Who’s who in GWRRA

GWRRA President,
Directors of GWRRA
Anita Alkire president@gwrra.org
Jere
800-843-9460 Goodman JereGood@aol.com
and Sherry
540-623-0447
Director of GWRRA,
Jere&Sherry Goodman director@gwrra.org
Director's Assistant
Tom
NH/VTandDistrict
Renee Wasluck
Directors,
tom.renee11@gmail.com
David & Bonnie Bolster
570-239-2353
gwrranhvt.district@gmail.com
603-315-9471
NH/VT
NH Asst.District
DistrictDirectors,
Director,
David & Bonnie
Ron & Susie Bolster
Black darkcat1@myfairpoint.net
gwrranhvt.district@gmail.com
603-562-7288(Ron) 562-4813(Susie)
VT603-315-9471
Assistant District Director’s
NH Asst. and
George District Director,
Pat Parizo gparizo@fairpoint.net
District Educator, goldwing5507@gmail.com
Ron & Susie Black
603-562-7288(Ron)
Dick 562-4813(Susie)
Bernier richardbernier530@comcast.net
VT978-496-4363
Assistant District Director’s
George and
Assistant Pat Parizo
District gparizo@fairpoint.net
Educator
Director’s Notes District Educator,
Bruce Luhrs bruce.luhrs@comcast.net
Bruce University
District Luhrs bruce.luhrs@comcast.net
Coordinator,
Happy Fall, y’all! Actually, it should be “all y’all”, which District University Coordinator,
Doug Melanson dougmel@outlook.com
is used when addressing a group of 3 or more! Doug Melanson
District Treasurer, dougmel@outlook.com
Certainly hope that more than 3 folks are looking at what is District Treasurer,
Julie Bernier nh-vttreasurer@outlook.com
Julie Bernier nh-vttreasurer@outlook.com
going on in the NH/VT District! 😊 District Membership
District Membership
Enhancement Coordinator,
Enhancement Coordinator,
Don Clarke gwrra.nhvt.district.mep@gmail.com​
Don Clarke gwrra.nhvt.district.mep@gmail.com​
District MFA (Medic First Aid)
Fall foliage, apples, pumpkins, cider, windy roads, District MFA (Medic First Aid)
Meri Hirtle
crisp sunny days: all things that make riding this time of year so Meri Hirtle
District Webmaster, Newsletter Editor,
much fun. And the Chapter ride calendars were full, taking District Webmaster,
Bill Bascom Newsletter Editor,
gwrrahn.webmaster@gmail.com
Bill Bascom gwrrahn.webmaster@gmail.com
advantage of this great season to be on the bikes. Here’s just a
few of them!
In August, NH-G took a ride to the New York Rally.
NH-E had a ride and gathering at the High Tide Take-Out in Hillsboro, NH.
VT-K took a ride to the Hot Biscuit Diner in Ticonderoga, NY.
NH-A lead a Covered Bridge Ride through Troy, Swanzey and Winchester.
VT-A hosted their annual Wells-Ogunquit Weekend on 9/16 through 9/19 which is always a
great time. This year, there were members from all the NH and VT chapters at the event as well as
members from NY-N and NY-X.
Quite a few folks took a ride over to Americade in Lake George the last weekend in September.
So many rides to different places…but they all seem to lead to an ICE CREAM visit. 🍦
 Take some time to check out the monthly newsletters for the NH/VT Chapters and see all their
great rides and events. There are links to each of the Chapter websites available on the District website
@ http://gwrra-nhvtdistrict.weebly.com. And remember you can follow most of the Chapter’s ride and
event schedule on the Teamup calendar. Join in on adventures with other GWRRA chapters! You
NEVER can have TOO MUCH FUN!

VT-K has a new Chapter Director. Muriel Morse was appointed as Chapter Director at the
beginning of August. Former Chapter Director, Dave LaJoice has decided to step down after many
years of dedicated service to VT-K and GWRRA. We want to thank Dave for all his work and devotion
to VT-K. And please join us in welcoming Muriel to her new position.

With the coming of 2022, there are several other Chapter Director positions within the NH/VT
District that will be opening. If you might be interested in becoming a Chapter Director, please let us
know.

“Autumn leaves don’t fall, they fly. They take their time and wander on this their only chance
to soar.” -Delia Owens.
Unlike the leaves, we have plenty of chances to SOAR on our motorcycles! So before “sweater
weather” leads us to mittens and parkas, ride your way into Winter!

