STATE COORDINATOR'S REPORT | |
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I had the opportunity to go to Sturgis this year with my wife and son. It was a privilege to ride the Black Hills, Needles Highway, Mt. Rushmore, and Crazy Horse with my son. We saw some great things and had a fun and safe trip. He road from Sturgis to Graham straight through, leaving Sturgis at 0800-pulling into Graham at midnight that night. Crazy to be young. We ran into some old friends and met some great people—a special time for me.
Unfortunately, some ABATE members from Lewis County did not have a safe trip. Please keep them and others in your thoughts and prayers.
We have found one Bylaw problem. The following article was somehow changed, and the intent needed to be corrected.
4.3.6 CHAPTER COORDINATOR. A candidate for this position must have (i) been a member in good standing for a minimum of two (2) years continuously; and (ii) held one (1) of the four (4) elected Chapter Officer positions for at least one (1) year.
This article was intended to have minimum standards for the five state executive board positions: the State Coordinator, Deputy Coordinators, State Secretary, and State Treasurer. This was never intended to address chapter coordinators. It would be hard to start new chapters if this were a requirement. And this would be in the wrong place to address chapter officers in the by-laws. As bylaw changes now become a membership vote, you will see a proposed change to the by-laws to address this soon.
There are many events coming up this fall. Get out and support your fellow chapters, and get some last-minute warm riding in. See you at the Oyster Run.
Andy McAfee
State Coordinator
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ABATE of Washington
By-laws Change Proposal
This article was changed when the new bylaws came out. The old bylaws described the requirements for being the State Coordinator. When the bylaws committee met to work through the changes provided by the attorney, the bylaws committee decided this requirement would be good for the executive officers, not just for the state coordinator. However, it should have excluded chapter coordinators. It would be hard to start new chapters if chapter coordinators had to have served for two years as officers already.
Currently Reads:
4.3.6 CHAPTER COORDINATOR. A candidate for this position must have (i) been a member in good standing for a minimum of two (2) years continuously; and (ii) held one (1) of the four (4) elected Chapter Officer positions for at least one (1) year.
Proposed Change:
4.3.6 Executive Officers: State Coordinator, Deputy State Coordinators, State Secretary, and State Treasure. A candidate for these positions must have (i) been a member in good standing for a minimum of two (2) years continuously and (ii) held one (1) of the four (4) elected state or Chapter Officer positions for at least one (1) year.
Purpose: Change to the original intent. Currently approved wrong. Also, if it was intended for chapter coordinators, it should have been in the chapter coordinator section of the bylaws, not the state officer section. If left, this will make it challenging to start new chapters.
Submitted,
Andy McAfee
State Coordinator
ABATE of Washington
August 15, 2024
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“Texas” Larry Walker is a nationally certified Rider Coach for novice, intermediate, and advanced training. He is the Senior Instructor for Navy Region Northwest, a long time motorcyclist rights advocate, with over 45 years of riding experience. | |
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The weather is turning - Prepare Your Ride!
As September arrives, so do cooler days, shorter nights, and the challenges of riding in the fall. It's time to prep your gear and your trusty scooter for the elements.
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Gear Up: Clean and retreat your leathers or textiles to keep the "liquid sunshine" out. Don't forget your boots—dry feet mean a safer, more enjoyable ride.
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Check Your Lights: Ensure all your lights are in top shape—visibility is key as daylight fades.
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Brake and Tire Check: Wet roads and old brake pads are a risky combo. Consider swapping out for grippier pads and checking your tires for age or wear.
Stay ahead of the game, and fall riding can be as thrilling as ever! Click below to read the full Safety and Education Report.
“Texas” Larry Walker
ABATE of WA
Legislative Affairs
360-271-9285
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MOTORCYCLE RIDERS FOUNDATION | |
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The Motorcycle Riders Foundation Announces 2024 Freedom Fighter Hall of Fame Inductees
The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) is pleased to release the names of the 2024 class of Inductees to the Motorcycle Riders Foundation Freedom Fighters Hall of Fame (MRF HOF). These will be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Minds conference on September 26-29, St. Louis, Missouri.
This year’s MRF HOF Class of 2024 - Freedom Fighter Inductees are:
- Imre Szauter
- Marlene Bautch
Read the full story here.
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MRF Responds To
NHTSA Survey
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Last week, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) submitted comments to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on a proposed survey of biker’s thoughts on motorcycle avoidance technology. The MRF submitted comments highlighting two areas of a proposed survey that we feel should not be ignored.
First, we pointed out that any survey should be designed in a way that does not skew the questions or responses in a way that favors one outcome over another. The way a question is phrased can shape the nature of the response. The MRF and our members want true and unbiased results from any federally funded study. Click here to read more.
