If Your Membership Is Expired, Or About to Expire, Please Use the Application Below And s1

July 2011

If your membership is expired, or about to expire, please use the application below and renew your membership!

Don’t leave it up to the next guy… he may be leaving it up to you! Do you want to risk your rights like that??

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FROM THE PRESIDENT

Summer is here finally and the rains have left us for the good old summer time and lots of riding time. The first thing to talk about is the Chapters Rodeo at the Cottage Hills VFW on July 9. Members will be needed to set up the Rodeo Friday night at 5:30 p.m. and to help run the Rodeo on Saturday. Volunteers are needed to run the events Saturday, so you need to be at the Cottage Hills VFW no later than 3:00 p.m., which will give us plenty of time to get the ball rolling.

The next event for July is our Poker Run on July 31 - and it starts at Ted’s Motorcycle World in Alton. Members are needed to work the stops and run the spinners at the end. If you want to lend a hand at any event, give Rick a call (466-8337) and he will find you something to do.

Also, there is the Bike Show that we judge for Ted’s Motorcycle World later on in August. Members are needed as judges that day. Ed will have more information at the next meeting in August for you.

June meeting had a great turn out even though there were many other events going on in town that night. Bo got plenty to eat that night as my blushing bride sprang for pizzas to help celebrate my upcoming birthday. Boy was I surprised when my son brought in an arm full of pizzas. I guess you want to know how old I am… I just turned 18 on June 14th. Do you believe that?

It pays to read your newsletter so you don’t have to call and find out where the meeting was moved to. Guess who that was! There will not be a July meeting since that is the day of our Rodeo, so the next meeting will be back at the Cottage Hills VFW at 7:00 p.m. on August 13.

I don’t have a lot more here so I want to see you at the Rodeo, Poker Run and next month’s meeting. Don’t forget to bring a friend to an event or meeting as the membership is down just a little bit… and keep on spreading the word about ABATE. You would be surprised at the number of riders who don’t know about us and what we do.

That’s all for now. Aloha, Skinny

MEMBERSHIP REPORT

At the last monthly meeting, active member total was 333. This month, my current total is 336. So in spite of the large number of people expiring each month, we have gained slightly. This is very encouraging! It shows that our members are out there working to build our Chapter.

As you are riding, continue to give out membership applications. Ask people to help our cause. Sign up a new member this month, while you enjoy your ride…

ABATE can ONLY survive as an organization if each and everyone does their part.

Ride Safe!

Hello Piasa Gateway! Currently I am awaiting totals for the Motorcycle Awareness Billboard Campaign. Please be aware of inattentive drivers. We as motorcyclists have to constantly be on-guard and do double duty while riding. We have to be in control of our machine and also be able to act and react to those who are not looking for us.

Our own chapter has had a couple of members go down already this season. Please keep these folks in your thoughts. These are our brothers and sisters. It is early in the season, so please watch out for each other, and ride safe.

I was informed that another of our municipalities has enacted a sound ordinance that includes motorcycles. The city of Bethalto apparently had a meeting on a Sunday. Apparently, there wasn’t any opportunity to have representatives of the motorcycle community in attendance. The city has an ordinance similar to the city of Alton that will crack down on loud pipes. (Note: if you run straight pipes, or baffles out… it IS ILLEGAL in the state of Illinois, and in such case, you are on your own.) However, there is NOT a statute in the Illinois Vehicle which constitutes what a legal decibel level is for motorcycles. That means that if you receive a ticket from law enforcement for excessive noise… there isn’t a statute that will hold it up.

A few exceptions would be, if you tear thru town crackin’ your pipes and raising hell, then yeah… the cop can and will write you a ticket… and it WILL hold up. However, if your bike is LEGAL, and you are riding respectfully and you still receive a ticket or warning from law enforcement, you have recourse thru ABATE legal services via Rod Taylor.

If you receive a ticket and you have legal exhaust, please let Skinny know.

On another note, we are working on new ways to help increase our Downed Riders Fund. It is dangerously low right now. The whole purpose of this fund is to aid and help ease the financial burden of our members in good standing which unfortunately have had an accident and apply for the fund. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated and considered by the committee.

Please ride safe…. see ya soon!

REDBIRD

SOUTHWEST REGION REPORT

Hi All,

A HUGE THANKS to the Piasa-Gateway members who attended the last meeting and donated $250 (of which Tom Hooper donated $100) so our chapter could be a sponsor for the Shriner’s Ride coming up August 13th. Also a HUGE THANKS to Lynda Braundmeier for getting a $500 sponsor from the painters union and to the Cellar Room for being a $100 sponsor. You all rock and show that we have a great chapter. Last year over $10,000 was raised and we are well on our way again this year.

