Stu & Mary Ellen Hartt, Chapter AB-A Directors

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1 Stu & Mary Ellen Hartt, Chapter AB-A Directors Mary-Ellen and I are very proud to be your Chapter Directors for the next couple years. We would like to thank Gary and Susan Premech on behalf of the Chapter for their hard work and dedication over the last three years. Thanks to Gary, Susan, and their executive, we have had a lot of successful events and fun which we look forward to continuing for you in the future. We have been able to hold onto a number of the executive members and have added some new members as well. These are all volunteer positions and all of these members work hard to promote GRA s motto Friends for Fun, Safety, and Knowledge. For Mary-Ellen and I, our role as your Chapter Directors will be a little different from past directors as we are also "snowbirds" and enjoy our time in Arizona through the winter. With our Assistant Chapter Directors, Elaine and Tracy Boyda, and with the marvels of technology, we will be able to attend the January through March meetings via the Internet. This will be something new for many and we look forward to having other members in the Arizona area logging in for the meetings as well. For some of you who might not know us, Mary-Ellen and I have been members of GWR- RA since 2007 and during that time we have managed to travel many areas of North America being to both coasts of Canada and the USA and as far south as Key West, FL and (Continued on page 3) Nov 14 Dec 10 Jan 6-8 Jan 9 Feb 13 Coming Events Nov Monthly Meeting Christmas Party (No Monthly Meeting in Dec) 2017 Motorcycle Show Jan Monthly Meeting Feb Monthly Meeting Meetings are at Fox Hollow Golf Club, 9th Street and 32nd Avenue N.E. Dinner at 6:30; Meeting at 7:00 PM. What s Inside October Meeting Notes Chapter Director s Words (cont )... 3 Region J Report... 4 Upcoming Courses... 4 Rider Education Rules!... 5 Ride to Reynolds... 6 News & Notices... 7 Meeting Info... 7 Classifieds & Area Staff... 8 Region J Rally... 9 Calgary Area Team Bearberry Turkey Dinner Ride Bearberry Turkey Dinner Ride Euro Winging Christmas Party Costen & Associates Toy Storage Offering Pair-a-Dice Trikes... 17

2 Wing Wag November-December 2016 Page 2 Stu Hartt presented Gary and Susan Premech with a glass plaque to celebrate and thank them for their three years of dedicated service as Chapter AB-A Directors. Stuart and Mary Ellen Hartt Were sworn in as our new Chapter Directors Tracy and Elaine Boyda were welcomed as the new Assistant Chapter Directors Stuart Hartt won the draw for a free one year GWR- RA membership as a reward for leading the Sunday rides. Everyone who lead a ride was entered. Harvey Matthews was the very happy winner of the draw for HID headlights donated by Ron & Carol Myers. Notes: Our October meeting was attended by 41 members. We were joined this night by a new member Blair Nicholls, welcome Blair. Also attending the meeting were our returned European travelers, Dave & Joanne Gulevich. Having returned safe, sound, and enthusiastic about their journey they encouraged other members to follow in their wheel tracks. Pictures and articles about their experiences will continue to appear in the newsletter.

