November 2023 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
October 2023 Meeting Recap : By Buck W.
Monthly Gallery : Photos by Guest Mike L..
November 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.
October 2023 Meeting Recap
BRMC October Group Photo
By Buck W
For the October 2023 Meeting we were invited to the home of member Dennis H. in Burien, WA. I decided that despite the moderate potential for rain that I was going to make the 65 mile trip south on my motorcycle. This was immediately proven to be a good decision as the weather was perfect (during the ride down) and the nimble nature of the motorcycle made it easy to navigate the dreaded I5 traffic.
Once I arrived at Dennis’s house I was welcomed by members with open arms and when I walked inside, I was able to smell some wonderful food that Dennis and partner Mike L. were busy cooking.
Dennis, please forgive me if I get any of the following details incorrect as my confidence in low…
A beautiful Punsch Bowl was filled with a homemade Radler and the coffee table was covered with several appetizers including homemade bretzels with weisslacker for dipping. There were some delicious deep fried sauerkraut and bratwurst balls that did not last long once out of the deep frier. The Oktoberfest main course naturally consisted of bratwurst, bratkartoffeln, and spaetzle. It was the perfect meal for a comfortable cool October day in the Pacific Northwest. Continuing with the German theme, an apfelkuchen cake was served with vanilla ice cream as the perfect dessert to top off a wonderful meal.
Now that I was full and it was starting to get late, I decided to bid farewell to those in attendance and mounted my motorcycle for a trip home in light rain. Fortunately, once I was north of downtown Seattle the rain stopped and the roads were dry.
Oh, there was also a meeting at some point during the evening and it went well with good discussions amongst the membership.
Thank you, Dennis H. and Mike L., for a wonderful evening and a delicious Oktoberfest dinner!!!
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).
September 2023 Gallery Photos
November Meeting
The November meeting will be held Saturday the 18th at the lovely home of Chris L and Richard A. They will be preparing a wonderful thanksgiving spread of turkey and all the fixings. Chris and Richard will be opening their home to overnight guests, but they would prefer a heads up if you are planning on staying the night. They would like to account for the number of guests. At this point, they don't need any assistance with meal prep, but it's always good to help out where you can.
Meet & Greets
Portland M&G
On Wednesday, November 1st. We will meet for dinner at 5:30 at the Kenton Station (8303 N Denver Ave, Portland, OR 97217). Stan C will then host a social hour at the Portland Eagle (835 N Lombard St, Portland, OR 97217) 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.
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
This month, the Seattle crew is riding on down to The Lumberyard in Burien (9630 16th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98106) for an evening of bar food and beer. Come hang out and meet the gang!. Starts at 6pm on Wednesday the 15th.
A Brothers Birthday
We have 2 members with a birthday this month. Please take a moment and make them feel special on this special day.
Lance D on November 2nd
Don W on November 13th
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.
Misplaced Gravel with Unfortunate Consequences
Hey gents,
This is a quick note to inform/update the club about a recent event that occurred to Tom Swope. He was doing a final season ride through our beautiful homeland and had an accident the first weekend of October.
His bike hit sand/gravel on asphalt in a steep turn and his bike slid out. He collided with a concrete barrier and he, and the bike, went over the barrier and down a 100ft embankment of rocks, gravel, and trees. His injuries are significant but he will make a full recovery.
He broke both legs below the knee; crushed one and shattered the other, cracked/broke most ribs, small puncture in lung, fractured clavicle, fractured sternum, and multiple fractures (including some shattering) in his back.
Tom has always been a stickler for quality gear and this is the difference between the positive outlook we have today and a what could have been a very different story. He has had surgery for both of his legs and his back. He is in a recovery ward waiting for a room in the rehabilitation wing. His rehab can start right away and he can already stand up on his own. Albeit, it takes a lot out of him.
Please use this as a reminder to WEAR GOOD GEAR, and don’t cheap out on it. The Dr’s assure us it saved his life. Tom is looking forward to riding again and seeing y’all soon.
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 start by thanking VP Dennis for conducting the October meeting. I hear it was productive. Thanks Dennis!
I was in Phoenix hanging out with my siblings & had a wonderful time. I drove & decided to use the truck to investigated a couple ghost towns on the way home. If you have never been to Bodie State Park in California, you must. Take a lunch and plan on 1/2 a day of walking & looking.
It is a 3 miles rough (non-stop washboards) dirt road to get there so be prepared. I have ridden my Harley on similar roads but not by choice. It would be a perfect destination for the adventure bikes.
I also got chased by 2 sheep dogs protecting their herd but that is a story for a different day.
The November Meeting is the last chance you have to sponsor someone for membership or to run for a position on the board. Please feel encouraged to call me if you have any questions about either.
Also, we will discuss and announce the location of the 2024 Banquet at the meeting.
Lastly, we need someone to take charge & find us a location for the 2024 AGM in January.& we need someone to help with decorations and set-up at the 20241 Banquet Please contact me if you are able to help with this.
Stan C.
2023 President
Vice President Chatter
Was great having everyone for the monthly meeting - great turnout for just being an October meeting.
Dennis H.
2023 Vice President
Road Captain Rumblings
This month we‘ll all be heading out to Chris and Richard’s to get our fill of fine turkey dining. It’s the time of year where we turn indoors, get out of the rain, and do our damndest to stay warm. But that doesn’t mean that things aren’t happening. We are getting everything in order for next year’s camping and riding season. We just secured the group site at Wynoochee Dam for the June 2024 run and we are working on a couple of others as they come available to reserve. We may be heading to the dark months of winter, but it just gives us time to get ready for next year. See you all at Chris and Richard’s!
Todd McN
2023 Road Captain
Treasurer’s Ramblings
“Piggy Bank Looks Balanced”.
See everyone at the November Meeting.
Sincerely,
Tom C
2023 Treasurer
Secretary Thoughts
Well it is dark all the time and the riding season is over for the year… or is it???
It seems like El Nino has blessed us with seasonally abnormal weather with more sunny days than a typical April. It has allowed me to get out 5-6 times this month for some nice rides. I hope that you were also able to take advantage of the weather !
I am looking forward to the club holiday party this month and hope to see many of you there.
Justin W.
2023 Secretary
2023 Calendar of Events
November 18th - Club Meeting - hosted by Chris & Richard in BOW, WA
December 9th - Holiday Party - hosted by Todd M in Bremerton, WA.
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 17th to the 20th - Victoria Day Campout - Pine Flats near Ardenvior, WA.
June 14th to the 16th - June Campout - location YTBD.
July 19th to the 21st - July Campout - location YTBD.
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 - August Campout - location YTBD.
September 20th to the 22nd - September Campout - location YTBD
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