July 2000 KNOB NO. 47
ON THE AVENUE
KNOBBY FUN RUN HELD
This year, the Knobbies decided to hold a Fun Run in order to raise money to donate to the Ride for Kids. The Fun Run was held on June 4th. After meeting for breakfast at Quincey's in Morganton, two groups of Knobbies left for a day ride. Around 4 PM, the riders met back in Morganton at the Parker Road Park where Activity Director Danny Wilson and Knobby Terry Rairdon prepared a dinner of grilled chicken, hamburgers, and hot dogs, along with plenty of chips and a variety of drinks. The Fun Run raised about $350. Thanks to all of you who participated and helped with that event.
The club had earlier sold chances on a piece of stained glass which was to be crafted and donated by Bonnie Arnold to raise additional funds for the Ride for Kids. At the Fun Run, the winning ticket for the piece was drawn, and Patsy Smith won it. Altogether, the stained glass ticket sales amounted to $1100. Thanks to stained glass artist and fellow Knobbie Bonnie Arnold for her generosity and hard work!
Several very nice door prizes were given, and one was donated back and was auctioned off, and the money was added to
the Ride for Kids fund. At the Honda Hoot, which was held June 14 in Asheville, Knob Mountain Motorcyle Chapter
presented a check for $1755. This means that our club was in the top five in the amount donated, and the foundation gave
us two Ride for Kids jackets, two T-shirts, and two ball caps. One of the jackets went to Bonnie Arnold, who had donated
the stained glass, and the other items will be given as door prizes at the Knobbie Campout in September. Many thanks to
all of you who helped with both the Fund-raising and the Fun Run. Thanks, too, to the Unifour Trail Bike Club who
participated in the Fun Run and in the fund-raising effort. (See related letter from Lydia Sweatt)
CASS, WV RALLY VISITED
Several Knobbies attended the Cass Rally this year. In fact, so many Knobbies went (about 18) that our club was awarded the plaque for the largest club in attendance! Our club did well in prizes won, too. Patsy Smith, who had just said, "I never win anything", nearly went into shock when she won a nice camping chair, complete with armrests, headrest, and footrest. Imagine her reaction when she also won a BMW pocket watch which was given in memory of Sam Hill and Sunny Norton, two of our fallen comrades. The inscription on the watch reads, "BMW Motorcycles 10,000 New Riders We've Only Just Begun, 1999".
Another Knobbie won the big prize, a coveted First Gear coat. Congratulations go to Danny Wilson, who was also in
shock to hear his name called, but who was tickled pink to have a new coat. Several Knobbies won other prizes, and other
than the persistent rain, the rally was a lot of fun.
ELECTION TIME IS HERE
It is time once again to conduct elections for Knobby officers for the 2001-2003 term. The election committee members are Gene and Patsy Smith and Kathy Rector. In this newsletter you will find a nomination form for nominating your officers. Please take time to fill it out and return it to Gene Smith who is the election committee chair. Please do not nominate members of the election committee since they may not run for office this year.
The nomination period will run from the moment you receive this newsletter through September 15. Nominations for officers shall be accepted from any regular or associate member. Each member may submit one name for each elected officer position. No member may nominate the same person for more than one officer position. At the close of nominations on September 15, the election committee will contact the nominees at least by September 30. Nominees may verbally accept or decline the opportunity to run for the office for which he or she was nominated. If a member is nominated for more than one office, he or she must select the office for which he or she wishes to run. The name of each nominee who accepts the nomination will appear on the election ballot which will appear in the next newsletter which will be published by the first week of October. Ballots will need to be returned to the election committee by November 1, 2000. The election committee will tally the votes, and the names of the newly elected officers will appear in the November newsletter. The names of these new officers will be announced at the annual Christmas party, and new officers will take office during the January business meeting.
Please take the nomination process seriously and nominate the members who you feel will make good officers. If you are
nominated for an office, please run. This is your opportunity to take an active part in the leadership of your club.
RIDE FOR KIDS THANKS
Thanks to each and everyone of you who came to help us with the Asheville RFK event. We had folks helping up from BMWOGA and the Knob Mtn Motorcycle Chapter. We are proud to be members of both organizations. The grand total raised was in excess of $110,000. This is outstanding. We have enjoyed your help and sharing with us. Congratulations to the Knob Mountain Motorcycle Chapter. They were one of the top five clubs in fundraising. Special thanks to Bonnie and Stan Arnold for their tremendous contribution of the stained glass for auction to make this possible and also for my beautiful pink angel.
