g w r association c nh- g he lakes region …gwrra-nhg.org/sites/default/files/file/news/2014/lakes...

Nobody Has More Fun Than “G”!

“Changes”

Well where do we start….. After 25 years in existence,

Chapter G will start out its 26th year as, “The Lakes Region

Wings”. (Check out Dawn’s and my back patch rockers at

the next gathering.) Chapter G has been a definite presence

in the Lakes Region over the past quarter century, and it’s

time that we take that spot of recognition.

Over the past few years, there has been some stagnation as

to the growth of Chapter G. No one has been willing to come

forward to step up and have fun, yes fun, as the Chapter G Directors over the past year to the point that the

Chapter was going to close. In order to cure this phenomenon, we need to get new members.

The main thing that we need to do to insure that everyone has fun is to provide the Chapter Director with a

“Staff”. I have been involved in GWRRA in one form or another the entire 30 years that I have been a

member, and the reason Dawn and I have fun is that we get involved. At my very first Chapter A Gathering in

Concord NH, I volunteered to do the Chapter Newsletter and did so for many years. That was my start and

then other jobs came and went and I helped out where I was needed.

So far, new Chapter G member Beryl Reid has volunteered to be the Chapter G Treasurer. Along with her

husband Bob, they make a fantastic addition to the Chapter G Family. Bob & Kaye Hamel have graciously

agreed to handle the Chapter Store again which this year will have available Rockers, Patches, and Clothing.

We have a New Chapter Logo with an updated 1800 Goldwing to be applied to Shirts, Hats, and Jackets.

Also jumping in to take the reins as Member Enhancement Coordinators are Meri & Lea Hirtle.

Chapter G needs an Assistant Chapter Director

immediately, as well as Chapter Educator, Chapter

Ride Coordinator, Chapter Activities Coordinator (to

help with the planning of the Mall Show and other

Chapter Fun’d Raisers), Chapter Photographer, and

Chapter Trainer. The more hands we have, the lighter

the work.

We can get by missing a few of these positions for a

little while, but not all of them. If anyone would like to

‘jump in’ and start having fun, please call me at 603-

(continued to Page 3)

GO LD W I N G RO A D R I D E RS AS S O CI A T I O N

CHA P T E R NH-“G”

“THE LAKES REGION W INGS” January 2014 Our 26th Year

The January Chapter Gathering will be held

on January 12th at “The Family Tree Restaurant”, 927 Laconia Road, (Route 3)

Tilton, N.H. just before the Mosquito Bridge going towards Laconia. Breakfast anytime

after 8AM. Meeting starts at 9AM Sharp.

During the riding season, a planned ride will follow the Chapter Gathering.


GWRRA Chapter NH-G “The Lakes Region Wings” Newsletter

2014 New Hampshire Chapter Directors

A – Concord/Manchester David & Bonnie Bolster 603-624-0268 [email protected] G – Laconia/Lakes Region Mike & Dawn Vaillancourt. 603-276-0715 [email protected] E- Keene/Monadnock Region Ron & Suzie Black

National, Regional & N.H. DISTRICT STAFF

Abel Gallardo, GWRRA President [email protected] 800-843-9460 ext. 224

Ray & Sandy Garris, Executive Director of GWRRA [email protected] 800-843-9460

Tom & Renee Washuk, Region B Directors

[email protected] 570-474-1014

Bob & Julie A’Hearn,

2013/2014 Reg. B Couple of the Year


Ed & Denise Heath, N.H. District Directors


Pat Thibaudeau, N.H. Asst. District Director


Mike Goldsmith, N.H. District Educator


NH Chapter G STAFF

Chapter Directors, Mike & Dawn Vaillancourt


Assistant Chapter Director, Please Volunteer

Beryl Reid, Chapter Treasurer


Meri & Lea Hirtle, Memb. Enhancement Coordinators

Bob & Kaye Hamel, Chapter Store Keepers


Chapter Educator, Please Volunteer

Chapter Ride Coordinator, Please Volunteer

Chapter Photographer, Please Volunteer

Chapter Trainer, Please Volunteer

Chapter Activities Coordinator, Please Volunteer

2014 Chapter Couple of the Year, tbd….

Mike Vaillancourt, Newsletter Editor & Webmaster


mailto:[email protected]









(Continued from Page 1)

276-0715 and we’ll get together and talk about how you too can start having fun.

Another thing that we are going to do this coming riding season is to have fun with our Sister GWRRA

Chapters here in New Hampshire. I can remember years ago going to another Chapters’ Gathering just for

the fun of it, or even getting together on a multi-chapter bowling night at Fun Spot up at the Weirs. You will

see the beginnings of our 2014 Chapter G Ride Schedule later on in this newsletter. That is only the

foundation. We need to build upon that schedule to including the Chapter Going to the New England States

Rally XIII in Sturbridge MA and maybe an overnight ride or two before the snow flies this Fall.

