PRESIDENTSCOLUMN Spring is coming OUR MISSION
To foster communication and a sense of family among BMW motorcycle enthusiasts
BMW MOA OFFICERS Chuck Manley, President 309-825-8445;
cmanley@bmwmoa.org
Jackie Hughes, Vice President 509-928-3261;
jhughes@bmwmoa.org
Wes Fitzer, Treasurer
918-441-2114; jwfi
tzer@yahoo.com Muriel Farrington, Secretary
802-295-6511;
mfarrington@bmwmoa.org
BMW MOA DIRECTORS Greg Feeler
208-376-5137;
gregf@e-moto.org Vance Harrelson
205-621-1682;
weridebmw@bellsouth.net Stan Herman
719-250-4358;
hermanhaus1@msn.com Bill Hooykaas
705-329-2683;
hooykaas@bmwmoa.org Jean Excell
719-650-6215;
jeanexcell@bmwmoa.org E-mail the Full Board -
Board@bmwmoa.org BMW MOA VOLUNTEER STAFF
Steve Brunner, Mileage Contest Coordinator 910-822-4368,
steveb@bmwmoa.org
Tom Pemberton, Rider Education Coordinator 425-226-3575,
coyotewp@comcast.net
Jim Heberling, High Mileage Coordinator 309-530-1951,
jheberling@bmwmoa.org
Karol Patzer, Consumer Liaison
karol@bmwmoa.org
Deb Lower, Ambassador Liaison 719-510-9452,
ldeborah@comcast.net
Dutch and Kate Lammers 2016 BMW MOA Rally Chairs
2016rallychair@bmwmoa.org
BMW MOTORCYCLE OWNERS OF AMERICA 640 640 S. Main Street, Ste. 201 Greenville, SC 29601
Robert C. Aldridge, Executive Director
bob@bmwmoa.org
Ted Moyer, Director of Membership & Marketing
tedm@bmwmoa.org
Ken Engelman, Director of Business Development
ken@bmwmoa.org
Bill Wiegand, Managing Editor
bill@bmwmoa.org
Karin Halker, Art Director
karin@bmwmoa.org
Lesa Howard, Membership Services
lesa@bmwmoa.org
Amanda Faraj, Membership Services
amanda@bmwmoa.org
Ray Tubbs, Digital Marketing Manager
ray@bmwmoa.org
10 BMW OWNERS NEWS March 2016 By Chuck Manley #12106
GREETINGS EVERYONE! SPRING OFFICIALLY ARRIVES MARCH 20, and with its arrival 2016 will be in full bloom. Already 2016 is shaping up to be a year filled with new opportunities, excitement, challenges and unknowns. Will there be a bear market or bull market? Are fuel prices going to remain low? How many rides will you get to experience this year? What new opportunities and challenges will come your way? Member Benefits are opportunities. Have you reviewed the list of MOA benefits and Business Partners lately? Simply go to
bmwmoa.org
and click on the "Tool Kit" header. The ever growing list of Business Partners is detailed under "Member Discounts," and you will have the opportunity to save money. You'll also have the opportunity to review our Roadside Assistance program, BMW MOA Founda- tion, Rider Performance University, MOA Anonymous Book, and BMW Dealer locations. Click on the "Connect" header for information about the MOA Forum, Chartered
Clubs, MOA Mileage Contest, MOA High Mileage Awards, MOA Awards and Recogni- tion programs, and other social media opportunities. There will be plenty of opportunities for excitement in 2016. Look to the Rally and
Events calendar in the Owners News and on the website for an up-to-date listing of activi- ties around the country. Rallies, day rides, dealer open houses, MOA Getaways – there will be more things to do then time will allow. Yes, there will be some challenges and unknowns. 2016 is a MOA Board election year.
All members will be challenged in April to cast their ballots for the election of four Direc- tors. Unlike any year since before 2001, there will be no incumbent Directors running for reelection. The April Owners News will profile the candidates and their position state- ments. I cannot stress enough the importance of your participation in this election, as those elected will set the future course of the MOA for three or more years. If I recall correctly, fewer than 1,500 members voted in the 2014 election. We can and
must do better than that in 2016. The most common excuse for not voting that I have heard over the years is "I didn't know anyone running." Our challenge as voters is to thor- oughly read and consider candidate position statements. What are their business back- grounds? Do the candidates have business management skills? Have the candidates worked within volunteer organizations in the past? Why do questions like these matter? Understand, most MOA members see and experi-
ence only the "club side" of the
organization...the Owners News,
bmwmoa.org, Member Benefits, Social Media and the like. Keeping all of those things in place is a multi-million dollar a year corporation directed by nine elected board members along with a number of paid staff and contractors. Electing directors with proven business skills is the most important challenge you have as a member in 2016. It is January as I write this column, and the 2016 Candidate Search Committee is busy
processing candidate nominations. I'm confident we'll be offered a slate of qualified volun- teers willing to serve, and I thank the committee for their efforts. That's all for this month. Thank You for Being a Member!
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