OPEN LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

11/15/2022

Hello Riveters and Chix! 
I can’t believe we are just past the year mark for this chapter. We have accomplished a great deal in a short time, and the Riveter Board has big goals going forward.
First let’s talk about membership. 
We have 96 members, including 33 charter members. We are proud to be the first women-focused chapter of the AMCA, and we want to create a chapter that you will be proud of too. The more you participate in the chapter and support each other, the more you will get out of your experience. If you are not much of a joiner or a doer, that’s OK too. Perhaps something we do here will change that for you.
That said, to maintain your chapter membership, you must maintain your AMCA national membership.  Your chapter membership runs on the calendar year – 1/1/2023 – 12/31/2023, for example – so your chapter membership will likely expire at a different time than your AMCA membership does. A little motivation to get your renewal in – we are increasing our chapter dues from $15.00/year to $20.00/year on January 1, 2023. If you renew for 2023 before January 1, you will pay the $15.00 dues.
In order to join or renew, please read the following:
1.    If you are not a current AMCA member, please click the link below to join. You can take care of your AMCA national membership and your Riveter Chapter membership here.
2.    If you are a current AMCA member and just need to renew your Riveter Chapter membership, send your dues via PayPal by January 1, 2023 to our Treasurer Kathy Strobele. 
3.    If you have any questions about membership status, contact our Membership Director Joann Mikulec. 
Now let’s talk about what you are a part of as an AMCA Riveter Chapter member…
In June of 2022, we completed our first chapter event: Chix on 66 – Powered by Harley-Davidson, which was extremely successful by all accounts. The participants were more than satisfied with the ride, according to all the feedback we have received. Our sponsors were very happy with the exposure we gave them across the country, and – an aspect we didn’t really consider – the businesses and residents along Route 66 were ecstatic to meet us and follow our journey. 
Our goal for the Chix ride was to open up the idea that women can travel cross country, regardless of the bike they choose, and they are more than capable of learning to work on their own machines. Some of our riders were old hands at this, but many were not. It was so rewarding to watch these women grow and come into a part of themselves they may not have known was there.
A great deal of work went into planning and executing this event. We secured several financial sponsors, gear sponsors, and media partners – all of whom added to the Chix on 66 experience. There were nine public stops and four private hosted events. If you were not able to participate in the Chix ride, we hope you can attend one of the upcoming rides we are planning. Read on!
So what have we been doing? 
Since Chix, the chapter has not been visibly active, and we realize that may be concerning for some of you, so let’s fill in some blanks. 
•    In terms of “day to day” Riveter activity, we have been closing out the Chix ride – yes, there are still some housekeeping items we have left to do. 
•    We have been talking about a chapter ride in Kentucky for June 2023, which will be more of a gathering, and not a full-on event like Chix was (no sponsors, no swag, probably no registration fees). That said, we are looking for someone to step in and take point on organizing that ride. If you think you might be interested, please call or email Karan Andrea to discuss what that would entail. Contact information will be at the end of this communication. Watch for a separate email with more details on this event. We will need your input to finalize dates. 
•    We are also in preliminary planning stages for a Chix 2024 ride. This will be a full-blown event like Chix on 66, and we will be putting a planning committee together to organize and oversee that event. We do have a template which outlines the various needs, so again, if you would like to be part of the Chix 2024 planning committee, please call or email Karan Andrea. The template allows for much of the work to be divided up, so that no one person becomes all-consumed with the event. Tentative dates: June 15 – 29, 2024.
•    Riveter activities: This past summer, Riveters participated in many women’s events, antique bike events, and general motorcycle events. We were invited to be part of the Biker Belles/Women’s Day in Sturgis, and our own Marjorie Kleiman was a featured speaker at the Biker Belles luncheon. Although we have been documenting our motorcycling fun on our own social media pages, these things have not reached our Riveter/Chix social media as they should. 
•    There are some other things in the works which we will be talking about later once they have developed past the preliminary stages.
How do we keep the Riveter Chapter visible between these annual events? 
Share what you are doing in your own communities, home chapters, riding organizations, wherever you participate in motorcycling events. If you are at an event, please post, share or tag Chix and Riveter social media (we are on Facebook and Instagram). 
FB Riveter Private Group
FB Chix on 66 Public Page
Instagram Riveter Page
Instagram Chix on 66 Page

•    The purpose of this chapter is for us to get to know each other and see what we are all doing. Social media is the perfect outlet for us to make this happen. Our members are spread across the country, so large gatherings of members are going to be few and far between, but sharing the events we attend, the work we do on our bikes, etc., is a great way to support each other and become more aware that we are not all operating in a vacuum. 
•    If you have an idea or want to create an event or believe that there is something that the chapter can offer its members, please get in touch with one of our board members (see the complete list of board members on the Riveter Chapter website www.riveterchapter.com). This is your chapter. If you are willing to put an event together where you live or know of an event where you would like to see a Riveter presence, we can help you make that happen. 
•    We are always looking for members who want to be active on a more committed level. There are open board positions, and an open officer position (secretary). There are also committee opportunities – either a committee the board has established, or you can propose a committee if you have an idea that would require more planning and execution than you are willing to do on your own.
•    There will be board elections in October 2023. Currently we are operating under the founding board, and vacancies are filled by board vote. In October 2023, membership will be able to vote for the board members they choose.
This sounds like something I want to dig into. What else can I do?
If you want to play a larger role in your chapter, here are just a few ideas for you to consider. Some I have already mentioned above, and some are simply needs that we do not yet have personnel for.
•    Social media coordination – we are looking for someone willing to manage our social media content on Facebook and Instagram – this is one of the best ways to stay in touch with our members and share what Riveters are doing with a wider audience. This could be shared among several people.
•    Kentucky 2023 planning committee – one or more people who would like to coordinate a 3-day ride in Kentucky – May or June 2023 – specific date TBD. 
•    Chix 2024 planning committee – many hands make light work. 
•    Membership recruiting – do you know women who might be interested in joining the Riveter Chapter? Forward this email to them. Bring them to an event you are attending. Introduce them to other members. 
•    Event planning/attendance – if you have an idea for an event – no matter how small and local it may be, or if you gather a few Riveters to attend an event – maybe a local bike night, a road run, one of the bigger rallies like Sturgis or Daytona, etc. – let us know, and we can help coordinate meetups or whatever you have in mind.
•    Education – riding techniques, mechanical instruction (repairs/maintenance, etc.)
•    Promoting Riveter contributions to motorcycling, etc. If you or someone you know is participating in a motorcycle event – maybe having an antique bike judged, or racing at Sons of Speed, or participating in something like the Chase or Cannonball – we will promote the event and our members through our social media channels.
Thank you for your support of the Riveter Chapter. We are excited about our future, and we are happy that you have chosen to be part of our adventure.
Karan Andrea
President
716-445-5487