logoGWRRA Wingin' It
e-Newsletter
"Friends for Fun, Safety and Knowledge"
                                                                                                                         (Copyright 2009-all rights reserved.) 
 

September, 2009

In This Issue
Executive Message
Join GWRRA's Facebook
Special Offer!
"Did You Know?"
Iowa Trivia
Travel Now--Reminder!
Save BIG with this Upgrade!
Name the "Spirit" Contest
Featured Associate at Home Office
New Feature--How GWRRA Impacted My Life!
GWRRA's Officer Profile
Recruiting Bonus!
Member Article
Home Office Reminders
GWRRA Discount Program Links
Joke of the Month
Quick Links
Executive Message
Missy Pic
Melissa Eason
Executive Director, GWRRA
 
Hello Members,
 
I wanted to use this format to congratulate a couple of regions for doing an awesome job in growth so far this year. Last month Ed talked about how we are seeing a decline in Membership, but I am also seeing a rise in these regions' growth and feel they deserve a huge THANK YOU!
 
Regions "H" and "L" have seen the largest growth. They have seen a positive growth almost every month this year so far. Way to go...!
 
It is also my pleasure to announce that you will be seeing a new Recruiting Poster appearing shortly. It is a bit more "daring" than you may be used to. But we feel it is time that GWRRA try a new approach.
 
We hope you will support our efforts to appeal to a younger audience and make new, younger riders feel welcome when they check us out at our Chapter Gatherings and events. Let's all work together to make everyone feel welcome and enjoy GWRRA!
 
Always remember to ride safe and "Every Member Matters!" 
 
GWRRA is now on Facebook! 
Check out GWRRA's new Facebook page and sign up to follow us! It is easy!!
 
Join Our Mailing List
Very Special Offer from AmeriPlan
Our friends at AmeriPlan are giving all GWRRA Members a very special offer that is good until 9/13/09. 50% off the regular prices on their DENTAL and MEDICAL program month fees for an entire year.
 
This means the DENTAL plan that is usually $19.95/month, now is $9.95/month and the MEDICAL plan
 that is usually $59.95/month is now $29.95/month, both for a year*...if you sign up before 9/13/09. Call AmeriPlan at 800-583-3240 for more information.
*(After the year is up, the rates go back to the normal rates.) 
GWRRA recently  sent out an e-mail to our Members on our E-mail list, so this is just a reminder.
 
Tell all your GWRRA friends to get signed up to receive these special offers and the Wingin' It e-Newsletter!
 
"Did You Know?" 
"Did You Know?"
Check your GWRRA history knowledge and see if you know the answers to these questions?
  
 
1-Who was the last National Operations Director of GWRRA? (Hint: It was 1994)
 Roger
 
2-What city held the largest attended Wing Ding and what was the year?
 
3-What city holds the official designation of GWRRA's first Chapter, AZ-A? 
(Answers in coupon block below.) 
 
Des Moines & Iowa Trivia Feature
Let's see how much you know about IOWA this month.
 
1-WHAT IS THE STATE FLOWER?
 
2-WHAT IS IOWA'S STATE BIRD?
 
(Answers to be found in the coupon block below.) 
 
 
Travel Now
Friendly REMINDER!!
 
Another one of GWRRA's Member benefits is your access to the extensive network of Travel Now. This Travel Site has over 44,000 hotels, airline reservations, tours (both for goups and individuals), cruises, and anything else you may want as far as travel is concerned. Check it out to see if the benefits are right for your needs. Click here Travel Now
 
Rescue PLUS!
Remember to sign up for Rescue PLUS! It will add more miles and more vehicles to your standard FREE Rescue towing package from GWRRA. PLUS, it only costs $25 per year to upgrade the entire family!! Sign up now by calling
800-843-9460.
 
Name the "Spirit
of GWRRA" 
Contest
GWRRA Spirit
Time is running out to vote for the name of "The Spirit of GWRRA."
 
Entries must be received by September 30, 2009.
 
 To be eligible, you must be a current Member of GWRRA.
 
 
Please write us at [email protected] with your name ideas. Make sure you include your name, Member number and telephone number on your contest entry. And remember, only 5 entries per Member!
 
$50 will be paid to the winner!
 
Greetings!

