November 2009 Newsletter

GCBMWC e-Newsletter
November 1, 2009
November News
Newsletter motto, “All the News We Can Find to Print”
Backup motto, “Carpe Viam” Seize the Road
Mission Statement: We strive for 100% Accuracey.
Editor in Chief
[email protected]
In this Issue:
Mama’s Grille Breakfast & Ride…………..……….…………………..page 2
November 14 Club Meeting ……………..…………………….………...page 3
Pictures from the Blue Ridge Rendezvous…………..…..……...page 6-9
Remembering the K75RT………...……………………………...……….page 10
Minutes of the last meeting…………….………...……….…….....page 12-13
By-Laws revision proposal……………………………………………...page 14
We’re on the Web at GCBMWC.org
22nd and Final Issue by New Editor!
With regret I must say that Marsha and I will soon be moving to live in New England, which means resignation as newsletter editor. Writing and editing the last 22 issues has been an amazing and fun adventure for me. I’ll return to town
for the GCBMWC Holiday Party on December 12 and hope to say a personal good bye to each of you at that time.
On November 1 you are invited to Mamma’s Grille for breakfast and a ride (see page 2) The club meeting is Nov. 14 at
Raybuck’s house. This month holds many wonderful riding days for the well prepared adventurous rider.
Are we gonna ride?
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Neil the Editor
Club Breakfast and Ride
10 am on Sunday November 1
Club VP Tom Raybuck sez: “The ride will begin at Mama's Grill on Sunday, on the winter schedule (i.e. 10:00 am) with beautiful ride to follow. If
you have any questions, give me a call.”
Mama’s Grille
4227 All Star Dr.
Batavia (Williamsburg), OH 45103
(513) 724-5700
Questions? Call Tom Raybuck at (513) 759-0889
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November 14 Club Meeting to be held at 7 PM
Tom & Joni Raybuck’s house
7703 Shady Lane
West Chester, Ohio 45069
Need a map?
Google this address or
(513) 759-0889
Call Joni or Tom for
directions.
Shown on the right is
Tom Raybuck, host of
the November meeting, with his yellow
BMW K 75 RT.
Tom started riding motorcycles at 10 years old. First bike was a purple Rupp Roadster. “I have
had many bikes over the years, of all makes. I spent many years drag racing Kawasakis. I currently have several older bikes: My favorite bike currently is the 2004 GS 1150. I also belong to
the BMW Club of Battle Creek, home of the Original Mini-Rally.”
If you have never been to a club meeting, this is a great one to attend. If you would like to join
GCBMWC, you must attend 2 club events and pay a $15 fee ($18 for a couple.). After that its
one big party!
Bring a veggie or a dessert to share, or just show up. The Raybucks want everyone to be there.
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From the Club President
by Bob Ulrich
Hi, folks! I’ve got a few things I wanted to comment on.
Elections
We’ll be holding elections for club officers in December, and that means nominations for those offices are open at
the October and November meetings. There were nominations made at the October meeting, some of which were
for members who weren’t in attendance, so they may only be temporary. I’ve been the president for the last three
years, so, as per the by-laws, it’s time for someone else to be president. Also, Neil is moving to New Hampshire
soon, as in “as we speak”, which leaves an opening for secretary/newsletter editor. Debbie has agreed to run for
treasurer again, but we haven’t heard from Tom Raybuck if he will run for Vice President. I encourage everyone to
give serious consideration to running for a club office. And don’t be bashful about the nomination process. If you
think someone would be a good candidate for a particular office, nominate them. If you would like to be considered
for an office, ask someone to nominate you! If you have questions about the duties of an office, ask one of the
current officers.
Holiday Party
We’ll be holding our Holiday Party on Saturday, December 12th at the Germania Club’s Klubhaus, same as last
year, so mark your calendars now. Hamann’s will do the catering again, as well. We had a great time last year,
with plenty of good food, drink, and friendship. We’ll be extending an invitation to former members from the last
few years to join us; after all, the more the merrier! I look forward to a big turnout in December.
Iron Horse
Our Blue Ridge Rendezvous at the Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge in early October was a big success. With17
members in attendance all seemed to have a good time. Even Frank Alfaro, who had to replace his rear tire after
picking up what was described as a decking nail. Those of us who left Cincinnati on Friday morning had a lot of
rain to deal with on the way down, but Saturday and Sunday were great for riding. We had a lot of fun around the
campfire both Friday and Saturday evenings, with stellar performances by Tom Ritter and Neil Jones Friday night.
