S.T.E.A.M. Report

Do you want to be motivated? Do you want to be educated? Do you like hanging out with likeminded people and sharing your passion for motorcycles? Would you like to learn some leadership tips that can actually be applied to bikers? (Yes, I’m being sarcastic; we have some of the best leaders in the country!)

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the Heartland S.T.E.A.M. conference is for you! S.T.E.A.M. is an acronym for Seminar to Educate and Motivate. ABATE of Wisconsin is hosting this conference on March 26-27th, at the Sheraton in Brookfield.
Register now at www.abatewis.org/steam2021/ to be a part of one of the best motivational and educational conferences in the county. And it’s geared for bikers! This conference only comes to Wisconsin once every seven years, so don’t miss out! See the flyer/registration form in this newsletter for more info.
We are welcoming all members of the biker community; you do not need to be an ABATE member to attend. SMROs, clubs, riding groups, lone wolfs, and everyone in between is welcome (as long as you all agree to play nice together).

The primary goal of the S.T.E.A.M. conference is to make us all better, stronger, more motivated people who can then become better leaders for the biker community. If you’ve read Steve Panten’s article on the front page of this newsletter about the future of motorcycling, you know we all have a new fight ahead of us. One we probably never saw coming.

We are used to fighting for our freedoms, but now we are fighting for our survival. S.T.E.A.M. is the perfect gathering place for all bikers from the Midwest to brainstorm and bounce ideas off each other as to how we are going to make sure we aren’t voted out of existence in the next 25 years.

Many of the motorcycling freedoms we take for granted these days were the direct result of the leadership and members of the seven-state group, called the S.T.E.A.M. states, coming together to share information. The S.T.E.A.M. attendees are always honored to sit down with the other six state motorcycle rights organization (SMRO) leaders and share what we do well, what we can do better, and what we should do in the future. The S.T.E.A.M. states continue to be leaders throughout the county in protecting motorcycling rights and common-sense motorcycle safety.

Watch next month’s newsletter for the history of the S.T.E.A.M. conference and how it has evolved over the years.
Lastly, since ABATE of WI is hosting the conference this year, we are looking for volunteers to work the event and to procure items that we need to supply the Hospitality Room. Everything from paper plates to beer and snacks is needed. We have a list of wants and needs, but since it is updated regularly, it’s easiest to contact me to see what is needed and how you can be of assistance during the event.

We have 30 scholarships available for those willing to work the majority of the weekend. Since it is located in southeast WI, some of you may not need hotel rooms, which will help us keep expenses down. All proceeds from S.T.E.A.M. are donated to the Motorcycle Riders Foundation to ensure we have a strong, united voice for bikers’ rights in Washington DC.

Please reach out to me via email at MRFRep@ABATEWis.org or call or text 920-207-4679.

Stay vigilant, my friends,

Jennifer Dewitz
ABATE of WI
Board of Directors
MRF State Rep
S.T.E.A.M. Committee Chair