Membership Director

by Bill Roberge

Fall is here. The time of the year for change. Soon we will be planning and attending chili Cook-Offs, Christmas parties, and many other indoor events. This is a great time to start talking to people about ABATE. Remember to have your ducks in a row when you tell people about why they need to join us. Salesmen practice their pitch about why you should buy their product. We are selling a product also – Freedom. You should know why you joined, you should know our mission statement and put it to memory. It doesn’t have to be word for word, but the content should be there. What issues have we worked on in the past? How did they affect motorcycling? Did we win or loses that fight? What are current issues we are working on – fuel, self-driving cars, etc.?

Don’t forget to talk about some of the social aspects of ABATE such as the Land, Chili Cook-Offs, Group Rides. Talk about the fact that this is a way of life for us, not just a hobby. Know the facts about what is threatening that way of life. Talk about the many activities that we have at the land that will, hopefully, increase in the future. Sell the product. The product is ABATE. You are not going to buy a product you don’t want, so make them want it.

The annual meeting is going to be held on October 7 – 9^th. This will be your last chance to vote for the people that will run ABATE of Wisconsin for the next 2 years. The new Board of Directors will be seated on Sunday, October 9, 2023. Your mail in ballots were due October 1^st but you can still vote in person in Shawano until just prior to the start of the board meeting.

Don’t forget that we have several standing committees in our organization. If you want to help or make changes to the way we do things, attend a committee meeting. They are usually held just prior to a board meeting every month. Some examples of committees are Annual State Meeting, Highway Safety, Land, Legislation, Officer’s Training,

and Summer Hummer. I encourage you to take a Sunday, show up early and attend all committee meetings, then the board meeting. These meetings are all open to you as a member. I think you will be surprised to see the effort that goes into this organization. Remember, to quote Steve, the first step is to Show Up. All the information you need is in the newsletter.

I hope to see you at a board meeting sometime soon.

Bill