On Saturday, twelve of us spent the day riding Joyce Kilmer Road and the Cherohala Skyway, investigating Bald
River Falls, and eating well at Nuttin’ Fancy in Tellico Plains.
By-laws Amendments
At the last couple of meetings we’ve been working on some changes to the club By-Laws. The fruits of our labor
are printed on the last few pages of this newsletter. Our efforts were concentrated on two specific areas:
membership requirements and firearms.
Ownership of a BMW motorcycle has always been a requirement for membership in the club, but with the closing
of the dealership in town and the straying of other long-time members from BMWs, we were watching a number of
active members leave the club. Several options for dealing with relaxing the ownership requirement were presented by Tom Ritter and Tom Raybuck and we had a lengthy and productive discussion of those options at the
September meeting. The result is that we are proposing to drop the requirement that members own a BMW
motorcycle and add language that says that members support the purpose(s) of the club. Dropping the
membership requirement eliminates the need for Conditional Membership, so we’re proposing that that paragraph
be removed. We’ve also taken this opportunity to adjust the language about Associate Membership.
Continued on following page
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From the Club President —
continued
Regarding the Firearms Article, those present at the October meeting didn’t take long to come to agreement that
removal of that article was the appropriate action. Long term members Joe Berry and Allen Leach could shed no
light on why firearms were mentioned in the by-laws. The current by-laws restriction conflicts with Ohio’s
concealed carry legislation.
We’ll print the proposed changes both this month and next and vote on them at the December meeting.
Mileage Contests
For those of you who sent beginning mileage numbers for the MOA’s annual contest, it’s now time to send in your
ending numbers. The ending form was included in the October issue of the MOA News. The end date for the
contest was October 11 and the forms must be postmarked by November 16. So figure out what your odometer
reading was on October 11, pull the form from your MOA News, and bring the form to our November 14 th meeting
at the Raybuck’s where there will be plenty of people to sign your verification section. And you’ll have time to get
the form in the mail in time!
And Mike LaBar should be requesting ending odometer readings for the Greater Cincinnati contest, which covers
the entire year. Please get your numbers to Mike even if you don’t have a chance of competing with the leaders.
That way you can be applauded for your accomplishment regardless of your mileage.
2010 Meeting Locations
It’s time to start planning for our 2010 meetings, so at the November meeting I’ll be asking who would like to host
one of them. Or if you have a suggestion for a location other that member’s homes, bring it up at a meeting for
consideration.
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GCBMWC October Rally — Blue Ridge Rendezvous
This year’s getaway was the best ever, with great roads,
good weather and a marvelous motorcycle lodge &
campground,. Attending from the club were Bob & Gail
Ulrich, George Nyktas & Mary Tholking, Frank Alfaro
and his nephew, Luis Martinez, Joe DeLuca, Merrill &
Dianne Glos, Larry Lovejoy and Gail Deatherage, Tom
& Cheryl Ritter, Bill & Shelia Wright, John Fischer, Bill
Berry, Marsha O’Connor and Neil Jones.
Frank Alfaro rode in on his brand new K1300 GT and
promptly got a flat tire. Several helped to plug the leak,
but Frank replaced the tire at a North Carolina bike shop.
Some of these pictures were taken along the Cherahola
Skyway, some at a waterfall in the Joyce Kilmer Forest.
Great fun was had sitting round the campfire
at the Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge, after a
fine dinner. Thirty five riders from the
BMW Owners of Georgia joined us on Saturday. Several Louisville’s motorcycling Blue
Knights police officers were also using the
lodge that weekend.
Bill & Shelia Wright led an all-day ride on
Saturday, taking us across the Cherahola
Skyway, stopping for lunch at Tellico Plains,
TN, visiting a waterfall in the Joyce Kilmer
Forest. Wonderful scenic roads, great
weather and well-paced ride leaders made it
work well.
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GCBMWC October Rally — Blue Ridge Rendezvous
Firemaster holds a light for cigarman.
GCBMWC riders gathered on the second story balcony outside of guest rooms for “happy
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Frank Alfaro and Luis Martinez
550 pounds of choice Cuban Beef
GCBMWC October Rally — Blue Ridge Rendezvous
Cheryl Ritter and Dianne Glos chat as Merrill finishes off a chocolate sundae.
