December 2021 Newsletter
Contents
Welcome
Monthly Recap
Monthly Pictures
Upcoming Events (2 months)
Members Birthday’s
Meet & Greet Update, (Portland, BC, & Seattle)
Club Business
Reader’s Corner
Day Rides
The latest news regarding rider skill enhancement classes
Officer Reports
The BRMC 2020 Calendar of Events
Non BRMC Motorcycle Events
Request for pictures & closing comments.
Welcome
Border Riders Motorcycle Club (BRMC) is an organized group of guys who like to ride and camp. Our membership spans the Pacific Northwest, with the greatest participation in Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver B.C. We have one of the largest memberships of gay clubs in North America. We welcome like-minded guests to come meet us at our monthly Meet & Greets and to join us at one of our club events and our local activities.
Check out our website. We are very proud of it. www.borderriders.com
Monthly Recap (November) Burien, Washington
This month's meeting was held at Dennis’ H place in Burien, Washington. For this time of year in the PNW, it was a pretty nice day without rain and relatively warm. For this we were thankful, as 27 members and guests showed up for this meeting, way too many for the indoor space available, so for many of us it was outside under a tent with a couple of heaters to huddle around to keep the chills away.
The November meal is traditionally turkey with all the fixings, and to this end, Dennis did not disappoint. Trays of deliciously prepared sides along with a perfectly done bird filled the gullets of all partaking in this feast. In short, the man can cook, so prospective suitors, take note.
Prior to converging on dinner, a good time of socializing was enjoyed before grouping for the official club meeting, followed by the group photo, where we all piled onto and around Dennis' living room sofa for a massive huddle. It's a good thing the camera had a wide angle lens attached.
Following dinner where we all managed to stuff ourselves more than that of the actual turkey, some more social time was used to help settle and digest a bit before heading off to places unknown (well, likely home at this point).
The December meeting is our traditional Holiday Party, and this year to be held at Chris & Richard's place in upper Washington. Looking forward to seeing everyone, and especially our Canadian members and guests, who we've not seen for sometime due to border crossing issues.
Dave J
BRMC Group Photo - Burien, Washington
Monthly Gallery
Photos from members and guests from last month’s rides and adventures (or stolen from Facebook pages due to a lack of submissions). No photos were submitted this month.
Upcoming Events
Respectfully, please complete your 1st & 2nd vaccination 2 weeks prior to attending any “live” club event or wear a mask.
December 1st - Portland Meet & Greet, Eagle, Portland (canceled)
December 4th - Portland & Seattle area day rides
December 11th - BRMC Holiday Party - Burlington, WA
December 15th - Seattle Meet & Greet, The Cuff, Seattle
January 1st - Portland & Seattle area day rides
January 5th - Portland Meet & Greet, Eagle, Portland
January 15th - AGM, The Cuff, Seattle
January 19th - Seattle Meet & Greet, The Cuff, Seattle
Club Business
December Holiday Party, Burlington, Washington
The December 11th Holiday Party is being hosted by Chris & Richard in Burlington, Washington. As is customary for the event, a ‘white elephant’ gift exchange will be held. Alway fun!
The menu will be stuffed peppers and an assortment of sides and goodies. A veggie option will be available.
The social hour will begin at 4:00, the club meeting at 5:00, followed by dinner and more socialization until 8:00.
Registration will open soon on the website and will close on Wednesday the 8th.
A brief membership meeting will be held at 6:30. Roll call will be taken and a couple of business items quickly taken care off.
Board Nominations
As most of you are aware, board nomination are done at the October, November and December meetings with the elections held at the Annual General Membership meeting in January. At this time several of the current board members have indicated a desire to retire from the board. Please give some thought to your ability to serve your fellow club members by serving for a term on the board. Each board position is for a term of one year.
