"Honor through Integrity" Part II

 Come on now.. some shit is just funny.  Some Drama is friggn' Hilarious.  Especially, when you know the full back story.

When a group has folks in in it that are banned from other groups.  Few member(s)  that should have had charges filed against and done jail time for theft and fraud and god knows what else.  Lets just say ... should the word "sleazy" maybe be in it's Title or background?

In any case, became aware of the drama this morning.  Sorry .....  shit like this makes me laugh

Brandon is first up

Mario has the last word

June Chapter Ride

 Scheming/planning.... short but...

VFW

Take the back way there.  Then ..maybe .... lunch at Romas?  They have a nice outside area

Outside Area

Romas via Big Brother view

Jumping Ship

 Damned.. saw another one jump ship.... throw in the patch.

Got a phone call from them telling me.. explaining their side. The Situation.   Hell, got an 'invite.' .  But ... nogo  .. sorry .. .I'm fat dumb and happy.

Is everything perfect in my lil' world?  No.   Am I happy?  Yes.  Am I going anywhere soon?  No.  I can honestly say ... 'never.'.  

I've written about some of this before.  The Human Psychology angle of it all.  Why do people do what they do.  Why do they join certain groups that .. incidentally ... have a a patch on the back of a vest. Why do they assume certain positions within a group?  What's that motivation all about? Why do they bail?

I officially resigned from the IIRA but that was only because I was moving into a staff position with the CVMA.  Didn't want any perceived conflicts.  But, I still have the vest in my man cave. I'm proud to have worn it. Still have the same friends I rode with.   Hell, that association has really 'slowed' down actively anyways.  But, I didn't walk from it in a butt hurt fashion.  Flipping it fingers.  Had nothing but good times.  The CVMA is my new home ... my new family (okay.. not new anymore).  I'm having a great time.   Never thought I'd be in my current position, but ... loving it.  I have no intentions of giving that up much less the patch.  Hell, I'm starting to think of ....  what's the next step?    We had an open position above my pay grade recently that had me 'thinking.'.  Crazy part is ...  a year ago, I'd been like 'oh fuck no.'.  Now.... well, I surprise myself.

Still, I wrote about something a few years back.  Why throw in the patch?  Hell, pony up $20 a year, show up at a meeting once a year.... until one get's their mojo back. Their head back into the game.  Something.

I don't get it........

https://easttexasbiker.blogspot.com/2024/01/turning-in-patch.html

https://rickkkcir.blogspot.com/2020/08/give-up-cut-patch.html

23-26 throws another good Party!

Historically, 23-26 has their annual sanctioned event closer to Texarkana at 67  Landing, but ...   ownership there has changed and they opted for a different venue.  They ventured south towards Jefferson where a few of them hang out often and secured a one block area for the weekend events.  

Auntie Skinners was the anchor spot and behind it they had a band and beer garden.  The street out front was blocked off and had plenty of parking for hundreds of motorcycles.  Few times, that area was packed!  With a Poker Run (not called that of course) on Saturday, lot of folks were in an out during the day.  

The route for the run was a great one... only about sixty miles or so, but our stop by the river's edge at Big Pines Lodge was a nice one and one I'd like to return to on a Chapter Ride of sorts.

Big Pines Lodge

My buddies from MS rolled in from 399 miles away ... Gruntpa from 44-2 and Sloshy and his bride from 44-5. Folks rolled up from San Antonio over 400 miles away.  Lots of AR and LA folks in force. And quite a few from neighboring chapters.  Folks from 23-24 looked to be there in force at one point, from nearby Marshall.  My Chapter, 23-11 did a fair showing.  We had ten folks on hand over the weekend, not too bad but we IMHO should have had twice that.  Chapter 23-26 came from 23-11 so I tend to push harder to attend their events and believe we as a chapter should.  But ... that's my personal opinion.

Friday evening 

The Playing Field

Did become aware of one .... issue... apparently in the mix.  I'm not even sure what my opinion is other than, in the future it'll dictate how I handle locations chosen based on what I heard.   We are an Association so we don't 'claim' territory, but we still deal with distances for where Chapters are located/created.  Situation here was 23-26 is out of Mt Vernon and Jefferson is closer to 2 other chapters.  Hell, 3 if you count LA (which isn't a player this being a TX event). 

Distances from 4 chapters to Jefferson.  

• Greenville  117 miles
• Mt Pleasant 65 miles
• Shreveport LA  55 miles
• Longview 36 miles
• Marshall 17 miles

 So, the question becomes....  what are the ground rules for when one chapter has an event near another chapter's home location?  Interesting one.... I'll just leave it at that.

Though it was a hot n muggy one, the A/C was awesome inside Auntie Skinners, food was good, and drinks were cold.  We'd stay dry the entire weekend though had some close calls to include throughout both Friday and Saturday nights.  I expected the worst but was met with nothing but sunshine.   We'd rock that place Friday afternoon Through Sunday morning.  But Sunday is there soon enough and rolling home.   Mama caged it so she's behind in her Jeep for 120 miles arriving home safe.  We as a chapter did have a close call though. About 1/2 home, Swamprat, Bear and Goldyloxx were running down Hwy154 when power lines fell in front of them .... literally, Swamprat had one of the 3 lines about hit him at fairing level, while he ran over 2 of the other lines.  Everyone made it through the potential death trap .... and joking had to stop for a beer and change their shorts :)   Thank God nothing else but a story came of that one.