Warm Wing Wishes

Bonnie & David Bolster
NH/VT District Directors
 District Treasurer

Hello my fellow Goldwing riders,

I hope everyone is enjoying the crisp fall weather, pumpkin spice and apple cider and
all those fall foods we all love as well as getting out on your bikes to see the beautiful foliage.
I am writing this to remind chapters that It’s that time of year again that the NH/VT
yearly charter fee of $100 per chapter is due to the district.
The charter fee covers items furnished by GWRRA including charter member rockers,
officer pins and patches, and most importantly an annual insurance premium. This insurance
protects the GWRRA Officer and designated third parties with liability insurance of several
million dollars.
Unfortunately we were not able to have our District Rally again this year due to Covid
and I’m sure many chapters also have not been able to have fund raisers, events and 50/50
raffles may be less than usual. With that said in order to help our chapters out, I am happy to
say that our District Directors and I have agreed to pay for your chapters dues again this year.
I will be sending out a reminder email as the year-end financial processing will be due
soon.
Stay well and stay happy and keep the rubber on the road.
Best regards and be well,
Julie Bernier
GWRRA NH/VT District Treasurer
978-201-6566

End of the Year Financial Forms Needed

Most forms are available in two formats – click on the form you prefer.

*Save to your computer prior to entering information

* 2020 Financial Report Cover Sheet [PDF or DOCX] (revised 10/20/2020)
* 2020 Financial Register and Report [XLSX] (Excel Spreadsheet)
* GWRRA Equipment List [PDF or XLSX] (revised 10/11/19)
* Bank Information - Copy of Bank Signature Cards
or GWRRA Information Form [PDF or XLSX] (revised 03/18/20)
Copy of Last Bank Statement for the Year
e-Postcard - IRS Form 990-N (Click to download)
(if you need help with filing, contact your District Director or District Treasurer for
assistance)
Instructions for IRS Form 990-N (Click to download)

Use Saved documents from above to enter Chapter Information

PDF documents can be opened by using Adobe Acrobat Reader DC – a free program
Financial Report Cover Sheet: This form is in word or pdf; use the form that is easiest for
you
• Check "Chapter Financial Report" and designate your Chapter (PA-___ your chapter
letter)
• Check “Bank signature sheet from bank or GWRRA Bank Information”
• Check "This is our annual financial report"
• Statements A, B C and D
A. Read and initial if true
B. Read and initial if true
C. Read, include accepted IRS form 990-N if it has been filed and initial
D. Read, include December bank statement an initial
E. Read and initial if true and you are not attaching an Equipment List. Note value is
$100
Items to include with Financial Report Cover Sheet:
• Financial Report with the Chapter Director and Chapter Treasurer’s signature for the
year indicated.
• Copy of the last Bank Statement for the year
• Copy of Bank Signature Cards or GWRRA Bank Signature Form
• Equipment List must be completed
− if Chapter owns equipment purchased for $100 or more
− Change of Chapter Director
 If no equipment is owned by the chapter or the value is less than $100; write “NONE”
across
the document.
 Two Equipment Lists – one Outgoing CD signs and Incoming CD signs one
• IRS Form 990N – “Filing Status: Accepted”
• Send report to your NH/VT District Director
 Training Update from the District University Coordinator

Doug Melanson
Email: dougmel@outlook.com
Phone: 603-560-4738

I started last quarter’s newsletter with, “There is light at the end of the COVID tunnel, and it
appears that it’s not on a freight train rushing toward us!” Well, while not quite the freight train
barreling toward us, it wasn’t exactly the light we were hoping to see. With the rise of the delta variant
and its corresponding spike in COVID cases, we continue to be hampered by COVID restrictions in
various forms, making it difficult to hold in-person training events. So, between this and the lack of
demand during riding season, no training sessions were held during Q3, and with rides scheduled well
into October followed by the holidays, I don’t expect we’ll be hosting any training before the first of
the year 2022.
As a reminder, we still have the option to attend GWRRA University classes offered by video
conferencing (ZOOM). This continues to be a great way to continue learning despite the limitations
caused by COVID restrictions as well as for those who may be uncomfortable attending in-person
classes. To see the list of classes offered and the schedule, check the Online Class Calendar on the
GWRRA University website found at https://gwrradot.com/online-class-calendar/. To take an online
class, remember to preregister on-line on the University website: gwrradot.com.
When we can resume in-person training again, remember that while various training events may
be delivered in conjunction with various chapter meetings or rides, these will all be sponsored by the
NH-VT District and will be open to all GWRRA members, so if you see a class scheduled for delivery
at another chapter’s location, you are invited and encouraged to attend any of these training events.
I also want to take this opportunity to announce that I have resigned from this position effective
December 31, 2021, as I anticipate retiring soon, and Deb and I are planning to do some extensive
traveling next year with extended trips to Greece next spring, London/Coventry in January, and London
again next year summer. While I haven’t set a firm retirement date yet, it will be no later than next fall,
but with the travel Deb and I are planning, I decided it would be best to step down at the end of this
year as I don’t believe I’ll be able to do an adequate job as DUC given how much we’ll be away. As
such, I expect this will be the last article I will contribute to the District Newsletter unless there are
unexpected developments to report during Q4.
Despite stepping away from the DUC role, I do plan to remain an active member of NH-A and I
will continue as a University Instructor and an MFA Instructor for the district. I am truly grateful to
everyone in the district for the support given to me with the training programs, especially to the
district’s University Instructors who always stepped up to help with delivering the trainings before
COVID shut us down. I also want to thank David and Bonnie for giving me the opportunity to serve in
this role for the NH/VT District, which I believe is the best district in all of GWRRA.
Ride safely and stay healthy everyone!

