May 2007

GWRRA CHAPTER O
Lakeshore Wings
Holland, MI
Region D
May 2007
GWRRA
Directors
Patow’s Ponderings
Region D:
Tom & Sandy Taggart
740-753-2214
Chapter Staff
Chapter Director:
Herm & Lori Patow
616-997-0548
Assistant CDs
Denny & Connie Barber
616-786-4918
Mike & Laurie Bursma
616-892-7994
MI District:
Chris & Sally Bobeck
248-852-8537
Assistant Director:
Louis & Linda Randall
231-972-8742
Chapter Educator:
Hank VanKampen
616-396-7856
Our riding season got off to a snowy start. Then a drizzly
Wednesday with 4 bikes. Now (Sunday April 22) we just
finished a wonderful weekend! It don’t get any better than
this. We hope everyone got out for a ride and enjoyed it as
much as we did. Great weather, good food, lots of friends,
and FUN.
There is a lot of things to do and places to go. You just have
to fit them into your schedule the best you can and do your
own thing. Set up a ride SPONTANEOUSLY! Call some
people and get out and ride.
We had a great turnout on Saturday to welcome home one
of our servicemen from Iraq. WELCOME HOME LANCE!!!!
Herm and Lori
Treasurer:
Gayan Anys
616-772-4539
Med & PR
John Boockmieier
616-335-6245
MI Wing News:
Sandi Eisen
616-791-7536
Ride Coordinators:
Steve & Bard Siegel
616-399-9745
We Care:
Toni Guy
616-283-4069
Newsletter:
Ron & Sharon DeYoung
616-669-5092
50/50
Ron & Lori Walters
Mike & Laurie Bursma
Chapter Gathering Information
The Chapter O gathering is the 2nd Saturday of the month. We have
breakfast at 9:00 A.M. followed by our meeting. Location: Yellow Jacket
Inn 12011 Lake Michigan Drive.
Dinner Rides
We ride every Wednesday, April through October. We leave from the
Allendale High School parking lot, 10760 68th St. Allendale Mi. at 6:30.
st
rd
November – March: Dinner is on the 1 and 3 Wednesday. Location to be
announced.
GWRRA CHAPTER O
Lakeshore Wings
Holland, MI
Region D
May 2007
GWRRA
Directors
Patow’s Ponderings
Region D:
Tom & Sandy Taggart
740-753-2214
MI District:
Chris & Sally Bobeck
248-852-8537
Assistant Director:
Louis & Linda RandallBirthday
Arlan Potgeter
231-972-8742
Dinner Ride
Denny
(616) 786-4918
Arnies
Restaurant on
Leonard
Chapter Staff
Chapter Director:
Herm & Lori Patow
616-997-0548
Assistant CDs
Denny & Connie Barber
616-786-4918
Mike & Laurie Bursma
616-892-7994
Chapter
Chapter Educator:
Breakfast and
Hank VanKampen
Gathering
616-396-7856
Yellow Jacket
Treasurer:Inn.
Dinner Ride
Gayan Anys
616-772-4539
Birthday
Carl Briggs
Dinner Ride
Merritt
(616) 772-2356
Bunker Hill
Anniversary
Lyle & Pam
Blanshan
Med & PR
John Boockmieier
616-335-6245
MI Wing News:
Sandi Eisen
616-791-7536
Ride Coordinators:
Steve & Bard Siegel
616-399-9745
Dinner Ride
Steve
(616) 399-9745
Stable Inn
We Care:
Toni Guy
616-283-4069
Newsletter:
Ron & Sharon DeYoung
616-669-5092
Birthday
Carole Shroll
Anniversary
Russ & Jean
Wierenga
Dinner Ride
“Living fearlessly is not the same
50/50
thing as never being
afraid. It’s
Ron & Lori Walters
good to be afraid occasionally.
Fear
Mike & Laurie Bursma
is a great teacher”.
Michael Ignatieff
Birthday
Laurie
BursmaInformation
Chapter Gathering
The Chapter O gathering is the 2nd Saturday of the month. We have
FOR A CURRENT AND UPDATED
CALENDAR
VISIT
OUR by our meeting. Location: Yellow Jacket
breakfast
at 9:00 A.M.
followed
This
WEB SITE AT www.gwrra-mi.org/chapter/O/index.htm.
Inn 12011 Lake Michigan Drive.
calendar is updated as events change during the currentDinner
month.Rides
If you have an update to the on-line
please contact
We ridecalendar,
every Wednesday,
April through October. We leave from the
Ron DeYoung
Allendale High School parking lot, 10760 68th St. Allendale Mi. at 6:30.
st
rd
November – March: Dinner is on the 1 and 3 Wednesday. Location to be
announced.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
By Jean Wynsma
May 4, 5
Chapter O camping
May 5
Dandelion Festival
May 12
Breakfast meeting
May 20
Baldwin Blessing of the Bikes
May 17-20 Neihaus Appreciation Days
May 26
Indiana State Rally
June 9
Breakfast meeting
June 9
Asparagus Festival Parade
June 27
Brown bag and Dessert Auction
May 4, 5 – Chapter O and friends are going camping! Mecosta Pines in Morley. In the past
we have had a great turn out with many laughs, many memories, too much food, good weather
and bad, great friends, and a nice relaxing evening around the camp fire.
