Charitable Causes and Politics: When Oil Meets Matches…

When the idea to start a newsletter that would help riders find out what was going on in our community formed in my head almost 7 years ago, I went to a number of local businesses, shared the idea, some began advertising right away and the Busted Knuckle Chronicles was born. I look back on my naïveté, my enthusiasm and my passion... I had finally found my home, my place.

I knew NOTHING about computers, nothing about publishing or the internet and I certainly did not understand how important diplomacy is.

I only knew that my community seriously needed some information and communication tools.

I went to all of the local dealerships and bike shops to get them to put the newsletter on their counters. I got approval from the various managers and started making my weekly deliveries, back then we were delivered on Tuesdays. After one such Tuesday I found myself in need of a special bolt for my motorcycle and I went to a local dealer to get one. While at the parts counter, I noticed that there were no news letters in the display stand. Upon investigation I found out that the owner of the dealership had thrown them out because a competitors ad was on the front page.

Well, being new to all of this I messed that whole scene up so bad. I confronted the dealer, he and I had words and to make a long story short I wrote an unflattering article and urged people to contact customer service at the head office if they found the treatment as offending as I did. Any charity I worked with I steered away from that dealer as I had no desire to ever be treated that way again.

Over time, as I grew into this editor’s position I had taken on, I started to realize a whole lot of things. I realized I had acted wrongly all those years ago. That perpetuating a feud, a personality conflict served no one. I wanted to see everyone working together and the entire community benefiting but, I hadn’t done a very good job with my very first encounter with resistance.  If I was to hold true to my beliefs and core values, I knew I had to apologize, I had to let go of the feud.

It took me some time to come to this realization, three years to be exact.
One day I screwed up the courage and prepared to eat some humble pie.

I went to his place of business, I looked him in the eye and told him that what I had done was wrong and that I regretted it. I expressed that I had taken his actions as a personal insult  and that I had been unprofessional. I shook the man’s hand, he said he appreciated the apology and thanked me for coming in.

From then on, I made a point to invite the dealer and its riding club to every function being held with in the larger motorcycle community here.

The riding club as a group has come out to two functions and the dealer to one.
My heart was happy. It appeared we were beginning to get past some of the hurt and animosity.

Recently, I had a discussion with a member of the said dealer's motorcycle group.
I have dealt with this individual over a number of years and have always had a friendly relationship with him. This man had come to me with an idea for Toys for Tots 30th Anniversary and how he and his group had some interest in working with Toys for Tots. Well, I took that information back to our president, he and the board felt it would be terrific for our group to have this riding club working so closely with us.

Things were looking up, wounds were being healed, but apparently not for all.

I phoned this riding club member recently to see how plans were progressing for this special little project and I was told that plans were not progressing and that in fact his chapter had decided to not be involved after all. I was flabbergasted. I did not see that one coming at all.

I asked why. This man had a hard time spitting it out. He tried every way he could to dance around the answer, but finally he told me that I was the reason. It appears that some of the the new executive of this riding club would rather hold on to the old grudge.

He told me that if I had anything to do with the organization of any event, his Chapter would not be a part of it. It appears that this feud has not stopped for some of the members of this dealers riding club after all.

Some people in this riding club took the dealers side in the feud. These members of this dealers riding club have either have no knowledge that I had apologized and have been working at rebuilding a relationship. Or maybe they know but just don't care.

All I know is that for some of them this feud isn’t over.

I volunteer within my community for two reasons.
I like making a difference and it feels good.

I was a volunteer long before I became "Belt Drive Betty"

The two groups I work the hardest for are Toys for Tots and AIM-Can.
Why? Because my daughter was once a child who had a Christmas because of bikers and I have seen so many of my friends get injured or killed over 30 years of being around the riding community.

These two causes hold special meaning in my heart.
To me, when a rider is injured or a child is in need, there is no room for politics.

The rider who is fighting for their life doesn’t care how his or her wife/husband got to their bed side, just that he/she did.

The child who wasn’t so sure they would get a toy for Christmas doesn’t care who gave him/her that toy but that they got one.

I have made many, many mistakes in my lifetime. I have even learned from a few of them.

This is one mistake that I deeply regret. Why?

Because of my faux pas, the very things I believe in the most, community, charity and cooperation have been compromised in my own community.

