Region C Director

Challenge from Chapter C/South Dakota

Hey all,

Just received this awesome challenge for Chapter C, Wisconsin. Thank you so very much Chapter C for helping so much in your support and faith in Region C.

Hmm! Wonder what state will have the highest percentage of participation. Could it be yours???

South Dakota Chapter C Challenge

Our small chapter of 11 memberships and 18 members issues a challenge to all other Chapters of Region C…

We are asking all of the other Chapters to match our $50 contribution to help build the treasury of Region C.

Are you up for the challenge????

March Ticket Sales Update

Friday, April 04, 2008

Tickets Sales for Region C

Ticket sales information is in for the month of March. Congratulations to Region B who turned in 2400 tickets and also to Region A who turned in 1500 tickets. Region C came in third place again with 1442 tickets sold. If you will notice we also have the highest number of tickets in circulation.

Region Distributed Turned In

A 11,000 4,065

B 10,000 4,108

C 14,000 2,032

D 1,000 150

E 5,000 0

F 5,400 0

H 2,000 56

J 2,000 0

Please turn in your sold tickets and checks into your State Directors or Ticket Coordinators before the end of the month. We have been replacing your sold tickets as we receive them in, but we do need them back. Thank you so much to all of you that turned in tickets during the month of March. If every member would buy ten tickets we would take care of most of the needs of GWTA. So please, either sell your tickets, give them to another member who wants to sell them or buy them yourself.

Illinois 93

Iowa 113

South Dakota 70

Minnesota 0

Nebraska 1126

Wisconsin 0

Region C 40

We would like to issue a challenge to the great region called Region C. We truly believe that you all have it in you. Riding season is close upon us and you will be out among friends. For the month of April we challenge the entire region to sell 4000 tickets. Are you up to the challenge?

This note is from Bruce Keenan, our Executive Director concerning ticket sales.

It appears that we have a real battle going on between Region A and B! Go girls go!!! If you need more tickets please ask Linda or Jennifer. We really need to make over 60,000 tickets this year in sales. We have just a little over 90 days to obtain that goal. It is very imperative that our sales go well.

Jen Lipe and Randy Nelson

Region C Directors

Pony Express Ride

To all GWTA members and friends.

Here is information on the Pony Express Ride and a website to respond back to Connie if you can participate.

http://www.theponyexpressridesagaininnebraska.org

This is a wonderful organization helping children and their families.

Please forward this to ALL bikers in your circle of friendship. A huge turn-out, even if just for a portion of the events, would be outstanding. What an impact motorcyclists can make!

Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week: May 4 – May 10^th, 2008

THE PONY EXPRESS RIDES AGAIN IN NEBRASKA

In a modern day equivalent of the Pony Express, hundreds of Nebraskans are mounting their motorcycles and heading out the week of May 4-10th to help bring awareness to children’s mental health issues. Children’s Mental Health Awareness week is a national initiative that places the spotlight on the challenges faced by families with youth who have a mental illness/behavioral disorder. The Nebraska Family Support Network (NFSN), the Family Organization serving the Omaha Metro, is working closely with the Nebraska Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health and the other Family organizations in the state to make Nebraska’s event a rousing success.

The Pony Express riders (representatives from numerous motorcycle associations) will begin their journey across Nebraska with a kick off celebration in Alliance on Sunday, May 4, 2008. Participating motorcyclists will collect letters from families, youth and other interested parties from all across the state for delivery to Governor Heinemann in Lincoln on May 10, 2008. In addition to the Pony Express, each community will hold a Candlelight Vigil (details for the Omaha Vigil are on the back page). We hope you can join us for the Vigil!

Important Information about Mental Illness/Health Disorders

Mental illnesses are medical conditions that disrupt a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others, and daily functioning. Just as diabetes is a disorder of the pancreas, mental illnesses are medical conditions that often result in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life.

Facts about mental illness and recovery:

Nationally among children ages 9-17, there is one or two with serious emotional problems in virtually every classroom in the country.
Among youths ages 15-24, suicide is the third leading cause of death, after auto accidents and homicides.
In Nebraska an estimated 90,000 youth 0-17 have a diagnosable behavior health disorder; 47,000 has significant functional impairment and 21,000 have extreme functional impairment.
Stigma is a major obstacle to treatment and recovery. Parents, teachers, and often friends, may fear that, once identified, a mental health diagnosis will influence the way a person is treated. Parents are also often blamed for their child’s mental disability. As a result, families may not seek services. In addition, stigma erodes confidence that mental disorders are real, treatable health conditions. As a result, we have allowed stigma, and a now unwarranted sense of hopelessness, to erect attitudinal, structural and financial barriers to effective treatment and recovery. It is time to take these barriers down.
With early detection and appropriate treatment, chances are excellent that most individuals with mental health needs can recover and lead healthy lives.