May 5 – Dandelion Festival in Borculo - drill team and 100 mile ride.
May 12 – Breakfast meeting at the Yellow Jacket 9:00am meeting to follow
May 20 – Blessing of the Bikes in Baldwin. Want breakfast? Dick will lead the ride leaving the
parking lot at the NW corner of Lake Michigan Dr and Wilson at 8:30. We will go to the
Newaygo Sportsman’s Club for a buffet breakfast and then on to Baldwin for the blessing.
June 9 - Breakfast meeting at the Yellow Jacket 9:00am meeting to follow
June 9 – Jack Wood will lead a ride to the Asparagus Festival in Shelby right after the meeting.
Parade starts at 2:00 and afterwards lunch at the Brown Bear. We went last year and had a
great time. (and collected lot of candy)
June 27 – First brown bag of the season. On the last Wednesday of the months of June, July
and August we have a brown bag ride. The leader will pick a nice picnic area and we bring a
picnic lunch. We will also have our dessert auction. Dessert should be for 2 or more. Please
wrap your dessert so it will be a surprise to the highest bidder. (Please keep in mind you do
not have to bring a dessert to go on the ride.. Also if you do not bring a dessert you can
still bid on a dessert.) WHY DO WE HAVE A DESSERT AUCTION? The first or second week
of September for the past several years, the radio station B-93 has had a roof sit to raise money
for programs that provide services for abused children in the West Michigan area. Several
GWRRA Chapters are raising money for this event and we are doing our part by having a
dessert auction. A date and place will be announced later where all the chapters will meet and
we all ride to the destination of the roof sit to deliver our donation.
Reminder It is very important we all do our part selling bike tickets. As this is our ONLY money
making event for our chapter, it is imperative we all do our share. As a chapter we earn a
portion of every ticket sold. What does the chapter do with the money? Printing of the
newsletter, stamps, flowers & fruit baskets for family deaths & member hospital stays, end of
the season steak fry, meat & beverage & table ware for Chapter O events like the annual
bonfire, card party and everything for the Christmas party. We are about the only chapter that
doesn’t put on a fund raiser, so for us to have monies for our needs, everyone has to pitch in.
IN CASE YOU DIDN’T KNOW
By Ron
Ron Daily’s brother passed.
Mike and Laurie Bursma were asked to be and accepted the position of
Assistant Chapter Directors. They will share ACD duties with Denny and Connie.
Lori Patow reported to our chapter at our last gathering that she was able to put together and
mail two large boxes of useful goodies for our two servicemen stationed in Iraq. She included a
note that told the guys to share, swap, or barter the items with others. Thank you chapter O for
the contributions, the guys will appreciate what we have sent.
Please, if you know of someone in our chapter who is ill, going to have surgery, will be in the
hospital for a stay, or has a death in the family let Toni Guy know. Toni is our chapter
WE CARE person. You can contact Toni at (616) 283-4069
CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER
Congratulations are in order for Steve and Barb Siegel. They are the proud owners of a brand
new 2007 GL1800 Honda Gold Wing. What color is it? BLUE of course!! (sorry no picture)
Congratulations are in order for Jack and Cyndie Wood. They are the proud owner of a 2003
Harley Davidson touring motorcycle. Jack said there are too many buttons and gadgets to
figure out, but it’s fun.
WELCOME HOME LANCE
On Saturday, April 21, 2007 the son of
Mike and Laurie Bursma, LCPL Lance Bursma
returned home after a tour in Iraq with the
United States Marines. Lance is on leave and
will be home for about 2 weeks before returned
to Hawaii, his home base.
Members of Chapter “O” met and motorcycled to the
Gerald R. Ford Airport to greet Lance and give him a
great big welcome home and to say thank you for
what he and his follow Marines have been doing for us.
Here are a few pictures of the event.
Welcome home SON….
Dad and Son. Great moment!
The proud family
Proud parents can’t wait!
Hi MOM!! Missed you.
Hi Sis and new Niece
Life is good!
WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING
What we have NOT been going is riding our Wings
Our first 2007 season ride as we proceeded to
POP’s restaurant by car of course. (Note the
snow on the roof)
A good time was had by all for our first official ride of the 2007
riding season. Despite the weather.
Our April 11th and 18th rides were not much better. Still cold and snowy. But again,
everyone had a good time, the fellowship is always great. Lets hope for better weather in
the near future.