Hello everybody. It is with great appreciation that I start my column this month by saying how pleasantly surprised I was with the number of responses I received from last month's column. I received over 270 emails. Not just short notes, but full letters, expressing your feelings about everything from your concerns to your thanks for all GWRRA has meant to you. And many, many suggestions on how to make GWRRA better.
 
That tells me how you, our Members, still care about GWRRA and want to change things within GWRRA. Some of your suggestions we have control over and some things we do not. Many folks want us to fix issues in their Chapter, some want us to add new events to Wing Ding and new features to Wing World
 
We heard from folks about how to attract new, younger riders, and we heard from folks who don't want the younger riders with families in GWRRA or even single riders in our Association. We heard from new Members who felt unwelcomed, new Members who never received a call from their Chapter Director or District Director to welcome them...and many other issues, as you can imagine.
 
I was very happy to hear these issues. Why? Because, now that we know what the issues are...we can address them and move forward to fix them! That is why GWRRA has been around for 32+ years! We cannot please all the people all the time, but we have the best Members and Officers in the motorcycling world. Again, WHY? Because they care!!! They care enough to solve PEOPLE PROBLEMS! I trust that this bump in the road we may be facing now will lead us to a much smoother and stronger GWRRA down the road, as it always has in the past! We learn and we grow!
 
As we develop the plans to implement these solutions, I will be sharing them here, and you can see them in Wing World and at your Chapter Gatherings. Please continue to let your Officers know how we are doing as well as myself. Yes, it will take some time, so give us time to make some of these changes, but understand our commitment to you our Members!
 
So, thank you for sharing and thank you for working with us to make GWRRA stronger and better and truly..."FRIENDS for FUN, Safety and Knowledge!"
 
Thanks & ride safe, Ed
 
Ed Price
Marketing Director, GWRRA

"Every Member Matters"
 
PS-Keep sending me your favorite, clean, jokes!
Featured Associate at Home Office
Peggy Pic
 
Peggy Lee
Executive Assistant 
 
Hi, my name is Peggy Lee and, no, I am not the "famous" Peggy Lee.  Please believe me when I say you don't want to hear me sing; even my dogs howl! 
 
I began with GWRRA a little over 3 years ago working in Member Services.  Shortly thereafter, an opening for an assistant to the Executive Director, Melissa Eason, became available.  Having worked for Melissa in Member Services, I was delighted to have the opportunity to once again work with her. 
 
Some of my job duties include: processing Officer paperwork, New Chapter Charters, Business Memberships, and making flight and vehicle arrangements for volunteers and the Office Staff.  But I have to say the best part of my job is working with the many volunteer Officers and Members of GWRRA. 
 
I have been married to a wonderful man for 23 years and have two children and one 4 year-old grandchild.  (I am really restraining myself here from elaborating on my grandson.  I'm sure a lot of you grandparents know how difficult this can be.)   In my spare time, I enjoy reading (to my grandson), bowling (with my grandson), playing baseball (with my grandson), and once in awhile going to the theater with my husband (and grandson).

I'm here to help; and if I can ever assist you, please let me know.  Heck, I'll even tell you all about my grandson if you want!
Saint'sNew Feature:
How GWRRA Impacted My Life!
 
Ranny & Jenice Saint
Tennessee District Couple of the Year 2009-2010
 
I never imagined when I joined GWRRA back in 1998 that it would impact my life the way that it has.  GWRRA has so very much to offer, and it is amazing to me how an organization staffed by volunteers across the United States and the world thrives and provides so much benefit to its Members.  There are a lot of people committed to the cause and mission of GWRRA: friendship, fun, safety, and knowledge; and I think that is just wonderful!
 
Now on to how GWRRA has impacted my life...
Unfortunately, due to work schedule conflicts, it has just been in the past few years that my husband, Ranny Saint, and I have been able to become actively involved in GWRRA; we have been Members but not able to be participants as much as we wanted to.  Since being selected Chapter Couple of the Year (Chapter O - White Water Wings, Cleveland, TN) at the beginning of this year and then Tennessee District Couple of the Year in April, we have been able to visit with many Chapters--either their monthly gatherings or their events, and we have attended several rallies. I am now officially "hooked" on GWRRA!  Before GWRRA involvement, I was a somewhat reserved person...friendly, but not really outgoing.  GWRRA has brought me out of my "shell."  With everyone we meet being so friendly and genuinely caring about us, I really enjoy meeting new people now and talking with them and hearing their stories and sharing ours as well.  GWRRA has been a real self-confidence booster for me, and for me that has been a very important intangible benefit.
 
