West Side Meeting Locations

[Ghillie]

I thought it might be nice to head over to the west side when the weather gets nicer. How about some suggestions for someplace to meet that some of the Ft Worth members might be inclined to go to?

[Six Guns]

We could go here. http://www.risckys.com/locations-bbq-westside.php  They are biker friendly.

[RainMaker]

I'd recommend a poll of the riders to see

1) who will come from the east side to a west side meeting
2) if anyone from the west side will attend a west side meeting

Haven't had a lot of luck with the west side meetings in the past - just sayin'

As for me, I don't care where the meeting is.  I don't mind the ride to the east (when I'm not sick).  And I'll gladly attend a meeting in the west. 

Fort Worth is where the West begins - Dallas is where the East peters out....

RM

[Six Guns]

Haven't had a lot of luck with the west side meetings in the past - just sayin'

Mark, did you miss all the good meetings that we had in Grapevine?

[RainMaker]

Haven't had a lot of luck with the west side meetings in the past - just sayin'

Mark, did you miss all the good meetings that we had in Grapevine?

No, I was there.  I'm thinking of the west side meetings that Disco held while he was the prez (no slight meant towards Disco - it was just that time period) - and they were pretty small meetings since it was so far for the east siders and there really are only a few of us west siders. The places were good, the food was great, the attendence was small.  I thought Grapevine was great but most of the meetings I've attended in NE Dallas/Collin County area were larger than anything we ever had in Grapevine.  For that reason, I think east side meetings are best.

Again, I don't have a preference on meeting sites.  If I have to ride further, that's great!  But I work at home so my schedule will allow me to do that easier than you guys with regular business hours. 

Still, let's see who would attend a west side meeting.  I'll put a poll up.

RM

[Houdini]

Why not have a weekend meeting on the west side? 

There is no way I could attend a meeting in Fort Worth or west thereof during the week.

[Six Guns]

I really don't care to have the meetings in Fort Worth (I want to ride some). Most days for me at work are 11 hours days and this week for instance I'm working an additional 2 hours over. Usually by the time Thursday rolls around and it's time for our Thursday DFW VRCC meeting, I'm pretty tired and don't want to ride all the way to Dallas for safety reasons. I'm sure there are other riders other than Houdini coming from the Dallas side that probably won't ride to Fort Worth during a weekday for a meeting. Like I said, I don't care to have the meetings in Fort Worth, but the reason you don't see me at the meetings is because of my work schedule. Have the meetings where you would like and if I can make it I will, and if I'm too tired I won't. No hard feelings but thats just the way it is. I will agree that the Dallas meetings are well attended because of the number of valk riders in Dallas. I just wanted to give my perspective from the west side of the Metroplex.       

[Disco]

Why not have a weekend meeting on the west side? 

I think that's a great idea.   

Too bad it wasn't discussed before now - the Fort Worth (Fat) Stock Show & Rodeo is a fun time.  It's running now, but is over 5 Feb. 

We could meet in the Stock Yards, eat, meet, and walk it off.  There's a Cooper's there now.  Or, Angelo's BBQ on White Settlement is a favorite of mine (can you say frozen fishbowl beers?) and is plenty big for a meeting. 

How long has it been since you had a big thick steaming plate full of Joe T Garcia's?   

[YODA MASTER]

I'm with Houdini (BTWay, his handcuffs & leg shackles (Harry Houdini that is) were authenticated and purchased by the Pawn Stars guys on last night’s episode). I think a Saturday mid-morning meeting in the FtW area would be a good idea, and then a walk (as Disco mentioned, the Stockyards) or ride afterwards.

Evening meetings in the winter months are a) cold, and b) dangerous and are not particularly well attended in either venue. Maybe a logical decision could be made to keep the Thurs evening meetings in the summer months and weekend meetings during the winter months. (Yes, of course, I am grouping some spring and autumn months into each category). The weather based on the Weather Channel's 10 day forecast should dictate which would be appropriate.

Alas, my final words of comment: When I first joined this august body of motorcycle mountain men (and women) we held our meetings in the Grapvine area. Of course, this was back when Ten Bears and some big guy with a big belly who was the CEO of everything used to run ramrod, and the Wanderer still rode/owned a Valkyrie. I simply recall that the meetings were very well attended by both east and west siders. We seemed to have 'fixed' something that wasn't broken.

[GreenLantern57]

Saw west side, I was thinking El Paso! 

[YODA MASTER]

El Paso? I'm good with El Paso. THe Guadalupe's are beautiful (mountains that is). Have some New Mexico red and Coronanitos and stay the hell away from the border ...stated ever so sadly so.

[Six Guns]

We seemed to have 'fixed' something that wasn't broken.

