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GWRRA Ohio District
APRIL 2020 Newsletter
OHIO. It’s not the Destination.
It’s the Ride.
And the Fun !!!
Ohio District Team Roy & Becky Jones
District Directors
Margaret Moore
District University Trainer
Doug & Lynn Kerst
North Central
Assistant District Directors
& COY/CHOY
Coordinators
Darrin Ebright & JJ Hooker
Southwest Assistant District Direc-
tors & Vendor Coordinator
Karen Ballou
District Treasurer
Newsletter Editor
Robert G & Angela Williams
Interim District Educators
Randy Young
Southeast Assistant District
Director
VACANT
District Membership
Enhancement Coordinators
Linda Copeland
District Medic/First Aid
Coordinator
Doug Kerst
Website Coordinator
Randy Young
District Special Events
Coordinator
Gary Ballou
District Motorist Awareness
Ohio District Team
Rudy Copland
Northwest Assistant District
Director
District Couple of the Year
Sally and Dave
Slonaker
LET’S MAKE THIS YEAR DIFFERENT!
It’s the nicest Spring and the earliest one that
we’ve had in several years and gas is cheap.
GEEZZZzz, we s�ll can’t ride. This too shall pass folks.
Let’s just be pa�ent. If your ride schedules aren’t
done we’ve been given a few more weeks to com-
plete them. Get them to your ADD’s as soon as they
are complete. Start thinking of ways to recruit new
members once the gathering together ban and the
quaran�ne is li)ed. Once it is li)ed, put your ideas in
place and let’s get some new members in Ohio this
year.
As of this moment, Spring Officers Mee�ng
has been cancelled since the Obetz Community Cen-
ter has cancelled all of the events for April. We will be
doing our best to reschedule in May and will let you
know as soon as we know. Chapter S has offered to
supply a luncheon for everyone this year at a reasona-
ble cost. Here is their menu, Sloppy Joes or Ham Salad
sandwich, macaroni salad, chips and dessert for
$6.00. Please let us know if you are interested in par-
taking of the luncheon, when we have another date.
Buckeye Rally is coming up in June, and for
now this event is s�ll on. We will be at the Wayne
County Fairgrounds in Wooster June 11th
-13th
.
Please start thinking of how your chapter can help
what job might your chapter enjoy doing. If we don’t
get to have an Officers mee�ng then we might end up
assigning chapters to the various jobs. We are going
to need ride captains to help with Thursday night din-
ner ride and maybe a few ride captains to help out
with leading guided rides. Remember Chapter I is a
small chapter and a good many members do not ride,
so if you would like to lead a ride please contact Ron
Marcinko and let him know. You might think that we
are crazy to be considering this event with all that is
going on, but I for one am looking for things to begin
to get back to normal soon and I would rather have
everything planned out and not need it than to have
to scramble at the last moment.
Even with the quaran�ne in place the district
team is s�ll working hard to bring you a safe, fun and
interes�ng rally. (I wonder if the gas prices will stay
low un�l a)er Buckeye Rally.) Remember the theme
this year 4th of July, Celebrate Your Freedom. A)er
being dictated to for weeks, how can any of us NOT
WANT to celebrate our freedom?
We would like to thank all of the chapters
who have cancelled their gatherings, complied with
Na�onal’s request, postponed their fund raisers, and
their MFA classes and rescheduled to the best of their
ability. Thank you. For everyone who is s�ll working,
our truck drivers, our teachers (from home), our nurs-
es and health care workers, those who work in retail
maybe especially them, thank you and stay safe.
Above all, remember this too shall pass.
Hopefully we will see all of you very soon.
Roy
District Directors Roy & Becky Jones From the Director’s Corner
Assistant
District Directors
Doug & Lynn Kerst
I wrote last month that Chapter Y is going to move
to Tuesday and it is Thursday. The correct �me is 6 pm
instead of noon. It is correct on the district website.
Lynn and I went to the Michigan Rally which was
our first and we had a good �me. The next day we drove
back to be at Chapter Y auc�on. Chapter Y had 11 chap-
ters at their auc�on and the members had a fun �me. The
next week we started to enjoy our weekends at the house.
I got caught up on things that I needed to do.