Also, the Leadership Training (LTD) seminars that we have attended have impacted my life as well.  I find the information very helpful, useful, and interesting.  And often some things that I learn benefit me in other areas of my life as well, such as at my job where I have a management position, and at my church where my husband and I share a leadership position. 
 
In addition, the Rider Education seminars have been very beneficial for me.  My husband (Assistant Educator of our Chapter) and I are mailing in our Level IV applications this week, and we are very excited about that.  Before taking the Rider Education seminars and the MSF Basic Rider Course, I was pretty much just a passenger on my husband's trike.  Now, I have gained so much knowledge about safety and group riding that I realize that I am a "co-rider" in the true sense of the word.  I now actively play a part in helping us ride safely by "searching and evaluating."  Now that I am more aware of the potential hazards of motorcycling, I want to help us to ride safely and I try to help others ride safely as well by encouraging them to wear proper gear, etc....To think that a reminder from me might save a life one day is an awesome thought.  Yes, it is that important to me.
 
Last, but not least, is the fun that I am having in GWRRA.  Oh my goodness!  There is never a lack for fun in this Association.  We have such a good time wherever we go to Chapters, rallies, seminars, etc. because, again, now we are active participants and want to have fun and help ensure that others have fun too. 
 
I'm not trying to take your job as Marketing Director, but I am really sold on the Association!  There is no other organization so carefuly structured that offers so much fun, safety, and knowledge to its Members.  I am proud to be a GWRRA Member.  GWRRA has impacted my life in many ways, and I'm very excited about the GWRRA journeys that are in store for us in the future.  
GWRRA Officer Profile: ArnieTucker
British Columbia-Canada
District Director: 
Arnie & Janet Tucker 
 
Arnie and his co-rider, Janet, are natives of British Columbia and attended the same high school. They have been married for 38 years and have two sons; Shane and Richard.
 
Arnie's first introduction to the Gold Wing Road Riders Association was when he was invited by a co-worker to attend a GWRRA meeting back in 1989. He attended that meeting and has been a Member ever since.
 
Over the years, Arnie has been a Chapter, District, and
Region Rider Educator. He is currently a Road Course Instructor for ARC and Trailering and is a Seminar Instructor. Janet is also a Seminar Instructor and they have taught at two Wing Dings (Road Captain & Co-Rider Courses) as a duo.
 
He first began riding at age 21 on a Yamaha Enduro, a dual sport bike. Arnie and Janet now ride a 2008, Titanium GL1800. They have enjoyed seeing most of the U.S. and Canada, traveling over 500,000 kilometers since their riding adventures began. They planned a 15,000 kilometer trip in 2004 by using the GWRRA website and locating rallies to attend all the way from British Columbia to Florida.

They recently hosted their Region Rally in British Columbia, and it was a great success. Arnie says one of his most rewarding experiences, as a Member of GWRRA, is when Members come back and tell him how much his Rider Education courses have helped them. Janet and he both agree that one of greatest benefits of being Members is the wonderful friendships you make in GWRRA!
GWRRA Recruiting Program

GWRRA logoJust a reminder, in case you never heard the news, RECRUIT two (2) new households and you will receive a $5 gift certificate from GWRRA.

The $5 gift certificate can be used for anything from Official Products to Membership Renewals to Wing Ding Registrations. For more information, call 800-843-9460 or 623-581-2500 in Phoenix.

      BECOME A FIRST RESPONDER!
             (No, this is not about First Aid)
 
When the flyer says "Please R.S.V.P.," what do you do? Most of us just put it on the back burner for a while. We might think about it, maybe check our schedules, perhaps talk to our spouse, or just do nothing right then. Did you ever stop and think about what we just did by doing nothing? WE just slapped the event planner in the face. This poor soul, who by the way is a volunteer, has the huge job of planning how to entertain us at this event, be it a ride, a dinner, a rally or even Wing Ding. Their job is to make a myriad of arrangements in our behalf, making sure that our experience is positive and fun-filled, including many wonderful opportunities for us to really enjoy ourselves and the people around us.