The following have been nominated for next year:
President - Stan C & Dennis H
Vice President - Chris L
Road Captain - Dennis H
Treasurer -
Secretary - Tom C
Membership Nomination
Guests that desire to become a member of BRMC must be sponsored or nominated for membership by any charter, active or disabled member. A motion to nominate for membership must be made at any club meeting by the sponsor. Guests are encouraged to ride with the club for a year in order to get to know the club members before they are nominated for membership. Election of new members occurs at the Annual General Membership meeting in January. If you are a guest and would like to be considered for membership please feel free to reach out to a club member and inquire about sponsorship. Two individuals have been sponsored for membership and their bios are posted on the members only page of the website.
AGM - Annual General Meeting
The annual AGM will be held on January 15th. We will gather at the Cuff Complex in Seattle to conduct the annual club business and elect our officers for the year. Please mark your calendars. Also, this is the time to renew club dues. Please remember that if your eligibility to vote has lapsed that you must attend two business meetings in order to be able to vote at the AGM. If you have questions about your eligibility to vote please contact the club secretary. Watch your email for the announcement of payment of club dues. Dues are to be paid in advance of the AGM and will again be payable beginning January 1st via the members page of the club website.
ByLaws Update
The bylaws committee that was appointed at the 2019 AGM has proposed a some updates and changes to the bylaws. Many of the items are corrections to typos, grammatical and punctuation errors and cleaning up the formatting. A new section is being proposed that discusses what is to happen should the club dissolve or disband. This is an IRS requirement. The proposed changes will be posted on the member’s page of the website and also available at the December meeting. Discussion and motion to approve will occur at the AGM in January.
Upcoming Birthdays
We have 2 members with a birthdays in November. Be sure and help us make them feel special.
Peter L - December 2nd
Richard A - December 14th
Meet & Greets
Portland M&G - Portland’s November M&G was attended by members Blue B, Jeff B, Stan C & guests Andrew G, & Larry B. We meet for dinner at the Nighthawk Restaurant & Lounge in North Portland before heading to the Eagle. The food surprisingly good although the place itself was a little “rough”. We had a great conversation about our past and hopefully much of what was said will remain at that table.
Portland will not have a December Meet & Greet.
Seattle’s M&G - Seattle’s November Meet & Greet had a little smaller group than recent, but still well attended with some doing Thai food prior. December’s Meet and Greet is the Wednesday December 15th, the Wednesday after the Holiday Party. For December we will be supporting our bar sponsor by doing dinner at The Cuff - not known for their epicurean delights, but they do have normal bar food. We’ll start gathering about 6:30 for food with the Meet and Greet starting at the normal 7pm - remember to bring proof of vaccination to enter The Cuff
Reader’s Corner
A place for you, the reader, member and/or guest, to contribute.
Tell us about your travels, adventures, mishaps, etc.
To contribute, send your story & pictures to President@BorderRiders.com
Day Rides
BC’s Day Ride -No upcoming plans for day rides. Watch the newsletter and Facebook for updates.
Seattle’s Day Ride -There was no November Day Ride due to weather. Looking ahead to December not looking likely, so nothing planned. First Saturday of January is New Year’s Day, so not expecting that either, but if it were a nice winter day it would be a great way to start out the New Year!
Portland’s Day Ride - Portland did not have a day ride in November. Hopefully, we will have better riding weather in December. The December Day Ride will be decided at the December M&G but currently, we are looking into the ABATE Toy Run. Watch our FB page for last minute details about the day ride.
Gear Store
Is your BRMC gear looking tired? Do you need a new hat or club shirt? The gear store is fully stocked and available for purchase. Items requested before December 8th will be brought to the December meeting. E-mail Alan H at VicePresident@BorderRiders.com if you are interested in any BRMC gear.
2022 Advanced Motorcycle Training
The 2022 Training Schedule has been submitted and after some small negotiations, an agreement has been reached. Yahoo!
Registration Process
For the 2022 Advanced Motorcycle Training, the registration & payment process will be handled through the BRMC Website. Registration will open on 1/1/22. Space is limited so register early.
