NORTHWIND RIDERS TANKBAG

August 2009

From the Director’s Chair

I was talking to a friend at work saying this week was really dragging; which brought up the fact that this year has flown by.

I’ve had some good rides though, two of which are mentioned in Laverne’s story. The Wisconsin Ride for Kids ride and the ride the Dairyland Originals put together for us. Wisconsin has such beautiful roads; so quiet and peaceful, it’s easy to forget you have to go to work on Monday! It would be a great place to live if it weren’t for the winters.

August is officer nomination month for Northwind Riders. Please give some thought to volunteering to be an officer, it’s a good way to get to know other members and become involved in the club.

Ride safe, ride often!

Cindy

Chapter Director

Minutes of Meeting – July 18, 2009

Director Cindy was not able to make the meeting so Assistant Director Sharon called the meeting to order at 9:35 am. Guest Barb Stamm was introduced. At one time

Barb was a very active NWR member, but is no longer riding. Sharon read the WOW Mission Statement.

Secretary's Report:

No changes, additions, or deletions were noted for the June meeting minutes.

Treasurer's Report:

In Judy’s absence, Sharon read the current financial statement. JoAnne moved to accept the report, Pam seconded, and the motion passed.

Road Captain’s Report:

Lynn Love attended the annual WOW Ride-In held in Kerrville, TX. She reported that it was beautiful country around Kerrville with good roads but it was VERY HOT. Attendance was low this year with only about 200 members, but Illinois was well represented. The hotel was very nice and some great entertainment had been arranged with Native American Dancers and Cloggers. It seems there is a large German /Dutch influence in the area. Next year the Ride-In will be in Vermont.

After the June meeting LaVerne led a group to Wayne, IL to Lamplight Stables to watch a Dressage horse show. Because LaVerne is involved with horses, she was able to explain to the others what was going on as the show progressed.

On June 28, Pam led a Points of Interest ride to Belvidere, Freeport, and ice cream.

Committee Reports:

Liz gave information regarding the Goshen, IN POI ride scheduled for Aug 22. The trip is 140 miles and about 2.5 hours one way. She had 2 restaurants selected in the area and gave some information on each after which the group voted for one for lunch. Since we were going to be in Amish country, it was voted to go to an Amish menu restaurant. Liz will continue to work on the plans with Sandy Van Tilburg who lives in that area and with Lynn on the route; more information will be forthcoming.

Old Business

Kim contacted Cindy, one of the instructors of an Accident Scene Management course who would come to our meeting place to hold the course. It is a one-day, 8 hour course and the cost is $55 per person. Cindy could hold the course after our August meeting. After discussion, a motion was made and passed to hold the course during the winter months instead. Dates were selected and Kim will find out from Cindy if she is available January 16 or 23. Back-up dates of Feb 6 or 20 were also decided upon.

We still need suggestions for a new meeting place when the Fountaindale Library branch in Romeoville closes its doors. Kim suggested the Bolingbrook Library. It was suggested that building may be in too dense a residential area for the motorcycle traffic. Several other ideas came up and people were assigned to get more information on each to bring to the August meeting. Any other new ideas are welcome. Please get as much information on the site as you can.

New Business

Pam reminded us that it is election time once again for WOW State Ambassador and Board of Trustees elections. It was agreed that NWR support Rusty Harmening’s nomination for Illinois State Ambassador. Pam will submit the nomination petition to WOW by the deadline.

Our guest, Barb, took the floor for a few minutes to tell us about a product that a friend of hers is marketing. The BOOT STRAPS clip to the cuff of a riders pants going under the boot to hold the pant legs down snuggly while riding. The elastic strap is black so it hardly shows on most boots and the clip on the outside of the cuff has a decorative button attached; for more information see BikerBootStraps.com.

Upcoming Events

After today’s meeting some of the members will be headed to Ottawa for the Babes Cruisin’ for St. Judes benefit ride sponsored by Leipold Motor Sports.