Charities, wonderful, wonderful causes that deserve support are being denied that support because one very powerful man's riding club either won’t accept my apology and forgive me, they don't know that I did apologize and have been working to correct a wrong or they don't care.

What do you do when no matter what you do or say you can’t right a wrong? 

What do you do when your actions adversely affect the charitable causes you volunteer for?

What do you do when you are "Belt Drive Betty" and you find yourself in that position?

Do I step back and stop volunteering for the causes I believe in, the causes that have supported and sustained me and those I love in our times of need…

Do I stop paying it forward with my time and effort or do I just keep on being me and doing my part?

If I step back will 20 or 30 more step up?

If I step back will it make any difference?

All of our groups and charities are short of volunteers.
If the members of this other riding club would really step up if I bowed out, you bet I’d bow out. It's in the greater good of the community. I would simply sponsor the events of this community if it meant more volunteers would help out.

I am conflicted. I am uncertain and I really would appreciate some feed back and advice because I truly do not know what to do here.

If you were in my shoes, what would you do?

If you are fortunate enough to be riding today, please ride like everyone around you is blind and can't see you.

Belt Drive Betty
National VP - AIM-Can

All I can say is WOW!

Ali has installed a new video sharing component on our web site at www.beltdrivebetty.com
Is it ever slick! It is so easy to add videos from your own play lists or from your own video channel. I haven't yet tried to upload a video from my computer. I will as soon as I have one to try though!

I added about 70 video links this morning - took 2 hours and that included going through play lists!

I sure like it.

Our "My Community" area is experiencing a few hiccups. Ali has a message into the component developer to get it fixed so check back later today!

The site is finally getting to be what we wanted it to be back in January. Moving servers made all the difference and now things are just rocking!

The news feeds have me so depressed today I don't even want to discuss them.

The accidents again today are just appalling.
Please people - don't ride above your ability and ride like everyone around you is blind and can't see you!

Have a great day!
Belt Drive Betty
National VP - AIM Can

I am impressed...

My hats off to Ali who has done a fabulous job on our friends wall, it's working fast and slick! In her nightly update she says, "I almost have it where I want it, still some other components I want to install like video sharing"...sounds like we are in for some other new stuff....

Now I can see who has come to visit, I can connect with people easier...yup, I like it, a lot!

The news has me feeling sick. What is it going to take for people to respect motorcycles, see motorcycles...the news feeds are filled with so much tragedy again today.

Cinny, our Southern AB reporter is going to the Duane Nagy fundraiser. He's a single dad who lost his leg in a motorcycle accident a bit back.

AIM-Can here in the Peace Country meets on the 16th of September and we will be discussing what we can do to support him.

Today I am working on event calendars and phone book ad sales.

The 2010 phone book is going to be a great resource for your desk or your saddlebags!

If you are riding today, please ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you

Belt Drive Betty
AIM-Can National VP

Getting Geared up for 2010...

No, I am not talking about the Olympics. I am talking about the 2010 Riding season.

The beginning of the 2010 planning season is here. Let's start really communicating our needs to each other. Let's get our events out there nice and early so that we all have great event calendars for the January Bike Shows.

Let's help the newbies find out more about our community. Lets work with great motorcyclist owned businesses. Let's just share and make our community stronger, more empowered - more community!

I need your help.

I need to know who wants to become a calendar admin to promote their riding clubs, ride nights, meetings, motorcycle events etc. We are only days away from launching our new calendar system.

If I could get emails from everyone who wants to be able to add their clubs information or their charity or community event information that would sure help. By the time Friday roles around we are hoping to have it installed. If I can ensure you are added as an admin so you don't need me to approve your events before they publish - that would really help. These are "Virgin" Calendars - no old information - NO information in them period!

We also want to include riding club contact information and some basic event information in the 2010 phone book which is going to print in 5 weeks.
Your help now will just make things go that much smoother!

We need info from EVERY PROVINCE AND TERRITORY! PLEASE!!!!

There's some restructuring going on on the web site at www.beltdrivebetty.com

Ali has hit a wall installing our friends wall - in that the wall really slowed things down on the home page, so it's been moved temporarily - while she is dealing with the developer, she's moved a few things other things around too - again this is temporary until she gets the speed issue resolved. But is very cool that shortly and I do mean shortly our site will function very much like Facebook. Although a wee bit maddening at the moment, I can see how we will be able to pull in more of the meet up group information as well as Facebook stuff.