Frank Alfaro observes as Bill Wright and John Fischer attempt a
tire plug repair on Frank’s K1300GT. After applying all the skills
which only come with hundreds of years of motorcycling experience, the repair still leaked. Frank got a new tire. Smart move.
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Bill Wright attempts to translate a Chinese tire repair kit instruction
sheet. Is this a great haircut or what?
GCBMWC October Rally —
Good buddies.
Cocktail hour on the balcony.
Scenic waterfall in the woods.
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Left to right John Fischer, Joe DeLuca, blah blah blah Bill Wright.
.
Remembering >>>
BMW K 75 RT
BMW produced over 21,000 K75RT’s from 1989 to 1995. Powered by a 3 cylinder 75 HP water
cooled engine and put in motion with a 5 speed gearbox, the K75 was good for up to 52 MPG and
speeds up to 112. Bike owners were seriously disappointed when production was stopped in 1995,
many saying this had been the best bike BMW ever built.
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November BMW Motorcycle Rallies





Nov. 13-15 Swamp Scooters 2009
Lafayette, LA
Nov. 20-22 Sun Your Buns Rally
Venice, FL
FloridaSunBeemers.com/Rally




May, 2010 The Original Mini Rally
Sturgis, Michigan
Sunny and 70
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Swamp Scooters 2009
Get in touch with your Cajun side,
featuring sausage po-boys, a
Gumbo cook off. Held at the beautiful Bayou Wilderness RV Resort
& Campground, Lafayette, LA.
Sun you Buns Rally
Fabulous canoeing on the Myakka
River, fresh and salt water fishing,
quiet natural surroundings. All the
gators are well behaved. Where
else are you going to ride in November?
Minutes of the GCBMWC Meeting
Minutes of Greater Cincinnati BMW Club Meeting
October 10, 2009
The meeting was called to order at 7:50 p.m.
Members present: Hosts, Debbie and Allen Smith, Jim Smith, Joe Berry, Henry and Mary Pierce, Derek
Pierce, Bill and Shelia Wright, Allen Leach, George Nyktas, Mary Tholking, Bob and Gail Ulrich
Minutes of the September meeting were read and accepted
Treasurer's report: Old balance was $1624.59. There was income of $18 (membership) and $30 (split the
pot) for a new balance of $1672.59. There are 44 paid memberships (some doubles) for a total of 65 members. Report was accepted.
Old Business
Next scheduled meetings:
November 14 -- meeting at the Raybucks
December 12 -- holiday party at Germania Park
There was a report about the October 2 - 4 gathering at the Iron Horse in Stecoah, NC. Bob counted 17 members present. With the exception of the rainy Friday, the weather the rest of the weekend was beautiful.
There was a ride on Saturday with lunch at Tellico Plains. Everyone made it home safely.
Bill Wright reported on the plans for the holiday party. Hammann's Catering will be providing the food again
this year. There will be an $18 increase for the cost of flatware over 2008. If we use the same menu as last
year, the food costs will be cheaper. There was discussion about inviting former members or other groups
which would help to lower the individual cost. As stated at the September meeting, former members will be
called in November and invited to the holiday party.
There was no discussion on logos and T-shirts because Tom Raybuck was not present.
Bylaws discussion:
Proposals for membership requirements that had been discussed at the September meeting were again reviewed.
Discussion was opened on the issue of firearms. Our current bylaws are in conflict with Ohio concealed carry
laws. At the September meeting, Tom Ritter had noted that in researching the issue, no other clubs whose
bylaws are online make any mention of firearms. A motion was made and seconded that the reference to firearms be removed from the bylaws.
As required by the bylaws, the proposed changes will appear in this newsletter and again in the December
newsletter, and then be voted on by the membership at the holiday party.
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New Business
Nominations are open for officers. Neil Jones is in the process of moving to New Hampshire, and Bob
Ulrich has reached term limits, so the vacant positions to be filled will be Secretary and President.
Nominations:
Treasurer: Debbie Smith
Vice President: Tom Raybuck
Secretary: Jim Smith, John Fischer
President: Bill Berry
There was mention of the Oregonia hill climb on Sunday, October 11, and that there would again be a
gathering at the Alley Shop in the morning. Riders could meet at 8:00 a.m. Sunday at the Hitching Post
for breakfast before riding to the Alley Shop. Jim Smith reported that the building is for sale where the
Alley Shop is currently located. The Alley Shop intends to move to smaller quarters. He also mentioned there was a place (unnamed) in Lebanon to gather after the hill climb.