The Schedule
Saturday July 9th & Sunday July 10th is the Road Riding Tactics in Albany, OR. I scheduled 2 of these classes because I expect them to fill up quickly. The RRT will run from 8:00 am to 12:30 pm on both Saturday & Sunday. The fee for this class will be $179. This is a new class for 2022 & replaces the RSP which many of us have already taken. The RRT is designed to help us work off the cobwebs from a long winter of limited to no riding. Visit the Team Oregon website for more information. http://team-oregon.org/advanced/riderskillspractice/
Alan & I are taking this class on Sunday so the group ride to this class will leave our house at 7:00am on Sunday the 10th.
Saturday July 9th & Sunday July 10th is also the Braking Clinic in Albany, OR. The BC will follow the RRT on both days & will run from 1:30 to 4:00 pm. The fee for this class will be $79. A group of us did this class in 2021 and agreed it was the single most important class for day-to-day riding that we have taken. Visit the Team Oregon website for more information. http://team-oregon.org/advanced/braking/
Alan & I are taking this class on Saturday the 9th. The group ride to this class has not been figured out as it will likely include a late breakfast and a day ride on the way to the class. If you register for this class, Stan will make sure you are kept informed.
Monday August 15th is the Cornering Clinic at Pat’s Acres in Canby OR. The CC will run from 9:00 am to 11:30 am. The fee for this class is $79. This class enhances our ability to line up multiple corners for smoother transitions and faster cornering. Visit the Team Oregon website for more information. http://team-oregon.org/advanced/cornering/
The group ride to this class will leave Stan & Alan’s house at 8:00 am.
Monday August 15th is also the Advanced Riding Techniques at Pat’s Acres in Canby, OR. The ART will follow the CC & will run from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm. The fee for this class is $179. You will need to attend a 2-hour online classroom discussion before taking this class. This online class will be made available the week prior to the class as a webinar. The online class includes lessons on risk management, crash causation, judgment and impairments, braking, cornering, swerving, transitions, and traction. This class is a favorite among the guys who have taken these classes. Visit the Team Oregon website for more information. http://team-oregon.org/advanced/art/
Saturday October 1st is the Precision Maneuvering Clinic #1. The PMC-1 will run from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm. The fee for this class is $99. This class is all about slow speed cornering & U-Turns. It’s modeled after the Police Motorcycle Training Team Oregon offers various police agencies. Visit the Team Oregon website for more information. http://team-oregon.org/advanced/maneuvering/
The group ride to this class will leave Stan & Alan’s house at 9:00 am.
Sunday October 2nd is the Precision Maneuvering Clinic #2. The PMC-2 will run from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm. The fee for this class is $99. This class continues to build on the skills you learned in PMC-1. By the end of this class, you should realize a great deal of improvement with your slow speed cornering. Visit the Team Oregon website for more information. http://team-oregon.org/advanced/maneuvering/
The group ride for this class will leave Stan & Alan’s house at 9:00 am.
Refund Process & Schedule
To receive a refund for a Team Oregon class, e-mail me, Stan C at Treasurer@BorderRiders.com & CC the president at President@BorderRiders.com. You will need to state specifically which class (name, date, & time) you are requesting a refund for.
To receive a refund for the classes happening in July, you must notify and receive a confirmation from Stan C before April 15th, 2022.
To receive a refund for the classes happening in August, you must notify and receive a confirmation from Stan C before May 15th, 2022.
To receive a refund for the classes happening in October, you must notify and receive a confirmation from Stan C before July 15th, 2022.
Questions
If you have any questions regarding the 2022 Motorcycle Advanced Training Program, contact Stan via e-mail Treasurer@BorderRiders.com.
From the Handlebars of the President
Our holiday party will be next weekend. Don’t forget to register or to bring a white elephant gift. Put on the creative thinking cap and come up with something good. It will be fun to actually be able to gather again for the this event and to enjoy the frivolity of the opening and subsequent stealing of gifts.