3 Wing Wag November-December 2016 Page 3 Terry Collins expressed his sincere thanks for the out-pouring of support and sympathy he has received since Betty s passing. He was pleased to say that at least 15 members of our club had attended the service and luncheon and their presence was noticed and commented on by others who were present to remember and honour Betty. The AED purchase is still in the works but to get one that will travel well on club rides will cost more on the order of $2, The purchase was approved by all members present. A location and caretaker for the AED will be decided on in the future. The member directory is being re-evaluated due to security concerns. Roger Matas will suggest some options for consideration at the next meeting. Kim Coubrough advised that Roger Matas would be sending reminders regarding required courses for members registered in the levels program. There was a great turn out for the BBQ with 41 members attending even though the weather was less than optimal as it was a rainy day. Twenty members signed up to attend the Bearberry Dinner, always a great ride and day. Fox Hollow will be closed from November 21 until December 3. Fortunately this will only interfere with Sunday breakfast on November 26 then everything will be back to normal. Harvey Matthews is still in need of someone to help him with Two-Wheel Sunday. Barry Lammle informed the members that he was going to be opening one of his warehouses for winter storage of motorcycles and cars, see page 17 for details. Our Chapter Christmas Party will be held December 10, see page 15 for details. (Continued from page 1) now have plans to get to Alaska. We love camping and pulling our Bunkhouse Camper on many of our trips. Besides our touring, we enjoy the Chapter rides such as the May long weekend rides and the weekly Sunday rides with our GWRRA friends. You can always recognize us on our beautiful Blue '05 GL1800 (right Kim). We are also very proud grandparents and we love spending time with our grandchildren. We are getting all set up for our travels to Arizona on November 15th and we will not talk too much about this as we will continue to enjoy our riding while many of our members are looking to put their bikes into winter storage. It looks like we are in for some great weather in November so hopefully everyone is getting some late season rides in. "manning" our booth. This is a great opportunity to talk with people about GWRRA as well as to see other exhibitors at the show. Next year our Region J Rally will be held on the August long-weekend in Maple Ridge, BC (details to follow shortly). Wing Ding will be on Labour Day weekend in Grapevine, Texas. Keep these dates in mind as you plan your next year's vacations. Mary-Ellen and I hope everyone enjoys this year's Christmas Party at a new and exciting venue as it should be a lot of fun. It might be early but we both would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year. Remember to Race the Rain, Ride the Wind, and Chase the Sunset but most importantly, be safe out there! January will see our chapter involved with the Calgary Motorcycle Show again and Tracy will be looking for volunteers to help with Stu & Mary Ellen Hartt, Chapter AB-A Directors

4 Wing Wag November-December 2016 Page 4 Gary & Susan Premech, Region J Director Hello everyone, We would like to introduce ourselves as your new Region J Directors. Susan and I have been members with GWRRA since April of 2006 when we bought a 2000 GL1500 from one of the chapter members and have been involved with the organization ever since. We have served as Assistant Chapter Directors and most recently as the Chapter Directors of Calgary AB-A for the past 3 years. Susan and I are both involved in the Levels Programand have our Seniors Master Certification. I am an ARC and Trailering course instructor. Susan rides a 2010 GL1800 Motor Trike and I ride a 2008 GL1800. We enjoy camping and touring around Canada and the USA with friends from our local chapter and other chapters as well. We look forward to working with our region team and meeting all of you throughout the coming years. Although we are both still working full time, our focus in this stage of our lives is to enjoy our children, grandchildren, friends, and great rides. Gary and Susan Premech, Region J Directors There are currently no courses scheduled between now and the new year. Members are encouraged to make suggestions for any courses they would like to see. If you are interested in a particular course, or have any questions about rider education or the Levels Programplease contact our Chapter Education Coordinator, Roger Matas by ing goldwingcalgary.com or phone If you've have signed up for a course you will be updated with any additional information as it becomes available.

