Advice From Some Old Dogs
First, Welcome to the Central Utah H.O.G. family. We are sincerely glad you have chosen to associate with a great group of soon to become your best friends.
Do you want to ride and have fun? Do you want to hang out with people that love motorcycles as much as you do? Do you want to go on rides and events with other bikes? Do you want to be part of a family that you enjoy being with? If you have answered yes to all of these questions, you have come to the right place. It doesn’t matter what you look like, your race, your beliefs, or your income, because you won’t find a more diverse group than the Central Utah H.O.G. Chapter.
So now what? You are at your first H.O.G. event: Walking into a new group of bikers — most of who have been riding and volunteering together for many years — it is intimidating for even the most extroverted of personalities. For those of you wondering how this H.O.G. puzzle fits together, and for all of you established “puzzle pieces,” we have gathered a few pearls of wisdom from newcomers, and the old timers alike, to remind all of us how to get the most from our H.O.G chapter membership.
Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself. Pull up a chair and join a group who might be sitting around laughing. Our old friends have heard the same stories for years now, and we love to have a fresh audience who won’t point out all of the “discrepancies”! After the current road story is finished, introduce yourself. Don’t feel embarrassed asking someone’s name three or four rides in a row. Most of us barely remember our own names, let alone yours and don’t be offended if we keep asking yours as well.
Volunteer for all sorts of stuff. We guarantee the first event you volunteer for will break the ice for you, and you will truly feel like one of the group, not to mention you will end the event with some very close friends. We welcome your new ideas. There are a variety of chapter events you can help us with. Volunteers make things happen!
Voice your concerns and your abilities. You are respected for voicing any uneasiness you may have about riding in a new pack (regardless of your experience). Fall to the back of the pack for a while where you can watch. We tend to “pack up” with our old friends because we have ridden together for thousands upon thousands of miles and seem to know each others riding styles, capabilities and can usually predict what the others will do (right or wrong) in a given situation. There is a sense of comfort and safety in that trust. After observing for a while — you may find YOU don’t feel safe riding with some of US. We ride too hard, too slow, stop too much, don’t stop enough. Some of us may have a beer at the end of a ride — you don’t – whatever. It takes a little time and “watching” to trust your well being with others on the road.
We truly enjoy riding together, laughing together, and meeting new people. Please take this opportunity to get to know us. We are excited you are here!
CUHOG Invites “YOU” to Get Involved
The great thing about CUHOG’s Chapter activities, is how much they reflect the passions and personalities of our Chapter members.
Here is a quick peek at some of the types of events the Central Utah Chapter is involved in… and remember… this is only a preview of the types of activities we offer:
- Monthly Meetings: Have a great time with your friends (and even friends you haven’t met yet) while getting the latest Chapter news and updates. This is your chance to meet new people that share your same interests, passions and the love of riding Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Our meetings are just one of the events where you will form life-long friendships.
- Dinner Rides: Held the 3rd Thursday of every month. We ride to eat. Any questions?
- Toy Runs: A popular activity that provides toys to sick or needy children. There is no organization anywhere that demonstrates more charity and kindness toward children than a group of motorcyclist enthusiasts.
- Holiday Events: Parties, contests, group visits – all sorts of holiday fun, including our annual Chapter Christmas party.
- Safe Rider Programs: Periodic re-tooling your safe riding skills is good for the soul… and your insurance rates. When enough Chapter members complete accredited courses, National H.O.G. awards special recognition to the Chapter.
- Charity Events: Do something good for others while having a great time. In addition to children’s charities, we also have events during the year in support of the elderly and our local hospitals.
- Volunteering: Both the Chapter and our sponsoring H-D Dealer have a variety of activities where volunteers are needed. In fact, volunteers are a critical ingredient for helping these events to be successful… anything from helping during an event, volunteering during the State H.O.G. Rallies, and even working as a Chapter Officer.
- Rides: Short rides, long rides, even overnight adventures – building awesome memories that will last you a lifetime. After all, isn’t that what owning a Harley-Davidson is all about anyway?
- Monthly Newsletters: Our own publication, the Squealer. The purpose of the Squealer is to keep our members informed of upcoming Chapter/Dealer activities and events, as well as recapping those that have been recently completed. Chapter officers are expected to contribute an article to the newsletter every month… but wait a minute! They aren’t the only members of our Chapter that have stuff to share, and they certainly don’t have a corner on ideas. We really want YOU to contribute to our newsletter also. Whether it’s a story about a recent motorcycle trip you took by yourself or with some friends, or an adventure with the Chapter, or your favorite dessert recipe, PLEASE SHARE it with the rest of us.
- Website: That’s where you are right now! Our website is our primary means of communicating with you. Please come here often – look at the calendar for new events, activity updates, or even if we have had to cancel something that was previously scheduled. Stay informed. Don’t find out tomorrow about something you would have had a blast at yesterday.
- Facebook: Yes, we even have our own Facebook page. So for those of you who are social geeks who thrive on time-wasting internet activities, please help yourself to a dose of what is currently cooking on our little page. You will find the link to our Facebook page in the right column of most of our website pages.
- Email Subscription: Another way we contact you is through email. If you would like to be included on our Member E-Mail Subscription List so you receive all chapter emails, please make sure our membership officer has your current email address. It is quite a job to keep up with our members’ email addresses, so the responsibility rests with you to keep your email address updated.
- Ladies of Harley: Although our Ladies of Harley (LOH) has its own page on this site, which we hope all our lady members visit frequently, it is important for you to understand the role of LOH within the H.O.G. organization. If you are one of our ladies, whether you are the driver or passenger of your motorcycle, by joining the National H.O.G. organization and checking the box during signup that indicates you want to belong to National LOH also, there are special monthly activities specifically designed for you. They usually include food, but may also have a special event associated with them. Please support our LOH organization (even if you are of the male persuasion). All LOH activities invite our men to attend as well.
So that’s just a small taste of what belonging to H.O.G. is about. For more information about how you can get involved and join the fun, please refer to our Chapter Officers page here on the website and call or email any or all of them. Every one of them wants to help make your experiences with our Chapter enjoyable and place you want to be.
