irishhillshogchapter

We're back

2011-02-07T22:23:00.000-08:00

As of November 20, 2010 there is new leadership in the Chapter and we are back to being active.

Originally written on 1/11/09

2009-10-08T23:50:00.000-07:00

Sun Jan 11, 2009 9:29 pm

The "authorized" website is completed now and available for viewing. It is "officially" recognized by hog and is now listed on their website and dealer finder. That's nice, now the Chapter can grow to be as large as the metro area chapters because everyone will find it easier. Soon there will be 60 bike dinner rides and nothing but standing room only at the monthly meetings.

I'll leave the "unauthorized" website up for awhile longer because it is still listed higher on Google and I wouldn't want anyone to miss finding the Chapter and getting the information about it.

Originally written on 1/8/09

2009-10-07T18:35:00.000-07:00

Thu Jan 08, 2009 9:23 am

Brad wrote on 12/2/08:I was wonder about something I found on the Internet -

http://forum.freeforums.org/viewtopic.php?t=6504&sid=0364b7c2a4a9e4052cd4922132a0c1c9

Notice the date is before he was even Director.

I see he still reads this forum as he has gone and deleted the original text so no one can see he was working on a forum before he was even the Director. It was originally irishhillsbiker.freeforums.org but I guess he was embarrassed to let anybody see he was working on changes before he was officially in charge. All the edited posts say something about harassment, I wonder what that is about?

The new website is on line but as of this writing I don't think he has let anyone see it so click here to check it out. It sure doesn't look much different then the original, even some of the wording is the same, so why was it necessary to spend $200.00 to design a new one? Oh ya, "the Chapter should own the website". I guess the Chapter has plenty of money now so why not waste it on unnecessary changes.

Clarification 10/8/09 - You will notice the replies don't make any sense compared to his "edited" posts.

Orginally written on 12/11/08

2009-10-06T16:04:00.000-07:00

Thu Dec 11, 2008 8:34 am

In the first post I should have said "of the officers present" since I was considered an officer and I was not there, my family and I were on vacation. When I tried to discuss the subject at the November meeting I was effectively shutdown and told the topic had been voted on and was not open for further discussion. This was such an important matter it could not wait for me to be present that I might have some input in the decision. So either Freedom of Speech has come to an end in the Chapter or at least mine has. I was very surprised and hurt when some of my "friends" defended the actions and not one of them stood to defend me. I feel the "Director" is doing everything in his power to erase my legacy in the Chapter and make sure I have no further influence.

Originally written on 12/9/08

2009-10-05T19:58:00.000-07:00

Tue Dec 09, 2008 11:34 am

Just about a week ago I sent this email to the "Director" -

I would like to propose a truce and compromise. If you haven't already looked, the main website links are all set to go to the Information Center as well as most of the links in the forum. If you haven't already spent the $200 for development of a new web page I would like to propose not abandoning the well established domain name and current web page. The current layout and content would remain the same with no changes without mutual agreement. There would be no email associated with irishhillshog.org. Perhaps a link could be set up on the Information Center back to the old ride reports and the old newsletters. In return the General topic would be completely deleted and the forum would be set to read only with no further posts of any kind. The forum would become a Chapter archive.

I received no reply as of THIS writing.

I see the Information Center is still locked. Members can read but not post, unlike it was here, without first submitting it to one of the Site Admins, if that is even going to be allowed. That was never the case here, freedom of speech was always welcome a long as it was within H.O.G. Guidelines and the forum use agreement. I find it interesting that the reason this forum could not be continued to be used was the "Chapter" needed to have control. As far as I can tell only the "Director" has control of the Information Center. How is that different then what was being done here? One difference, anyone who registered could post comments about rides and reports or suggest new rides, only the "Director" can do that on the Information Center. It is true that I had administrative control of this forum, which is what the "Director" has in the Information Center, but as a Topic Moderator, you could edit, move, even delete posts in their assigned area. As administrator, I had control of who got those jobs but I NEVER went in and edited any posts, except maybe for grammar. I think I fixed a wrong phone number once too, but that is within the job description of a moderator. The only reason I can truly see for not continuing to use the forum is I'm not director anymore. For 20 years I lead this Chapter and in just 1 short year I'm not allowed to be involved anymore.

Originally written on 12/2/08

2009-10-04T18:25:00.000-07:00

Tue Dec 02, 2008 9:05 pm

I see the new "Information Center" is on line but LOCKED. Seems only the "Director" can post, at least at this time. Well, since the "Director" has total control over that place he doesn't have to allow anyone else to have access. Unlike here, (irishhillshog.net/forums ) where the "Director" could post, edit, modify or delete ANY post in his Moderated areas, he didn't need to ask permission from any of the Site Admins. Any place you saw his name in green or purple, or anyone's name, they had total access and control of that topic. The only thing he couldn't do was add areas, limit other peoples access , assign jobs and classifications, of course he can do all that now in his own "Information Center". There seems to be very strict rules on posting and pictures, unlike here (irishhillshog.net/forums ) where there were no such rules. Did you notice the "Information Center" looks exactly like this (irishhillshog.net/forums ) one?