NFSN HISTORY & MISSION

The Nebraska Family Support Network (NFSN) started in 1991 to provide support and services to families with children with mental illness and behavioral disorders. NFSN is dedicated to empowering families with mental and/or behavioral health needs through peer mentoring, education, and advocacy to build better futures.

NFSN SERVICES

Services provided to families include, but are not limited to:

v Support and help to understand the specific mental health needs and treatment plans for your child.

v Support and help to understand court documents/achieve case plan requirements

v Supportive presence at family team meetings/school IEP meetings – helping the families understand their rights and to ensure that the family “voice” is heard

v Identifying and making referrals to community resources/service providers

v Attend support groups to help with initial introduction/comfort level

v Assistance in securing housing, furniture, clothing, food, medication, paying utility bills, etc.

v Support in seeking employment

In the past twelve months NFSN has served 265 families with 539 children.

If you are interested in making a tax deductible contribution to NFSN or to find out more about their services, please contact them at 345-0791 or make checks payable to : Nebraska Family Support Network and mail to 3568 Dodge St., Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68131. No donation is either too small or too large.

Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week

May 4-10-2008

We as a community have the power to make real, lasting changes in our children’s lives by learning about children’s mental health issues, stigma surrounding mental illness, needs of youths and families, and realization that recovery is possible.

Please join us:

Candle Light Vigil

WHEN: 7:30 – 11:00 PM, May 9, 2008

Where: Miller’s Landing Park

151 Freedom Park Rd.

Downtown Omaha (bordering the Gallup Riverfront)

Just imagine the night sky aglow with candlelight. Now imagine this light shining across the state of Nebraska. What a beacon of hope that will be for Omaha and surrounding communities families!

Nebraska Family Support Network is calling upon schools, colleges, churches, parents, children and communities throughout in hopes that you will join together to give parents and children of our community hope.

Speakers Entertainment Fund-Raisers

Drinks Children Clowns

Prayer

Popcorn Hope

Free parking is available at the Miller’s Landing Park

Overflow parking available at the Gallup parking lot adjacent to Millers Landing Park

Region C Rally Private Suite Bidding

This post has been moved to Region C Rally Blog.
Click HERE.

2008 Bike Raffle Tickets

February 19, 2008 Bike Raffle Ticket Sales for 2008 Hopefully, by now you all have some Bike Raffle Tickets in hand and are starting to get them sold. I have another 4000 tickets coming in the week that will be distributed to the States by the end of the week. Last year Region C was the top selling region in the Nation with 14,900 tickets sold. I look forward to being the top selling Region again. And the reason I feel this is possible, is because of all of the awesome GWTA members that call Region C home. Thank you ahead of time for all of the hard work. This year we are at a bit of a disadvantage. The State Directors did not receive their raffle tickets until the beginning of February. So therefore we did not sell any tickets in the month of January. Congratulations to Region B who sold 800 tickets and Region A - who sold 605 tickets. Our February’s ticket sales will not count in the “friendly” monthly competition for high sales, since we did not sell any during the month of January. But I have all faith that we will not only catch up, but surpass all of the other regions for our end totals. In order to get tickets turned in within a timely manner and also insuring that we can receive more tickets to sell, I am asking everyone to turn in their sold tickets each month. Please check with your individual State Directors or Raffle Ticket Coordinators for when they would like their tickets returned to them. I have to receive them by two days prior to the end of the month in order to get them processed and sent to our National Office. For our sold tickets to count each month they must be mailed to the main office and postmarked by the 1st of the next month. Returning tickets also insures that your state and therefore your chapter can get more tickets as time goes on. If you feel you are not going to sell the tickets in your possession, please pass them on to someone else in your chapter or return them so they may be redistributed to folks who will sell them. If you have an event such as a bike show or any other event that you feel would require a large amount of tickets, please contact us and your State Director several weeks in advance so that we can make special arrangements for those tickets to be printed and distributed. Be sure to include the number of tickets you believe will be sold at the event based on past experience or based on the event coordinator’s anticipated attendance. We will then try to get the requested supply to your ticket coordinator. You will need to account for and turn in these special tickets within the week following your event. So as not to mess up any of the state record keeping I will not give tickets to anyone other than the State Director or their assigned ticket coordinators. And in the same respect please only return your tickets sold or unsold to your coordinators. These individuals must be allowed to manage the flow of tickets within their respective areas! Appreciate your support in this very important activity for GWTA! Bike Raffle Ticket Sales is an opportunity to introduce ourselves to many new friends and at the same time fund operations at ALL levels. The more tickets we sell the greater our opportunity to grow in every way! Thanks, Jen Lipe and Randy Nelson Region C Directors 402-896-8541 home 402-290-1376 Randy Cell 402-290-8690 Jen Cell

What Is Ours Like?? (Winter Campout Nebraska Style)

Keep an eye out on this blog to find out what the events are like in not only your state but the surrounding states and possibly other regions throughout the year. One day you just might find your story here.

