Keeping Busy

by Chubby

Now that the leaves are off the trees and the winter winds are blowing, its time to winterize the scoot and settle down for a long winter’s nap. Unless you’re an ABATE of WI member. The riding season may be over for the year for most of us but ABATE of WI isn’t about to slow down any time soon. There are meetings and events all winter long worth coming out of your cozy cabin for and although things may not be as much fun without the wind in your hair, there is definitely a lot of fun to be had and a lot of work to be done. Many regions have events over the winter that remind you of what biking and brotherhood is all about and at the state level we are preparing and strategizing for the many things that are in the works for 2019. If you normally cocoon yourself up during the winter months, this may be the year to get involved. It’s not only a lot of fun, it’s what we do to get the job done.

Our Annual Meeting just wrapped up and I would like to thank everyone that attended. I’m very proud of everyone that won an award, keep up the great work. Our new Board of Directors has been seated and my appointments for almost all state officer positions have been ratified. I look forward to working with our new BOD members Joe, Gary, and Bill. I would like to both congratulate and thank them for taking the time to help our organization remain the best motorcyclists’ rights organization in the country. Please check the back of the newsletter to see who your representatives on the BOD are.  I have already received requests from regions to host next year’s meeting, and I look forward to more regions stepping up to host it. Please contact me if your region may be interested in this event.

The holidays are upon us and most regions host some sort of holiday party or meeting, if you haven’t dragged yourself out to a meeting lately, now is the time to go. Food, fun, and information about how you can protect your freedoms are plentiful at meetings throughout the state this time of year. It’s also a time when many regions invite guest speakers so take a look through the regional reports and decide where you will fit in and have a good time. It’s also swap meet season again and if you’re like me, it’s time to break out the wallet and spend something to make the ride just a little better next year. Swap meets are also a great place to get involved if your region has a vendor spot. It’s easy to take a shift and promote the organization along with having the opportunity for a little shopping while you’re there.

With a few new Board of Directors members this year we have decided to host a training session specific to them on November 10th. This is a refresher of sorts for other BOD members and officers, but to ensure that our BOD fully understands the resources available to them and the procedures dictated by our bylaws we believe it is incredibly valuable. All BOD members and state officers will be attending so if you see one at your next meeting be sure to ask them how it went. Hopefully everyone will leave with a better understanding of how to meet the needs of our regional officers and members.

The next state event planned after that will be our officer training the weekend of Feb 8-10 at the Hotel Mead in Wisconsin Rapids. It’s not too early to think about who will be attending from your region. I strongly encourage all regional officers and those considering being regional officers to attend. As our organization continues to grow, it’s imperative that regional representatives attend to ensure that they are familiar with all of our policies. Besides that, it’s sure is a lot of fun during the middle of winter.

Our annual Grassroots Lobby Day date is finally set. Please put it on your calendar to join us at the Capitol on February 28th.  Our headquarters will be at Inn on the Park once again and we’ll be looking at scheduling busses soon. The legislature will be in session at that time, so you have a great chance of speaking directly to your legislators about the many issues that concern us. The last eight years have gathered over five hundred bikers each year to Madison and the impact this has on our legislators is immeasurable. There will be ABATE of WI legislative officers available if you need help and a lot of regions set up large meetings to make it easier to reach our legislators directly. If you’ve ever thought about attending, make this the year that you do. After all, this is the main priority of our organization and I don’t think any group does it better. I’ll see you there.

Grass Roots Lobby Day training sessions are still being held throughout the state for the next couple of months. Please refer to Steve Panten’s article or your regional reports for a location near you. This is a condensed version of what we have previously offered under Dave Dwyer’s direction, and we are hoping more people will be able to attend if these are held locally and in one day. If you have never lobbied, want to brush up on your skills, or would like to offer assistance these training sessions are for you. This is a perfect event to bring a friend that is interested in ABATE of WI and what we do.  Steve and I will be hosting most of these together and I look forward to seeing many of you there.

Winter may be knocking at our doors, but the biker spirit won’t be resting much as the cold winds blow. Keep an eye on this newsletter or on facebook for upcoming regional and state events that will keep the cabin fever away. Take the time to be more involved in all the things ABATE of WI has to offer. Who knows, maybe next year your name will be on a state award. The world is run by those that step forward and make things happen. Now is a great time to decide to be one of those people. I look forward to seeing you soon. Until next month…Ride Free