HOG Director's Letter

Hello Fellow HOG Members!

Riding season is in full swing!  The spring weather has continued to cooperate and provide riding opportunities here in the Black Hills.  The rainfall we have received has helped clean some of the excess gravel and sand off the roads in the hills.  We still need to be alert as the heavier showers tend to wash sand and gravel back onto the main road.  Still be alert!

I have to make a public apology and ask forgiveness from one of our Past Directors.  Last month I listed those Directors that participated in our 25^th Anniversary Celebration and failed to include Chuck Hand.  Chuck, please accept my apology for the oversight.  The mistake is all on me.  Thank you for your dedicated service to the Black Hills Chapter as Director in 1998 and for kindly participating in our celebration!

Did you make it out to the 24^th Annual Black Hills Motorcycle Show?  If you did, thanks for supporting the Chapter’s major fundraising event for the year!  If you were unable to stop in and check it out you missed a great show.  The show would not happen without the hard work of the Bike Show Chairman, the Bike Show Committee and numerous volunteers.  Planning and putting on this show every year takes a serious amount of work.  Join me in a huge thank you to Todd Holen who chaired the show this year.  Under Todd’s leadership we had another successful show.  Great job Todd!!  I also want to thank the Bike Show Committee for their dedication and hard work.  And of course we couldn’t pull it all off without all the volunteers.  Thanks to everyone!

This year our featured charity at the Bike Show was Youth and Family Services – Girls, Inc.  YFS provides many services to kids and parents throughout western South Dakota.  Thank you to Connie Olson and her staff for having an interactive display at the show.  Connie was very pleased with the exposure the show provided for their programs.  This past week $1,300.00 was presented to YFS from the Black Hills Chapter and the Black Hills Motorcycle Show.  Thanks for your support!!

It’s time for 2 Wheel Dinner Rides!  Some of our members got a jump start and rode their bikes to our last 4 Wheel Ride to Buffalo Wild Wings.  Remember that we are riding every Tuesday night this summer except for the week of the Sturgis Rally.  The ride is on rain or shine.  We will meet at Black Hills Harley-Davidson at 5:30 PM and leave promptly at 6:00 PM to our weekly destination.  Ride cards with the schedule are available at the dealership or at the dinner ride.  First ride is Tuesday, May 1^st.  We will be heading to Famous Dave’s (no not Dave Davis’s house) for some barbeque.  We will have door prizes and of course the Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda drawing.  The money pot for the drawing is growing…..you must have your Passport with you to collect the cash!  Thanks to our head Road Captain Luciene Holen for organizing the rides and weekly ride leaders.  Let’s hit the road!

The South Dakota State HOG Rally is just around the corner.    Pre-registration ends on May 3, 2012 so hurry and make your plans!  Go online to www.sdstatehogrally.com to pre-register.  You will also find all the particulars about the on the website.  The rally is in Sioux Falls June 21-23.  You can register at the rally but you will not get some of the perks that come with pre-registration. 

I have to share a comment from a high school friend:  “Only a biker knows why a dog sticks his head out the car window.”   With that, keep the rubber on the road and of course…….the wind in your face!

Neal Schlottman
Director