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40th Annual Meeting of the Minds - September 26 - 29, 2024 | | | |
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40 Years of Freedom, Unity & Change
Forty years ago, the first “Meeting of the Minds” fueled the engine that brought us the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF). The roads we traversed toward freedom took us through unity and change.
Freedom because we love the freedoms that motorcycling gives us.
Unity because we knew that uniting and working together was the only way to overcome soon-to-be-realized adversity.
Change because we knew the freedom we loved was doomed if we did not organize and build strong grassroots organizations.
Read more.
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STATE PRODUCTS COORDINATOR - NEEDED!! | |
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We are in need of a new State Products Coordinator. If interested, don't hesitate to get in touch with Bubba Bowen at srdeputy.abateofwashington@gmail.com. A special thank you to Cheryl Holtquist for all her hard work. | | | |
American Income Life - FREE Accidental Life & Dismemberment | |
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Dear Members of A.B.A.T.E of WA:
You may recall receiving letters from American Income Life Insurance Company (AIL) over the years. As a member of ABATE of WA, you automatically receive a $4,000 Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance benefit at no cost to you or ABATE of WA.
ABATE of WA has partnered with AIL for several years to offer these benefits. Each letter included a reply card, which you must complete to receive your certificate of coverage. An AIL representative will contact you to designate a beneficiary. If you do not name a beneficiary, the $4,000.00 will be paid to your estate and may be taxable.
ABATE of WA does not provide AIL with your name or contact information. The only way they have access to your information is when you send the reply card back or CLICK HERE to request your benefits. AIL offers several supplemental programs, which will be discussed when an AIL representative calls.
If you have any questions, please contact AIL at 1-800-495-1213 or Fran Christie, AIL Public Relations at 778-231-0226.
Over numerous years, AIL has helped ABATE of WA families by paying multiple claims. ABATE of WA has no financial interest in AIL in any way.
To request your benefits, click below:
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12th Annual Brewery Fun Run
September 14, 2024
| CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW FLYER | | |
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23rd Annual Fall Run
September 21, 2024
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2024 Oyster Run
September 22, 2024
CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW FLYER
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CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW FLYER | | |
STEEPLE CHASE T-SHIRT ORDER FORM | CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW FLYER | | |
RIDER REIMBURSEMENT
Complete a State-Approved Rider Safety Course to receive $50 reimbursement & more!
CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW FLYER
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2024 40th ANNUAL
MEETING OF THE MINDS
September 26 - 29, 2024
| CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW FLYER | | |
RIDE WITH THE LEADERS FORM
CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW FLYER & PRINT
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EPCC
Wishing a splendid September to All from EPCC! First – a HUGE thank you to everyone who turned out to support our Teddy Bear Rally. We had folks from Foothills, Grant County, South King, Spanaway, Star Lake and Tacoma join us – with nearly 20 workers & vendors manning 9 booths and an ice cream truck! It was a great time. To read more and see pictures click the link below.
READ MORE
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FOOTHILLS
Thank you to everyone that came out to our Foothills Fallen Chapter Fundraiser, it was a great success!!! Huge thank you goes out to all of our chapter members that stepped up and volunteered & secured sponsors!! Your efforts are greatly appreciated & do not go unnoticed!
READ MORE
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KEY PENINSULA
Greetings from Key Pen!!!
First, Thank you to all who came out and supported our successful 2024 Spring "Give Back" Ride! I'd especially like to thank Star Lake, Foothills, Tacoma, Mason County and South King County Chapters....as always, it was GREAT riding and spending the day with you all. Your continued suppport is greatly appreciated, more than you know!
READ MORE
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PACIFIC COUNTY
Our Fall Run is coming up Sept. 21. Many members consider it the nicest run of the year. We start at Hunter’s Inn in Naselle, sign in at 9:00 am KSU at 10:00 am. The last stop is The Chester Club in South Bend. ( Good food!) Hope you can make it
PRINT FLYER
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SPANAWAY
Wow, what a summer seems like just yesterday we were waiting for spring opener and here we are getting ready for kickback camp out.
Last weekend, I attended the Foothills pig roast. What a great time that was.
Lots of folks are just getting home from Sturgis, and we’re thinking about our soup challenge and biker bingo coming up next month. We hope to see a bunch of your smiling faces on September 14 for the soup challenge and bingo.