The Chicagoland Ride for Kids is meeting in Elgin on July 26^th.

The WOW weekend and Ride for Kids in Middleton, WI (20 miles north of Madison) is on August 1and 2.

Coming up on August 9 is the Women On Wheels® and Kane County Cougars baseball event. See Tankbag Tidbits for the schedule.

There being no further business, Ginnie moved to adjourn, CJ seconded and the motion passed. The meeting was adjourned at 10:35 am.

Respectfully submitted,

Jan S.

Secretary

Tankbag Tidbits

WOW Event at Kane County Cougars stadium

This is the 1^st ever Annual WOW Ladies motor-cycling event at the stadium. Over 60 ladies are already signed up and there are still some specially priced seats available. Following is the schedule.

Seamstress available for sewing on patches.

Face painting

10-12:30 Bike show with 5 categories

11-noon Bike riding demo with Kim Muhr

10-noon Bouncy house for kids

10-1:00 Welcoming table for guests hosted by WOW President Chris Baldwin.

Baseball game starts at 2:00 pm

Jimmy Buffet Tribute band after the game.

It’s nice that women motorcycle riders are being recognized as alive and well and a force to be reckoned with. Let’s show how big a force we are!

REMEMBER THIS PARAGRAPH FROM LAST MONTH…

“Note to NWR Members:

This portion of the newsletter is for any topic which is of general interest to our members. It is also open to anyone who may want to send in an article about a ride or other motorcycle activity she participated in…” Guess how many responses I got back…ZILCH! Have a nice ride lately? I did, and I’d like to tell you about it.

It was to Middleton, Wisconsin, (20 miles north of Madison) for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation Ride for Kids which raised over $440,000 for research and to help the families with this tragic disease. My ride started with CJ and Judy at 9:00 am Friday morning from the Shell at Route 83 and I55. To avoid as much traffic as possible we went south on 55, exited on 126, went west through Plainfield to Rte 47 in Yorkville. We headed north to Woodstock Harley where we stopped for free coffee and popcorn and browsed the store. We then went to the Woodstock town square where painted horses, all of a different color, were on display similar to when the cows were in Chicago. After lunch at one of the many restaurants surrounding the square, we continued to the hotel avoiding all expressways and their immobile traffic.

Saturday can lay claim to another gorgeous day of riding. Starting about 10:30 the Dairyland Originals chapter took NWR riders on a great scenic tour of the beautiful, hilly back roads of Wisconsin. Our group of about 22 riders road past horse farms, cow farms, agricultural farms, and forests to lunch in Mt. Horeb where the Mustard Festival was in progress. It was only about 2:00-ish when we returned to the hotel. Ginnie, CJ, and I didn’t have enough yet, so we decided to take a run up to Merrimac and ride across the river on the ferry boat. Ginnie programmed her GPS and away we went up and down (literally) and around (also literally) on Wisconsin’s country roads to the ferry. The ferry runs back and forth on cables, so the trip across is pretty smooth. On the other side is of course ICE CREAM, but we controlled ourselves and went to the little cheese store just past the ice cream shop. After buying some cheese curds and beef sticks and crossing the river once more, Ginnie fingered her GPS again and away we went on roads only the local farmers know about. They went up, down, left, right, and one went up-up-up, then waaay down. What a trip! You get the picture.

We got back to the hotel at 6:20, just in time for dinner at 6:30 at the Quaker Steak and Lube. Quaker Steak is known for its motorcycles hanging from the ceiling and walls, a car hanging on the wall, and another sitting 6’ overhead on the repair rack.

Sunday was the actual PBTF Ride for Kids. Registration as usual in the morning; water, coffee, bagels, bakery were available. The ride itself left the staging area at 9:30, went up a four lane highway for a short stretch, and then turned onto the rural farm-country roads for another fun ride. Cows, horses, llamas, sheep, wide open crop land, forested hills, curving roads – what more could you ask for in the Midwest.

