The Official newsletter of Region "A"                                     

Region “A” Members,

       I am really proud of all the Districts in Region “A”. You could not ask for any better  Trained MEDIC FIRST AID Instructors and Trainers than what we have in Region “A” and they are doing a great job of training the Members in each District that make up Region. 

       We just returned from the Georgia Rally in Hiawassee where Carlos and his staff did a great job of putting on their first Rally. Kudos to you and your staff Carlos. 

       We did some great riding while we were there and as I was riding in those twisties my thoughts were on a game called WHAT IF ( What If I came too hot into a curve and ran off the road ) it really made me feel comfortable knowing that the Members that I was riding with have all been trained in CPR and MEDIC FIRST AID  and I would at least have a chance. If you are planning on doing some riding please make sure the people that you ride with have some training in CPR and First Aid and enjoy the ride.

Buddy

       We just returned from a tremendous Georgia Convention. My hat is off to Carlos & Dee along with their excellent staff for a superb Rally. We are preparing to leave for Wing Ding to watch Steve & Tammy Hollingsworth win the International Couple of The Year Selection in Des Moines, IA. Please come and cheer them on to VICTORY!

       In September we will be replacing Steven & Tammy with a new Region Couple and we wish to introduce the next two couples to you from Alabama and South Carolina. We have to do two couples this time or we will run out of time before the selection in September.

So here is the “IN THEIR OWN WORDS” July addition.

First: Richard & Sue Chapman The District Couple from Alabama.

       Hi, we are Sue and Richard Chapman and we were honored in Dec. 2008 when Chapter B selected us as the 2009 Chapter B Couple of the Year. Then the honor was extended in Jan. 2010 when we were selected the Alabama District Couple of the Year. Now we would like to tell you about us and how we got here.  

       I have been riding motorcycles since I was 14, but gave it up when I started driving cars. Dating in a car seemed to be much easier  than on a motorcycle. It was only natural in 1992 when my daughter turned 14 that I got her a scooter to get around Madison. Well, in the process of teaching her to drive that scooter, her Uncle Mike and myself both got the motorcycle riding itch again. I got a 1985 Silver Wing because I was really just planning to ride it around town. The fever got worse because I wanted to start riding on longer trip. In 1994 I purchased a blue 1984 GL1200 and life was good because long rides now were in the future plans. The next thing I did was to join GWRRA and went to a Chapter B meeting. That was a great idea because I met so many new friends, had so many new places to ride, and the best part was I had friends to ride with. I became the Chapter B treasurer, then ride coordinator, ACD, CD, then Sr. CD until I stepped down in 2001. In 2005, I accepted the honor of being the Rider Educator for Chapter B. This was great because I really believe in the education/safety training in GWRRA. After three years, I passed the baton to someone else went back to being a JAM. 

       Sue was introduced to motorcycles, when she started co-riding a trike in 2003. She participated primarily with Trike Riders International (TRI) until 2004. In early 2004 Sue became a widow and the trike sat for a while.  The day came when she had to make up her mind to ride or sell. With no previous experience driving a trike or motorcycle, she decided to learn to drive the trike, so in May 2004, she moved from Tim’s Ford Lake to Huntsville and in June got her motorcycle endorsement. One day at work a co-worker found out she had a trike and introduced her to Alice Chapman (note the last name) who just happened to be a trike rider as well and invited her to a Chapter B meeting in Huntsville, in August 2004 Sue attended her first Chapter B meeting. 

       I was just a Chapter B JAM at this point and did I mention that I was single. I walked into the meeting and saw this cute little red head sitting at a small table by alone.  I asked Alice who she was. Alice just looked at me, smiled and said her name was Sue. Now being the shy guy that I am, I just walked over to the table, sat down and introduced myself. We talked for a few minutes and then the meeting started. Over the next 18 months or so, Sue and I became friends, hung out together at rallies and talked a lot.

       The rest of the story begins in January 2007, Sue and I had both been working a lot of hours and had been working late on most Friday nights, so we were both going to drive to Snowball Saturday morning. I invited her to ride down with me that Saturday morning. We arrived about 10:00 that morning and the hotel was allowing us to register early for rooms. (Keep in mind at this point we were just friends, riding down to Snowball together, we had never been on a date together.) The lady behind the desk asked my name, registered me, took my credit card, and gave me a room on the second floor. She then handed Sue my credit card and started to walk off. Sue called her back and said she needed to get registered and get her room. The lady behind the desk, looked at Sue, then looked at me and said, “You two are such a cute couple, I just through you were married”. She registered and told Sue she was on the 8^th floor and would be in “a little bit of Heaven”. She looked at me and said “and you don’t get to visit Heaven either, laughed and walked off. Sue and I both laughed and walked into the rally room, and then Sue walked around talking to old friends and meeting new ones. Sue walks up to someone and was admiring the rolling word sign pinned to her shirt. She explained about the sign, and then said “I was just talking to your husband about this same subject a few minutes ago”. Sue laughed and said she wasn’t married. The lady said we made such a cute couple, she just thought we were married. At this point Sue and I were both just laughing it all off and having fun with the whole married thing. Jump to Sunday morning and the Huntsville crew meets in the dining room for breakfast. Randall Southland looks at me as I am walking up and says “I though you and Sue came down here together for a good reason” and points to the event room entrance. That Sunday the hotel was hosting a wedding event seminar, describing various aspects of getting married, including wedding gowns and tuxes for rent. Everyone almost fell out of their chairs laughing so hard. This must have been a sign, because after that weekend, we started dating. We traveled together on rides, to rallies, and many events together till the end of 2007. On New Year’s Eve, I went to Sue’s place and we were going to spend a quite evening and not get out battling the crowd. After dinner, I gave her a package, which she opened. It contained an engagement ring and I ask this wonderful lady to spend the rest of our lives together. She said, “YES”. We went to the New Year s Day ride riding two-up on my wing. It was cold so we were bundled up for the ride, so we got to the meeting point and took off her gloves. The ring caught a couple of the ladies attention and the questions started. Needless to say from then until April 19^th 2008, the entire chapter was involved in the planning and helping out wedding. 

