POWER

The Guitar Reveal

What a great evening.  Week or so ago, SwampRat let us in on a secret...a plan .. he had.  Back in '18 this guitar was won in a raffle at an event that Dutch hosted for around a decade.  Well, over the years it got some abuse.  SwampRat came into possession of it, had it 'restored' and had as many of the chapter in as possible, with no knowledge for what was about to go down.  I believe Dutch was truly overwhelmed with this gesture and the guitar is now where it should be. 

Overall the afternoon/evening rocked.  Short scenic ride to SWG for 1/2 of us, great fellowship ..... felt like .. the way it's supposed to feel like?  I see good days ahead for 23-11.

SWG

Lucy and I on KRUSH

Wingnut : Road Captain

Kat and Chief

 

Nance and Boudreaux

x

Dutch rolling in his cage, aware only that he had to cage so he could carry something back

RVR '23

 REGION 5 RALLY

Man .. been planning this one for 11 months... as soon as I caught wind of dates .. blocked the calendar.  Hotel locations? Reservations made in La Vernia.  Location change?  New reservations in Floresville.  Had put this out there on GIO eleven months ago.  Crickets.  Put it out there to my local guys I ride with "Senor Rebels" ...   only Chief could make the ride.  So, Friday morning we're headed out.  Weather forecast says possible rain, but we won't feel a drop over the next few days.....

KRUSH

Two Lanes, Day One

We decide to head south on two laners to enjoy a stress free ride.   I broke one of my own rules and didn't 'plan' out the route and keep it on my gas tank with roads/turns.  I simply put  La Vernia in the GPS and told it to avoid highways.   For the next several hours we were going down roads I'd never heard of before, but I could see on the GPS screen it made sense.   But... La Vernia?  Yeah.. I messed that one up.  They are close together, but ... when we were south of Austin it was messing with my GPS directions...  To add a lil fuel to the fire....   it got HOT.   Was in the upper 70s when we left, but 1/2 there was up to 99.  By the time we'd roll in it had been 103/104 for over an hour.  WTF?   Last few stops I was pouring a water over my head for every one I chugged.   But, we survived.....  Checked in, showered up, cooled down ... and we're off

We headed to Bike Night which is closer to La Vernia/San Antonio at Texas Pride BBQ.  This place was awesome, reminding me of Strokers with the way they integrate bike parking in the mix.   Nice and cool in the shade, BBQ wasn't too bad, beers were ice cold , bartenders were cute and served them up with comments (working them tips!).  Saw Skrape right off the bat, few other folks from 6-1 we keep running into, headed over to 23-25s table and picked up some challenge coins and a Region 5 etched knife ...  and enjoyed the evening.  But, couple hours later we snuck out and headed back (about 25 min ride).  Grabbed a 12 pack on the way back to the hotel .. and .. pulled the plug.

Morning is quickly upon us and headed over the event center.  You could swipe in the night before or here at the entrance.  We're soon gobbling breakfast burritos, the meeting is under way at 0900, patch in ceremony for a full member and an aux.  Then, 99% of the place emptied out, mounted bike and headed to a local Veterans home and Boomers for a drive by.  Boomer was in an awful bike accident a few weeks back and is laid up.  I don't know any details beyond the fact someone did a U turn on him in the middle of a 2 lane country road and took him out.  Broken wrists, ribs .. lots of broken ribs...   lacerated liver .. etc.   Brutal.  So, about 200(?) bikes rolled out and headed out of town.   Got to admit riding through both the Veterans home and Boomers neighborhood teared me up.   Boomer was able to get out in the street as we roared by him showing our love and respect.  Then, we're back to Floresville.  Most headed back to the Event Center; may ass was back to the hotel to get out of the heat and throw down a few cold ones.  Later on that afternoon, back to the Event Center to visit with folks, won a bottle of bourbon via the raffle, didn't win the cool AR15, got some ink on my forearm... then ...back to the hotel.  Grabbed the remaining twelve pack, headed down stairs and drank a few with my brothers down there.

We're determined to beat the heat so alarm set for 0500, leg over the bike at 0600 and we're rolling.  Since it's a Sunday morning (less traffic) make the decision to take the fastest route.  We're soon on 130 (tollway) where the speed limit is posted at 85, and we're rolling a notch under 90.  Hour later, sucking gas, feeling up and .....   rolling.  Temps are still in the 80s and this ain't as brutal as the trip down.  We jump onto Hwy 34 at Italy and ....   less traffic and BS.  By the time we roll into the driveways a lil past 1130 hrs, temps are  low 90s, and we put a lil over 800 miles on the last 60 hrs or so.  