For the ride home Ginnie again fast-fingered her GPS for a back roads tour to the Beckman Mill POI, then to Roscoe for dessert at Culvers. Marilyn led from there detouring major towns and traffic to Routes 47, then 126, and finally I-55.

I’ve looked forward to this weekend ever since the first time four years ago, and I haven’t been disappointed yet. Can’t wait till next year…

Birthday Announcements

We have only one birthday in August: Marilyn (8/11). Happy Birthday, Marilyn.

Happy Cruising,

Editor

Rusty’s Ramblings...

At the beginning of the year I had said that one of the things I wanted to do as State Ambassador was to visit each of the Chapters in IL and I finally get to do that. Tomorrow morning Kristie and I are leaving to go to Marion to visit the Shawnee Riders. It’s an overnighter, so we had to find a swimming pool with a motel attached to it. And now they have decided to move their meeting close to the pool (motel) so we don’t have to find the Church where they meet. I don’t know, sounds like a missed adventure (aka getting lost) to me. I’m really excited. I get to see the Chicago area ladies quite a bit, but hardly ever get to visit the southern ladies. The weather looks good for the ride down and a little rough for the ride back, but oh well, that’s what rubber pants are for.

It’s gonna be a busy weekend for Kristie and I. We’ll have to rest up on Saturday ‘cus Sunday we’ll be heading out early to go to a ball game. It’s Women On Wheels® Day at the Kane County Cougars stadium! They’ll be playing against our hometown rivals, the Clinton Lumberkings, so I guess I’ll be rootin’ for the Cougars!

Activities like this ball game, the booths that are set up at motorcycle events, and flyers are all great ways to advertise Women On Wheels®, but the best way is “word of mouth”. I hope everyone is carrying brochures, flyers, or business cards with them wherever they go, so that whenever the conversation is right, you have information to share. Remember, there is a Membership Drive going on right now. IL is looking good so far, so let’s keep it up. As said in a famous (and one of my all time favorites) Chicago movie, “...we got to put the word out on the street”.

Also make sure you cut the page out of your July-August issue of Women On Wheels® magazine and vote for your choice of Board of Trustee. You can pick up to 3 ladies. There are 3 positions open and 3 ladies running. It has to be official you know.

The end of the riding season is in sight, but just a little speck. There are still plenty of good riding days left and the Ride Schedules show it. I’m gonna start with the River Riders Chapter ‘cus I forgot to mention the last September ride, which is to Tanner’s Orchard in Speer, IL. They’re going there Sept. 26 and probably leaving from the BP station in Coal Valley, IL. Oct. 8^th the River Riders are going to Lunardi’s in Davenport, IA for their Ice Cream Dinner Ride. (They have a lasagna that is out of this world.) The Sunday Ride is going to the Amana Colonies in Iowa and on Oct. 22^nd the monthly meeting was supposed to be in Davenport, but I’m thinking that has been changed, just not sure what the final decision was.

The Shawnee Riders calendar shows Mike’s Drive In’s bike night changed to the beginning of the month, Oct. 1^st. The rest of the calendar is empty so I don’t think they plan to have a meeting in Oct. I’ll know more tomorrow, won’t I.

The IL Red Hawk Riders are again heading north. After their meeting October 17^th they are off to Milwaukee, WI to the Harley Davidson Museum.

After their Sept. meeting (19^th) a Northwind Riders’ group of about 10 will head out on their Dream Trip along the Natchez Trace. On Oct. 3 they have plans for a ride to Lacon, IL along scenic river routes, and Oct. 11^th is the Rock River Ride. Oct. 17^th is the Chapter meeting and they don’t have anything listed for after their meeting.

The NCI Wild Roses are spending the night in Casey for the Moonshine Run and Oct 10^th is the ABATE Toys for Tots Ride. The after-meeting ride, Oct. 24^th is to New Glarus, WI. I’m sure they’ll see lots of wine and cheese shops along to way.

In closing I have this to say. Vote. Recruit. Ride.

Ride Safe,

Rusty