Since we all are playing it safe and have �me off at
the house, we can start planning rides for when we can
start riding again. I do have the booklets for trek Ohio and
I am hoping to see most of the central chapters within a
month a)er we can start holding gatherings again. I will
be cleaning up and geCng our bikes ready to go.
I want to put out an idea on how chapters can
have a team mee�ng without mee�ng with each other.
The best way is a zoom call which is a great way to s�ll see
each other. The website is zoom.us. The only down fall is
that it can only lasts 40 minutes �ll you are cut off, unless
you pay a monthly fee and then it is unlimited.
North Central Sec�on
Assistant
District Directors
Roy & Becky Jones
News from the North East
Wow, I really don’t have anything to say this
month. With nothing going on and everyone just sort
of wai�ng to see what will happen next, there just
isn’t much to talk about.
As of right now, the Spring Officers mee�ng on
April 18th
has been cancelled due to the community
center cancelling all events for April. We will try to
reschedule for a date in May. We will keep you in-
formed. Chapter S has offered to provide a luncheon
consis�ng of a Sloppy Joe, or a Ham Salad sandwich,
macaroni salad, chips and dessert for $6.00. Please
let us know if you are interested so that we can give
Chapter S a count of how many will be partaking.
Buckeye Rally will be held at Wayne County
Fairgrounds in Wooster, OH, June 11th
-13th
. The
theme is 4th
of July, Celebrate your Freedom. A)er
this spring, we will all want to celebrate our freedom.
Sorry gang, I don’t like being dictated to by anyone. It
comes from having ancestors who were gun runners
and moonshiners. We s�ll have some of the laEer in
the family.
For those chapters who have had to cancel or
postpone your fund raiser, please let me know as
soon as possible of your new date. I don’t know
about anyone else but I really missed not being able
to go to G-2’s Chili Cook-off. I’m really going to miss
Chapter T’s spagheC dinner and auc�on.
Hopefully we will see all of you soon, un�l
then stay safe.
Becky
North East Sec�on
Assistant
District Directors
Since we haven’t been able to meet and so-
cialize the last few weeks, I thought we would talk
about April Fools’ Day. April 1st has always been a day
dear to my heart since I came into this world on April
1, 1954. For some reason during my school years and
teaching years it was difficult to get me to fall for
jokes since I was very aware of the day. Believe me
there were many a prank that classmates and stu-
dents tried to pull on me; however it was hard to pull
a prank on me.
April Fools’ tradition popularized
On this first day in April in 1700, English prank-sters begin popularizing the annual tradition of April Fools’ Day by playing practical jokes on each other. Although the day, also called All Fools’ Day, has been celebrated for several centuries by different cultures, its exact origins remain a mystery. Some historians speculate that April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563. People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1 and con-tinued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes. These pranks included having paper fish placed on their backs and being referred to as poisson d’avril (April fish), said to symbolize a young, “easily hooked” fish and a gullible person. April Fools’ Day spread throughout Britain during the 18th century. In Scotland, the tradition became a two-day event, starting with “hunting the gowk,” in which people were sent on phony errands (gowk is a
word for cuckoo bird, a symbol for fool) and followed by Tailie Day, which involved pranks played on people’s derrieres, such as pinning fake tails or “kick me” signs on them. Try to stay as safe and healthy as possible. If the weather is nice and you want something to do maybe you can ride to some of destinations listed on Trek Ohio. GWRRA has always stressed safety so be sure to follow the health suggestions of social distancing. Until the next time. We look forward to seeing you.
Rudy and Linda Copeland
North West Sec�on
Rudy & Linda Copeland
Margaret Moore
District University
Coordinator
District Training
Information for all UI/UTREP Instructors
The following informa�on has been passed
on to me from the GWRRA University Assistant Kath-
leen Heibel during the February call.
They are reques�ng that all instructors use
the term “Classes” instead of seminars/modules
when talking to members and/or in publica�ons
such as flyers/newsleEers.
If you want to present a Horizon/ITCP class
you will need two (2) instructors as they are all day
classes.
Instructors please inform any class aEendees
to please put their member # when they sign in on
the U.3. If they are a guest please write guest on the
U.3. Guests are welcomed and encouraged as they
are possible NEW members!
At the end of each class please have them go
to the GWRRA University web site (gwrradot.com/
university-files/) under Forms/Guides and complete
the very simple Class Feedback form and then hit
submit. We are using this as a way to keep our clas-
ses current and maybe write new ones.