Our paramount priority or “Mission Statement” is to follow the GWRRA Motto which is “Friends for Fun,

Safety, and Knowledge”. My predecessors have done a terrific job on keeping things safe, and giving you the

knowledge that we all need to become better riders. We need to work hard on the Friends part. To help us

get more friends, I have been in touch with the Belknap Mall and opened a dialogue with them concerning

having an indoor Mall Show and Recruiting Booth in the Spring. They thought it was a wonderful idea. I will

be meeting with Mall management on Friday January 10th to finalize the date for the show. It will probably be

a Sunday sometime in late April. More in next month’s newsletter.

I want to issue a challenge to all of Chapter G. We need new members and we need them now. The person

that recruits the most new members by the end of the 2014 riding season and gets them to participate with

Chapter G will get their membership fee paid to GWRRA for the next two years. It doesn’t stop there,

however. When those new members come to their first Chapter G Gathering, they need to be made to feel

that they are really appreciated and that we want them to ride with us. Remember, they don’t have to be

owners of Gold Wings, Valkyries, or F6B’s, they just have to have any motorcycle and be willing to be Friends

for Fun, Safety, & Knowledge. We’ve seen it time and time again, after they see all those Gold Wings, they

end up seeing the light and before you know it, they show up on a nice Gold Wing.

Lastly, we are instituting a new Chapter Motto “Nobody Has More Fun Than “G”! We want everyone to

know that Chapter G is the Group to Ride with in the Lakes Region. These newsletters will be on display at

HK Powersports in Laconia and Venco Wings in Loudon so that Riders can pick up a free copy and maybe

contact us and come to a Chapter Gathering and “check us out”.

This is not Dawn’s and My Chapter, it belongs to all of us. It’s worth keeping, and we all can have a lot of fun

by participating in it. We welcome any ideas that you have and remember, the more you take part, the more

fun you’ll have. See you all at the Family Tree on the 12th.

Mike & Dawn Vaillancourt

Chapter G Directors 603-276-0715

[email protected]

Sincere Thank You!




I would like to thank Mike and Dawn Vaillancourt for stepping up to take over the reins as Chapter Directors

for NH-G. Both Mike and Dawn have a wealth of knowledge involving GWRRA and I know they will have

exciting ideas for the chapter. I ask all Chapter G members to extend a hand to help Mike and Dawn out.

Whether it is something as simple as an idea for a dine-out, a ride, or willing to take on one of the positions of

the Chapter, Mike and Dawn can’t do everything by themselves and with everyone’s help, it will make the

Chapter bigger, stronger, and better than it has ever been.

I am looking forward to an exciting year for Chapter G in 2014.

Ed Heath

NH District Director

This article will be a recap each month of the previous Chapter Gathering. If anyone takes pictures at the

Chapter Gatherings they would be much appreciated so they can be used in this article each month.

Member Wanted or For Sale This part of the newsletter is for Chapter Members to sell any Gold Wing Related items, or are looking for Gold Wing Related Items. All requests will be run for 90 days and then removed unless told to continue or have been notified that the item is sold.

Business Card Listings Starting next month, any active Chapter Member that has their own business may have their business card reproduced in the newsletter at no charge each month. Please get me your business cards to be put in next month’s issue.



Welcome to GWRRA

Chapter Rider Education Until Chapter G gets a Chapter Rider Educator, my

friend and Former Region F Educator and now

Chapter CO-Q Educator, Howie Peterson, has

graciously allowed me to publish his monthly

articles in the Chapter NH-G Newsletter. Editor

“THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED”

This month I am going to dwell not so much on rider education as I will on a philosophy of sorts about

motorcycling. As the holidays are upon us, I thought a little break from the usual norm of exhorting the

membership about rider safety would be in order. So, here goes!

After contemplating the recent trip, dang time flies, the Hoppners and we completed this past summer, along

with my usual runs around Southwest Colorado I have come a conclusion. Namely, where we ride, more

than we why we ride. Our trip consisted of mostly super slab riding for the majority of the mileage, with

breaks of two lane scattered along the way. In going over my riding logs (I keep a log of each ride past the

city limits) and factoring the around town mileages, the 12K plus mileage for this year is just about evenly

divided between Interstate and two lane highways. Now don’t get me wrong folks, I just plain enjoy being on

a motorcycle to somewhere, but I believe the majority of us enjoy the two lane roadway a lot more than the

Interstates. And the appeal of the narrower, and curvier the road, the better the enjoyment. Am I right? One

of the best highways on our North East excursion was taking Highway 50 through West Virginia. This

particular highway was somewhat narrow, but with a ton of curves and hills which lent an appeal to the biker

in us swooshing through the corners, gearing up, gearing down, and just plain old fashion motorcycle riding

through great scenery. As much fun as I was having on the Trike, I still pined a bit for the “Strom” to blast

through the country side on two wheels leaning and swooping.