5 Wing Wag November-December 2016 Page 5 Roger Matas, Chapter AB-A Rider Education Coordinator New Alberta Group Wants Everyone to Think Bike A passion for safer roads which grew from a move to improve people's attitudes towards motorcycle riders led to the formation last year of a new provincial group dedicated to safety and responsibility. with those of GWRRA. They encourage safety, education, wearing proper gear, and both rider and motorist responsibilities. Their TV spots speak to the same message as the GWRRA Motorist Awareness seminar: if you know someone who rides a motorcycle you're more likely to be aware of bikes when you're driving. The spots feature real people, including well known people in the media, showing they are motorcycle riders and asking people to watch out for them while driving. You can check out the spots on their website (ab-amss.org). Liane Langlois is the president of the Alberta Motorcycle Safety Society (AMSS). The group was formed when she and a few others felt governments were not supporting motorcycle safety. She says, for example, Edmonton's noise bylaw vilified motorcycle riders. "Because of the attitude of the city and police towards motorcycles, people seemed to think motorcycle collisions served to get more noisy bikes off the street," she said in a recent interview. Langlois and a couple of other fellow motorcyclists were campaigning against Edmonton's noise bylaw. Following two very bad hit and run collisions in 2015, that group and a few others turned their attention to the broader issue of safety and formed AMSS with a goal of promoting safe streets and "validate riders as people." She said they saw an increase in collisions with motorcycles; a statistic driven by more bikes on the street, but also by there being a lot of careless drivers. Langlois formed her group and reached out to Edmonton media people with a pitch for an awareness campaign. Since their launch in Edmonton, they have produced several TV and radio spots which stations have aired for free as PSAs. AMSS is founded on principles very much aligned Since their launch, AMSS has partnered with the City of Edmonton and Edmonton Police to promote safety. Edmonton now comes to AMSS for the group's opinion on designing awareness campaigns. Edmonton uses billboards for safety campaigns which AMSS does not use so Langlois says this helps the group get out the safety message in another medium. As a further measure of their success, AMSS has been asked to provide a safety presentation before many of the charity bike rides in Edmonton this summer. They have also now adopted the Think Bike campaign which started in Europe. Langlois, who owns two bikes, says no matter what bike you ride, you should promote safety. Just like in Calgary she says there are a few riders in Edmonton who give all of us a bad name by their stunting and irresponsible behaviour. While GWRRA more or less mandates its members to respect the All The Gear All The Time principle, AMSS can only encourage people to follow it. She says though, with improvements in gear, especially for women, there should be no excuse for not wearing protective clothing. Langlois said the next step is to expand the AMSS message further across Alberta. They will be launching their campaign in January at the Calgary bike show and have already started talking to media folks here in town. She said they are looking to partner with any and all who have a keen interest and passion for getting everyone home safe.

6 Wing Wag November-December 2016 Page 6 Text & photos by Roger Matas O n August 20th, The Reynolds Museum in Wetaskawin threw open its doors to the motorcycle community. In celebration of the Honda Canada exhibit admission was free to anyone on a motorcycle. They roped off a section of the parking lot for motorcycles only and motorcycles from all over flocked to the museum. The Honda Canada exhibit was on until October. It features 40 bikes from the 50's and 60's and will jog a few memories in those old enough to have seen these bikes on the road in their time. It's also interesting to think of the evolution from these small one-cylinder bikes to the Gold Wing. Honda Canada organized rides from several of their Alberta dealerships. Members of AB -A met at Rocky Mountain Honda and set out with a group of about 20. The main body very quickly disappeared leaving the AB-A folks enjoying their own leisurely ride up Highway 2. A brief stop at the Balzak scale added two more bikes to the group for a total of six. The day was a bit cool on the way north, but it was layers off for the ride home. Thankfully the crazy highway 2 drivers stayed home. Several Honda groups met at Ponoka and travelled the 35 kilometers from there to the museum as a group. It was a sea of bikes in the parking lot; maybe over 500 of all shapes, sizes and brands. Honda Canada sponsored a BBQ for those coming as part of a Honda group. The museum has everything from farm implements to aircraft, cars, and motorcycles. Even a Stanley Steamer and a Duesenburg. It was interesting to see all the old Honda bikes, and one newer prototype, although the area could have been dressed up more with some Honda memorabilia. Thanks to Ron Parkinson for coordinating the ride. Participating were Ron, Bart, and Gail Looijen, Mark LaFave and Kathy Garcia, Colin and Shirley O'Brien, Blair and Pam Nicholls (non members), Jim McKinley and Roger Matas.