**** UTREP’s who are current as RCI’s (Rider Course
Instructor’s) are able to teach the 7 “Seminars” that
are under the “Ride” category on the class list.****
If any instructor ever has any ques�ons,
please send me an email and I will answer or get the
answer for you.
For all those instructors out there who have
birthdays this month I wish you a Very Happy Birth-
day!!
Robert G & Angela Williams
Interim District
Educators
Hello Fellow Riders You may or may not know that Great Oaks Wilmington
no�fied me that they had cancelled our spot on their cal-
endar for our ARC/TRC class on May 9/10 2020.
Dave Preston was working on an alternate site but was
told that it will not be ready in �me for us to use.
I spoke to the Galion School Principle and he says at this
�me we are s�ll on his schedule.
So for those that have signed up for Wilmington dates that
can; please let me know if you want to move to Galion.
May 16 TRC
May 17 ARC
All others let me know if you want a refund.
Thank you
Robert G. Williams
Robert G & Angela WILLIAMS
Interim OH District Educators Interim NJ District Educators Interim VA District Educators OH-T CSEA GWRRA REP Team Assistant GWRRA Rider Course Master Instructor GWU Instructor Trainer Former Ohio District Senior Educator 2014-2018 Former Ohio District Director 2010-2012
330/802-2429 [email protected]
OHIO, It's not the des�na�on, it's the ride.
With all the concerns with the Wuhan Coronavirus (covid-19) I thought I would copy out an article from Byron Wil-son. You can see this entire article at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/autosmotorcycles/coronavirus-safety-tips-for-motorcycle-riders/ar-BB11lUwb
Coronavirus Safety Tips For Motorcycle Riders COVID-19, also known as 2019 novel coronavirus, is quickly changing the way many of us proceed in public, and it’s important to have a game plan for when you go out in order to have the best chance of staying healthy and in-fection free. Motorcycle riders, even though they’re a for-midable bunch unafraid of taking risks or facing danger, aren’t immune from the virus which is why we’ve put to-gether a list of tips to help keep you safe and healthy as you ride through the storm. Tip #1: Avoid Large Gatherings We’re just coming into the riding season in many parts of the States and rallies, group rides, and meetups are a fantas-tic way to usher in another year of rides. This year, howev-er, it would be wise to avoid these types of gatherings, if they haven’t already been canceled. The CDC states that the best way to avoid coronavirus is to “avoid being ex-posed” to the virus. So that means foregoing the club dinner or meeting after a ride and steering clear of popular hangouts that attract a lot of people. Tip #2: Don’t Touch Your Face So you just got back from a few hours on the road, you’ve stopped at a few places along the way, handled money, and opened a few public doors without your riding gloves on. You’re finally enjoying the fresh, sweet air on your head now that your helmet is off. If you’re like me, it would feel really good to rub your eyes or scratch that itch that started nagging you a few miles back. Try to avoid this, unless you are absolutely sure that your hands are fully sanitized. Grab a clean rag or handkerchief if you can instead, or find some hand soap and scrub for at least 20 seconds before you put those mitts on your face. Tip #3: Manage Your Stress For a lot of motorcyclists, riding is a form of stress manage-ment, but it’s optimal to have your stress levels under con-trol before you get on the bike so you can minimize mis-takes caused by inattention. So really try to get your head in the right place before you hit the road. Take a few minutes before you ride and take some deep breaths, stretch, make sure you’re well fed and well rested. Then, when you feel your focus is dialed and your body loose, start your ride.
