Hello to all my fellow Freedom Fighters!Well as I sit down to write this summer is officially winding down. The days are getting a little shorter, the nights are
cooler and the humidity has dropped. The night time low here in Tucson is finally back to about 70 degrees. As the rest
of the country prepares for winter we here in the desert areas of Arizona are gearing up for the best riding weather.
As I look over the calendar I see many, many upcoming events.
Every year there is a big increase in activity as the calendar flips over to October. The Arizona Confederation of
Motorcycle Clubs is holding their annual fund raising event THE RIOT ON THE RIVER! This takes place the weekend of
November 2 nd , 3 rd and 4 th , at the Winkleman Gila River Park. ABATE of Arizona is a charter member of the ACMC and I encourage everyone to attend. I try to attend every year and have always had a great time. It is really a good time to meet riders from all around the state and ABATE members from other chapters. I hope to see you there. As always when attending these events please wear your ABATE gear and let those hosting know that you are an ABATE member and you are supporting their event. Every year there is a big increase in activity as the calendar flips over to October. The Arizona Confederation of
Motorcycle Clubs is holding their annual fund raising event THE RIOT ON THE RIVER! This takes place the weekend of
November 2 nd , 3 rd and 4 th , at the Winkleman Gila River Park. ABATE of Arizona is a charter member of the ACMC and I encourage everyone to attend. I try to attend every year and have always had a great time. It is really a good time to meet riders from all around the state and ABATE members from other chapters. I hope to see you there. As always when attending these events please wear your ABATE gear and let those hosting know that you are an ABATE member and you are supporting their event.
It is also at this time of year that we need to prepare for our
Chapter and State Officer elections. Every Chapter should be
starting the process of nominations for the various officer
positions. I strongly encourage every member to really
consider stepping up to fill one of the positions in your
Chapter. I can truly say that serving my fellow ABATE
members as an officer has been very rewarding. All of our
officers serve on a volunteer basis.
Most officer positions do not require a large commitment of
time. If you are interested on running for an office please
contact your Chapter coordinator and talk with them about
what may be the required duties and time commitment
needed. I assure you it is a very rewarding experience. I also
would like to encourage members to consider running for a
State Officer position. There are a few openings at this time
and of the State Officers will not be running again so those
positions will also be open I just returned from the annual
Meeting of the Minds conference put on by the Motorcycle
Riders Foundation (MRF).
This year it was held in Harrisburg
Pennsylvania and hosted by ABATE
of PA. I must say this was one of the
best MOTM events I have attended.
One of the highlights of this year’s
event was that the MRF inducted our
very own Mary K Donnay into their
Freedom Fighters Hall of Fame!
Congratulations Mary K it is a well
deserved honor and I am so very
proud that you are a member of
ABATE of Arizona. It is also great that
your efforts have helped to bring all
that we do here in Arizona to the
attention of other Freedom Fighters
across the country. This year it was held in Harrisburg
Pennsylvania and hosted by ABATE
of PA. I must say this was one of the
best MOTM events I have attended.
One of the highlights of this year’s
event was that the MRF inducted our
very own Mary K Donnay into their
Freedom Fighters Hall of Fame!
Congratulations Mary K it is a well
deserved honor and I am so very
proud that you are a member of
ABATE of Arizona. It is also great that
your efforts have helped to bring all
that we do here in Arizona to the
attention of other Freedom Fighters
across the country.
This year the MRF announced that they have formed a network of
organizations that are all joining together. They have formed the
Independent Motorcycle Aftermarket Network, this group intends to
keep the MRF informed of the challenges they face operating a
business that supports motorcycle riders with services not offered by
traditional franchise dealers. More information on this effort will be
forthcoming.
One theme of the weekend was working together across different
organizations and industries to achieve common goals. It was
powerful to have not just MRF members in attendance, but leaders
from a myriad of other groups; National Council of Clubs, National
Coalition of Motorcyclists, American Motorcyclist Association,
National Council of Independent Riders, Specialty Equipment Market
Association, Independent Motorcycle Aftermarket Council and other
freedom fighters who understand the challenges motorcyclists are
facing, all made the trip to Harrisburg. There are many exciting things
on the horizon for all of us in the motorcycling community. Please as
you go about your travels either on your bike or in your cage, be
aware of what is around you. One theme of the weekend was working together across different
organizations and industries to achieve common goals. It was
powerful to have not just MRF members in attendance, but leaders
from a myriad of other groups; National Council of Clubs, National
Coalition of Motorcyclists, American Motorcyclist Association,
National Council of Independent Riders, Specialty Equipment Market
Association, Independent Motorcycle Aftermarket Council and other
freedom fighters who understand the challenges motorcyclists are
facing, all made the trip to Harrisburg. There are many exciting things
on the horizon for all of us in the motorcycling community. Please as
you go about your travels either on your bike or in your cage, be
aware of what is around you.
This time of year we get a big influx of winter visitors and college
students who are away from home for the first time, and who may not
be familiar with the area etc. The weather can also be very changeable
especially in the higher elevations. Watch those around you and
always be prepared for whatever you may encounter. Ride safe out there folks.
Jim ButsbackState PresidentABATE of Arizona