7 Wing Wag November-December 2016 Page 7 Greeting Cards: If you know of any member, their spouse, or immediate family who would appreciate receiving a greeting card from our Chapter please contact Judy Istvan, address nucleus.com. Judy will arrange to send the appropriate card on behalf of the Calgary Chapter. Veterans Food Bank: Please remember the men and women who committed themselves to ensure the freedoms that all Canadians enjoy every day of our lives. Bring your non-perishable food items or monetary contributions to the Monthly Chapter Meetings and help support the Veteran's Food Bank. Thank you to all who choose to support this worthwhile cause. High Mileage Challenge 2016: It is that time of year again when we prepare our wings for winter storage. If you submitted your odometer reading before you started riding in 2016 please remember to record your ending odometer reading before you put your bike away for the winter. If you are one of those hardy souls who ride all year when the weather is fine remember to send you final odometer reading as of December 31, Please send all 2016 final odometer readings to telus.net and include "Odometer Reading" in the subject line. Winter Storage for Toys : Our chapter member, Barry Lammle, is offering secure, heated, indoor, winter storage for motorcycles and cars at one of his warehouses, and GWRRA members get a discount. See page 17 for details. DAY/DATE MEETING SCHEDULE November Monthly Meeting December... Christmas Party No Monthly Meeting January 9... Monthly Meeting Friends for Fun, Safety, and Knowledge Come ride with us...everyone Welcome! For the latest updates on what we are doing and where we re going, check out our website: Monthly Meetings Monthly meetings are held on the 2nd Monday of each month. This is a time to share information and to meet old and new friends who like to ride together for FUN, Safety and Knowledge. See you at the next meeting at the Fox Hollow Golf Club, 9th Street and 32nd Avenue N.E. Dinner at 6:30 PM; Meeting at 7:00 PM. Rain, snow, or shine, we meet for breakfast every Sunday morning about 9 AM (Fox Hollow opens at 8:00). This is a great year round way to stay in touch with your GWRRA friends. So, if you have missed the opportunity to join us for breakfast recently, why don t you come on over to: Fox Hollow Golf Club 9th Street and 32nd Avenue N.E.

8 Wing Wag November-December 2016 Page 8 Classified Ads The Classified ads are free to all members and associates of the GWRRA. While advertised items do not have to be Gold Wing related, we do insist that all ads pertain to motorcycling. Ads will appear on a space available basis for one month. Should you wish to continue to run your ad for a second or succeeding month, you must resubmit or renew your ad. Deadline for submission is the first Monday of each month. To post an ad or if the item is sold or the offer withdrawn, please contact Lisa Miller at: Goldwing calgary.com For Sale: Brand-new (used only for a few hours) HJC helmet, size XXL, flip-up style, with black-red-silverwhite pattern. Can accept blue-tooth (wireless) or wired headsets. Includes storage bag, original box and fog resistant pinlock lens. A $200 value. Asking for $150 O.B.O. Please call Gilles Fournier at for more info or to leave a message. CALGARY AREA STAFF Chapter Director Stu and Mary Ellen Hartt Chapter goldwing calgary.com Assistant Tracy Boyda Chapter Directors assistant chapter Goldwing calgary.com Quartermaster Ken Braun goldwing calgary.com Newsletter Editor Lisa Miller goldwing calgary.com Treasurer Eric Roberts goldwing calgary.com Ride Coordinator Harvey Matthews ride goldwing calgary.com Rider Educator Roger Matas rider goldwing calgary.com Rider Course Terry Burrill Instructor goldwing calgary.com Special Events Ron Syroishka Coordinator goldwing calgary.com Webmaster Roger Matas goldwing calgary.com Membership Tracy Boyda Enhancement goldwing calgary.com Coordinator GWRRA TOLL FREE NUMBER (CANADA & US) NATIONAL LEADERS Executive Directors Ray & Sandi Garris gwrra.org Region J Directors Gary & Susan Premech Assist Region J Directors Arnie & Janet Tucke Region J Rider Educator Alex Middleton NOTE: addresses in this publication are displayed in a manner that will deter automatic address harvesting programs. This step is taken to reduce unsolicited to any addresses we post. We regret any inconvenience caused for our legitimate visitors. REMOVE ALL THE SPAC- ES IN THE ADDRESS TO MAKE IT WORK.