READ MORE
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SKCC
I hope everyone has been having a good summer! In early August, we had our annual SKCC Family campout at Lundtland, and it was a lot of fun. We had good food, kids games and biker games, not a dull moment was had. One of our members gave a young man, about 10 years old, his first ever ride on a motorcycle and he told everyone that would listen that that was the best day of his life. What an awesome impression this young man now has about motorcycles and motorcycle riders, that's what it's all about, we have BIG hearts and love helping people. By this time our Gold Rush Fun Run will be in the history books and we'll be planning next years run. Let's get some more good runs in before all the nice weather is gone
Kevin Billings
Coordinator
ABATE SKCC
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STAR LAKE
The next meeting will be on September 8th, 2024, 11am at Purdy’s Public House in Sumner. All are welcome to attend.
Star Lake Chapter 2024 participation in recent and future events:
- Participation at other ABATE chapter rides and events
- Participation at the donation event for Black Diamond Community Center (November 2024)
- Planning chapter fun ride for September/campout and attend Oyster event in Anacortes (September 21-22)
READ MORE
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SPOKANE
September marks the coming of Fall and in our area that means, only two more months of riding season if we are lucky!! Our Chapter has been attending a lot of club rides. Supporting a variety of non profits and people in need. I am very proud of our outreach to show our community Spokane Chapter supports all motorcycle riders.
Elections are for new officers this month. When this article comes out the new officers will have been voted into office. Congratulations to the new Spokane Chapter Officers!!
Thank you,
Diana Picone
Coordinator
Spokane Chapter
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Need to reach a specific Chapter?
Get their contact information here:
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Who We Are
We’ve been helping people for almost 30 years. We’re smart, efficient, and sophisticated. We measure success by the results achieved for our clients. Most of our cases involve a motorcycle, bicycle, and auto collisions. We work on a contingent fee basis. We only get paid if there’s a recovery. Not only do we do all the work, we also advance all the costs necessary to prepare the case for trial. Clients don’t have to pay any money upfront.
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The Value of Human Life: May 1st, 2024 | |
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How much is a human life worth?
It’s a question that’s asked in every wrongful death case.
It’s also a question that’s asked when proposed regulations are evaluated. The government weighs the cost of implementing the proposed regulation and the value of the lives it will save.
For a long time, the government focused on how much people earned and equated their income to the value of their lives.
View the original newsletter here! We want to work on issues that are important to you. What kind of help can we provide to your club?
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Pinewood Derby
When you get past the surface, no one is an average or run-of-the-mill person.
That begs the question: Does it make sense to go beyond the surface? In a case with $8,000 of chiropractic treatment it probably doesn’t move the needle. And it’s probably not necessary when someone has lost limbs or been rendered quadriplegic... Click here to read more.
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The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword
Not many First Amendment cases get filed. The vast majority—maybe 99 percent—get dismissed.
But ours didn’t. Last week we tried an important First Amendment case in the federal courthouse in Richland.
Click here to read more.
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Thirty Years in the Saddle
And just like that it’s been 30 years since I started practicing law.
My first job was at a law firm. But I didn’t like being told what to do. So three years (and three firms) later I started Myers & Company. My first business card read: Comprehensive Legal Services.
I didn’t want to miss an opportunity. Ever since then I’ve been narrowing my practice. At this point I just represent people who have been hurt—physically or financially—by someone else.
Click here to read more.
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Small Things Make a Big Difference
Most stories have a theme:
Fate v. Free Will
Good v. Evil
Man v. Nature
So do personal injury cases. Themes help tie together evidence and remind juries why what they’re hearing is important.
One of the big struggles is figuring out what theme really fits the facts of the case. A theme that isn’t quite right... Click here to read more.
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Filling in the Blanks
Most people have a pretty clear memory of how they got hurt. Frequently their memories are punctuated with very specific details. “That son of a bitch looked me right in the eye before turning left.” “The front door mat was a bright pastel color.” “The impact made a sound just like an M-80 going off.” But when you go through something traumatic, like a motorcycle wreck, the brain isn’t focused on making memories—it’s focused on survival. The same mechanisms that keep the brain sharp enough to escape immediate danger may also make it harder to accurately recall the event.
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He Passed Me Going 90 MPH
In just about every motorcycle case we have there are allegations that our client was speeding. There are a couple of important things to know about the issue of motorcycle speed. The first relates to the reliability of witness observations. The second deals with the way courts deal with favored drivers exceeding the speed limit.
Witnesses are almost always wrong about motorcycle speed. It may be based on the relatively small size of motorcycles compared to other vehicles. Or it may be based on witness bias.
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What the Jury Doesn't Hear
The evidence rules have a big impact on what the jury gets to hear (and what it doesn’t get to hear). Evidence can seem a lot like an iceberg: 10 percent visible, 90 percent below the surface.
A lot of the evidence rules are counter-intuitive. Here’s what the jury doesn’t get to hear in a personal injury case.
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