February 2024 Newsletter
Who We Are!
In case you were wondering, The Border Riders Motorcycle Club “BRMC” is a not-for-profit 501(c)(7), designed for gay men who like to ride motorcycles & who like to go camping on their motorcycles. Our membership spans the Pacific Northwest with the greatest participation in the Portland, Seattle, & Vancouver B.C. areas. We are one of the largest, & longest running gay motorcycle clubs in North America. We welcome like minded guest to come meet us at our Meet & Greets &/or on our Day-Rides.
Table of Contents
All the news you need to know about the BRMC
January 2024 Meeting Recap : By Todd McN.
Photos : By Tom C.
February Meet & Greets : Portland, BC, & Seattle, we see you, come see us!
Plus
Member’s Birthdays
The BRMC 2020 Calendar of Events
Non BRMC Motorcycle Events
Request for Pictures & Closing Comments.
AGM/Potlatch
BRMC Group photo JAN 2024
By Todd McN
The thing I love about fraternal organizations is the fact they exist only because the members decide they exist. There's an idea that the group together, is better than the sum of its members. Each person brings their uniqueness to the group and that helps build what they are.
This was on display during the AGM in the display of food. It was amazing. Each person brought a dish they wanted to share with their brothers. Food that represented, in a way, the person who brought the dish. On display for consumption was the uniqueness and love of our membership for one another. The time spent contemplating and preparing what to bring. The display of diversity in cultures. The joy of sharing a meal. A flavorful showing of us. Our group.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, we didn't call the sharing of dishes a "potluck", they were referred to as a "potlatch". It wasn't until I was an adult that I heard them referred to as "potluck". This may have been cultural appropriation of indigenous peoples traditions via my family group, but I feel potlatch as a term is a better point of reference for the sharing of food and coming together at the AGM.
The word comes from the Chinook Jargon, meaning "to give away" or "a gift" and I feel that's what we do in order to preserve this fraternal order. We give ourselves, a gift of who we are to build this idea of brotherhood.
The food? Fantastic! The camaraderie? Well worth the price of admission.
January Photos
2024 BRMC Banquet
The 2024 Banquet will be held Saturday the 17th, at the Holiday Inn & Suites in Downtown Vancouver, BC beginning at 4pm. The address is 1110 Howe St. Vancouver, BC V6Z 1R2
If you can arrive early, Don W will be hosting a Meet and Greet from 1pm to 4pm at the PumpJack Pub located at 1167 Davie St, Vancouver, BC. We would love to see all our current and former members show up for this. It's free, so come to the M&G and let us hang out.
The The Meal is a buffet with Caesar Salad, Classic Greek Salad, Homemade Butter Chicken, Traditional Beef Stroganoff, Creamy Mashed Potatoes, and Steamed Fresh Seasonal Vegetables. Dessert is going to be a fruit medley.
We will have coffee, tea and water during the event & there is a bar near the banquet room for adult refreshments during the Banquet
Registration will be a little higher than normal at a $100 and registration will open on 2/1 and close on Saturday 2/10.
You can register here, and we will see you there!
Following is the information if you would like to book a room. The BRMC 2024 Anniversary Dinner Guest Room Rate is $179.00 single-quad occupancy. This discounted room rate offer expires, on 2/2/24.
BRMC 2024 Booking Code: BRM
Phone: (604) 684-2151 Hotel Toll Free: 800-663-9151 (Canada & US) Holiday Inn Toll Free: 1-800-HOLIDAY (INTERNATIONAL) Fax: (604) 684–4736
E-Mail: reservations@hivancouverdowntown.com Booking Link: BRMC 2024 Anniversary Dinner Guest Room Rate: $179.00 single-quad occupancy
January Meet & Greets
Portland M&G
On Wednesday, February 7th, we will meet for dinner at 5:30 at the Kenton Station (8303 N Denver Ave, Portland, OR 97217). We will the move over to the Portland Eagle (835 N Lombard St, Portland, OR 97217) for a social hour starting at 7pm. We hope to see you there! It is a great way to learn about the club and meet some of the guys. Check it out!
BC M&G
We are still looking for a member in BC to take the lead on this. Please let Stan know if you are able do this.