Next year could be an interesting one after I became aware of potential drama.  Crossing my fingers I'll be writing another positive review next year after the next one.........

Auntie Skinners knocked it out !

Yep.. She's Tiny and they are Giants!

The Carriage House Bed n' Breakfast

Breakfast Provided!!!

CVMA .. where's the info?

 

Just about every day ... via social media, the Forum, you name it.... you hear/see, where is this Chapter?  What Chapter is closest to blah blah blah.  I don't get it.  It's all out there for our members to see.  First of all .....   EVERYONE/ANYONE can see where we are....  If one goes to the National Web Page and click on https://www.combatvet.us/, they are at the core of 'all' our info.  One doesn't have to login to see this.

National Page

If one looks down at the CHAPTERS button on the bottom left of the screen CHAPTERS button on the bottom left of the screen, it will take them to a page that pretty much shows EVERY Chapter and Detachment, to include a Web Site (if there is one) and the Chapter/Detachment Commander's POC.   Now ....  think about this.   If you are headed to Vegas and want to hang out with the CVMA .... click here and follow through with the info provided.  Headed to New Orleans and want to hang out?  Same thing?  Moving to bumfuck Kansas and wonder if there is a chapter nearby?  CLICK HERE!CLICK HERE!    .... Or , just be like the majority whom either get on social media or the Forum and ask 5000 members if they know anyone out in the middle of the country in some small Chapter .. since... they are driving through next week.   Get the picture?

CHAPTER BREAKOUT

Now, here is the real kicker to me.   There is a small percentage of folks that have no grasp how to pay their national dues.   On that same page, AFTER they log in there is a tab labeled Administration.  Within that, 201 File.  Go to that and click on DUES OPTION on the upper right.  I'm not going to do any specific directions or screenshots, since that is an area that is secured for members only.  

Worst case, go to a meeting and ask a member of the CEB if they will log into your 201 and pay it via their PayPal  account and hand them a $20 bill.  Done.  Finished.  That's it.   Another year behind you of no BS

Now ... the real info is on the FORUM.  When you are logged into the National Page, look next to Administration and you see ' FORUM'.  There is a HUGE wealth of info that goes back many years in here.  A true archive.  Yet, most people never log in. I know this for a fact since I can look at my own chapter and see less than 20% are active at all on it.  Usually only 10% get it on it often.   Sort of sad in a way ... all that info ..... minimal activity.

That 201 file that one had to open to pay their National Dues.  Most barely even review it.  This is where ALL our important data is logged!   I won't go into specifics but ... look at the Notes.  Look at the Sanctioned Events.  Other Events.  Is everything there that you've attended.  Does everything look correct?  This shit can bite you if you decide to put in for Life Membership and a sanctioned event hasn't been logged.  We've got a six-month window to correct that for it to be valid on the Life Member application.  Yet, every year I hear someone say .. they don't have a login.  Forgot their login.  Haven't checked their 201 since last year (I guess when they paid their dues?).

This stuff isn't rocket science... or WTF...   Just go on FB and ask all these questions.  There's always someone that will answer. Hopefully, with the correct answer.

LIFE MEMBERSHIP!

 Back in '21 I got mine .. wrote about it HERE

Back in '22, Lucy got hers, wrote about it HERE

On the forum, as it usually is every few years, it's a hot topic.  Dozens and Dozens of pages.  Hundreds of comments...  Pretty interesting actually.

Back in January, requested folks to pay their National Dues as soon as possible, but by end of Feb, we only had 1/2 do it. I've brought it up in monthly meetings.  By end of March, we made headway.  I've sent out multiple reminders.. but damned if we still don't have a few that .. just ignore it.  Come June, should get interesting.

Today I read "For those members who have not paid your national dues yet. You have approximately 54 days to pay them. The deadline is 11:59PM 30 June. Don't miss the deadline. If you need help please reach out to your CEB members for assistance "

At this point, I'm sitting back and watching.  I'll send out one more reminder via Cell phone texts .. I've sent out emails and posted on GIO.  

Now.. the point of this post.   What is the Value of Life Membership?  For me initially it was simply two things.  First, validated I was serious about my tenure with the Association.  Secondly, didn't have to deal with the annual "Pay your dues!"  All that goes away. Now, one simply remains in Good Standing and all is fine.  Lucy, same reasons. 

But....   what a shit storm occurs on this subject!   Should it be something that takes 5, 10, or 20 years to achieve?  Should one have to do more than just a single Nationals?  Why not two or three?  Why not more sanctioned events?  We're talking PAGES of discussion.  Organizations such as VFW , AMVETS and The Legion don't required you meet any of that.  Pay up, and you're good.  In the big picture, most organizations simply want the plus up of funds.  But .. it's a valid point.

Me, I'd assume minimum FIVE Years.   Maybe a Nationals for 3 of those 5.  Multiple Sanctioned events.   Make it something worth 'achieving.'   For me, oh well.  I've achieved all that and more.  Like I said, I got my Life Membership because I'm "all in" to start with.   I don't think it'll ever get changed.  So many pieces to the pie on this one and you'd have to get the majority of membership to agree.  So, I'd bet money it'll remain as is.

Still.. the human nature part of it all?  Just pay the fucking $20 in Jan, pay the chapter dues and press one..... Geeezus.   Speaking of Chapter Dues...   chapter I belong with needs a Lifetime option  ... that's on my todo list ;)