The PITStop News
 June 2005

 Go to Azbeemers Home Page

 Membership & Club Business:  PO Box 21514  Mesa, AZ 85277-1514
             
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TREASURER'S REPORT

As you may recall, the Board approved a motion to distribute a summary
of our Financial Status Report to interested Members.
I have not received any requests; however, if you would like to receive a copy,
please contact me via our new web site and I will send it to you.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time
and I will do my best to answer them.
Clint Alston treasurer@azbeemers.org
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The regular BOD meeting place and time are as follows:
THE REGULAR PITS BOD MEETING IS BACK AT DENNY'S
ON SCOTTSDALE ROAD & 202 - 6PM - 2ND MONDAY OF EACH MONTH.
Next meeting date July 11.

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President's Message

Well here it is my farewell Presidents Message. As some of you know, we had our PITS Annual Business Meeting April 30th at the Anderson residence. Nayt and Sharon were kind enough to let us borrow their home for the meeting. We had burgers and dogs after the elections and then put together about 300 rally packets. I would like to say “Thank You” to those who took the time and were interested enough in their club to participate in the election process.

I made good on my two year old promise not to run for President again. I’ve been on the PITS Board of Directors for 6 years, most of those as President. I’ve felt, for the last couple of years, that it was not healthy for the club, for a Presidents term to last as long as mine has, although there is no term limit. I feel it is important to get “Fresh Blood” in order to facilitate change and attract new ideas. According to our club by-laws, the outgoing President must fill a Directors position for a one year term following the last term as President. I intend to fulfill that term enthusiastically. I’m looking forward to some fresh ideas from our new board.

I will predict some changes for our club in the near future. The one sure change will be regarding the future of our rally. It has been the focus of our previous Board of Directors. It takes all year to produce a rally like ours. The BOD spends every monthly meeting, out of necessity, planning the rally. The result has been that PITS has not been putting on as many rides as perhaps the membership wants. There are of course all sorts of motorcycle related things we can do besides putting on a rally. I’ve heard things like “The Rally has become the tail that wags the dog” or “is this a riding club or a rally club?”

Prior to the Annual Business Meeting, the outgoing Board of Directors voted not to put on a rally in 2006. A number of reasons were discussed including those I mention in the previous paragraph. Others included the number of volunteers required to have a rally, the relatively small group of people doing it are burned out and need a break. The 2007 rally is up to the new board of directors and I would imagine the level of desire and volunteers from the general membership. Bear in mind that the rally is not and should not be the sole purpose of your board of directors. In fact it ideally should be run by a group that is not part of the BOD so that it does not impact the time they spend on other club business. A separate rally committee should be formed with one member reporting to the board of directors. This has been brought up countless times over the last few years, but never produced any volunteers to do the job. So it could be surmised that not enough of our members deem it important. I’m personally disappointed that there will not be a rally next year, but at the same time relieved that I won’t be spending the entire next year working on it.

Not having a rally in 2006 also influenced the annual elections. As many of you know, we don’t have people clamoring for positions on the Board of Directors. I don’t know who your new President would have been had the decision to not hold a 2006 rally been made. I do know that it wouldn’t have been me no matter what. I got the distinct impression the Honorable Don Stanley would not have accepted the position, as he did, if a rally were in the future, can’t say as I blame him either. Don has been on the board and in the club long enough to know how much work it is. I think Don’s new mission for the club is to have fun, not work. Sounds good to me!
In short, I’ve enjoyed my tenure as President. I’ve enjoyed working with the various Boards of Directors and volunteers who make this club what it is and am proud of what we have accomplished together. I’m looking forward to working with the new board and seeing what new directions they take us in.

ADIOS as President
Ride Safe, Ride Often Michael Conner

PLEASE WELCOME AND SUPPORT YOUR NEW
BOARD OF DIRECTORS AS OF 7/01/05:
President – Don Stanley
Vice President - Uri Schumm
Treasurer – Chuck Doucet
Secretary – Sylvia Schumm
Director – Michael Conner
Director – Dave Kidder
Director – Nayt Anderson

While not an elected position –
Clint Alston has volunteered his services as Newsletter Editor

If you didn’t make this most recent rally, you may wish you had. The 2005 Roadrunner Rally was unique in several ways. We had 3 BMW Dealers represented this year, all providing Demo Bikes to ride, apparel to wear and all manner of other trinkets to purchase. ............
 (Click here to read more about this year's Rally and see the Photo Gallery)

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What a turnout! Seventeen PITS showed up April second to clean up the Carefree Highway. Those attending were:

Lon McCarter, Dave Kidder, Nayt Anderson, Bob Johnson, Daryl Neil,
Don Stanley, Michael & Doreen Conner, Richard Hall, Herb LeGendre, Larry Husemann, Jerry Smith, Uri Schumm, Hank Halverson, John Truttman, Gary Miller and Chuck Doucet.