Weren't the kids so special. We got a picture for the Knob Mountain MC of us and Terry Murray with Grayson, Hannah, and Lacy, and next year I am hoping that more of you will be there at the closing ceremony to share in the festivities and to join us for the picture. We can display this picture in the clubhouse. Some of you spent the evening with us, and we had a really great time.
Next year at this time the ride will be in Knoxville, and we will see if we are asked to help. The Asheville ride will be in the fall, possibly in October. We will let you know, and remember, you can fund-raise through the year. Funds can even be turned in and you can have vouchers to present at the time of the ride.
There is so much work to do to help the kids. It was wonderful news to hear Dr. Bigner tell us that the next round of treatments will be more specific and less toxic for the kids. While we have been prolonging their lives, they have been having to live with such devastating after effects. This is outstanding news. And, we all realize that there is still a really big amount of work to do to really find the cause and cure for these dread pediatric brain tumors. Let's keep the pressure on to lick this thing.
Thank you again.
Lyd & Walt
Ed. Note: The pink angel Lydia is referring to was made by Bonnie Arnold specifically for Lydia because Lydia so
selflessly gave ten inches of her hair to have a wig made for one of the children who had lost his or her hair due to
treatment for brain tumors. Both of these very giving women deserve our admiration, praise, and thanks.
FACT OR FICTION??
(This supposedly was taken from a Florida newspaper, but it was sent to me via internet.)
A man was working on his motorcycle on his patio, and his wife was in the house in their kitchen. The man was racing the engine on the motorcycle, and somehow, the motorcycle slipped into gear. The man, still holding the handlebars, was dragged through a glass patio door, and the motorcycle was dumped onto the floor inside the house.
The wife, hearing the crash, ran into the dining room, and found her husband, cut and bleeding, lying on the floor, the motorcycle laying next to him and the patio door shattered.
The wife ran to the phone and summoned an ambulance. Because they lived on a fairly large hill, the wife went down the several flights of long steps to the street to direct the paramedics to her husband.
After the ambulance arrived and transported the husband to the hospital, the wife uprighted the motorcycle and pushed it outside. Seeing that gas had spilled on the floor, the wife obtained some paper towels, blotted up the gasoline, and threw the towels in the toilet.
The husband was treated at the hospital and released. After arriving home, he looked at the shattered patio door and the damage done to his motorcycle. He became despondent, went into the bathroom and sat on the toilet and smoked a cigarette. While still seated, he flipped the butt between his legs into the toilet bowl.
The wife, who was in the kitchen, heard a loud explosion and her husband screaming. She ran into the bathroom and found her husband lying on the floor. His trousers had been blown away, and he was suffering from burns on the buttocks, the backs of his legs, and his groin.
The wife again ran for the phone and called for an ambulance. The same crew was dispatched, and the wife met them at
the street. The paramedics loaded the husband onto the stretcher and began carrying him to the street. While they were
going down the stairs to the street, accompanied by the wife, one of the paramedics asked how the husband had burned
himself. She told them, and the paramedics started laughing so hard, one of them tipped the stretcher and dumped the
husband out. He fell down the remaining steps and broke his arm. And you thought you had a bad day.
ANNUAL KNOBBIE CAMPOUT TO BE HELD IN CRUSO
This year's Knobby Campout will be held September 8-10 at the Blue Ridge Motorcycle Camping Resort at Cruso, NC. From Asheville, take Rt. 19/23 towards Waynesville, and then take Rt. 276 toward Cruso. The campground is between Cruso and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Many of you have been there before and know that this campground is one of the best around. It is in a beautiful valley in
the mountains and is bordered by a river on one side and by mountains on the other. There are camp sites in the sun as well
as in the shade. Home cooked food is available at the covered pavilion, and camping cabins are also available. For
up-to-date prices on the cabins, call (828) 235-8350.
SWAP SHOP
For Sale: 1996 R1100RT, 70K miles, $8800. Call Bill Clayton at (828) 324-8903 or (828) 612-5824.
WORDS TO SURVIVE BY
(Passed on by Bert Brumfield, who found it on the internet.)
The BMW Owners of Nova Scotia M/C Club tries to put out a few words of wisdom now and then. Particularly fitting are some reminders of what to look out for when each riding season starts. We try to publish the following in a spring newsletter. I offer it now as a permanent record where all who are interested can refer to it. -Amedee
1. Know and believe that you are invisible to all other drivers.
2. When approaching any intersection, assume that cars traveling in the opposite direction are going to turn left and run over you. Be prepared to take evasive action.
