Auntie ABATE / “Cuz” Report

Dear Cuz,

It seems like there are a lot of holiday parties that just happened, and I’m confused. I thought ABATE meetings were more than just potlucks. I joined to try to make a difference and keep the enjoyment of motorcycling something that stays around for a long time.

What’s up with that?

Dear What’s Up,

We have a lot of work to do for sure. The holiday parties are a way to let our hair down, relax a little, and show appreciation to our members for all of the hard work they do during the year. That having been said, are we done with the Holidays now? Yup. Hope all your Merry little Christmases and New Year’s Cheer is over with because now we have a lot of work to do.

Business starts with Officer’s Training that is just about a week down the road. If you haven’t been to one…. make this the year it happens. You will receive more information than you thought possible in one itty, bitty, biker weekend. This conference is the nuts and bolts of how this organization runs so efficiently. We aren’t run on fairy dust after all, and there is a lot of good, solid information and training advice everyone should be taking back to your regions to share with those members that didn’t come. There is no time like the present to learn, and there is no time like the present to ask questions. This is everyone’s opportunity to glean the minds of those who have been around for a while and an opportunity to offer new suggestions to make us better. If you’ve stepped up to become an ABATE Officer, this is the weekend you want to be at.

Next up is Lobby Day on February 17^th. This is the Most Important Day of the Year for ABATE of Wisconsin and a great opportunity to bring all of your new members with you to show them the ropes and introduce them to what we do best, grassroots lobbying. This day is a good time to get to know your Legislators in Madison. Introduce yourself, introduce them to ABATE, and let them know that as their constituent, you are paying attention and have an acute interest in keeping motorcycling viable in Wisconsin. Many group meetings are held, so if you are a bit unsure about taking the reigns and speaking on an individual basis to our representatives, you won’t have to do it alone. We try to ask as many legislators that represent ABATE Districts as we can, into a group meeting with a group spokesperson. Check with your local District Directors to see if they have a meeting set up that you can attend. Don’t forget that busses are available free of cost to members in order to make travel into Madison more convenient for us all. If you have questions during the day, look for anyone that is wearing an “Ask Me” lanyard and they will get you pointed in the right direction and be sure to stop in at ABATE Headquarters for more information before you hit the marble in the capital.

So yes, we have some potlucks and fun fundraisers, but we also have a lot of work to do. The work starts now.

“Cuz”