Boxer Shorts, August, 2004 - 3 of 4
Counting the Minutesby Jeff Stein, guest Secretary and Clerk
July 11, 2004, Ashland, MA USA, the very center of the YB Universe, one Sunday a month: The day dawned bright on the Yankee Beemers, another one of those Sunny Sunday Mornings at Stone's Publik House, the kind Pres Kit Wise (he had already left for Spokane and the International BMW MOA Rally the day before the meeting) had promised in his Presidential campaign.Inside, Doug Farmer (who is actually more of a "merchant" than a "farmer") was holding down the Club Store, and hungry YB's, 81 of 'em, were making short work of the usual melons, corned beef hash, potatoes, eggs, meats, three kinds of bread, and Freedom toast with exquisite banana syrup, all prepared in the Central Massachusetts manner. As you know, the food at these breakfasts is really good.
Out back, in Stone's parking lot, sat 85 motorcycles. (A couple YB's apparently like to ride more than they like to eat. This is fine with us.). Mostly of the Bavarian persuasion, the list included 2 Suzuki, 1 Valkyrie, a lovely matched set of Ducati S4R Monstah's, and a 999 for good measure. There was Al Latham's Honda Helix 250 and Texas sidecar filled with weights, Jim Ballard's exquisite olive green Triumph Tiger 650 (with a dreaded "Made in England" sticker right on the side of the bike); a couple of Bavarian Cream R12C's, a couple lovely-if-I do-say-so-myself black R60/2's, the Editor's New and Yellow R1200GS; VV was back in the saddle of his Alaska-to-Uruguay F650GS (no R12GS for him, baby!); and there was Fred Tausch's 653,000 miler, leaving damp evidence of its presence in the lot...
Up front, VP Dave Harmacek whistled the meeting
to order, on behalf of absent YB officers
everywhere, including Pres Kit (Spokane)
and Treasurer Maurice (also Spokane)and Secretary
Bruce (We don't remember where...) VP Dave
gave thanks to Mob Boss Jeff Leavitt and
iRene Boettcher (Spokane) for their heavy
volunteer effort at the successful Pemi River
Campout. There, you recall if you attended,
we hosted 120 people, including 80 members,
in lovely verdant surroundings where it rained
less (how d' you spoze it stays verdant?)
than it did pretty much everywhere else in
New England that weekend. VP Dave's mind
wandered to Spokane, site of the BMW MOA
International Rally later in the week, where,
for the first time in two years, the Yankee
Beemers are not going to come home with the
"Most Members" prize. The list
of members on their way to the Rally is still
way impressive, including Kit, Maurice, Roy,
iRene, Chace, the Rob'n'Peter Show, two of
the three Amigos, and the ever-adventurous
Josh Asher and Ray McKenna. We could (and
we Did! ed.) still win Most Member Miles...Discussion
turned to the Alternate Place To Be Next
Week: AMA Mid Ohio, where BMW is the Featured
Marque and where Mike Friedle is hoping for
a few YB volunteers to populate his MOA booth.
Fred Tausch spoke of great camping, starting
Thursday if you rode there on a BMW, and
many hands were held high when asked about
attending.
July 21, a Wednesday, is "Ride to Work Day", announced VP Dave, sponsored nationally by Aerostich founder Andy Goldfine. This, his VP-ness mentioned, is for any of us that don't ride to work already. July 23-25 is the Western Maine European Motorcycle Meet at Sunday River Ski Resort, with rides to visit our friend (and this man really is our friend, too) Dave Percival's fabulous collection of BMW motorcycles in Andover, Maine.
And then: August 6-8, it's our own Damn Yankees' Rally at the fabulous Heath Fairgrounds in Heath, MA. VP Dave introduced ex-VP Dana Lewis, Rally Co-chair (with Rob Nye (Spokane), to tell about it. Dana reminded us that info is on the YB Web, the rally site is just 100 miles away, there will be rally pins for the first 250 registrants, it costs $30 to pre-register, $35 at the gate, there will be great food, great pie, great camping and oh, yeah, riding; we could use 4 or 5 volunteers for set up and registration, there are posters to distribute now, proceeds benefit the Town of Heath, and bring your own mug. We serve beer but we don't do Styrofoam. Police Chief Lorin Gowdy has donated some (ahem!) fireworks, we have a bagpiper, a rolling bonfire with storyteller Carrol Stowe (Great nephew of Harriet Beecher Stowe - no kidding!) and a few surprises to boot. Then Dana sat down.
Watch your Shorts (and the YB Web) for news of Mike Andrews' annual Tin Butt 500-mile ride, August 14; and also for news of the August YB Meeting. This rite of summer will be on Wednesday night, August 18, a Dinner Meeting at the Pinecrest Country Club in Holliston. It will feature authentic German Food, and will cost $30 at the door. And read July's issue of the BMW MOA NEWS for cover story and photos by our own Shorts Editor Victor Cruz. He went to California and wrote about all the fun he had. Reading about it is the next best thing to being there.
The meeting closed with a standing ovation for MOA Ambassador, past YB Pres, and all around terrific man and motorcyclist Bob Pipes, who looks and acts fully recovered from his recent off-road excursions. Good to have him in our midst. News was relayed about Ralph and Michelle Zazula, recovering from a chance meeting with a van at a Concord, NH, intersection. We send them our best wishes. Finally, Angus Crowe honored us as auctioneer for a lovely ladies' riding jacket donated by Gordon Bowersock. This gift raised $329 for the Diane Pleines Fund. Next, an 83-car train went by the restaurant, today's Marcus Dairy SuperSunday was announced, and Deb Macchi and Tim Fiehler won the 50/50. More Diane Donations occurred as a result.
New members include: Bob Missoni, Bill Murphy, Roy Pescito, Zach Smith, Dana White, Joe Merlino, David Marsan, Janet Barnes, and uh, Mark, uh-oh, we lost his last name. Next month, Bruce will be back on the job; he'll get it right, and he'll spell it right, too, we promise.
Remember, it's as Mark Twain said - and he was from just down the road in Hartford - "I have discovered there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them."
See our event photos on www.photoisland.com userid yb password bmw
Jeff Stein
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