That’s a Wrap

Executive Report by John Reblin

Phew, what a month! The 50th Anniversary of ABATE of Wisconsin came off with no huge issues!! It was a great event, and I enjoyed talking to everyone I could during the weekend. Thank you to everyone that made it successful. It was nice to go up to the hospitality room, take a break and talk with friends about the past and future. Thanks to the great job by region 1H and others that made that happen. The ride to the Capitol was amazing! Unfortunately, I was not able to ride my bike there due to some medical issues but standing in the driveway and on the steps and watching all those bikes roll in was something I will not forget. I still remember the early rides to the Capitol that I went on and seeing all these bikes coming up East Washington brought all those memories back. Again, thanks to Steve, Laurie, Bill and Betty, Dawn and Danny, Krissy and everyone else that made this the weekend it was.

Hopefully, you all had a great Thanksgiving with friends and family. The weather is getting a little cooler, but it is still great to get out, enjoy some sunshine, and get together anytime, but the holidays make it more special.

We made it through our elections, and we are getting ready for Executive Training as I write this. The Board of Directors has had some changes with new people stepping up to run for different positions on this board. I think having different people step up adds a lot to the goals and structure of the board and makes for interesting conversations. I urge everyone to run and if they don’t make it on the first go around, try it again. Also, competition is good for the makeup of anything like this that keeps businesses and organizations moving forward. Executive Training is something we do during the election year to make sure we are all on the same page, setting goals, and experiencing the need of working together and communicate with the regions so we can enjoy the 100th Anniversary like we did the 50th. We have a lot to talk about this year and a lot of issues coming up that we need to keep our eyes open for.

Speaking of elections, we made it through the 2024 Federal and State elections. There have been some changes, both federally and locally, but we at ABATE of Wisconsin will work with those elected to protect motorcycling in Wisconsin as we know it. Steve and the Legislative Committee have set an agenda for the next year and Steve and I have talked about a Lobby Day date to be decided by the Board of Directors to set the most important date of the year for ABATE of Wisconsin members. I am sure Steve will have something to say about all of this first page, above the fold.

The deer are out in force right now with hunters chasing them around as they small game and bow hunt. Along with the cooler weather and the start of the rut, driving and riding has been a study in keeping yourself alert and ready to stop quickly. If you are finishing up the riding season, please pay attention out there.

We are at about the same point this year as we were last year with motorcycle fatalities. When I was talking with the DOT, they were discussing that while the numbers are where we were at last year, we had more passenger fatalities, so in fact the number of fatal crashes were down. We obviously do not have the final numbers for the year, but we need to work on reducing crashes and fatalities. I am trying to work together with the Wisconsin DOT to get some meetings set up to try to get the message out to make sure that we all seriously consider some rider education next spring. I have already been talking with some members of the MoSAC team about some advanced courses they are offering that will for sure challenge your skills and make you a better rider when you are done. Isn’t this something we do for everything else? We try to improve our skills for work and for our hobbies, right? If you are a shooter, you practice your ability to shoot along with practicing safe shooting habits. If you are a woodworker, you work at keeping those skills honed. Everything else in life you try to excel at through practice and repetition. It is the same with riding your bike. You need to practice the skills and make sure those bad habits are not creeping into your riding ability. Obviously, some of us are getting a little older and we are not able to move or do things like we used to. Maybe some weight and aerobic training is what you need to make sure you can continue to be riding in the later years of your life without fear of not being able to hold the bike up when your reflexes are a little slower. All things we can work on during the colder time of the year.

Make your plans for Officer Training in February. If interested in doing more in the organization, talk to your regional rep about coming to this event. It has been called “like drinking from a fire hose.” We share a lot of information so we can keep moving this organization forward.

Also STEAM, a Seminar to Educate and Motivate, is April 4th and 5^th, 2025 in Bettendorf, Iowa. If you are interested in taking the next leap within the motorcyclist rights issues, make plans to attend this conference. Held with South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska along with the St. Croix Valley Riders, it is a study of what we are all doing, what works, what didn’t and what can we do to protect ourselves from interference from the government. Talk to Steve Panten if you would like to attend on a scholarship.

I think that is it for now.

Ride your own ride and one more thing, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

John