****************************************************************
SMIDSY (“Sorry Mate, I Didn’t See You”) & the SIAM
October, 2021

SMIDSY is an acronym for “Sorry Mate, I Didn’t See You” referencing traffic collisions
in which the driver of a car or larger vehicle claims not to have noticed a two-wheel
motorcyclist or biker. LBFTS, “Looked But Failed To See” is similarly used by the UK
Government with respect to a class of traffic accidents.

In a previous article (May 2021), I discussed how Inattentional Blindness is part of the
reason these types of collisions may occur. A driver can either a) be focused on only one
thing, like making a left turn and failing to see other things like a motorcycle approaching or b)
experience perceptional blindness where their brains can’t process every detail of their
surroundings all the time, so they concentrate on what’s expected – many people just don’t
expect to see a motorcycle sharing the roads.

The movement of a motorcycle is difficult to see when it’s directly along a driver’s line
of sight because it appears stationary with respect to the background. In addition, the cross-
section or profile of a motorcycle is very small compared to larger vehicles and surrounding
objects. As a motorcycle gets closer, its size seems to suddenly grow larger. When an
observer is startled by this, it’s called the looming effect. The startled driver may even stop
right in front of you, making a bad situation worse.

The good news is there is a strategy to avoid a SMIDSY! Do a SIAM, (SMIDSY

Identification and Avoidance Maneuver). SIAM refers to riding a smooth, gentle, single, zig-
zag path to break the line-of-sight of the approaching driver. Your movement of swerving left
and right, along their line of sight, breaks the inattentional blindness they may have.

Of course, you’ll pick up on a possible SMIDSY situation by searching the area ahead
that you’ll reach within the next 12 seconds. You’ve already assessed the possible dangers,
identified some escape paths and “covered” the throttle and brakes while slowing.
 As a refresher, review the Street Strategies section of the Basic Rider Course material
or take the MSF Street Strategies eCourse, both found on the MSF web site (https://msf-
usa.org)

GWRRA provides the knowledge to ride safely and encourages all types of riders to
take Rider Education classes and wear ATGATT!
Be Vigilant, Be Visible - “Safety, Knowledge, & Friends for Fun”
Bruce Luhrs, NH-VT District Educator, bruce.luhrs@comcast.net
References:
1) Do an Internet search for: SMIDSY, SIAM, Motion Camouflage

***********************************************************************

District Webmaster & Newsletter Editor:

Well… Dee and I are now full time residents of Florida. Have hooked up with Chapter FL2-G
and been on a number of rides with them. Rides down here are sure different them New Eng..
flat, straight & higher speeds..
As I’m no longer in the NE, Dave and Bonnie are looking for help with the NH/VT
District Web, Facebook and Newsletter!

Hope you enjoy the NH-VT District's Web site and the Newsletter.
Site can be found at http://gwrra-nhvtdistrict.weebly.com/

If you have anything you want added to either, or needs correcting, feel free to email me at
gwrranh.webmaster@gmail.com

This Newsletter is chuck full of “Link’s:, can you find them?

***************************************************

NH/VT Calendar
NH/VT District Calendar shows events for all 3 NH Chapters & 2 VT
Chapters.
It can be found at http://gwrra-nhvtdistrict.weebly.com/calendar.html
Please sign up for email alerts for new/edited or canceled events!
********************************************************
*NOTE; Monthly Gatherings may change times and places.. so be sure to
check the Calendar!
SIGN UP FOR EMAIL ALERTS!

* You can now set it up to get event “Reminders”.

https://calendar.teamup.com/kb/can-i-set-event-reminders/

NH Chapter's
Chapter A- http://www.gwrranha.org/index.html
Chapter NH-A meets monthly, (except December) Wingate Hall, Bethany Chapel
54 Newbury Road , Manchester, NH 03103 at 7:00 PM on the third Friday of the
month.

Chapter E- https://gwrra-nh-e.weebly.com/
MONTHLY GATHERING Last Sunday of the Month @12pm at Emma's 321 Pub &
Kitchen . 377 US Route 202 Rindge,NH 03461

Chapter G-http://www.gwrra-nhg.org/
Ride & Meeting the 2nd sunday of the month. Check the calendar or Team-Up for current
information.

VT Chapter’s
Chapter A- https://gwrravta.weebly.com/
VT-A meets on the 1st Saturday of each month
Location & time to be announced..
Check the calendar
Chapter K- http://gwrra-vt-k.weebly.com/
Our monthly meetings are normally held on the first Sunday of the month at 1PM
at Zachary's Pizza in South Burlington, VT.
Summer meetings have been held Saturday mornings at a different location.

*****************************************************
Classified’s
To see NH/VT District Classifieds, go to
http://gwrra-nhvtdistrict.weebly.com/classifieds.html

**NOTE**
If you have an item you want posted/edited/removed on the District’s classified page let
me know at gwrranh.webmaster@gmail.com