The New Year (2010) is upon us already!  It’s hard to believe that 2009 is gone already. You know what they say about time going by faster when you get older, and it would appear that it’s true.  2009 was a great year for GWRRA in Region “A” but we think that ’10 will be even better. 

       We concluded our annual Region officers meeting at the Lakepoint Lodge in Eufaula, AL December 4^th and 5^th.  The facility is newly rebuilt and was magnificent.  Our 2010 Region "A" rally will be held there in September and we are really looking forward to it.  You have to see this venue to appreciate how nice it is; totally remodeled inside and out.  As of this writing we are both pleased and sad to say that it is completely sold out for the rally.  There are campsites left, but all the lodge rooms, cottages and cabins are taken.  We believe this is a sign of good attendance for the rally.

       Nan and I thank the members of the Region staff along with the District Directors and their staffs for attending the officers meeting mentioned above.  Attendance figures were impressive, with some 77 members of the Region “A” staff along with the five District Directors and their respective staffs participating.  We make every effort to insure our business meetings as interesting and informative as possible and hope that each of you who attended got something useful out of it.  Thanks for giving up a weekend while working with us to make GWRRA in Region "A" more successful in 2010!

       On December 4^th, (the day before the official officer meeting commenced) all of the Region “A” staff attended the Advanced Leadership Training module at Lakepoint Lodge.  The module was taught by our able Region Leadership Trainer, Dave and Sharon Aikens and by the National Director of Leadership Training, David Orr.  It was a useful course and the staff greatly benefited from attending it.  Our Thanks to “Dave ‘n Dave” for presenting this valuable information to us.  This brings the Region "A" staff into compliance with the Leadership Training Challenge that was issued at the Ops meeting at Wing Ding in Tulsa.

       By the time you read this, all chapter chartering fees should have be submitted to the Home Office, with copies of the checks and lists of chartered chapters sent to the Region.  Due next month (February 1^st) are the Region, District and Chapter financial reports.  Districts are responsible for auditing the individual chapter reports, maintaining the originals in file and sending a copy to the Region.  Districts should send the originals of their District financial reports to the Region, keeping a copy for themselves.  The Region will be responsible for sending any needed financial reports to the Home Office.

       Please remember that when preparing your financial reports to keep any and all records pertaining to educational training expenses (RE, LT, etc) that you performed during the last year.  GWRRA’s 501-C-4 tax status is determined by our generous use of funds raised to promote training and education for our members.  You don’t need to submit these records with your tax return, just have them ready in the event of an IRS inquiry.

       Nan and I will be attending the MS District officer meeting in Lake Tiak O’ Khata near Louisville, MS January 16^th.  We’ve not yet attended a MS officer meeting and are looking forward to it.  We will also be attending the FL District officer meeting in Kissimmee on the 9^th of January.  Other members of the Region “A” staff will be attending the other District officer meetings so that we have representation at all of them.

       We encourage each District in Region “A” to participate in the Chapter of the Year program.  Bob and Karla Greer are not only the Region Coordinators for this initiative but the National Coordinators as well.  Please refer to the time line for the various submissions that are necessary to enter the competition.  This info can be accessed through the National Membership Enhancement Division website.

       We look forward seeing you at a GWRRA event soon.

Bob & Nan

       Well, Happy 2010 to all of Region ‘A’ Members. Certainly hope the 2009-year was good to ya and everyday was a treat. We have just busted into 2010 and the riding and ride planning is in full swing. Don’t forget to put the Region ‘A’ Rally on your schedule for September 16-18, at the new location of Lakepoint Resort Lodge and Convention Center. We are really going to have a great time at a super fantastic venue location. Eufaula, AL is a real low traffic area and the folks really love to see the Gold Wings come into town. There are a lot of family owned restaurants in town and most of them serve family style meals and you will never go away hungry. Of course there are some of the fast-food places available if that is your bag. Don’t worry about meals there are plenty of places to chow-down. Two personal tips...if you like BBQ, try Phil’s BBQ just off US-431 in town. If you like Chinese, try Number 1 and you will not be disappointed. Of course Lakepoint Lodge will have buffets available each day of our rally. By the way, Lakepoint has dedicated the complete facility to the Region ‘A’ Rally so the facility will be for the Region ‘A‘ delegates.

       By the way, if you are a camper, Lakepoint has the best camping facilities in the area and can accommodate anything from pup-tents to motor homes with ease.