9 Wing Wag November-December 2016 Page 9 Text & Photos by Gilles Fournier T his year, the Region J Rally was held in Red Deer, Alberta from August 26 to 28 inclusively. About 130 participants enjoyed this pre-wing Ding gathering. There were GWRRA members from many parts of Region J as well as several members from Oklahoma and Ontario. There were lots of prizes to win, an excellent dinner on Saturday night, a poker run on Sunday, and guided rides on Saturday. Vendors were present also, including one of the first, if not the first, Honda dealership in Canada Turple Bros. In the first photo, we see two examples of motorcycles offered by Turple Bros: the mint condition 1965 Honda 300 whose owner, present at the rally, bought it from Turple Bros. in 1965 and the most recent addition to the Gold Wing offerings, the Motor Trike frontwheel trike conversion kit for the Gold Wing. At the dinner, a number of awards were handed out including one for our own chapter: newsletter of the year (way to go Lisa). In the second picture, we see Gary Premech, our chapter director, accepting that award on behalf of the chapter. There were also door prizes handed out. Our chapter did pretty well. In picture three, we see Mary-Ellen Hartt accepting such a prize, a beautiful Honda Gold Wing jacket. Not pictured and also absent from the rally but a winner nevertheless, Kim Coubrough for what I believe is also one of those beautiful Gold Wing jackets. Susan Premech accepted the prize on behalf of Kim.

10 Wing Wag November-December 2016 Page 10 Ron Syroishka, Chapter AB-A Special Events Coordinator I t was one of those cool, nippily fall mornings do I go or do I stay do I take two wheels or do I take four wheels? Personally, I was committed to taking two wheels however, I left the choice with each and every person attending this year's Bearberry Fall Turkey Dinner Ride. The day started just above zero degrees Celsius and climbed to a high of 14. By the time our convoy of 8 bikes and 6 vehicles (4 wheels) arrived at Bearberry, the 25 of us were excited and salivating for the all you can eat Turkey Fall Dinner. We were warmly greeted with good ol country hospitality. There were many local volunteers stirring about making sure that the buffet table was amply supplied with all the fixings that go along with a country style fall dinner. I would be remiss if I didn t mention the fantastic dessert table they had, supplied with excellent pumpkin pie along with lemon meringue pie and numerous other scrumptious desserts. It s a good thing that we were not charged based on the number of desserts that were consumed because if they had done that, it would have cost each and every one of us a lot more than the admission ticket. Following dinner, we sauntered about in the grounds for a photo opportunity and came across a quaint barn filled with local history and artifacts. As well, there was an awesome collection of classic cars which we couldn t help but marvel over. On our return trip, the group decided to take a different route back to Calgary. Returning via Sundre to re-fuel, we headed west and took what I thought was a paved road heading south which soon ended. We found ourselves on a hard-packed muddy road along the Red Deer River. After some time, we decided to stop and check our route and waved down a procession of 4X4 trucks with ATVs strapped on. We were told that we were on a forestry trunk road that was destined for Fort St. John, B.C. In spite of this navigation error, we decided to turn around and head back with a stop at the new Sundre Timmy s for a coffee. All in all, it really was a wonderful fall adventure and a great opportunity to connect with friends old and new. Ron and Glenna

11 Wing Wag November-December 2016 Page 11 Text and Photos by Lance Medcalf W e started off from Fox Hollow at 10:00 a.m. Two groups of bikes (three in each) with five cars to follow. Ron took position as lead bike and I was tailgunner of the first group. The second group followed, and the cars follow behind. We all traveled to the Shell gas station in Sundre, where we met up with two more bikes (and a puppy in a trailer). We gassed up and traveled on to Bearberry, where we had a lovely turkey meal and desserts. We saw friends and classic cars. After lunch, Ron led us on a mystery tour up a gravel road to???, where we had to turn around about a mile in and head back on the gravel road again then head back toward Cochrane. Along the way, we passed deer, twice. A cool but pleasant ride. After Cochrane, the pack slowly broke off to go their separate ways. Ron and I carried on to Bragg Creek and homeward. All-in-all a very good day. Thanks to all.