The going was tough because of all the grass and weeds. Some were over waist high. Made it hard to find the trash but find it we did. Everything but the kitchen sink. The weather was beautiful. The temperature was around 80 degrees and there was no wind to speak of.

With a group this large it didn’t take long to finish the job. In about one hour and a half we were on our way to Wickenburg for a Mexican food lunch. After that everyone split to the winds to do their own thing.

I really appreciate the great turnout. I hope we can keep it up in the future. The next clean up will be the first part of October. Watch the ride schedule for the exact date.

Thanks again for the good job. See you all at the rally in Heber.
Herb LeGendre
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Click here for more pictures

Click here for more Grand Canyon Ride Pictures

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IronMan AZ Moto

We had exactly enough motos for every assignment -- videos, stills, runners, and officials. It came out perfectly -- because you all showed up and did so well. The bike course was congested, as you all know.  I have been told it will be better in 2006. 

Here's a photo of the "moto gang" lined up at the start of the morning ready to go.

A few of you asked about Ironman Wisconsin, hinting that you might want to go to ride moto there. I am dubious that some of you would be crazy enough to try that, because it 1,850 miles from Tempe. But if you are interested, it will be Sunday, September 11, in Madison WI.

The bike course is just fabulous -- small towns and rolling hills lined by dairy farms and hardwood forests. You can register for it at www.sportsinwisconsin.com  and by emailing Tom Wiesen at
wiesen@kukulu.com.

Shock Tom and me and show up -- I dare you!

Jeff Dean  http://bmwdean.home.att.net/
Ironman Arizona Moto Captain
Motorcycle Safety Foundation Chief Instructor
Madison, Wisconsin, and Tucson, Arizona
Ironman Arizona Motos  http://motos.home.att.net/iazmotos.htm
T.E.A.M. AZ M/C Training Center http://www.motorcycletraining.com/
WI M/C Program http://www.dot.state.wi.us/modes/motorcycles.htm 

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PITS Members Carry Referees & Cameramen in the IronMan Arizona Competition in Tempe, AZ 
 

Backwards	Crawford
Standing

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Click here for more Chicken Run pictures

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Click here for more Death Valley Daze pictures

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Discovering the Friendliness of Motorcyclists, Everywhere…

During the last seven years we planned, schemed, saved and dreamed about a two year motorcycle adventure around the US and abroad. Scott had retired from Dow Chemical in Nov. of ’02, but I went ahead and taught elementary art for another year (‘02/’03) before “retiring” from 19 years of service with Indiana’s Decatur Co. Comm. Schools.

Although we are both still “young”, we didn’t want to wait to have another grand adventure. We are also of the mind not to put things off and believe we aren’t guaranteed another day. Scott’s Aunt Genevieve, who is 91, says to “go and do it because, you won’t have any more money when you’re my age than if you didn’t do it!” So, we worked hard for almost seven years to get ourselves in a financial position to be able to travel for an extended length of time.

Scott got his ‘98 RT in 2000, and I got my ‘02 RT in 2003. We had never been to a BMW rally before, but we went with good friends Dick and Diana to West Virginia in ‘03. From there we went south down the Blue Ridge Parkway trying to see if camping from the bikes was going to work for us. While camping in North Carolina, we had the good fortune to meet Chris and Erin Ratay at the Blue Ridge Motorcycle Campground. They were on the last two weeks of their four-year, record breaking, journey. They were so encouraging and gave us loads of helpful tips and ideas for traveling cheaply.

Read more of this article that will be in the next BMWMOA.
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More than just an escape from civilization … Hannagan Meadow Lodge is "like no other place on Earth!" A wonderfully unique historical property, it is secluded high in the Arizona White Mountains at 9100 feet elevation. Situated in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, the area offers acres of beautiful trees, hundreds of species of wildlife, and unbounded recreational activities in all four seasons.

Visit the Hannagan Meadow website to find out more.
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