Also, as the year is drawing to a close it is a good time to reflect back on the past year of BRMC events and fun. We have camped at some new locations; some which many liked and others not so much. We have had new guests join us and thus made new friends. We have missed seeing our Canadian members and guests as the border was not yet open but hopefully some of them will join us for the Holiday part. Other members and guests we have missed seeing as they are still not comfortable socializing during these times. Some did long road trips and put lots of miles on their bikes while others didn’t. Overall it has been a good year for the club.
I am looking forward to the Holiday Party and connecting one last time for the year with our members and guests.
…… keep the shiny side up!
Vice President Chatter
Hello,
With regards to Vice President duties, I haven’t much to report. Things are operating smoothly & quietly.
Be well and I hope you are finding the time to get out on two wheels!
Road Captain Rumblings
Here’s what the 2020 season is looking like, specific sites will be named as some of the sites haven’t opened up for booking:
May - Victoria Day, Pine Flats
June - Not too far from Portland so can participate in Pride
July - Private campground in B.C. - B.C. public parks not open for booking for groups
August - Northwestern Washington
September - Near the Columbia River
No need to use a battery tender if you ride through the winter 😊
Treasurer’s Ramblings
All amounts owed to us have been collected. All the bills I am aware of have been paid. All our account balances are where I expect them to be. Briefly stated, “Piggy Bank Be Balanced”.
Additionally, you will find a Q3:21 Review Report posted in the members only section of our web-site.
Please feel encouraged to reach out to me if you have any questions. Otherwise, stay safe, stay healthy and I look forward to seeing everyone soon.
Secretary Thoughts
It’s hard to believe that we are already entering the Christmas season. Dennis H. helped propel us into it by hosting us at the November meeting. He did an incredible job of preparing for a record turnout of members and guests. There were many faces we had not seen in quite a while thanks to Covid. We haven’t had that many men at a BRMC gathering in two years: Seventeen members and twelve guests were there! Dennis’ work was evident not only in all of the food preparation he did, but also the preparation for the overflow attendance in his residence. He had a shelter set up on his outside patio with space heaters that helped us cope with the cold weather. This was especially important when the guests could not attend the meeting. The group picture in Dennis’ living room was a bit crowded but we were all able to squeeze ourselves together successfully. This gives me hope that we will have good turnouts to both the Christmas party coming up in two weeks, and the annual banquet. Chris L. is playing an important role in both of these events. Let’s give him all the help he needs to pull it off. Thank you Dennis and Chris!
2021 Calendar of Events
January 16th - Annual General Meeting - Virtual
February 20th - Anniversary Banquet - Virtual
March 20th - Club Meeting - Virtual
April 17th - Club Meeting - Virtual
May 14th thru 16th - Camp-out Bruceport County Park near Raymond WA
June 25th thru 27th - Lewis and Clark Trail State Park near Dayton WA
July 16th thru 18th - Emigrant Springs State Heritage Area, Meacham, OR
August 20th thru 22nd - Charlie Horse Ranch in Molalla, OR.
September 17th thru 19th - Brooks Memorial State Park, Goldendale, WA
October 16th - Club Meeting - West Linn, OR
November 20th - Club Meeting - Burien, WA
December 11th - Club Holiday Party - Bow, WA
Meet & Greets
(M&G’s resumed in August)
B.R.M.C. members will be available for interested individuals to meet and learn more about the club and how to get involved. For locations and times, check out the cities listed below for your area. Also, in addition to the club's monthly events, local rides may be organized, weather permitting. To lean more about local event’s, check out our F.B. page or email the Road Captain at Captain@BorderRiders.com.
Portland: Meet & Greet - 1st Wednesday of the month, 7 pm at The Portland Eagle.
Vancouver BC Meet & Greet - 2nd Wednesday of the month. 4 to 6 pm at The Met Hotel, New Westminster
Seattle: Meet & Greet - 3rd Wednesday of the month, 7 pm at The Cuff
Non-BRMC Motorcycle Events
If you know of an upcoming motorcycle event or something of interest that we might want to attend, please send the information to News@BorderRiders.com and we will be sure to get it added to the newsletter.
Contributions of Photos & Stories
If you have photos and stories to share, please send to news@borderriders.com