12 Wing Wag November-December 2016 Page 12 Text and photos by Dave & Joanne Gulevich P icking a name for our Gold Wing was a challenge but we have done it! Thanks to our friend Skip, his/her name is NOETA! Fitting for us, yes? up on stage, flew our flag and played Oh Canada! They presented us with a gift, thanked us for coming and said how pleased they were we attended their European Treffen. Are you kidding? Thank you for having us!!! It was such an awesome weekend and so well organized. On Friday, there was a day ride planned and we rode up into the hills to an orphanage and the kids did not know we Arriving at the Austrian International Gold Wing Treffen, June 30 (In Canada we call them rallies). Thank you, Arno, for setting up "tent and trailer town" for all of us including the 2 Aussies, Cam and Rita, that joined us. That was a lot of work including two trips made by you and Margit! I have to say, there were a few emotional moments at this Treffen but nothing comes close to the final evening when they called us were coming! You should have seen their faces when over 80 Gold Wings pulled into their parking lot! OMG, they were jumping up and down, laughing, some just staring (Continued on page 13)

13 Wing Wag November-December 2016 Page 13 (Continued from page 12) ahead at us! It was so emotional! They had a big BBQ for us, sold tickets for food and drink and all profits went to the kids! The on the bikes! They were so excited! It was a wonderful thing to be a part of! Saturday, the ride was huge! Imagine over 130 Gold Wings in a row! We had police, (both days actually) at all intersection, closing them for us to pass! We guessed our line was km long! It was a site to see! kids were selling stuff they made, so cool. Then they lined up, took turns getting rides That night, we rode through the town in The Parade of Nations with everyone flying their flags, playing national anthems and even the Aussies had "We Come from a land Downunder" blaring over their speakers! People on the side of the streets waving, it was a very emotional ride to be included in! the night was complete with traditional Austrian dancers and of course schnitzel and cold beer! It was a fabulous time! Thank you, Austria Gold Wingers! (Continued on page 14)

14 Wing Wag November-December 2016 Page 14 (Continued from page 13) the Ukraine. Last night in Austria, we were treated to a traditional German dinner made by our beautiful friend Margit! We will miss you! Today we are heading towards Budapest and on to Until next time...dave and Jo

15 Wing Wag November-December 2016 Page 15 Ron Syroishka, Chapter AB-A Special Events Coordinator W e have a new venue for our Annual Christmas Party. The membership has been asking for something different and hopefully attendees will enjoy this fun filled Country Christmas evening. It will be held at the Lynnwood Ranch which provides a spacious comfortable banquet venue located just fifteen minutes south of Calgary. Agenda: Menu: Saturday, December 10, Arrival of guests at 6:30 p.m., beverage service (cash bar) 6:30 11:30 p.m., dinner 7:00 8:00 p.m., horse-drawn hay ride 8:00 9:00 p.m., Ice skating 8:00 11:00 p.m., Minute to Win it 9:30 10:00 p.m., dancing 10:00 11:30 p.m. Homestyle roast turkey, stuffing, cranberries and house made turkey gravy, glazed country ham, whipped potatoes, seasonal roasted vegetables, garden salad, hearty ranch slaw, dinner rolls, Christmas dessert bar, coffee, and tea. Entertainment: Ranch cinema playing nostalgic Christmas clips, dancing/christmas music, table games ping pong, foosball and shuffleboard, hilarious Minute to Win It group challenge with prizes, horsedrawn hay ride, ice skating on an outdoor rink, outdoor gazebo with roaring fire. A home style festive event providing a warm country atmosphere with your GWRRA friends and family, alongside other groups celebrating the Season. Cost: Important: $55/person. Be sure to get your tickets early as there is a limit to the number of guests. Tickets will be available at the Sunday morning breakfasts, October and November monthly meetings, or ordered by contacting either Ron Syroishka phone: wingit@telus.net or Gary Premech phone: Deadline to purchase your tickets is Sunday, November 27, So don t delay get your tickets and mark it on your social calendar.

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17 Wing Wag November-December 2016 Page 17 NEED A PLACE TO STORE YOUR TOYS! We have a fully heated warehouse, indoor heated, available for winter storage. You won t be required to winterize your vehicles and your automobile OR motorcycle will be in a very safe and secure facility, that is alarmed to offer 24/7 security and is equipped with surveillance cameras. We are located in a prime location on 44 Street S.E. close to the Deerfoot Inn and Casino, with easy access from Deerfoot Trail, Stoney Trail and Barlow Trail. Regular price $50.00/month GWRRA special price $40.00/month Please Contact Monique at ext 288 for address and rates.