Which brings me back to the title of this article as to where we choose to ride? Back home in Colorado, we

are blessed with a plethora of great highways to ride, and some of the most beautiful scenery found

anywhere. Pondering over my maps which I highlight of roads I have ridden, I find a lot of interesting miles

yet to be ridden in the future. There are highways I have driven for hire, or for other reasons that I think to

myself “this would be fun on the motorcycle”. Just for instance, there is the highway from Lake City, through

Creede, and on down into the South Eastern part of Colorado that looks great; and then how about over

Loveland pass, or up Pikes Peak? Haven’t been to Rangely yet, or even up into North Eastern Colorado into

Estes Park and Wyoming. Each of these locations has some highways that just plain speak to a

motorcyclist’s heart, and seem to keep calling the inner riding spirit within.

What makes many of these highways unique is the lack of traffic encountered while riding through locations

such as these mentioned above, or closer to home such as over McClure pass into Carbondale, the Gateway

loop Highway 141, Hotchkiss and then over Black Mesa, Grand Mesa plus many more choices. No, I am not

slighting Red Mountain Pass, or over Lizard Head in the least, just listing highways wherein encountering a

car is rare during the whole context of the ride. Highways with little or no traffic allows the motorcyclist,

staying within safety parameters, the opportunity to ride within their abilities through the corners, over the hills



without the constant slowing for those vehicles white knuckling over the mountain. I find it also allows me to

focus more directly on the roadway, setting up the corners for a smooth transition in and out of the corner.

The feeling of executing a perfect apex run is something we all strive for, and especially when it involves

setting up for succeeding corners as the rider continues through the landscape.

Another large factor in two lane highways is that of scenery! Have you ever noticed how much more is seen

at lower speeds? While the Interstate is great for getting from point A to point B in the shortest time possible,

one might notice a couple of significant factors. First, the faster we travel the more work the ride becomes

and the less time that can be spent on sightseeing. Secondly, most Interstate routes are not placed in the

more scenic locations either as the point of A to point B rational is to place the route over the least forbidding

country side. Two lane routes allow us the opportunity to move more sedately and give us a better chance to

see the “real” country side as we travel.

“Where does that highway go” is one of my most often expressed thoughts when traveling over some route

while riding. Of course the maps or GPS give us an overview, but cannot give us the intimate details of what

is really there within all the squiggly lines on the map. While I realize I will not ride all those map lines in my

life time, I am going to trace out as many as is possible during the remainder of my riding life. And for us,

who ride from horizon to horizon exploring the world on motorcycles, just think of the tales we can tell when

time and age places us in that care facility when it becomes necessary. As each birthday comes along I

realize more and more that we don’t get old from riding; not riding is just one more step to the rocking chair.

So ride on my friends, ride on! And get out those maps and start looking at where you have yet to roll down

the highway on, making plans for the New Year to come. I am engaged in this prior planning process

already, so much so, that I can feel the wind, smell the landscape, and hear the rubber singing on the

pavement.

The best of the Holidays to all of you, and as always, RIDE WITH PRIDE AND CONFIDENCE.

Ace H. (Howie) Peterson

Chapter CO-Q Educator

[email protected]

Birthdays & Anniversaries

Happy Birthday and Anniversary to all those listed below.

Birthdays Anniversaries

Under Construction Don’t have the list yet.

Chapter G Wishes You All The Best! Remember, We can’t post your Birthdays and Anniversaries if we don’t know the dates. Let us know.




2014 Chapter “G” Ride Schedule (Tenative Work in Progress. Subject to Change)

January 12 Monthly Chapter Gathering.

February 8 Monthly Chapter Gathering at the Vaillancourts’ in Canterbury on Saturday Evening. This is a pot luck event. Plenty of Parking. There should be some videos and a Rider Ed Presentation. This event is in lieu of the Gathering Sunday Feb 9th. To get there,

turn east at the “106 Beanstalk” in Loudon, go exactly 1 1/2 miles, house on Right. Yellow ranch with a 2 car garage underneath. Just go in through the garage and

come on upstairs.

March 9 Monthly Chapter Gathering

April 13 Monthly Chapter Gathering April ? Mall Show, Belknap Mall, Laconia N.H. More info to follow.

May 11 Monthly Chapter Gathering

June 2-7 Americade, Lake George, NY

June 8 Monthly Chapter Gathering

June 14-22 Laconia Bike Week July 2-5 Wing Ding 36, Madison, WI

July 13 Monthly Chapter Gathering

July 25-27 GWRRA New England Districts Rally 13, Sturbridge, MA

August 7-10 GWRRA NJ/NY Bi-State Convention, Mt. Olive, NJ

August 10 Monthly Chapter Gathering Sept. 14 Monthly Chapter Gathering

October 18 Monthly Chapter Gathering

November 9 Monthly Chapter Gathering

Early Dec. Chapter Christmas Gathering Dinner

Let’s Ride! And Have Fun!!!!!!

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