3. Always, Always have an escape route out of a situation to avoid the consequences of other people's mistakes. Keep looking for the gap that you can use when someone else screws up.
4. Adjust your speed to your reaction time. At the end of a tiring day, it will be much longer than it was on the way to work at 8:00 AM, so ride with bigger safety margins.
5. Check BOTH directions when the light turns green. Maybe only one time in 10,000 will someone run the light. For a high mileage rider, that could be more often than most.
6. Drivers who are using their car phones are not using their brains. Watch out for them.
7. Mirrors are important. If they don't show anything but your elbows, buy some that do. Always use your mirrors.
8. Use other people's mirrors, too. Look into the mirror of the car in front of you. That way, you can see where they are looking and how attentive they are. If you can see them, chances are better that they can see you.
9. Trucks and vans often have a hard time checking their right side blind spot.
10. Slippery oil, antifreeze, and ATF look like water, particularly in low light. Try to avoid all wet spots, but if you can't, ride over them smoothly.
11. Check under (behind) parked cars. Those legs you see belong to a child who may run out in front of you.
12. Anticipate the moves of other vehicles. Drivers don't always use their turn signals in traffic, but you MAY be able to tell where they are going by watching their heads turn just before they change lanes.
13. Treat all metal surfaces -- train rails, bridge gratings, manhole covers -- with the utmost respect. They offer very little traction dry, and almost none when wet. Ride over them as smoothly as possible.
14. Ride in a gear that will allow you to accelerate quickly if you need to get out of a tight spot.
15. Never lose your temper when riding....If you do, STOP, take a breather, and then resume your ride.
16. Always be on the lookout for, and expect, the unexpected.
17. Avoid racing with other motorists.
18. IF YOU'RE NOT SURE, DON'T!
Courtesy of BMW Owners of Nova Scotia Motorcycle Club
TWO KNOBBIES WIN AWARDS
Two of our members, Terry Murray and Bill Clayton, have qualified for the 300,000 mile award given to those who have
ridden 300,000 miles aboard BMW motorcycles. The certificate and medalion are given by BMW of North America.
Congratulations to both of these long distance riders.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
August 8 BMW Riders' Refuge at Sturgis, South Dakota; Whispering Pines Campground; west on SD Hwy 44 out of Rapid City, then north on US 385.
10-13 The Stanley Stomp 2000, Stanley, Idaho; Bonanza Campground, between Stanley & Challis on Hwy 75, north at Sunbeam along the Yankee Fork, 8 mi. to campground.
11-13 23rd Dan'l Boone Rally, Boone, NC; KOA campground; from US 421 south, take NC 194 north 3mi., then left on Ray Brown Rd; 1 mi. to KOA
18-20 20th Hard to be Humble Rally, Livingston Co. 4-H Park, Pontiac, IL
18-20 34th Four Winds Rally, Buttercup Campground, Renfew, PA; I-75 exit 27, PA-68E 11.2 mi. to campground
31 - Sept.2 Sherando Lake Rally, Sherando Lake National Recreation Area, 10 mi. south of Waynesboro, VA, on Rt. 664, exit 96 off I-64
September 1-3 ROK ON Rally, Nolichucky Gorge campground, Erwin, Tennessee
2-4 Springfield Mile BMW Campout, Mr. Lincoln's Campground, Springfield, IL
19-22 RA at The Hocking Hills...RA's 28th International Rally, Fairfield Co. Fairgrounds, Lancaster, Ohio
October 6-8 26th Return to Shiloh Rally, Pickwick Dam, Rt. 128, 13 miles south of Savannah, TN
6-9 Oktoberfest XXXI, Rancho Corrido Campground, 14715 Hwy 76
KNOB MOUNTAIN MOTORCYCLE CHAPTER
2000 NOMINATION FORM
I, (Regular member) _______________________________________, nominate the following members for the following offices:
President: _________________________________________________________________
Vice President: ____________________________________________________________
Secretary: ________________________________________________________________
Treasurer: ________________________________________________________________
Activities Director: _________________________________________________________
*****************************************************************************
I, (Associate member) ____________________________________________________, nominate the following members for the following offices:
President: _________________________________________________________________
Vice President: _____________________________________________________________
Secretary: _________________________________________________________________
Treasurer: _________________________________________________________________
Activities Director: __________________________________________________________
ATTENTION : To be valid, this form must be signed by those who are nominating.
Knob Mountain MC Election Committee
Attention: Gene Smith
3078 Hwy 18 South
Morganton, NC 28655
Terry L Murray stamp
5110 Old Linville Rd.
Marion, NC 28752
tlm@wnclink.com