Tip #4: Clean And Disinfect Think about any commonly touched surfaces that may need to be addressed, such as any tools, your handlebars, or the inside of your helmet then clean and disinfect these surfac-es. Cleaning gets the dirt and grime off, while disinfecting does the job of killing any lingering germs. The CDC rec-ommends this two-step process in order to maximize the effectiveness of your sanitization practices. Tip #5: Carry Sanitizer With You If Possible If you have hand sanitizer at home that contains at least 60 percent alcohol, find a convenient way to carry some with you during a ride. It will come in handy if you stop any-where along the way and touch any public surfaces, like a gas pump for instance. Tip #6: Consider Keeping Your Gear In The Garage For those who are doing out-and-back rides without any stops along the way, this tip may not be necessary, but if you’re stopping and interacting with others or making con-tact with high-traffic public surfaces, it may be wise to leave your gear in the garage. The CDC explains that it may be possible for coronavirus to be transmitted from contact with a contaminated surface, though it’s not considered the primary means of transmission. At this time it’s also thought that coronavirus has poor survivability on surfaces, so this precaution is a better-safe-than-sorry recommenda-tion for those who have high-risk family members at home, such as the elderly or those with chronic medical conditions like heart or lung disease. Tip #7: If You Feel Sick Or Are Worried That You’ve Been Exposed, Stay Home If you have a bit of a cough or other mild flu-like symp-toms, stay home and give yourself time to rest. In other cir-cumstances feeling a bit under the weather might not be reason enough to forego a ride, but with coronavirus it’s to your benefit and the benefit of your community to hold off. This recommendation also goes for anyone who is worried they may have been exposed, since symptoms don’t show up right away and some people may be asymptomatic. The CDC indicates that symptoms can show anywhere between two and 14 days after exposure, and that the range and severity of symptoms varies.
Above all else, be safe out there, exercise your best judg-ment and follow any additional recommendations provided from your local health authorities.
OHIO, It's not the des�na�on, it's the ride.
Robert G & Angela WILLIAMS
Interim OH District Educators Interim VA District Educators OH-T CSEA GWRRA REP Team Assistant GWRRA Rider Course Master Instructor GWU Instructor Trainer
Gary Ballou
Motorist Awareness
Coordinator
The MOTORIST AWARENESS Program in
uncertain �mes, or….
“How I learned to stop worrying & love
the COVID-19 Bomb”
Did you smile, just a liEle, at the not-so-subtle refer-
ence to a movie that many of us saw in 1964? An
“aEaboy” to anyone who remembers the name of the
movie, with a gold star added if you can name the ac-
tor who rode the bomb without looking it up.
I feel like I’m reliving that doomsday scenario in this
current government and media frenzy that has fright-
ened our na�on and essen�ally shut down our econo-
my.
We are jus�fiably upset when we are shown the num-
ber of deaths this virus has already caused. I’m not
saying this isn’t serious, but just to add a liEle per-
spec�ve, go take a look at the Centers for Disease
Control es�mates on annual deaths from influenza in
the USA in the last nine years. Care to take a guess?
How about anywhere from 12,000 to 61,000, with an
average of 37,000+. hEps://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/
burden/index.html Do you remember seeing any-
body in the government or the media bat an eyelash,
or start screaming “The Sky is Falling! The Sky is Fall-
ing!”?? Me neither.
That being said, let’s be crea�ve. What we can do for
Motorist Awareness in the present?
Na�onal Motorcycle Awareness month is s�ll happen-
ing in May, and GWRRA MAP Day is s�ll on Saturday
May 9. If the weather is nice, you can s�ll ride your
motorcycle to the Grocery Store. What is stopping
you from wearing your vest?
If we are s�ll prac�cing social distancing at that �me,
what is stopping us from going out individually and
puCng up banners & yards signs?? Even if it’s only in
your own front yard, it s�ll counts!!
With the April 24 Officers Mee�ng now officially can-
celled/postponed, I cannot guess when I might be
able to distribute the huge stack of “Watch Out for
Motorcycles” Banners, Yard Signs, Bumper Magnets
etc., that are siCng in my house. But all is not lost!
Below is an order form. Each Chapter Director or Mo-
torist Awareness coordinator can order supplies from
Motorcycle Ohio and they will be delivered to your
door at no charge.
By the way, it was “Dr. Strangelove” and Slim Pickens.
Check it out at hEps://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=3edi2Wkr5YI
Stay healthy out there!
Gary Ballou
Ohio District MAP Coordinator
Na�onal GWRRA MAP Day Project Leader
MOTORCYCLE OHIO MATERIAL ORDER FORM
Below is the list of motorcycle materials from the Motorcycle Ohio office and the Ohio Traffic Safety office, we currently have available the items listed below free of charge. If you would like to order any of the following items, please submit your request on this form. Please make sure the quantity you request will be used.
MATERIALS MAY NOT BE SOLD!