Seattle WAshington M&G
February 14th (Yes, that February 14th) all you young lovers can head on over to the Lumberyard in White Center for dinner at 6pm, drinks at 7pm. Hang out until you want to go home. Address is 9630 16th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98106.
A Brothers Birthday
We have 1 member with a birthday this month?
Let’s all wish Alan H a happy birthday on February 10th.
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 News@BorderRiders.com
Keep in mind, you can write about a trip that happened over the summer. It’s doesn’t have to be something you did last month.
Team Oregon Road Riding Tactics and Highway Speed Advanced Braking Clinic Motorcycle Classes
Classes are going fast, get 'em while you can! (As of 1/31, there are only 5 spots left.)
The 2024 schedule has been confirmed and we got what we wanted. We will start off with the Road Riding Tactics “RRT” on Saturday, July 20th & Highway Speed Advanced Braking Clinic “HSABC” on Sunday, July 21st. This is the same weekend as our July Campout which, not so coincidentally, is near the Oregon Coast & the location of these classes. Both classes will be held near Astoria Oregon. Attending the campout is not required to attend the classes but we hope to see you at both.
These classes are being offered as a set. Registration is open & will be available through the BRMC Website “only”, & the cost for the set is $180. There are only 12 openings so they should fill up fast. Once full, I will run a small list of people who want to be notified if someone should decide to cancel their reservation. All cancelations must go through Stan.
The first class, Road Riding Tactics, is designed to improve your street skills. You will ride your own bike & wear your own protective gear during the exercises. The course combines 9 riding exercises with range-side discussions. Participants increase awareness of crash situations and how to avoid them. The riding exercises build precision and confidence with the skills riders use every day, such as slow, tight turns, braking in a lean, quick lane changes and negotiating faster curves.
This class is a great annual review for intermediate & skilled riders. The class starts at 1 p.m. and last 4½ hours.
The second class, the one you’ve all been waiting for, is the Highway Speed Advances Braking Clinic “HSABC”. This class is designed to take us up to highway speeds and allow us to learn how to stop our bikes quickly & safely in a controlled setting.
The regular Advanced Braking Clinic “ABC” is one of best classes anyone could take & this class expands on the skills acquired in the regular ABC. The skills acquired in the ABC are one of the 9 lessons in the RRT class. Yep, this was intentional. This weekend is all about improving your daily skills and mastering your braking skills & both slow speeds & highway speeds.
This class is intended for riders with at least 2 years’ experience and who have already taken the RRT or Advanced Braking Clinic. The class starts at 1 p.m. and last 2½ hours. The “HSABC” is currently not part of the normal offerings by Team OR so you will not be able to find it on their website. This is something Team OR is offering to us as a special event.
Here is the fine print. You will need to have a motorcycle endorsement, be able to prove you have motorcycle insurance, & your bike must be in road worthy/safe operating condition.
If you have any questions about these classes or motorcycle training in general, please contact Stan at mailto:president@borderriders.com
In Other News…
26 years ago this month, the Border Riders Motorcycle Club was on the cover of the Seattle Gay News. Thanks Tom C. for writing the original 1998 article and digging it up to share with us.
Gear Store
The Gear Store is closed until the 2024 Banquet. Feel encouraged to reach out to VP Dennis if there is something you want to make sure will be available at the Banquet so he can order it in for you.
From the Handlebars of the President
I will just say that it has been a pleasure serving as your president for the last 2 years and I look forward to passing the duties onto Dennis H. I hope you all treat him as well as you have treated me. Thank you!
The Banquet is just around the corner. Doug H & I have put together a wonderful event and we hope to see you all there.
This will be my final banquet as president so who know what I am going to do. Also I will do my best to be at Pump Jacks for the Canadian M&G hosted by Don W.
I hope to see you all at Pump Jacks.
Stan C.
2023 President
Vice President Chatter
It has been great being able to be Vice President for the past year, Victoria Day being the one big job for the VP. Another duty of the VP are disciplinary actions and happy to report that none were necessary in the past year.
I look forward to serving the club as President in the upcoming year and being able to ride again after a hiatus due to injury and hip replacement
Dennis H.