       If you live in Alabama, Mississippi or Florida Panhandle, don’t forget that AL-A in Mobile, AL sponsors a New Year’s Day “Ride-In” at Ezell’s Catfish house on the Tombigbee River where it cross AL-10. This is a 20 plus year old event and happens rain or shine or snow. Draws about 300 folks and the 50/50 is worth the ride let alone the fantastic catfish, hushpuppies, black-eyed peas and all the New Year Day food traditions of the South. The ride from Mobile to Ezell’s is escorted by the Alabama State Troopers on their Harley’s and is something to see. It’s a 4-hour ride from my home, but if the weather is good I hope to see some of you there.

Jim & Sue 

Region “A”

Membership Enhancement Plan for 2010

 
       As a part of the Region “A” Officer’s meeting each December, all District Directors give their “State of the District” address.  This year each District Director was asked to specifically address their Membership Enhancement Plan for 2010.  A summary of each District’s Plan is shown below.  As you read them, think about what you can do to help your District reach their goals.

Alabama

Ø     Encourage all Chapter Directors (CDs) and Chapter Membership Enhancement Coordinators (MECs) to contact all new members to get them involved in a local Chapter as soon as possible.

Ø     Encourage all Chapter Directors (CDs) and Chapter Membership Enhancement Coordinators (MECs) to contact all prospective members to get them involved in a local Chapter as soon as possible.

Ø     Devote time to discuss Membership Enhancement and Recruitment & Retention at the annual Officer’s Conference in January 2010.

Florida

Ø     Increase familiarization with the MEC Retention Plan and working with Excel Spreadsheets by giving a presentation at the CD Conference in January 2010.

Ø     Greater participation by Assistant District Directors by being proactive to improve compliance with contact reporting program and encouraging Chapters to reach out to the new members in their activity areas.

Ø     Increased participation in Chapter’s by new members resulting in an overall lighter load for the Chapter Directors.

Georgia

Ø     Educate Chapter Directors and Chapter MECs on value and use of the Area Report to enhance Recruitment and Retention.

Ø     Promote the use of the Fun Activities Guide to re-energize the “FUN” at the Chapter level.

Ø     Promote Chapter visitation to expand camaraderie between Chapters and encourage the development of new friendships.

Ø     Submit articles for the Georgia District newsletter and website to refresh and remind the membership of Membership Enhancement and Recruitment and Retention concepts and idea.

Ø     Set up a Recruitment and Retention display at all Georgia District events to make R&R materials visible and available to the membership.

Mississippi

Ø     Maintain Membership Enhancement Coordinator (MEC) database and distribute Area Reports on a monthly basis to the Chapter Directors (CD) and Chapter MECs.

Ø     Encourage 100% return and 100% compliance in completing the monthly Area Reports from the Chapter MECs or CDs.

Ø     Encourage each CD to fill the Chapter MEC position in their Chapter.

Ø     Have a MEC breakout session at the District Chapter Officer’s Meeting in January 2010 to discuss the MEC duties and responsibilities.  To help Chapters understand the Area Reports and advise them on the resources available for Recruitment and Retention.

Ø     Provide MEC information packets to Chapter Directors (CDs) and MECs.

Ø     Be a mentor to new Chapter MECs.

Ø     Write monthly MEC article for the District Newsletter

Ø     Provide a MEC Seminar at the MS District Rally

South Carolina

Ø     Have trained Membership Enhancement Coordinators (MECs) willing to be responsible for the jobs they volunteered to do so they can relieve the Chapter Directors (CDs) from some of the duties of the Chapter

Ø     Have all Chapters complete the monthly Area Reports on time

Ø     Promote “FUN” in all Chapter activities. Survey all members to see what they would like to do to have “FUN”. 

Ø     Promote GWRRA in a positive way in the community to let them know that we are not just a group of motorcycle riders.

       Many thanks to the District Directors and their staff for brainstorming this subject as Region A strives to improve net growth in 2010.  The success of everyone’s individual District Plans will be the collective results of where Region A’s membership statistics go in 2010. 

       Please feel free to call your District Membership Enhancement Coordinator or us if you have any MEC related questions.

       We are looking forward to another riding and rally season that will get started real soon.

Happy New Year

Bob & Karla 

       Happy New Year to everyone!  We wish you all the greatest success in 2010.  One thing for sure is that we had a very successful Region “A” Operations Meeting in December.  We received a great deal of information and shared a lot of thoughts on how to make things better.  We don’t have a lot to share with you right now as we’re all waiting to see what comes out of the LTD Training Summit in Phoenix.  I’m sure we won’t be disappointed.  All I really know for sure is that we will receive a great deal of training during the two days there.

