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Change Rally to September timeframe

Rally Timeframe

Any MOA member is welcome to find a rally site, propose the rally date and present it to the MOA Rally Committee. Please do that rather than complain about the rally, the location of the rally or the dates of the rally. Many people work hard on these rallies and just another complaint is unfair to them. Be thankful there's a rally at all.
 
chrishea said:
Any MOA member is welcome to find a rally site, propose the rally date and present it to the MOA Rally Committee. Please do that rather than complain about the rally, the location of the rally or the dates of the rally. Many people work hard on these rallies and just another complaint is unfair to them. Be thankful there's a rally at all.

Stepping up onto my soapbox - I dislike when folks take this attitude. I look at rallies as a vacation. I choose the vacation (rally) I desire more and go. When I am asked why I didn't choose or don't return to a particular rally I give an honest response. It's not criticism, it's feedback.
 
Rally time

GREAT JOB SUE, and ALL COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERS :drink :clap



I agree with the Manic Mechanic, it is hard enough to get people to volunteer for rally duty, with the rally attendance of over 8000 something really did work at this one even with the weather. Myself, wife and daughter had a great time. :thumb
 
Fall Rally!

GS Cooke Mnster said:
Well, I just looked at the weather forecast for the coming week in Lima and points I'd me riding thru, and its just too damn hot and humid for me. I'm thinking of bagging the rally and heading north to cooler rides.

I do have to ask, why the hay we have the rally in July? I think July/August are the worst months for riding a bike, the heat & humidity are just too much. Now September is about the perfect month. I see the RA has their's in early Oct. Why don't we change the time of the rally to a cooler time of the year?

Cooking in July, Ice storm in September!! Canaan Valley, remember?
One factor that really amazes me about Lima is the number of father/son, father/daughter, families, divorced father/son, divorced father/daughter and maybe even mother/daughter, grandpa/grandson or grandpa/granddaughter combos that came to the rally. I talked to a wonderful young man of age 15 that had his /5 he restored at the rally. What a treat to listen to Ben tell of his plans of going to college to become a dentist and what he was going to do to his bike and how he was petitioning his community to build an ice rink and how he helped his dad farm. I would have not met Ben at a fall rally becaue he would be busy with school and football practice. A motorcycle rally is often stereotyped as some drunken brawl but this is truly a family affair and the togetherness is quite heartening to me. My family has some problems with it and it won't happen with me but I would love to take one of my grandsons (don't have any grandaughters) to a rally, camp, and "hangout". I even know a brother sister that rode to the rally together on their own bikes. I've raised five kids and I can't see them ever doing that. A rally after school starts in the fall? NO! NO! There are plenty of rallies to go to for all the old geezers and "dinks" (D-ual I-ncome N-o K-ids) after school starts. Besides, any date and any location has its pitfalls and abnormal weather conditions. Tornadoes in the spring, Heat in the summer, hurricanes on the east coast, earthquakes on the west coast, floods in the mountains, snow in the fall? Doesn't matter any of these things can happen. Lima, Ohio and Midland, Michigan were criticized as not having great roads to ride on but at same time were lauded as great rallies. Lima and Charleston were the most complained about and most attended rallies. How do you account for that? Build it and they will come. Hindsight is always 20/20.
If they can stand for one more accolade, I would like to say that Brian and Sue Rihn-Manke are one of the most incredible young couples I have ever met. How they can work together so well and do so much that must be infuriating at times and walk around with big smiles on their faces and be willing to visit with everyone is beyond me. If you want to see more of the Mankes then go to the Wisconsin Dells Rally. After all the work at National Rallies this couple does, you will see them up to their eyeballs doing much of the same with the wonderful Wisconsin Club. Maybe some people are just born to it.
Well, that's the way I see it from here in Owosso, Michigan, boyhood home of Thomas E. Dewey, Frederick Frieseke, James Oliver Curwood and Alvin Bentley.

Fritz
 
Biff's R said:
Late May.

No hurricanes, and no conflicts with college football.

September would have more conflicts with people who have school age kids.

It is gonna be hot this week.


I don't think using school age kids is a valid argument given the average age of our club.
As for Hurricanes...how many rallies are held on the coast, PLUS you can't tell me some of those storms we've had at rallies are any better, case in point "Charleston" and also This one....remember Thursday night?

I definitely would vote for a Fall rally.
Maybe we should have a full membership vote for this subject and let the majority rule. JMHO
 
BMWGreenRT said:
I don't think using school age kids is a valid argument given the average age of our club.
As for Hurricanes...how many rallies are held on the coast, PLUS you can't tell me some of those storms we've had at rallies are any better, case in point "Charleston" and also This one....remember Thursday night?

I definitely would vote for a Fall rally.
Maybe we should have a full membership vote for this subject and let the majority rule. JMHO

what happened at Charleston and Lima were midwest pop up thunderstorms. They can be nasty but never last for very long. Didnt see an eye, in either one of those. Hurricanes on the other hand could ruin a whole rally.

I always stake down my tent, and zip up anything exposed to the elements. I didnt have a problem either place. If I see a tent imitating a kite, or one filled with water, seems to me the owner didnt do the right things with it.

Asking the club as a whole will get you maybe a two percent response if you are lucky. It would be a miracle to get 20 percent to vote for the BoD and officers.
 
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to everyone squawking about hurricanes in Sept. or Oct, ya make it sound like one is going to hit the same place every year. Move the rally around. Have it on the east coast one year then back to Lima or where ever. I heard the national was going to be in vermont next year. Am I wrong or is it in Lima every year? I ride a k1100RS and is sitting in the garage until cooler weather. It is like sitting on an oven during hot weather.
 
n1hnr94 said:
to everyone squawking about hurricanes in Sept. or Oct, ya make it sound like one is going to hit the same place every year. Move the rally around. Have it on the east coast one year then back to Lima or where ever. I heard the national was going to be in vermont next year. Am I wrong or is it in Lima every year? I ride a k1100RS and is sitting in the garage until cooler weather. It is like sitting on an oven during hot weather.

