2008

Our January meeting is quickly approaching (Saturday, January 19), and I still don’t have a ride picked out for this coming season. I know we have a committee that is supposed to put together a ride list because I am on it, but we have been very lax about getting together. I hope there are enough suggestions by meeting time to actually get a list firmed up.

We have a lot of chapter business to take care of as we move into the 2008 season. Ride waivers need to be filled out by all members (you need to provide proof of current insurance, show the endorsement on your driver’s license, and show your STAR membership card with an expiration date that hasn’t happened yet), our charter must be read and signed, and the ride list for the entire season must be submitted for approval.

The artwork for our chapter logo has to be fine tuned and submitted for approval, and we have to resolve the issue of a chapter web site (will we or won’t we). Our charity committee has some work to do planning and developing an event to raise awareness and funds for Camp SeaStar, and the vast amount of other unfinished business that has followed us from 2007 is crying out for attention.

We might not be the quickest chapter to get things done, but we always have something to look forward to. Our main objective is to enjoy our affiliation with each other, so let’s get after it with a smile and a positive outlook (and don’t make me keep repeating all this until next January).

'Tis the season

The November meeting minutes were finally sent out to distribution yesterday. Thank you, Sue for getting them put together.

The December meeting / Christmas gathering will take place this coming Saturday (December 15th) at the home of Cindy Giese. Starting time is 6:00 PM, and directions were included in the minutes sent out yesterday.

This will be a pot luck event and b.y.o.b., so bring your favorite dish, a white elephant gift valued at twenty dollars or less, whatever you plan to drink, and a holiday attitude.

We have some things on the meeting agenda that have to get done. Your suggestions for the 2008 ride schedule will be collected so we can get that finalized and turned in to the STAR Touring and Riding Association Headquarters.
We also have a vote on the by-laws, and a vote for President and Vice-President.

January will be the beginning of our second year as an official chapter, and we all look forward to working out the kinks and watching our membership grow.

Have a great Christmas and New Year celebration.

Stay safe..

October update

Like most of you, my focus has been extremely scattered this past month. With the days getting shorter, it seems like I am trying to squeeze more agenda items into that diminishing block of time between sunrise and darkness. Needless to say, I am not getting as much done as I would like.
We carried a lot of action items from the September meeting all the way through to the October meeting, so we have a lot on our plate to finish out the year.

Our January meeting will mark the beginning of our second year of existence as a Chapter, and it has been a great start. We have participated in some memorable events and rubbed elbows with some new friends and acquaintances over the past year, and the agenda for 2008 promises to be even better.

On November 17th, the day our next regular meeting is scheduled, there will be a”Feed the Children” food drop at the White Center Food Bank. Our Chapter will meet up at the Kitsap Bank / Port Orchard Marina parking lot at 7:00 am, and then ride to the Southworth Ferry to catch the 7:40 boat to Fauntleroy. We will have our Chapter Meeting during the crossing, and then ride to Renton Motor Sports where we will form up with all the other participating chapters to escort the truck to White Center. This is one of the reasons we ride as members of STAR Touring and Riding Association, and I am looking forward to participating in this event.

We are in the process of considering nominations for our 2008 Chapter Officers, and have put together a nominating committee which will meet this week to offer a list of members’ names. Of course, any member can offer a nomination, so I encourage everyone to participate. (Update: We did meet, and I will send out a brief description of our discussion.)

If you have any warm blankets, sleeping bags, or coats/jackets/sweaters that you are no longer using, please drop them off with Cindy at the Brother’s Power Sports in Bremerton. Cindy is involved in feeding the homeless, and your donations will be greatly appreciated.

Much more to come.

Ride safely.

September Ride

Our original ride was supposed to be to Hurricane Ridge, but Pete mentioned that the low clouds would likely obstruct any view we hoped to enjoy…so, after a brief discussion, we decided to have Jim Johnson lead us on the Purdy Canyon ride which had been previously abandoned due to weather.

Greg Sandstrom, Doug Mountjoy, Pete and Sue Inman, Dan Foy, Jeff and Anita Loehmer, “Dez” Deshotel, Richard Huff, and Dick Lamphere joined Jim Johnson for a total of nine motorcycles.

We rode along the canal as far as the Skokomish River, and then followed the river up to Highway 101 then past Shelton to the Little Creek Casino. We committed ourselves to the luncheon buffet, which was much better than “very good”.

From the casino, we rode to Allyn where we stopped to see Roy and Kris at “Twisted Angel Biker Wear”. They let us know that their winter hours will be week ends only, and they hope to be busy every week end until they get back to normal hours in the spring. They usually have a pot of coffee on, so plan to stop by when you are in their neighborhood.

A few of us stopped at Starbucks in Belfair, and the rest scattered for home. It was a good day to ride, and a great group to do it with.

Safety Training

Safety training scheduled for Sunday, September 16th has been cancelled, and will be rescheduled.

Update 9/10

Pete, Lonnie, Doug, and I got together for a social lunch at The Corner Deli in downtown Port Orchard today, and we had a free-for-all discussion regarding a number of topics that pertain to all of us (and you).

Our September Meeting will be this coming Saturday (9:00 AM at The Brother’s Power Sports in Bremerton) with a scheduled ride to Hurricane Ridge directly following the meeting. We have also planned to stop at the Seven Cedars Casino for a late lunch on the way back. Note: There is probably a fee to ride into the park on our way to Hurricane Ridge. I will check into that, and post a comment on the Yahoo Group.

On Sunday, September 16th we will convene on Pete and Sue’s place near Port Townsend for a 12:30 PM training session that we encourage everyone to attend. This gathering will address Road Captain, Tail Gunner, and Group Riding issues that will emphasize SAFETY. We will also have an opportunity to consume some groceries and visit with our remarkable co-members of Chapter 403.
The Port Orchard contingent will meet at, and leave from the Marina parking area. We will pull out at 11:00 AM Sunday morning to ride to Pete and Sue’s.
Please let us know if you plan to attend, so lunch can be properly planned.

We are already making plans for the ride to Post Falls, Idaho next June. If you plan to attend the NW Star-B-Q 2008, make sure you are part of the conversation now (when it counts).

There will be a State-wide meet-up of Star Touring and Riding members at Soap Lake next summer that promises to be great fun. It won’t be elaborately structured with side events or rides, but it will be an opportunity to rub elbows with some good folks we don’t bump into very frequently. Hey…it is a ride somewhere and back, and that is always a good thing.

Be safe out there...

The Ride was fantastic

Our schedule was extended by about four hours with numerous extra stops, but the ride was as good as any we have had as a group.

We took the Kingston ferry to Edmonds, stopped in Leavenworth to wait for the straggler (Blaine Inman), had lunch in Cashmere at Rusty's Drive-in, wandered around Roslyn for an hour, and beat ourselves silly from there to highway 18. The I-90 portion of the trip was the least pleasant (especially the grooved pavement part) because the view goes by too quickly at 70 miles per hour, but that didn't detract from the rest of the trip.

I have a few pics that will get posted on our Yahoo Group, but my camera needs a tune-up, so I didn't get as many good photos as I would have liked. There were more cameras this trip, so perhaps some of those pics will get posted also.

For those who weren't able to participate in this ride, I highly recommend it. I know it will show up on the schedule next year, so plan to be there.

Thanks to everyone who did show up.