These incredibly talented people in our organization have devoted many hours of blood, sweat and tears to arrange the meeting place, the route, rest stops, places of interests, meals, and of course, a place to stay. Their job is really difficult when you consider that most of their planning is done without the answer to one very important question, "How many folks are going to attend?" The answer to this magical question rests solely with you and I.  These dedicated people have been forced to make many, many decisions involving us with only an educated guess, at best, who is coming? They have even been forced to make reservations for meals and lodging and meeting space with mandatory deposits, many of which are non-refundable. Many a sleepless night has been had by these planners and volunteer leaders trying to outguess the rest of this group. What can we do to avoid this dilemma?
 
It's very easy! We can become a "First Responder." When we receive a request for an R.S.V.P., we can respond immediately. The dictionary says R.S.V.P. is a French phrase that translates to "please respond." It is standard practice to reply to an R.S.V.P. request CONFIRMING attendance OR DECLINING.  Yes, even if you can't, or don't want to attend, let us know! Here is a wonderful opportunity for you to have your voice heard by the event planner. Let them know, in a positive manner, your concerns regarding the timing (hour, day, month, etc.), location, distance, type of event, cost, activities, type of food, or anything you feel that would cause you not to attend. This is very valuable information for our volunteer leaders and planners. Positive feedback is one of the most important parts of any successful organization.
 
In order to become a "First Responder", we must do a couple of things ourselves. When we receive an invitation, we need to consult our calendar, communicate with our spouse, and then MAKE A COMMITMENT to attend, and most importantly, communicate that fact to the planner or volunteer leader. In First Aid, a First Responder can make the difference in someone's life.  With an R.S.V.P.,  your response can  also make  a big difference!
 
Thanks from Ray and Sandi Garris, former Region F Directors.
Home Office News & Reminders:
 
Reminders from Member Services
*To all Members who receive their RENEWAL Packets....please check your Chapter choice and make sure it has listed the Chapter you would like. If it does not, please correct it before you send it back to the Home Office. Member Services will make the correction on your file when your renewal is received! 
 =================================================
*Here is another "Did You Know?" Did you know that GWRRA sells Gift Certificates? So, if you would like to buy a gift membership for someone special or a gift of Official GWRRA Merchandise or even just give the gift of a Gift Certificate, call Member Services and ask them how! Just call 800-843-9460 or 623-581-2500 in Phoenix.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
*  When you change your address, be sure to update it in your online membership record or call Member Services. Failure to do so can delay the arrival of your Wing World magazine, sometimes as much as two months.
*********************************************************************
*  It is never too late or early to update your Gold Book listing. The deadline is always the beginning of November each year. But, if you have any changes you would like to make to your listing or you want to check on your listing,  just call one of our friendly Member Service Representatives now and make those changes. This is especially true if you are a "snowbird". That way, next year all your Gold Book listings will be correct!=================================================
* When you change your address or renew your membership, your password for Wing World magazine and the Message Board will change. This is due to your password being based on the digits in your address and your expiration date. For help in determining your user name and password, just click on the following link
www.gwrra.org/members or contact Member Services at 800-843-9460 or 623-581-2500 in Phoenix.
GWRRA Discount Program Links!
 
Here are links to some other GWRRA Discount Programs.
 
LifeLock Logo       aflac logo
 
  TravelNow    AmeriPlan
 
 
 OfficeMax       Pin & Patch
 
If these Discount Programs may be of interest to you, just click on the link or call 800-843-9460 or 623-581-2500 (in Phoenix) for more information.
 
JOKE of the MONTH!turtle
This joke came from Linda Brock in Fort Smith, AR. Actually, it was from her grandson.
 
Why did the turtle cross the road? To get to the Shell station....
 
Ok, ok....if you have a better one, send it to me here at Wingin' It
Save 16%
Featured Official GWRRA Product:
EZ Air Gauge and Extension Hose
 
Buy both EZ Air Gauge and Extension Hose and save. Note: The GL1800 does not have an on-board compressor. The EZ Air Gauge will work on the GL1800 tires; but requires access to a 1988-2000 GL 1500's compressor.
Product Code 4011002 
Click here for pictures. On sale now for 16% off the regular price of $29.95, now only $25, if you mention the special code on this coupon. 
 
Answers to "Did You Know?"
                            1-Roger Losornio, Now, Senior Manager   
                            2-Ft. Wayne, IN--2002 
                           3-Tucson, AZ 
 
Answers to "IOWA Trivia"-----IOWA'S FLOWER = Wild Rose
                                         IOWA'S STATE BIRD = Eastern Goldfinch 
                                             
Offer Expires: 9/30/09. Mention code  e-news