2023 Vice President
Road Captain Rumblings
The Triumph took a trip to the dealership for its 20,000 mile service. Now, I know for most of you, that number may seem bit wee, but I will tell you, those are all BRMC miles. Those mies represent every campout and day ride I have been on with the Border Riders over the last few years. It's 20,000 miles of Team Oregon classes, camping gear, and figuring how to pack food. 20,000 miles of riding in 115 degree heat through Yakama, over the passes when it's snowing, and endless downpours. It’s 20,000 miles of not hitting cows, cougars, deer, a herd of elk, or one very determined black bear. 20,000 miles of Canadian dirt roads called "highways", and slicker than snot off-road adventures lead by Tom C. It is 20,000 miles of my life represented in oil changes, new tires, and broken mirrors. It's 20,000 miles of fatigued riding, cramped fingers, and sore back. But most importantly, it was 20,000 miles of hanging out with all of you.
I'm looking forward to another 20,000 miles.
We have a great year planned. Hope you can all be there.
Todd McN
2023 Road Captain
Treasurer’s Ramblings
“Piggy Bank Looks Balanced”.
See everyone at the AGM.
Sincerely,
Tom C
2023 Treasurer
Secretary Thoughts
Great news, we all survived the AGM!
The AGM is our most important business meeting of the year and I am please to report that we had a fantastic meeting this year. We were able to accomplish all of our annual business needs and did so in an efficient manner.
I want to take a moment to thank everyone for their participation at the meeting and to also thank for folks who chose not to show up because they were feeling sick. I really appreciate your consideration for the rest of the club.
Justin W.
2023 Secretary
2024 Calendar of Events
January 20th - Annual General Meeting - Location YTBD.
February 17th - Annual Banquet - hosted by Doug H in Canada.
March 16th - Club Meeting - hosted by Jeremy W in Kent, WA.
April 20th - Club Meeting - hosted by Kas C & Chris M in Vancouver, WA.
May 15th to the 20th - Victoria Day Campout - Pine Flats near Ardenvior, WA.
June 14th to the 16th - Wynoochee Dam Run, Coho Campground at Wynoochee Lake, WA
July 19th to the 21st - JBruceport Campout and Team Oregon Classes, WA & OR
July 20th - RSP Road Riding Tactics with Team OR - Astoria, OR.
July 21st - Highspeed Emergency Braking with Team Oregon - Astoria, OR.
August 16th to the 18th - Bonaparte Lake Run at Bonaparte Lake, WA
September 20th to the 22nd - Rainbow Falls State Park, WA
October 19th - Club Meeting - hosted by YTBD
November 9th - Club Meeting - hosted by YTBD
December 14th - Holiday Party - hosted by YTBD
Monthly Meet & Greets
BRMC 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 following list of times & location. Watch our FB for last minutes details pr changes.
Portland: Meet & Greet - 1st Wednesday of the month, 7 pm at The Portland Eagle. Dinner together normally proceeds the actual M&G. Dinner location moves so watch our FB Page for last minute details.
Vancouver BC Meet & Greet (tentative - Watch FB) - 2nd Wednesday of the month. 4 to 6 pm at The Met Hotel, New Westminster. (Canceled until further notice.)
Seattle: Meet & Greet - 3rd Wednesday of the month, 7 pm at someplace new. Watch the newsletter, website or Facebook for exact location.
Member & Guest Non-Sanctioned Day-Rides
In addition to the club's monthly M&Gs, local rides frequently happen on the 1st Saturday of every month. Additionally, members & guest going on an impromptu day-ride, or to some other activity, will post their plans on our FB page so others can tag along. Again, watch our FB page for last minutes details or changes.
To learn more about local event’s, impromptu events, or to check status on any event, check out our FB page or email the Road Captain at Captain@BorderRiders.com.
Hey, did you notice that trend? Yep, keep an eye on our FB page for last minute changes and details for all events.
Contributions of Photos & Stories
Please feel encouraged to send us your photo’s of our activities to News@BorderRiders.com
Also, if you do anything interesting outside the club, we’d love to hear about it. Send us a short story with some photo’s and we will try get it into the next newsletter. It doesn’t have to be motorcycle related to be interesting. We are very diverse.
If you have photos and stories to share, please send to news@borderriders.com