Bob Ulrich mentioned a BMW car event was taking place at Newport on the Levee Sunday afternoon,
October 11, called Bimmer Festivus.
Derek Pierce was voted in as a new member. Welcome, Derek! He rides a R100/7. There was some
discussion about this being the first father/son membership in the club.
Debbie Smith reported that Jessie Baublitz had run a vintage 500cc /2 at BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials
at the Bonneville Salt Flats, and set a record 108.931 mph, beating Len Kerkoff's 106.83 mph. Congratulations, Jessie!
The meeting was adjourned at 9:05 p.m.
Allen Leach won split the pot.
Minutes recorded by Gail Ulrich
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GCBMWC Meeting Schedule for 2009
Month
January………………………………….
February………………………………...
March…………………………………….
April………………………………………
May……………………………………….
June……………………………………...
July……………………………………….
August…………………………………...
September………………………………
October………………………………….
November……………………………….
December……………………………….
Hosts/Location
Joe & Chris Berry
Tom & Joni Raybuck
Tom & Cheryl Ritter
Deana & Jimmy Smith
Steve & Karen Thoerner
Germantown Metro Park
Gail Deatherage & Larry Lovejoy
George Nyktas & Mary Tholking
John & Barbara Fischer
Allan & Debbie Smith
Tom & Joni Raybuck
Germania Society
GCBMWC Officers for 2009
President - Bob Ulrich
VP—Tom Raybuck
Treasurer—Debbie Smith
Secretary—Neil Jones
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Web Master— Mike LaBar
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[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
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[email protected]
Editors note: Following are the GCBMWC By-Laws with proposed changes. Proposed new words and phrases are shown in
Blue, with items proposed to be removed shown in Red. These changes are to be voted upon at the Dec. 12 club meeting.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————August 11, 2001January 1, 2010
BY-LAWS
of
THE GREATER CINCINNATI BMW CLUB INC.
ARTICLE I – NAME AND PURPOSE OF CLUB
The name of the club shall be The Greater Cincinnati BMW Club Inc. The purpose of the club is to promote and maintain the respectability long associated with BMW motorcycles and their riders and nurture sportsmanship and fellowship and to encourage
courteous and responsible riding.
ARTICLE II – INCORPORATION
The Club shall be incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under the laws of the state of Ohio.
ARTICLE III – MEETINGS
The regular meetings of the club shall be held monthly unless otherwise specified.
ARTICLE IV – MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Eligibility
In order for a person to become a member of the Greater Cincinnati BMW Club Inc. (GCBMWC), they must support the
purpose(s) of the club own at least one BMW motorcycle and be at least 16 years of age.
Legal sSpouses or significant others of members will be eligible for Associate Membership.
Section 2. New Memberships
A new member shall be considered as anyone joining the Club after September meeting date.
Anyone having joined the club before September 1978 meeting date shall be considered a Charter Member of the Club.
A prospective member must meet the following requirements before becoming a member of GCBMWC.
A prospective member must attend two club functions, (meetings, club rides, etc.)
A prospective member must submit a completed application with the appropriate yearly dues at a monthly meeting following the completion of requirement #1.
A prospective member shall be voted in by the club members present at the meeting when the vote is taken. A
2/3rds majority vote is required for the acceptance of a prospective member. The voting will be held in the
absence of the applicant.
Section 3. Honorary Membership
Any current Charter, New, or Associate, or Conditional Member is eligible to become an Honorary Member. Ownership
of a BMW motorcycle shall not be a condition of honorary membership. An Honorary Member shall not be assessed
annual dues. An Honorary Member shall maintain his or her voting privileges unless otherwise specified in their
nomination. An honorary membership shall have no expiration date.
The potential honorary member must be nominated for this membership by another current member. A 2/3 majority vote
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of the members present is required for acceptance as an Honorary Member.
Section 4. Conditional Membership
If a member of The Greater Cincinnati BMW Club Inc. ceases to own a BMW motorcycle, he or
she may retain their membership in the club for a period of one year from that date. If, at the end
of that time, he or she still does not own a BMW motorcycle, he or she shall no longer be considered a member of The Greater Cincinnati BMW Club Inc.