Winter Camping Nebraska Style

Courtesy of Kim Petersen, Chapter A/Nebraska

Here in Nebraska, the words "motorcycle", "camping" and "winter" are seldom used in the same sentence, unless you're discussing the New Year's Eve campout at the Petersen KOA. Nebraska, Chapter A members, Stewart and Kim Petersen, thought it would be funny to see how many Aspen or Bunkhouse campers would fit in their garage. The joke turned into an annual event in which all GWTA members are welcome to attend.

The “campsite” is heated and can hold up to five campers fully extended. Reservations are free and dinner is provided for all registered guests. Most of the festivities take place in the house, with food, games and a large assortment of beverages. Those not wishing to camp arrive after 7pm and join in the fun. Together, we ring in the New Year.

This year we had guests from our Bellevue, Gretna and Springfield chapters in Nebraska, as well as guests from Iowa. Our camping guest list included our State Directors, Rick and Kandie Hinrichs, GWTA's Education and Retention Directors, Mike and Carol Brush, as well as Jen Lipe and Randy Nelson, our current Regional Directors. There was something for everyone, quiet places for conversation, darts, dice games and for the daring there all types of concoctions being poured.

Look for our flyer in December and plan to attend - or if Omaha is too far for you to travel, consider hosting your own New Years Eve campout! It's a hoot!

Check out the pictures at

http://gwta-c.com/GWTARegionCForum/photos/region_c_staff/category1147.aspx

Blog Posters Wanted!!

Randy and I were visiting with our illustrious Region Webmaster, Jereormy and we would love to see blog’s of the adventures of Region C, tech tips, safety tips or any other antidotes that you would like to write about. If your chapter or region has a Meet n Greet, Fun Run or other fun event I could be contacting you to give everyone a brief run down of your shindig. Have you tried a certain motorcycle product and have an opinion (good or bad) on how it works? All of these are things we are looking for. So keep an eye out for the fun in your “neighborhood” and be ready for a call from Randy or I.

Thanks,

Jen Lipe and Randy Nelson

Region C Directors

Tag line #5

Never ask a biker for directions if you're in a hurry to get there.

Tag line #4 - Just in time for Valentine's Day

It takes more love to share the saddle than it does to share the bed.

Tag line #3

"It ain't braggin' if you back it up"

Tag line #2

"I Used To Have A Handle On Life But It Broke"

Raffle ticket sales 2006

These are the results of the raffle ticket sales in 2006.

Iowa - 1400
Illinois - 3559
Nebraska - 4772
South Dakota - 150
Wisconsin - 951
TOTAL - 10832

Tag line #1

"Does This Bike Make My Butt Look Fast?"

“It’s Up To You” Recruiting Program

“It’s Up To You” Recruiting Program

1 new membership = shirt
If it is a 3 year membership = shirt and $5 TA Bucks

Next new membership
• 1 yr = $2 TA Bucks
• 2 yr = $3 TA Bucks
• 3 yr = $10 TA Bucks

Every 5 memberships = bonus $20 TA Bucks

The top recruiter between August 1st 2006 and June 1st 2007
with a minimum of 20 new memberships will receive full Gold
Rush registration for 2 to Gold Rush XX, paid hotel room for 5
nights and $200 cash.

TA Bucks can be used to purchase items in the GWTA store and for
national rally registration fees. The recruiter's membership number MUST
be on the new recruit's application. Credit can NOT be given after a new
membership is processed at the national office.

Final total for 2005 raffle ticket sales

Congratulations to everyone. Region C got high ticket sales again at GR in Grand Junction. You can all be very proud. Here is a final tally by state.

IA    1706 tickets by 124 members is 13 tickets per person
IL    7248 tickets by 306 members is 24 tickets per person
NE    4346 tickets by 389 members is 11 tickets per person
MN    490 tickets by 50 members is 9 tickets per person
SD    170 tickets by 23 members is 7 tickets per person
WI    1020 tickets by 62 members is 16 tickets per person
Region    1094
TOTAL    16074 by 960 members is an average of 16 tickets per member

The national staff encourages every member to purchase or sell at least 10 tickets. The members of Region C have far surpassed that request! Thank you.