GETTING TO KNOW CHAPTER “O”
KEN & KATHLEEN HEIBEL
JENISON MI
1988 1500 GOLDWING
1998 SHADOW ACE TOURER
** Ken is a painter at Steelcase.
** Kathleen teaches Early
Childhood Special Education in
Sparta.
Ken and Kathleen will celebrate their 3rd wedding anniversary in June. Together they have 7
children and 8 grandchildren.
Ken has been riding since he was a teenager and has been a GWRRA member since 1992 and
Kathleen has been only riding a few years and has been a member since 1996
Ken bought his Gold Wing in 1988 and has put many miles under his belt. 266,000 to be exact.
Ken bought a 1998 Shadow Ace Tourer for an around the town bike but he made the mistake of
telling Kathleen that if she took the class and got her license, he would let her ride it. Kathleen
has now put 89,000 miles on the Shadow. They travel West on the odd years and East on the
even years. Their travels have included Nova Scotia, the Rockies, the Blue Ridge, and
Savannah. Ken needs to hit 10 more states to have ridden in all 48 contiguous states.
We would like the chapter to know: Our GWRRA friends are a second family to us. Each of
you have touched our hearts and our lives in ways that you can’t imagine. While our new
responsibilities sometimes take us elsewhere, you are very important to us, and we love
spending time with you. We encourage everyone to become involved with this great
organization, and extend your circle of friends
Position(s) held currently or in the past:
Ken- Ride Coordinator and Rider Ed (past)
Kathleen- Wings News Reporter and Newsletter Editor (past)
Ken and Kathleen – Chapter Directors and Senior Chapter Directors (past)
(Currently)
Assistant District Directors for the Southwest Section of our District
Ken – [email protected]
Kathleen – [email protected]
JIM & MARY LOU PILAFAS
HOLLAND MI
1994 Candy Apple Red Aspencade Goldwing
** Jim drives a school bus for Dean
Transportation. He has been there
3 years.
** Mary Lou is an Engineering Administrator
at Herman Miller and has been there for
32 years.
Jim and Mary Lou have been married for 33 years. He was born and raised in Chicago and she
grew up in Zeeland. They met in a coffee house in Chicago and it was love at first sight. They
have 2 children. Christie works at Meijer in the Bakery and loves decorating cakes and Niko is a
second year student at Baker College.
Jim has been riding for many years and a member of GWRRA since 2003 and Mary Lou only
for the past year. Although there is plenty of room for Mary Lou to ride with Jim she is terrified of
riding! She would rather have three wheels to ride rather than 2 wheels – so maybe down the
road.
Jim has been on several trips with the Chapter O group. He absolutely loved riding the Tail of
the Dragon a couple of years ago. He quite often joins the “gang” on Saturday or Sunday for a
ride when the weather permits. His goal would be to ride down to Arizona sometime.
We would like the chapter to know: One benefit of driving bus is Jim loves all the “special”
kids. They love to find him at church or in a store outside of working time.
Although Mary Lou does not ride yet, she is very much involved with Chapter O activities. They
have met many new friends and enjoy being part of Chapter O!
THANK YOU CHAPTER “O”
*Hi Everyone,
Hi my name is PFC Christopher Krauss and I received a very nice package from your
motorcycle group that was filled with lots of useful things that my section and I enjoyed very
much. I don’t know if Tom and Toni Guy have told you but we just recently got extended, and
now we will be in Iraq till the middle of January. It is OK though we all know that we have a job
to do and if this is what the country needs then that is how we serve. But again everyone and
myself would like to say thank you and we are proud to be serving for our country.
Thanks,
PFC Krauss
*Ron Dailey has expressed his deepest thank you to chapter O for the prayers and offerings of
sympathy after the death of his brother.
THE SAFETY CORNER
By Hank VanKampen
April 2007
GROUP RIDES
Roles we all play in a Group Ride
Ride Leader--Call the group together and give an overview of the ride
Give directions on the CB
Call attention to road hazards
Let the riders know that those who would rather ride at a leisurely pace
should get toward the front as the last riders will need to ride faster to
stay with the group
Group Riders
Get to know the person in front and behind you
If they do not have a CB use hand signals
If the person in front of you makes a wrong turn or has a problem, stop to
help out
Ask questions and make an occasional comment on something interesting
you have observed
Have FUN
Last Rider (Tail gunner!)
Do a radio check with the leader before starting out
Know the final destination so you can end up there in the event that some
of the group gets separated
Let the Ride Leader know when you have cleared hazards that have been
called out
Suggest actions to improve ride safety and courtesy
OUR ADVERTISERS
THANK YOU
FOR SALE
1998 YAMAHA 650 V-STAR
8,000 MILES, MUSTANG SEAT, SADDLE BAGS,
RUNNING LIGHTS, WINDSHIELD,VERY CLEAN
CALL DICK WYNSMA AFTER 6:00PM
616-662-0859
GWRRA
NEWSLETTER
FUN • SAFETY • KNOWLEDGE