This (irishhillshog.net/forums ) probably won't get read too much anymore as the webmaster for irishhillshog.org, in the spirit of cooperation, has changed all the links on the original website to the new "Information Center" and new informational email.

This site (irishhillshog.net/forums ) will remain available so members of the forum, as well as Chapter members, can use it for future reference and to remember past good times.

Originally written on 11/16/2008

2009-10-03T14:57:00.000-07:00

Sun Nov 16, 2008 6:53 pm

At the October 2008 Officers Meeting, by unanimous vote, it was decided that the Chapter would start a new Chapter website. The website has been in it's current format since 2006 and in other configurations since 2002. This forum was added a couple of years ago. My original website can still be seen here. Other then this past June, when the officers insisted they help with the hosting cost ( $50.00 ), the registration, design, maintenance, and hosting costs have been wholly paid for by Margi and I. When I stepped down as Director I told the officers I would continue to operate the website, still at no cost to the Chapter. I have always tried to make adjustments and changes whenever asked. No matter what may be said, it is not easy to setup and run a web page or a forum, one wrong keystroke and it is gone. ( which has happened once ) If it was so easy why is the Chapter paying $200.00 to setup a new site? I was asked to turn over the password and control of the website earlier this year and declined because I own and paid for all listed costs. I didn't really understand the request as the only thing that would give them access to was my credit card number and the registration information of the Internet address. At no time did the officers offer to buy the domain address or the web hosting. For ten years or so I have operated a Chapter website without comment or complaint from the dealer or the members. But now, suddenly, since I am no longer Director, I can't be trusted to continue to operate the website as I always have. I hope some of you realize how badly that effects me. For 20 years I led the Chapter and with many great members' help, made this Chapter the great group it is. Now, suddenly, my help and input is no longer welcome.

I can't stress enough that I was more then willing to continue to prove this service to the members of the Irish Hills Chapter at no cost what so ever to the members.

History

2009-10-02T15:12:00.000-07:00

By Brad and Margi P.
I joined H.O.G. in January 1986 and Margi joined a couple months later. We sought out the Capital Area Chapter to become more involved in H.O.G. We soon became tired of the long compute to attend events. I found out how to start a local Chapter and took that information to Town & Country and John Petitto. John told me he had already been approached to start a Chapter and that person had the paperwork, too. After some trouble getting the other person to get started I again talked to John but after that conversation the other guy filed the paperwork. The Chapter was certified in October 1987 and we started having meetings. Since the other guy had brought in most of his friends they voted him in as Director. ( I later found out most of those people weren't even H.O.G. members ). We bumped along trying to find places to meet and figure out what we wanted to do. After the first year the other guy said he was too involved in B.A.M. and turned the Chapter over to me. His wife remained as Secretary/Treasurer for another year or so before Margi took over there. Anyone joining the Chapter in the first year was considered a Charter Member. Right now that only leaves Margi and I plus Mark and Lynda Little. Now we started to grow. Our biggest problem was still finding a place to hold our meetings. At the time, the dealership was no where as big as it is now. We tried a township hall, that worked for awhile. We wanted to use a meeting room at a local restaurant, who's owner was a personal friend, but he flat told me he didn't want bikers in his business. It took a long time to set the third Saturday as our regular meeting day, too. We spent a number of years out at Bartlett's at Pleasant Lake. Again the owner was a personal friend and he was thrilled to have us there. When the business closed we moved to the dealership and held our meeting a half hour after they closed on Saturday. We sat on the bikes since there wasn't any thing else, yet. The dealership added the west end of the building which included a meeting room for us. We had to give that up when they needed it for office space. We now have our current home in the Wells. In the early days the dealer gave us names of local people who bought cycles from them. We sent out tons of postcards every few months inviting them to join the Chapter. The dealership would pay for the first year, they just needed to attend a meeting to sign up. We did pick up some membership from that but most new members came to join because of loyalty to T&C. Current members were always bringing in friends and word of mouth work well, too. After a few years we stopped advertising for new members, we just let them seek us out. Over the years we've found this brought in a better quality of members, not just "joiners". The thought was we don't want a huge group of mostly inactive members. We have tried putting on Charity rides with limited success. When the Harley boom came along we really got active. The dealership held two "Lottos" per year. The Chapter provided all the workers to run the parking, food and entertainment so the dealership could concentrate on selling bikes. We even put on a fashion show one year. When someone registered for the Lotto they paid a dollar, that dollar went to MDA. The Chapter gave that money at the telethons and they were pretty healthy checks. In those days most of our Chapter business centered around putting on the Lotto. For a few years the Chapter had an "Out of State Ride", usually the weekend after Labor Day. We've gone to Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. The Chapter had a week long ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive. We spent a day at Gettysburg that trip, too. Of course we've been having our holiday weekend ride over Memorial Day and Labor Day for some time. You might have noted that Margi and my Chapter Chevrons say Jackson, Michigan. When the Chapter was Chartered T&C had just bought the local HD franchise which was in Jackson. It was HD of Jackson therefore Jackson was used for the first couple of years until I changed it to Cement City.

In October 2007 Margi and I stepped down as officers after 20 some years. In November of 2008 we were basically told our participation was no longer needed.