Wing Ding 30 Official Program - Wing World Magazine Archives

Motorcycling Leaders Lead by ExampleBy Gordon Murphy• gmwing@nf.sympatico.caWhen I sit down to put some wordson paper for this column in WingWorld, I often wonder whether ornot any of the multitudes of Members whoreceive Wing World out there ever read thosearticles.I mean, there are so many wonderful writerswho contribute letters and articles toWing World. Nobody actually takes the time toread my contributions, do they?Well, the other day I received an emailfrom a Member who had read (yes, really didread!) my article titled “Life’s Little–andBig–Experiences” (May issue, page 10). Thislady had fairly recently lost her husband ofmany years, and she wrote me a very poignantletter to say that my article had brought backsome very pleasant memories of the wonderfulrides she and her husband had, followingthe excitement of purchasing their 2000GL1500.I had ended the May article by suggestingwe should enjoy our family, our kids and ourrides with our wonderful GWRRA friends;that life is a one-way trip and we should makethe best of it on our own journey.The lady went on to indicate that she andher husband had done just that and that nowher memories would help her survive in thisnew phase in her life.I was quite moved by this lady’s reaction tothe few words I had written, and it caused meto reflect on how important the things arethat we say and do and how they might impactothers. And of course this caused me to furtherreflect on GWRRA and the impact wemight have on people who might be thinkingabout purchasing a Gold Wing—or any otherbrand of motorcycle, for that matter.Anyone who has done any kind of leadershiptraining (and we have lots of such trainingavailable within our Association!) will havebeen informed that we “lead by example.” Inother words, people watch what we do asOfficers of GWRRA and follow our lead inmany areas—areas sometimes that we wouldnot believe people notice.As Members who wear the colours of theAssociation, we are watched and noticed bypeople who get either positive or negativeimages of what we do and what we say. Butparticularly Officers, such as ChapterDirectors, District Directors, etc., who areleaders in our organization, have to be cognizantof how they act and what they say.Because these things are noticed andremarked upon by others.One of the things we strive to do asGWRRA Members and Officers is to improvethe image that motorcyclists, or “bikers” assome would call us, have among the generalpublic. We should recognize that’s a bigresponsibility, and it doesn’t happen withoutsome effort on our part.For instance if we, collectively, are loud anddisruptive in a public restaurant where otherpatrons are trying to have a quiet dinner aftera long day’s work, chances are our image is notgoing to be greatly improved. Likewise, if wepull into a crowded service station wearing T-shirts and no gloves, we’re not sending a verygood message to the parents of the youngperson there who is trying to convince his orher parents that riding a motorcycle is a safeand desirable sport.I guess what I’m trying to say, in my ownclumsy way, is this: As GWRRA Members, let’sall try to be cognizant always of what we say(because, believe it or not, non-members readour Newsletters, too—particularly with internetaccessibility these days). Let’s be cognizantof how we ride and what we wear when riding(people DO notice and either form a positiveor a negative opinion of “bikers”). Andlet’s be aware that “leading by example” is aresponsibility not to be taken lightly.People do know about GWRRA and itsreputation of “Friends for Fun, Safety andKnowledge.” If you think about it, do you reallywant to be known as the person whohelped influence his or her neighbours that“bikers” truly are noisy and unsafe? Do youreally want to reinforce the impressions theyalready get from TV and movie images?Well, that was a heavy item, wasn’t it?!Actually I didn’t set out, when I started thisarticle, to pontificate so much. I just wanted tosay again that I hope you cherish the fun timesyou will have this summer riding with yourspouse or significant other.But that while you’re doing so, why not alsoremember that we have a large potential audienceout there who is looking at you withenvy and wishing they could enjoy the same“Friends for Fun, Safety and Knowledge” thatyou obviously enjoy.When they see you doing it safely—because you have the knowledge to back youup—they may just be inspired to make somecherished riding memories of their own, perhapseven with our Association.That being said, let’s all get out there andhave a fun season to add to our own book ofmemories!Bon jour!●July 2008 7