Next up ..... .TX State in a few weeks down in Killeen (Ft Hood)!

Rolling South

God Bless Tejas

Bike Night

Bike Night

Bike Night

Headed out Saturday Morning for THE ride

Boomer in Action

Time to Step up

Nominated for Chapter Commander.  Accepted the Nomination last night.  Bio sent in a few moments ago.   Voting at the next meeting. Next month I step into the role or we continue down the current path.

Let's see what the future holds........

CC ... getting called out

Well, about 11 months ago I was talking shit and wrote it here  >>  (If I was Commander ....) <<.  I was dissatisfied with the way things were being run and ranted in my own way, here about a 'what if' situation.  I was thinking about "what would I do... how would I do it...." few years from now when I stepped up.  What I didn't see coming was what happened the following month.

Some of the folks I was 'unhappy' with, with how they managed, were now trying to boot me from the Organization using our bylaws as the basis.  I still disagree with how it all went down. I disagree with the follow on 'punishment.'   That all being said, I understand a protocol was violated.  However, I personally believe a few POS's were simply trying to boot me.  The humorous part now is most of them are gone themselves.  Good.  A House Cleaning was needed. If I see them out in public I doubt I'll even acknowledge their presence.  Good Riddens. Bye. See Ya Bitches.

Is what it is.  Folks did what they did either because they wanted to fuck me over or they got caught up in the herd mentality.  As I've stated before, I admit I was wrong.  I violated a protocol I was unaware had been updated literally days prior.  My timeline does not jive with the timeline of others during the investigation.  Sorry .. I was there.  I know when / how I did things.   I know why I did what I did.  But when the smoke cleared, at the core I fucked up.   Done.  Past. Obviously won't happen again.  Fact of the matter is ..... a discussion with the SAA and/or CC had they done their job here locally, would have brought the same solution, same result .... but ...ten months later, here we are.  When the smoke cleared I missed a few rides to Sanctioned events I'd planned. Shit happens. Additionally, got some clarity on how to handle things in the future, circles of trust .. blah blah ..   

So, less than a year ago I found myself in a shitty spot. I was pissed beyond a point what many realized.  I considered a lot of options, but reminded myself of some of the things I've written about over the years.  So, I parked my emotions, waited things out, began planning on how to do additional things beyond my group here locally.  Decided how to handle some problem folks.  A plan to press on in a positive manner.  What I didn't plan on was the situation I'm now in.

Nominated for CC.  Wasn't on my radar.  Folks have brought it up multiple times the last few months, but I downplayed it.  Some have been trying to get me to do this for the last four years.  I may not have liked what I saw but I wasn't ready to step up. I travel a LOT.  Business travel and personal travel; my job is wherever I go. I take my laptop and cell phone and could work from the moon if AT&T could get their shit together with cell tower service? 

Got to tell you ... the last five years have been interesting.  My first two years put a smile on my face.  Our CC .. hell, most of our CEB, were a lil' wild.  Probably too much drinking, too much cussing  .. but I dug it.  We had the young group .. and the ...um... lets call it the mature group.   Basically two cliques.  I belonged in the old group, but tried to hang with the young guys.  Then after some crazy BS, the chapter ...we ...found ourselves with an immature 'leader' who I thought was a mess, but it sort of worked.  Then he and I bumped heads, I didn't back off.  Few months later (nothing to do with me), he was out.  Threw in his backpatch.  My thought?  "Fucking Pussy."

Then we had a new 'leader'.  Never 100% trusted that one.  Always felt like there was a hidden agenda.  Some folks don't do well at the top; it goes to their head.  I believe this was the case.  Then this person came at some ... then me.  He failed .... then ... thew in his patch. Gone.  My thought?  Fucking Pussy.  Good news is he took a few other clowns with him.

Since then, we've been ... well .... just sort of staying afloat. Folks have stepped up.  Things are getting done.  But, deep down something feels off to me.  Maybe it's because of the shit that went down with me a few months back.  Maybe I'm right.  Maybe I'm wrong.  But either way ... I've been nominated to step up or shut up.