Section 4. Removal of Member
Any member may be removed for any action determined to be detrimental to the club by a
2/3rds majority vote at a regular business meeting.
ARTICLE V - GUESTS
Nonmembers are welcome at all the club meetings or activities at the discretion of the attending members.
ARTICLE VI - DUES
Section 1. Regular Membership
Dues for membership in the Greater Cincinnati BMW Club Inc. shall be determined by the officers before the January meeting each year and payable before March 1st. Dues will become ½
of the regular amount following the August meeting for the remainder of the year. Said dues
shall be nonrefundable.
Full membership will run from January 1 through December 31. A person’s name will be maintained on the rolls until March 1st (without voting privileges) at which time his or her name will
be removed if their dues are not received.
Section 2. Associate Memberships
Dues for Associate members shall be determined by the officers before the January meeting
each year. Associate membership dues will not be pro-rated during the year and shall be nonrefundable.
ARTICLE VII- RULES OF ORDER
The Greater Cincinnati BMW Club Inc. will use "Robert's Rules of Order" as a guideline in conducting
business meetings.
ARTICLE VIII- ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Section I. Officers
The Greater Cincinnati BMW Club Inc. shall have the following officers:
President, Vice-President/Activities Director, Secretary, and Treasurer.
Section 2. Duties of Officers
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The duties of the officers will be as follows:
President:
The president shall preside at all official Meetings of the club. He or she will represent the club
in other functions (rallies, club tours, and/or other events requiring a representative of the club).
Vice-President:
The vice president will perform the duties of the president in his or her absence.
He or she will be responsible for supervising the organization and performance of official club
activities (rallies, rides, competitions, etc.).
Secretary:
The secretary will handle official club correspondence and record minutes of the official meetings. He or she will maintain the club scrapbook, MOA Charter, Banners, and any other club
properties.
Treasurer:
The club treasurer will keep a permanent and up to date record of the clubs monetary activities.
All transactions will be recorded with names, dates, and balance; and reported at each business
meeting. A bank account will be maintained. (Two officers must have access to the accounts).
He or she will be responsible for maintaining the club's incorporation status. All financial matters
will be channeled through the Treasurer. Distribution of club funds shall be approved by a majority vote at a regular business meeting. In the event that time does not permit approval by a majority vote at the next business meeting, funds will be distributed with the approval of the President and the Treasurer.
General Duties of the officers
A monthly newsletter will be maintained as a responsibility of the officers. The club officers will
be responsible for developing club policies and activities into proposals to be voted on by the
membership. When voting among the officers is necessary, the votes will count as follows: II/2
for the president, and I vote for each of the other officers. There must be 3 officers present for
an official officers meeting to take place.
Section 3. Term of Office
All officers shall be elected for a period of one year. No officer shall serve more than 3 consecutive years in the same office.
Section 4. Nominations of Officers
Nominations for officers will be open at the October and November meetings of each year.
Members or associate members are eligible to become officers of the club.
Section 5. Elections of Officers
Elections for officers will be held at the December meeting of each year.
Section 6. Installation of Officers
Installation of officers will take place at the January business meeting.
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Section 7. Voting for Officers
Officers will be elected by simple majority.
Section 8. Absentee Voting
If a member is unable to be at the regular election meeting in person because of illness, business travel, or other extreme reason, he or she may cast their vote(s) by designating it in writing
in a sealed envelope marked "Ballot". These absentee ballots will be collected by the secretary
prior to the vote, but not counted until the rest of the membership votes are counted.
Section 9. Resignation of Officers
If an officer resigns during his or her term, the office shall be filled by appointment of the remaining officers until the next election.
ARTICLE IX -VOTING
Section I. Eligibility
All members and associate members shall be entitled to one vote each.
Section 2. Voting on Business Matters
Business matters will be decided by a simple majority vote of the members present when the
vote is taken.
ARTICLE X-FlREARMS
Firearms are not permitted at any group activities or rides unless carried by authorized law enforcement officers.
ARTICLE X -AMENDMENTS OF THE BY LAWS
These By-Laws can be amended at any time by a motion read at one regular monthly meeting
and vote taken at the next regular monthly business meeting.
Notification of proposed By-Law changes will be distributed to members in the newsletter after
the first reading. The amendment must pass by a 2/3rds majority vote of the members present.
ARTICLE XI -DISSOLUTION
If the club should be dissolved, all monies and property held by the club will be turned over to
local charities at the discretion of the members.
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