There's just so much information out there - the problem is it is SOOO fragmented.
Come one people, help us make the best Canadian motorcycle networking community for riders. Let's pull it all together.

Let's get every riding club web site added to one central directory.
Let's make sure that newbies and olddie's alike can find what they are looking for in one central place! The tools are almost all there. Video sharing and others coming down stream as soon as we can get to them. Ali is testing everything in all the web browsers so if you have issues, please email her (ali4evr@gmail.com)
We can't fix what we don't know is broken! Talk to us!

I really need some beta testers. Log in, play around, tell Ali and I what's NOT working. Tell us what's missing. What can we do better...

If you are lucky enough to be riding today, please ensure that motorcycle is in good repair. Stay hydrated, ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you and PLEASE, use respect with your throttle hand.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor - Busted Knuckle Chronicles
National VP - AIM-Can

Digby Wharf Rat Rally (2009) Does it again!

The Wharf Rat Rally in Digby NS has done it again!
Huge crowds, streets and exits jammed and the people there are happy for it.
They are loving the tourism dollars that are flowing.

Try what they are doing here in Alberta and you'll get shut down so fast it will make your head swim! I did and it got me NO WHERE and fast.

Although the organizers faced a few hiccups along the way they are successful because they have the whole town and region working with them.

This is what happen when community works together - sweet success...
Congratulations Digby! You have done it again!

If you have a moment, I'd love your feedback on some additions to our web site.
Log in at www.beltdrivebetty.com  tell me what you think...I'd love to know.

If you are riding today, please ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you, stay hydrated, ensure your motorcycle is in good repair and please use respect with that throttle hand!


Belt Drive Betty

Another tragic death, Veteran's Video's Returned and Paul Teutul waxes philisophical....

A  Alberta rider was killed when he collided with a semi at an intersection in Fort McMurray on Friday evening. He was heading south and the semi was heading east.

In Ontario a male rider suffered serious injury after a head on collision with pick up driven by a 90 year old man.

My heart goes out to the families involved. My heart always gets heavy when I hear news like this.

Randy Young from the Friends of Veterans is a relieved man! The video footage of war veteran stories that had been stolen in Regina was returned! His equipment was not returned but his videos were! So the thieves do have a conscience!
Now - Danni Stockley posted an interesting note on my Facebook page about the equipment that was stolen. How is Randy, who is doing this on a shoe string going to replace his equipment? What can we do to help?...

HawgZotic had donated a frame to our auction to support our web site and newspaper.
I need the income but Randy's need for equipment to finish what he set out to do is just as important if not more important.

I have updated the information on that auction page and we will donate 50% of whatever we can raise to Randy for new video gear.
Our veteran's stories must be preserved for future generations.


In other news Paul Teutul Sr. gets very philosophical with a Nova Scotia reporter on the feud between him and his sons Mikey and Paul JR. He was interviewed in advance of what was supposed to be an appearance at the Wharf Rat Rally, but that appearance was cancelled. No formal reason is listed anywhere as to why the OCC were pulled from the event, but from what I hear on the ground - their price tag was astronomical and 4,000 advanced tickets needed to be sold to pay the fee, if that is true, I see why it was canceled.

I want to make it clear that I like the factory production customs OCC is putting out these days. The quality is far superior to what I have witnessed in the past and the bikes get good reviews from those who have ridden them. But I am not a fan of their show or the Teutul's. Never have been. Where TV executives and producers think that the temper tantrums and dysfunctional crap the Teutul's exhibit is "good TV" I am unsure. I guess it boils down to personal taste.

I have also heard that the fees to have them appear at a show are exorbitant. Too many of these celebrities have out priced and over valued themselves. No one can truly afford their fees. And that's my humble opinion on that subject!

Well, it's time to go back to editing and laying out the upcoming edition of the Busted Knuckle. I had a few challenges last week and want to avoid a repeat.

I messed up and forgot to change the Boutique of Leathers ad and when doing the invoicing for our spnsors ads we messed up on the billing of a few. We only printed three times in August, not 4 and a few were wrongly billed. So now I also need to go through all of the invoicing and adjust the ones that are wrong! Somedays you are the windshield....

Anyway, if you are lucky enough to be riding, please stay hydrated, ensure your machine is in good repair, ride like everyone around you is blind and can't see you and PLEASE, use respect with that right hand!

Belt Drive Betty