As I write this ... I believe I'll step up.  I've done my resume, with a humorous twist.  Yes, the position is a serious one.  But ....  I'm not that guy.  I still work a job and that shit has enough stress.  But our chapter ... doesn't need the BS ... the Drama ....  we need a group doing good things and enjoying the ride along the way.  Some believe I'm the person to step up and make that happen.  Problem is... I can't give 100%. But I believe me running at 75% ... 80% . 90% ... full throttle is more effective than what I've seen the last three years.  I travel for pleasure and business often.  Just need to keep my schedules straight.  Keep communications open between key players.  Attempt to steer a ship of sorts, in the correct direction?  It was pointed out to me 4 plus years ago, the CC doesn't really have any 'power.' Hell, you can't even really vote (I need to double check that fact).  Your job is to steer this ship full of  all of us Type A crazies and hold on for the ride?

We shall see....  still debating

WHOOPS.... wearing these will get your ass kicked!

 

Crazy what you can find if you look hard enough?  Now being stupid enough to put on a vest as a non member and wear it in Public .. that'd be risking one's life? :)

Rider Down! You okay?

 Okay .. I'm an ass wipe.  Here's one of my Pet Peeves .........

You see this on Social Media (ex FB) all the time.   Hey .. bike down over by so and so .... everyone okay?  Check in!

Well .. now .. my Pet Peeve.   Lets say your group has 100 people in it.  How many saw that message?  Of those, how many respond? All those folks that didn't check in, doesn't anyone check on them?  Why not............   otherwise, what's the point of asking? See my point?

If I go down .... you'll hear about it from my wife... from a friend.... from the funeral director; somebody.   And when those posts go out worrying about folks, a tiny percentage of the time someone will give a description of the bike or other hints.  Sometimes when you realize it's not part of the group, there's no retraction .. and .. folks chime in for .. days.     If you're going to ask a group and/or friends,  then why not follow up with all those that don't respond after you don't get a response from the victim or ID of the person(s) down?.   WTF was the point of even asking otherwise?

There.... I feel better now

Updated 2 DEC

We have a solution >>> 

Who's on First?

When's the next meeting ... ... where's that meeting?  Who's riding this weekend on the major run? Who's on what committee?   Whatever the issue, question ...  the info has to reside ... somewhere.

Public Web Site ...   Groups IO  ...   Public FB Page .. Private FB Group ... FB Messenger chat group .. email.  Does your head hurt yet with all the options, where it resides .. or .. on all (that NEVER hapens)

Well...   we 'officially' use GIO.

Last meeting after our discussion about the annual costs of the Public Web Page and the  App that Smitty put together based on WIX.....   find myself looking at a few things

CVMA CHAPTER 23-11 CVMA2311@groups.io

Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association Chapter 23-11

Group Information

•  https://www.cvma-2311.org/
•  34 Members
•  348 Topics , Last Post: Sep 3

Okay ... 34 members ....

Now .. my match via our public we page is 35 members ; FM/SM/Aux.  Close enough for military work?   So ....   the numbers sort of  jive.  Now, I can't see whom all the GIO members are .. but .. we can only assume the count is similar.  So ...Not too bad?

Now, move to The App.  Spaces by Wix .

I think it shows 14 Members that have created an account.  Only several of that 14 have ever posted there.  I'd hope everyone has Dl'd it has scanned the app to get a feel for it..  Still that's less than 1/2 our membership as I type this.

Smitty and I have been discussing the merits of both.  This came up because of the 23-11 web page costs during the last meeting.  I agree with him that this GIO page is somewhat archaic.  However, I do believe it serves it's purposes for business discussion, archival of all that info, etc.   I also agree with him it's not widely/heavily used by all.  But, neither is the FB page or Group.  The FB Messenger "Chapter Stuff" is, but that's not the best place for business discussion since it doesn't lend itself to the ability to index, archive, separate discussion, etc, etc.   And, not everyone uses it because.. it's tied to FB. So that, is basically a BS channel with a mix of other things in there.. that should probably be on GIO .. lol

I'm not trying to beat a dead horse here, but ...   if anyone seriously wants to move away from GIO they need to download the App or login from the public web page where you can see a duplicate of the App ( I like the smart phone app better) to test this out.  At some point (less than 12 months from now) we need to fully embrace either of these at some point for Official Chapter Communication. One OR the other.

My vote today is GIO.... but as I said.... the app is slick and nice and has a lot of functionality.. and ...  is modern and easy to use.  Ten or eleven months from now if the entire chapter isn't using that App I personally will be asking us not to renew our WIX subscription for our public page that allows the App functionality ($$).  Waste of money if not being utilized by the majority of the chapter.