Executive Report

by Chubby

                Happy Anniversary?! No, I haven’t gone mad. Ringing in the New Year marks another milestone for ABATE of WI. ABATE has officially been active in fighting for the rights of all Wisconsin motorcyclists for 45 years. I’m sure members that have been around since the beginning are both surprised and exasperated that we still exist. When will government agencies give up trying to enact draconian laws against bikers rather that attempt to educate the general public about the need for awareness and responsibility? In the next few months I’m going to try to add some ABATE of WI history to both educate and remind members why our job is so important, and why we’ll probably be around forever. Quite often I use the term “tools in the toolbox” to refer to what I believe is the most important service that ABATE provides to its members; information. ABATE supplies that information so that every member can clearly understand and develop an opinion about the laws and policies that affect every motorcyclist in the state. How full is your toolbox? This winter may be the perfect time to fill it up and be prepared to get some use out of it.

                If you attend meetings regularly or read your newsletter cover to cover you know that officer training is coming up February 8-10th in Wisconsin Rapids at the Hotel Mead. Regional Reps should have already received information to fill out regarding rooms and food and should have that turned back in to the state office by January 22nd. If you are a new member or haven’t attended meetings, officer training is a yearly conference that we put together to train regional officers how to do the jobs that they have volunteered for. It consists of small break out sessions specific to duties within the region and general sessions where everyone learns and shares information about how to work together to achieve our goals. We also take this opportunity to save some money on postage by encouraging regions to stock up on membership information, general forms, and awareness materials. I look forward to seeing regional officers at the Hotel Mead and I hope members that don’t regularly attend meetings try to take the time next month to hear about some of the things your officers have learned at training.

                Lobby Day already? That’s right it’s coming soon. Are you ready? February 28th isn’t that far off and materials are ready to be printed to support our agenda at ABATE of Wisconsin’s Grassroots Lobby Day 2019. Every biker, ABATE member or not, is welcome to join us at the Capitol and I encourage members to ask friends to join them. At our headquarters at Inn on the Park, handouts will be available that day to support our legislative agenda and to inform legislators of our position on all things motorcycle including helmets, education, and safety. There are free busses coming in from all corners of the state, but if you prefer to find your own way there, the Capitol City Riders MC has once again graciously offered their clubhouse as a place to park and take our shuttle bus. Plus, everyone is always welcome to mingle there before and after lobbying. If you are interested in attending the event, please contact your regional rep for more information.

                ABATE of WI was formed in 1974 with the specific intent of repealing our mandatory helmet law. With its repeal in 1977 ABATE diversified to support the many needs of all motorcyclists in the state. Nobody knows better than bikers that with freedom comes responsibility and ABATE of WI has successfully taken on that responsibility with award winning rider education classes, awareness education, and our anti-impaired riding campaign. We continue to fight against the discrimination of bikers, for proper funding of motorcycle safety programs, and we support bystander assistance training. This year’s legislative agenda includes items that all roadway users should be concerned about. A motorcyclists’ rights organization doesn’t survive for forty years without quality leadership and passionate members, and we continue to have both. If you have questions about our current agenda, our website and this newsletter are great resources for information, or better yet, attend a local meeting and let your regional officers share their knowledge. It’s time to start filling that toolbox; we’ve got a big year ahead of us. Until next month…Ride Free