       When meeting with the minister who married us, we told him we wanted the entire wedding to be fun for our friends, our family, and us. Sue’s daughter and grandson (in his own tux outfit) walked Sue down the aisle. Sue was such a beautiful bride. At the end of the ceremony, we had the minister invite up our entire newly merged family to be introduced to our friends and family. The song we picked to make our exit walk from the podium was thoughtfully selected, because it fit our lifestyle. It was “On the road again”. 

       Sue and I have been having a ball since January 2007 and representing Chapter B in 2009, and in 2010 we continued our travels to lots of gatherings and conventions as the Alabama District Couple of the Year. We enjoy being Couple of the Year because GWRRA is our extended family and do our best to represent our chapter, region and district, GWRRA in a manner that makes everyone proud of us. 

Sue and Richard Chapman

Next: In Their Own Words is:

Ron and Becky Lees, The South Carolina District Couple of The Year. 

       We are proud participants of SC-T and in April 2009 our chapter honored us as the Chapter Couple of the Year.  We had a great year visiting chapters in our district and attending numerous conventions and poker runs within our Region.  In April of this year we were honored again by being selected as South Carolina District Couple of the Year. We have both completed the Officer Certification Program, Certified Road Captains, Horizon and Leadership Training, current with CPR and First Aid and Certified Master Tour Riders.  Currently along with SC District COY, we are Assistant Chapter Directors, Chapter Ride Coordinators and Chapter Photographers and proud Life members of GWRRA for 26 years (as of August this year).

       Ron was born in Westfield, MA. After school he enlisted in the Army and after basic training was assigned to the 4^th Infantry Division 84^th Engineer Battalion out of Ft. Lewis, Washington.  When the war in Vietnam intensified the 84^th was put on a troop ship to Vietnam where he did his 12 month tour.  After his tour of duty he was honorably discharged.  He moved to Lake Worth, Florida and worked at Pratt & Whitney where he learned his trade as a tool room machinist.  He has 3 children and six grand children.  In 2004, Ron had a cancerous kidney removed 2 weeks after bringing home the GL1800.  Six years later, Ron is cancer free.  Ron currently is a supervisor in a tool & die/cnc machine shop in Greenville.

       Becky was born in Chicopee, MA and in 1969 her family moved to West Palm Beach, Florida.  She graduated from Twin Lakes High where she lettered in volleyball and softball.  She played in tournament softball on the weekends throughout Florida.  After graduation she moved to the west coast of Florida to attend an automotive trade school.  She moved back to West Palm 6 months later and performed various jobs until going through a machinist apprenticeship program. After completing the apprenticeship she went to work for a company that sponsored the program.  This is where Ron & Becky met. Ron and Becky have been together for 28 years and married for 8 years.  Between their 1983 GL1100 and 2004 GL1800 they have compiled two up 300,000 accident free miles. Becky currently is a senior buyer at a manufacturing facility in Greenville.

       We started out riding a Honda 500 custom before Ron realized that this was not big enough for the riding we wanted to do.  He went to a dealership in January of 1984, where he purchased a 1983 1100 Candy Regal Brown Interstate. In August of 1984, we went to a poker run at the dealership and a gentleman came over to us. He introduced himself and stated that he was member of GWRRA and asked us if we would be interested in coming to a chapter meeting.  We went to their next meeting and joined GWRRA and became participants of Chapter FL-2A.  We became Area Reps (as CD’s were known then) for the Chapter FL-2A in 1988 to 1990.  In 1993 we became Charter Members of Chapter Z and served as ride coordinators for them from 1993 to 1994. In 1994 Ron was laid off from his job and we had promised ourselves that if anything happened to one of our jobs we would move to the Carolinas.  We moved to Greenville, South Carolina where we joined up with Chapter E of Greenville.  Because of the move from Florida and remodeling of our home our participation with Chapter E was limited but we still went to some events the chapter held.  When it was time again for us to get back out and ride we were asked to be ride coordinators for Chapter T in Greer in 2001.  Since joining the Chapter we have held positions of Asst. CD (2 different times), Ride Coordinators (2 different times), Chapter Photographer and Scrapbook/Historian.  We have done the Ride for Kids 10 years and for the last 8 years have been volunteers at the Ashville, NC ride.  We have visited all but 1 of chapters in the district.  We have attended all District Conventions within Region “A” at one time or another.  We have been to numerous Region “A” conventions and by attending Wing Ding this year it will make it our 7^th.

       We are proud to be South Carolina’s District Couple of the Year and are looking forward to the Region “A” convention.  Hope to see you all there.

Ride safe,

Ron & Becky Lees

Lynn & Lyn