MRF Rep Report

Georgia—you rocked it! “Knowledge + Action = Power.” Meeting of the Minds in Atlanta was bursting with knowledge. We know how to put it into action. So, let’s keep rocking this!

The biggest take-away I got from MOTM was how we need to increase our membership in order to gain more power. There is a small core group of people already making a difference in the motorcycling world, but wouldn’t our job be a lot easier if we had the masses behind us? There are approximately 9 million registered motorcycles in the United States and yet only a small fraction of them is involved in protecting motorcycle rights and freedoms. We have the ability to change that.

One thing we are going to have to accept in order to increase our membership is change. In 1990, the average age of a person purchasing a motorcycle was 33. Now, it’s 51. If we want to get the younger generation involved, we need to stop making excuses and learn to adapt. Our adaptation starts with technology. That is how we reach them. Instagram is looking to surpass Facebook for the most monthly users and is much more popular with the younger generations. Facebook is known to be the social media of the older generations. I guess that makes me old. Well, we’ve gone from growing up without cell phones, to using smart phones daily. So, I think we can learn to master Instagram like we did Facebook. We can do this!

Another great saying, we heard at MOTM was “Aces in Places”. Executive Director of the MRF, Mark Buckner, talked about Organizational Continuity. What he’s referring to is having a solid chain of command and keeping the leadership strong. The first job as a leader is to find and start grooming your replacement. Find the people who are passionate. Find the “doers,” not the “talkers”. Getting to the top is one thing; staying there is another.

Congratulations to Gary Goracke of Minnesota for taking over as the Director of the States Reps Program and to Eric Ross of Iowa for filling Big Dave Grizzly’s shoes as one of two Reps’ Reps. We are looking to build a core team of Reps to be Assistants to the Board. I have agreed to fill one of those positions and am looking forward to building on the Reps program, which is where our key membership recruiters come from. And that is how we grow our membership.

Slider Gilmore taught us about a few authors who teach success in life, including Dave Ramsey and Jim Rohn. Jim Rohn is known for many quotes on life experiences but one that was used at MOTM was “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” This proves that our lives are heavily influenced by our relationships. Surround yourself with people that inspire and challenge you and who are full of positive energy. Have the desire to improve yourself and never stop learning. Which brings us right back to Knowledge + Action = Power.

As always, stay vigilant my friends.

Jennifer Dewitz

ABATE of WI.

Board of Directors

MRF State Rep