As your newly elected State Director, I hope this message finds each of you in good health, and ready for another riding season. I know with the temperature changes that Spring Fever is alive and well in Kansas!
I would like to congratulate each of the elected officers on their new positions and responsibilities. I am confidant that we have a good team that is ready and willing to lead KBTW to a new level. Talk with each of your officers; tell them your thoughts and ideas for what KBTW means to you and where you would like to see KBTW go in the future. We are a tool to help make KBTW grow and become what the members want it to be. Communication is the key to a group we can all be proud to belong to.
I would also like to thank all of the appointed offices for agreeing to continue with their positions. We all appreciate your efforts and are glad you will be continuing your efforts.
Very special thanks to all of the out going officers. I can only hope that this board will be able to be as successful as you were. All of your efforts have been appreciated and I know some of you will be glad to relax a little and enjoy the ride for a while. I am sure we will be calling on you for assistance and support in future endeavors.
We have established a committee to work on the plans for the Trike-in. Junior Hester will be the chairman for this committee. We will still hold the Trike-in in Emporia, and it will be the first week-end in September or the wk end following Labor Day. We have decided to extend the activities to start earlier on Friday and to have some activities until mid-day on Sunday this will give a little more time between the activities and allow us to add some new ideas to the mix as well. Talk to your Chapter directors about the activities you would like to see. Those of you, who don’t belong to a chapter, feel free to contact me and I will take your ideas to the committee. We will post updates on the web site and they will be also be in the newsletter as we continue to make plans for a great State Event..
As riding season approaches, each of us needs to prepare so we will have a safe, enjoyable riding season. We need to prepare both out trikes and ourselves.
Check out your trike, or have someone help you check it out. It is not unusual for parts to develop problems when your trike sits for any amount of time. Those of you finishing up a trike and starting to ride it should be prepared for setbacks and changes to be made. I know when I built mine it took several trips to work out the little bugs. Take your new ride out on several short trips before heading on a long trip or participating in a group ride. This will give you a chance to get to know your vehicle and for your vehicle to show you its strengths and weaknesses.
We also need to prepare ourselves for the riding season. As we start getting warm days we all jump on our trikes and head out. Remember that the other drivers have not had to share the road with bikes or trikes in the numbers that spring brings and their driving skills will be rusty in looking out for us. Our driving skills will also be rusty and for most of us the last time we were riding we didn’t have to deal with a road full of sand and salt left over from the winter. Take it easy and enjoy yourself, but remember that it will take a few rides to get you back into a fully aware rider.
I hope to be seeing many of you over the next three years. I look forward to renewing old friendships and making some new ones. Let me know how things are going with you individually and also with the chapters. I am here to assist wherever I can.
...Ross Litteral
