / Turquoise with yellow (currentlyavail 2016)
*Safe Mileage Year Rockers $2ea Years: 1999 2015 (not all yrs avail – check first)**25k Mile Rocker (Milestone Mileage Rockers) $2ea **50k Mile Rocker (Milestone Mileage Rockers) $2ea**75k Mile Rocker (Milestone Mileage Rockers) $2ea*100k Mile Rocker (Safe Mileage Contest Only) $2ea Replacement rocker only for safe mileage contest
* Safe mileage pins are only available for purchase by individuals who participated in the safe mileage contest during that period.Member eligibility will be verified prior to shipping.** The Milestone Mileage Rockers are not part of the safe mileage contest and are for “personal mileage achievement” for mileageridden throughout a member’s riding history.
Issue 185 / Page 23
New Chapter MembersMichele Olynyk Canadian CougarsTricia Lukow Canadian CougarsTrina Gillis Canadian Cougars
Leslie Frechette Chinook Outriders
Chrisy Plaza Chrome ContessasRochelle Bobypic Chrome Contessas
Michelle Lambert Dangerous Curves
Georgia Harlow Diamond Roses
Denise Orr Dragon RidersKelli Bothwell Dragon RidersShirley Dod Dragon Riders
Anita Weiler EdmontonJuanita Bain Edmonton
RanDee Banovich Fire & Ice
Brenda Kay Borden Georgia Peaches Brenna Blocker Georgia PeachesJeanne Tibbs Georgia PeachesWanda CollinsMcMullen Georgia Peaches
Joan DiPietro Ladies of Chrome & Leather
Patty Ross Lady Hawks
Alee Lynch Long Island
Debora Carothers Low Country Ladies
Bonnie Barto MilwaukeeJonie Kells Milwaukee
Cheryl Hartwig Prairie RosesTessa Evans Prairie Roses
DeeEckman Red River ValleyDuckie Conner Red River ValleyJulie Bendickson Red River Valley
Celeste Cacchione Rocky MountainCynthia "GiGi" Aranda Rocky Mountain
Lori Lyn DeAngelis Rolling StonesTemma Simo Rolling Stones
Jean Moore She Shore ridersMichelle Stanley She Shore riders
Juanita Benoit Space Coast
Kathy Dean Toledo
Sandi Small White Water Divas
Cheri Hammond Wild Rogue
Harriet Holmes Wisonsin Northern Lights
Probationary Chapter MembersMaiden Voyageurs
Angie ShowalterBrenda StarrDawn MillerRamona Lynn Overstreet
Wild GypsiesTeresa DuerksenColleen MeyerShirley Waite
Membership Updates
Issue 185 / Page 24
Key Dates & Events
2016
Women in The Wind International, Inc496 Redwing Rd
Chula Vista, CA [email protected]
PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE
PAIDPERMIT # 1040LEESBURG, FL
34748
August 47 Summer International Meeting Hershey PA•Hosted by WITW Vivacious Vixens, Susquehanna Valley & Rolling Stones Chapters
August 1114 WITW Canadian National Rally Rocky Mountain House, AB•Hosted by WITW Canadian Chapters
2017January 2629 Winter International Meeting Estero FL•Hosted by WITW Island Breeze Chapter & Assisted by Wicked Sisters Chapter
