We look forward to 2009 and our new club formation next month. It will be like a breath of fresh air to have friendship and camaraderie once again at the heart of our meetings. There will be lots of events,ride outs etc. planned and we will welcome you and Barry unreservedly and hope that you will enjoy the forthcoming events whenever you can join us. Hope you managed to pick up one of our flyers about our first meeting that were being handed out after the AGM. If not, our first meeting is at The Swallow Hotel 10am on Sunday 1st February.

If you require any additional information you can email Stuart…the man in the know !!

Again look forward to seeing you both.

Regards,
Lynette

Don’t be too disheartened about the behaviour of the people you mentioned in your post. They have the same passionate feelings and beliefs about their club and the direction they want to take it as we do about our new Goldwing’s North West.

I look forward to seeing you both at our first meeting.

We have just completed our first six months as “wingers” and what fun we have had, we have met other wingers at Rivington Barn, gone on the Manchester toy run, done the light parade (wow), Gisburn and tried the Preston Fish Market, we missed 2 other wingers by 5 minutes, did a cold and lone vigil and then came home.

We attended 2 lancs and lakes meetings but were advised to wait until January to join to give us a full 12 months membership of the national club.

Unfortunately we joined in at a turbulent time for the club and hadn’t realised to belong to lakes and Lakes we also had to belong to the National club. Now I am a easy going girl and the amount not being a fortune hadn’t much of a problem with that, hubby however is a different matter and doesn’t like nationals, giving monies to faceless and unknown people, who then make decisions on your part, whether you like them or not. But again we were advised that membership anyway should wait until January.

Having met various members at the different days we had attended we came along to the Christmas Party.

It was a bit strange not knowing many people there but my sister and her friend who were on the way to Manchester from Penrith and were staying the night at ours came to so that was nice. Thank goodness they did. The room looked lovely, the tables dressed so nicely, all set up for 6, however the other 2 people that should have been sat at our table moved, it left us sat on our own whilst another table now had eight around it. I always thought the idea of a “social do” was to be socialable with other people and to make newer members welcome.

The food was served and again very enjoyable, then came the presentations. I know from reading different blogs that some folk had fallen out with Stuart, but, from what I understood the members vote for winger of the year and yet some people where very audible about not agreeing with it, but hey fair enough, we cant like all the people all of the time!

Then came the time to stand and toast the out going committee. Now I am sorry if I get this wrong, but surely a committee is voted in by members at a AGM, so therefore you are putting the running of your club in the elected committees hands for the next 12 months, to make any decisions on your behalf, and even when you don’t agree with all the things decided you have to run along with them unless you can place a vote of no confidence in them with a majority of members backing it. What that table did when it came to the toast was incomprehensible, if they had stood and toasted the fact that the 2008 elected committee was at last going it would have been better than staying sitting down. Sorry folks but that is almost school boy tactics and at now I am aged 40+ left those tricks behind a long time ago.

So I guess through those few people it really made our minds up, we wouldn’t be joining either Lancs and Lakes or GWOCGB now. We will give the new club a try, as then our monies and time will stay with the club in our region, doing things for our region. Who knows it may still have the playground tactics that L & L showed at the party, it may not, if it does I guess Barry and I will be riding on our own because the reason we bought the goldwing was to have fun, and hopefully have fun with other like minded people who want to leave their worries and cares behind for the freedom of the open road

Regards

Lesley

the hand of friendship should always be extended, in the hope that it will be received so bridges can be crossed.
“appy” winging
barry