The National Rally is held in a different part of the country each year, but always in July.
Although I personally would much rather attend a Fall Rally,
I think it would be nice to alternate years for summer and fall.

My better half has already informed me that after next year in Vermont, our National Rally attendance will be determined by location and predicted weather. She will not do the hot stuff anymore.
This seemed to be the consensus of many we spoke with.
I think the MOA should seriously look in to what the membership wants.


Anyway, at the least, an alternating basis would be welcomed.
 
BMWGreenRT said:
I don't think using school age kids is a valid argument given the average age of our club.
As for Hurricanes...how many rallies are held on the coast, PLUS you can't tell me some of those storms we've had at rallies are any better, case in point "Charleston" and also This one....remember Thursday night?

I definitely would vote for a Fall rally.
Maybe we should have a full membership vote for this subject and let the majority rule. JMHO

I can see your point about the average age of the club not lending itself to school aged kids. However, I would counter that some of those school-aged kids are eventualy going to be the riders who come to these rallies. The format of the National Rally lends itself more to having a larger group of young people attend than a small local rally. Someone who isn't able to ride would probably get bored at some of the really small rally sites just because there aren't a whole lot of things to do. At National volunteers are able to do a "teen lounge" sort of thing, and to put on a program to get them interested in riding for themselves (Beemerville University, Camp Charleston, Camp Trenton). My first rally that I went to was Midland, and I was happy to be able to go. If it had been in September or whatever I wouldn't have been able to go because of school conflicts. There really are quite a few younger people at National and it would be a shame to have to turn them away.
I don't think that it's been mentioned, but in a way the Georgia Mountain Rally, and the Trail of tears Rally are really sort of like the unofficial start and end of rally season. If someone is really concerned about not wanting to ride in the heat, they can always decide to go to one of those. I've been to both and the roads are great, there are a few vendors, and there is always a fairly large crowd. If those are two that you haven't been to, maybe you should think about making them your "big trip" rally for the year, and just go to National when it's convenient.
 
The fall is when I'm busy at work. If I don't take advantage of the busy season, it has a pretty significant impact on my income.

Summer works out fine. When I'm retired, fall would be nice, but since I'm still at work, summer is when I actually can take a couple weeks off and not starve.
 
KBasa said:
The fall is when I'm busy at work. If I don't take advantage of the busy season, it has a pretty significant impact on my income.

Summer works out fine. When I'm retired, fall would be nice, but since I'm still at work, summer is when I actually can take a couple weeks off and not starve.

C'mon Dave...Just do it :) RETIRE !!! :clap
 
BMWGreenRT said:
C'mon Dave...Just do it :) RETIRE !!! :clap

If the place I'm working IPO's, that's entirely possible.

Until then, eating regular meals and sleeping indoors keeps me pretty motivated to keep working. I blame it all on my parents. :evil
 
KBasa said:
If the place I'm working IPO's, that's entirely possible.

Until then, eating regular meals and sleeping indoors keeps me pretty motivated to keep working. I blame it all on my parents. :evil
Not on Tina?
 
July is for driving my car

The weather during July is the reason I own and drive a car with air conditioning.

It really is difficult to get motivated to cross the desert with day time temps of 115 and night time temps in the 90's to ride to a location with temps and humidity in the 90's.

I agree that the MOA should take a fresh look at when we schedule the National Rally. A mid- week rally in late August/ September seems to make more sense to me.

If there were a mid week rally at a different time of the year organized by the Manke's in Ohio there would still be 8,000+ in attendance. :clap

The National Rally is fun but it could be even more fun with milder weather. :brow
 
September gets my vote

Agree that July is possibly the worst possible month (next to perhaps January) to schedule this event. Another bad storm on Thursday night, not as bad BUT reminiscent of Charleston coupled with unbearable heat makes me a solid fall rally goer. BMW RA seems to have that already figured out.

My 2 Cents,
Dr. Raoul Duke
 
Dave92029 said:
I agree that the MOA should take a fresh look at when we schedule the National Rally. A mid- week rally in late August/ September seems to make more sense to me.

If there were a mid week rally at a different time of the year organized by the Manke's in Ohio there would still be 8,000+ in attendance. :clap

The National Rally is fun but it could be even more fun with milder weather. :brow

Except for those a days ride away the mid-week format seems best. Take a week off from work. Ride a weekend to get there and another weekend to get home. Spend a week in an area during the week when most folks are working and enjoy the roads.

July seems to be set in stone but if Fall/Spring allows other venues to be considered (such as the south) it could only be a good thing. Heck, it's July now and it's 94 deg in New England! I'm still waiting for that Alaska MOA Rally.
 
Great Job and TOO HOT

The people in charge of the MOA event did an absolute wonderful job. Their efforts were greatly appreciated. The locals were accommodating, friendly, and very greatful we were there. A very pleasant experience.
I am sure if the MOA committees could have changed the weather, they would have. But since they can't I agree with moving it to Sept/Oct.
Riding back to NC on Sunday we got stuck in a 54 mile traffic jam and never got out of first gear. Good thing is, I lost 6 pounds.

Hap
 
Huh?

n1hnr94 said:
If you are concerned about September and kids...they are called baby sitters. It is only a weekend for God sakes.

Spoken like a non-parent.

The rally is more than a weekend, and with travel time, ends up being more like six days, unless it's in my own backyard.
 
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