       As I mentioned in our Trainer’s Break-out Session at the Operations Meeting, be prepared to be flexible with your training schedules.  I believe we will be given a new training challenge just to get the New Year off to a good start.  Perhaps we won’t need to add any new classes to our schedules, but I’d rather plan for it and not need it.

       Lastly, I’d like to thank all the District Trainers for doing such a great job this past year.  I’m sure the members appreciate all you do, too.  One of these days we might get a pay raise!

        Now it’s time to go play with all the goodies that Santa brought.

Dave & Sharon

Hellooo, REGION A and the rest of the USA!!

      Christmas has come and gone, but what is worse, the year has too!  As with most everything, all good things must come to an end but we are really looking forward to a fun-filled exciting NEW YEAR!  I hope that we see you all along the way.  It's always so exciting to go to the rallies to have a friend-reunion-day.  Some we get to see on a regular basis, but for the ones we don't, it's such a pleasure to run into them at the rallies…or anywhere for that matter.

       I hope this article finds you all covered in tinsel, full of laughter, and giddy with delight from your gifts from Santa.  My present this year to myself was emergency oral surgery!  Oh heck, I'm highly allergic to pain so I said, I can't wait till after Christmas so I had to do it right away.  Let me tell you this, after having oral surgery, Christmastime with friends is TORTURE!!!  This is only if they can easily make you smile; well, our friends ALWAYS make us smile.  However, smiling hurts when your mouth is in pain, swollen, and sore -- but it was sweet torture.  Thank goodness for painkillers; I had a good time in spite of the pain.  Steven thought he'd get some relief but you can't slow down a "talker"….I woke up with a mouth full of gauze, tongue swollen and numb but I kept on talking….now if he understood me, that would be the real question.  I had told him earlier that if I had a lot of stitches I wouldn't be able to talk much.  Steven {smirking} said I was unstoppable.  Not sure if that was the compliment I was looking for or not.  Oh well, I kept him busy answering my questions.

       Well, we've not been traveling that much, but we've been busy nonetheless.  We've really been working on some recruits. Generating enthusiasm for GWRRA is a full-time job.  You have to make sure the prior members are happy, you have to ensure the new members are pleased, and you have to really spice it up for the potential members.  That part isn't hard if they come by for a visit.  We all get into a routine of having fun, but we sometimes have to make sure EVERYONE is having fun.  Changing up the activities can be beneficial for everyone.  We love having new folks and we definitely want them to have fun.  Once they see how much fun it is, it's not hard to convince them to join.  I think we've got some potential associate members coming on board.  They don't have bikes but they got the chance to ride on back of a Goldwing during the holidays….they think that GWRRA is really neat and they want to be a part of it.  They are from Arkansas, but we explained that there are chapters all over the world.  I think our attitudes have convinced them that just being an associate member can be as fun as a full member regardless of where you gather.  Many people think that you HAVE to have a bike, but it's not true.  Sure we ride to most of the events, but we have folks that go in cars too.  We told them that we feel like the GWRRA family is the most fun family to be around, so why should we restrict potential members just because they don’t have a bike?  With that, they seemed more interested in becoming members.  It stands to reason that it will be easier to invite someone with a bike to sign up but someone without a bike may not see the benefits, therefore, it is a full-time job to show your enthusiasm regardless of what you are doing.  

       As Couple Of the Year, the ambassadorial duties are easy:  have fun - keep it contagious, and the rest will fall into place.  Now that I got you thinking...most of us have had Christmas parties but a few chapters may have New Year's activities/parties coming up soon.  Be sure to invite your friends from work, church, school, or anyone that could stand to have a good time -- I think that would include the general population.  Over the holidays, I took a friend from work to two of our chapter events.  She really had a good time.  She likes to get out and do interesting things, so doing it with interesting people is a plus.  I think I've just about got her convinced to join GWRRA.  She hears of our adventures all of the time but until she gets to experience some of it, she doesn't really grasp what we are really all about.  Now, she is starting to see that we really do have some crazy-fun friends and who wouldn't be enticed to that?!  So, start including more folks in your invites.  You might be surprised that there are a lot of people out there with not enough to do.  Let us and GWRRA solve that problem for them!

       Okay, so we aren't going to rallies but we are gearing up for them.  We'll be going to a lot of events next year (as usual) so we'd love to see you there.  To do that, you need to register and get your room.  So, to help you get started, you really need to make your first priority to register for Region “A” Rally.  After that, the rest is just as easy.  Just Do It!  We want to see you!!!!

       We hope you can join us!  You won't regret it cause FUN really is contagious!

Steven & Tammy