Item Number
Description Quantity Requested
MOP0030 “Become an Instructor” brochure (50 per package) MOP0088 “Saved by the Helmet” brochure (50 per package)
414140 Kickstand plates (270 per box) MOP0027 Motorcycle Ohio information books (50 per package) MOP0051 Law and Regulations card (100 per package)
MOP0097 Motorcycle Ohio Handlebar hangers “Ride Trained and Endorsed” (50 per package)
414164 “Look Out For Motorcycles” banner (3’x6’)
414139 “Look Out For Motorcycles” yellow bumper magnets 25 per package
414191 OTS0107
“Look Out For Motorcycles” (16” x 26”) yard signs w/holders. Each
414152 Ride SMART litter bags – 100 Per Bundle
Please fill out the following on where you want these items shipped. Requesting Agency: County: Name: Address (cannot be a P.O. Box) City, State, Zip Telephone Number: E-Mail Address:
FAX BACK TO 614-387-0516
OR EMAIL TO [email protected] MATERIALS MAY NOT BE SOLD!
April 2020 Holidays
1-April Fool’s Day
Walking Day –yes we still can
3-Find a Rainbow Day
Tweed Day
4-Love our Children Day (as if we don’t)
Vitamin C Day
5–Read a Road May Day
Go for Broke Day
7-Beer Day
No housework Day
10-Good Friday
Siblings Day
11-Pet Day
12-Gilled Cheese Sandwich Day
13-Scabble Day
15– NOT Tax Day
16-Wear your PJ to Work Day (who isn’t)
19-Animal Crackers Day
20-Lima Bean Appreciation Day
Look Alike Day
22–Earth Day (hug the Earth)
25-Telephone Day
26-Kids & Pets Day
28-Great Poetry Reading Day
30-Adopt a Shelter Pet Day
Bugs Bunny Day (aahhh, what’s up doc)
Doug Kerst
WebMaster
I have updated the Chapter of the Year handbook
as of last month and the last page has the updates listed. I
have also added to the traveling plaque page which chap-
ters have it and when they captured it. If you have a fund-
raiser flyer in PDF, please pass it along to me so that I can
post on the district website or just give me the infor-
ma�on. I know that some of the chapters have postpone
or cancelled their fundraisers, so please keep me updated
so that I can post changes on the website.
If your chapter has a yearly ride schedule in PDF
for the whole year, please pass this along to me and I will
put it on the website. I can put other forms or events on
the website but PDF is the best to post and to see. I have
been upda�ng Chapter event page under rides with can-
celled or postpone events in the district. Please look or
contact the chapter director to see if anything has been
postponed.
HTTP:\\ohiogwrra.org
Treasury Notes Karen Ballou
HELP !!!!
I AM TRAPPED IN MY HOUSE<
WITH MY HUSBAND< AND I DON’T
THINK I MAY SURVIVE UNTIL
MAY !!!!
Ok, it isn’t that bad, but there are �mes when we
all feel trapped and start to go bonkers. Maybe we
should have another virtual Cabin Fever, videos or
slideshows of the games, the auc�ons, people hug-
ging, and smiles. Lots and lots of smiles.
For anyone who has been hiberna�ng under a
rock, be aware that the OFFICER’S MEETING on
April 18 at Obetz Community Center is cancelled.
If we are released before snow falls, maybe we can
reschedule.
Treasurers: Be sure to look at your bank state-
ments each month for incorrect or crazy entries to
deposits or checks. Even banks make mistakes.
CAVEAT TO MOTORIST AWARENESS PAGE:::
If you are in our area, Gahanna, OH, please
come and get yard signs and banners. They
are filling up my sunroom and I need it !!!
We can do social distancing, promise.
WHAT’S HAPPENING WHAT’S HAPPENING WHAT’S HAPPENING WHAT’S HAPPENING
NEXT in OHIO ??????NEXT in OHIO ??????NEXT in OHIO ??????NEXT in OHIO ??????
2020
April 18 Spring Officers Mee'ng
Loca'on—Community Center, Obetz
May 9 Motorist Awareness Day
Do Something !! (Ride your
bike to the grocery)
June 11-13 Buckeye Rally
Wayne County Fairgrounds
Wooster, OH
June 30-July 4 Wing Ding 42
Springfield, Missouri
November 21 Fall Officers Mee'ng
Loca'on TBD
Springfield, MO
1999