The 2nd Annual Shriner’s Hospital Benefit Ride will start at The Moose in Vandalia. Be there for breakfast at 8:00 a.m., ride leaves at 10:00 a.m. sharp, so be gassed up and ready to go. The ride will be approximately 250 miles and end in Sandoval @ Ugly Koyote with music provided. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be provided at stops while it lasts. We are expecting a great turnout and this is a group ride. When the evening concludes, there are hotels available close by unless you choose to ride back. This is a Dice Run @ the cost of $10 each, no more no less. Also T-Shirts will be available for sale for the event @ $10 each. We will be setting up a group ride - details will be at the next meeting. Hope you can make it.

Marble Run News:

As you are aware, the Fieldon stop was closed… the stop has since moved across the street. Books are still on sale, so if you have a friend who did not obtain one, there is still time.

To All, Ride Safe and Ride Free ~Zilla

Downed Riders Fund

Piasa-Gateway A.B.A.T.E. has a separate fund, known as the Downed Riders Fund (DRF) that is set-aside for its members in the event they are injured while riding their motorcycle or ATV.

To qualify for this benefit, one must be a member in good standing on the current roster at the time of the accident… and have received medical attention for his/her injuries. The accident must not have occurred during a competitive event. To apply for this benefit, one must make a request to a member of the committee, who will then provide you with a “Request for Benefits” form.

BOD REPORT

Under New Business:

The only thing brought up was about the American Income Life Insurance that we all have as being members of ABATE. It is a $2500.00 accidental death and dismemberment policy. It costs you nothing unless you are interested in getting more through them.

The problem seems to be that a few agents insist on calling the members and trying to tell them they need more information or that you need to sign additional papers. Then they try and sell you more stuff. Well that is not how it works. They have no reason to call you, period. If you feel you are being harassed by them, then you need to call Dawn Trodden at 309-339-1114. She is in charge of all of this and will put a stop to it. She is also a member of ABATE. Just make sure you get their name.

Under Unfinished (old) Business:

It was time to renew our Legal Services Contract again. This plan has been in effect since 1991 and since it isn’t broke, why fix it. It has worked very well for us in the past. It was decided to pass it for a 3 year period, instead of voting on it every year. However, the person who we want to be our Lawyer is still voted on, on a yearly basis. Once again Rod Taylor was appointed.

The Membership Coordinator Position by-law change was voted down. It was felt like this should be a chapter’s responsibility; besides we already have enough people on the E Board. It is not just the membership persons job to recruit new members, it is everybody’s job to try and get new members to join ABATE. The state office did report that we had 50 new members sign up in the last month. Wonder if that has anything to do with the State Party coming up?

Safety & Education:

Mike and Laura just got back from the Safety Vehicle Conference in DC with a lot of good information. They had the chance to talk to some of the world’s safety experts and to voice their opinions and concerns to them.

School presentations so far has been 254 and 5,305 students in the classes.

Treasurer Report:

Treasurer reported that all 990’s were turned in on time and completed correctly. Also, we are not a tax exempt organization, so we have to pay taxes on things that we purchase.

PAC Donations:

All donations must have the persons name on the check or money order in order for them to use it. It can not be an anonymous donation.

Also, any requests to go to a fundraiser must be submitted to your region trustee and he will pass on the information for approval. If you are not sure who that is, look in the state newsletter and they are all listed there.

I think that is about it for now, so enjoy the riding when you can.

Fighting to Keep it Free For All of Us

LEGISLATIVE REPORT

Let’s start with HB 2860 - The Red Light Bill. It has passed all the way through the House and Senate and we are just waiting for our good friend Sen. Cullerton to take it to the Governor’s desk, in which he can either pass it or veto it. If he veto’s it, we will bring it back up in the Veto session and try and override it.

There should also be no more motorcycle only check points, at least that is what we have been told by the State Police. Sort of an agreement between us and them. IF however you do get stopped in one, we need to know as soon as possible, and this must be from you, not second-hand news from a friend of a friend. We need to know when, where, who it was, badge number, officer’s name, tickets issued. This does not apply to locals and county officers. State only.

It also appears that this Governor is no better than the last one, when it comes to sweeping money from places that have money set aside. All monies that were in the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) for grants to such activities as Equestrian riding, off road, bike trails, snowmobile riding are now gone to the tune of 3.4 million dollars. Where do these people get off? Sure like to know where he spent that at, and under what excuse. That is all for now.

Later, Cuz

PIASA-GATEWAY CHAPTER BUSINESSES

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If Your Membership Is Expired, Or About to Expire, Please Use the Application Below And s1

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