                      

[RainMaker]

We seemed to have 'fixed' something that wasn't broken.

                      

We've had that discussion before but where we are today is working well.  Grapevine was good but it had truly died back by the time the traveling meetings were decided on.  I kept track of attendance.  It was broken.

Since that time, the attendance has been very good with the exception of the meetings on the 35W side of the metromess.

I hope the poll is giving some good ideas to our fearless leaders...

[Six Guns]

We seemed to have 'fixed' something that wasn't broken.

  That is YODA MASTER's quote, not mine. So are you saying that he is mistaken about the meetings in Grapevine?

Mark, in all the years that the meetings have been held over on the Dallas side, how many meetings have been held on the Fort Worth side?

We've had that discussion before but where we are today is working well.

I won't argue with you that it works well in Dallas, because of the number of valk riders that live in and around the Dallas area. The discussion that you are talking about wasn't much of a discussion. I remember there being a vote and the vote was to stay in Grapevine but the people in charge of the DFW VRCC lived on the Dallas side and moved the meetings to Dallas anyways.

Just change the name from DFW VRCC to Dallas VRCC and be done with it.

I won't comment any further on this topic. Have a good day.             

[YODA MASTER]

Well John, I'm sure you could get a great piece of wood (stake) there. I hear the steak (meat) ain't bad either.

[RainMaker]

Victor

I just hit the "quote" button and that's all that it showed.  The quote was indeed Yoda Masters but that didn't show.  I should have taken a closer look by the preview.  Sorry about that.

Is JC mistaken?  Nope.  The meetings were well attended at Spring Creek, then at Fuddruckers until the table arrangement caused some issues.  Then we moved to Joe's Crab Shack, where the meeting attendance was good at first but dropped.  We looked at other locations in Grapevine but they were either too loud or wanted a guaranteed amount to use their meeting rooms.  I personally like the idea of the same place every month just to make it easier to plan and remember, but I'm in the minority on that one.  And it appears the majority like the meetings to move around and be on the east side.  So I'm gonna' go with the flow.  The discussion I was thinking about was on the forum, had fur flying, etc.  As for the vote, I remember the one you spoke about and then the one where it was voted on to move the meetings around.

I'm not wanting to cause an argument with this - curious if members would attend a certain area for a meeting.  Jobs and other concerns may keep people from attending if the distance is too great, the traffic too bad, etc. 

Would love to see you at a ride or a meeting with your I/S sometime.  Sounds like you've been working hard on it.

Mark

[Stormrider65]

I already posted something like that asking about meetings.   Weekends would be a great idea.  I can make most meetings like that.  I do get some weekends off.  Risky's is a good place to go.       I look forward to meeting all you in the near future . 


Walt

[Hollywood]

okay, we did have a couple meetings out west, Tuckers catfish heaven(haven) was pretty good, and some people did ride from the eastside to come, but weren't real happy about the traffic on 820 JUST LIKE WE WEREN'T HAPPY EITHER!) but after 2 meetings it petered out, esp. the Christmas party disaster(what like 6 people?) it seems when it got moved way out east, westsiders didn't go. we can't go too far either, because redneck is on call with his job, and has to be able to get home and get the service truck on the right quick. I say maybe a saturday breakfast once in a while, Haltom City on Belknap has a great place, good food, plenty and not too far for westsiders to come. Or belive it or not, Fort worth does have some restaurants !Bluebonnet cafe in haltom City also has 2 rooms and long tables for us. maybe a ride afterwards( out around Lake worth?) just a few hours,nothing too far or too long, till the weather gets warmer. also the rides always seem to be way out east. how bout meeting in the middle somewhere? also, there are Valk ridrs out here too, we're just not getting to them. I had suggested a saturday meeting before,but i guess no one wants to consider that. I'm with Six Guns, if you're gonna keep everything  out east, call it Dallas VRCC.us westsiders just need an incentive, and riding all the way to Dallas to some yuppie,ritzy, expensive  (Papas, papsitos,etc) restaurant is not it. 

[YODA MASTER]

I gotta tell ya, a Saturday meeting, eat & ride is beginning to sound better, as well as more logical. I'll ride in the rain and have no problem with cold. It's the riding home in the dark which causes me to miss many of the evening meetings, many of which don't end until well after 9. Don't like night riding!!!
Also it appears as if many still work for a living and the hassle with getting home from work, saddling up and riding as much as an hour away, even in a compromise location, is the eliminator here.
So far we’ve had a rather civil discussion here, so let’s keep it going and try to resolve the issue of east side yuppies and west side cowboys. We’ve had a few places thrown out as suggestions. Let’s give them a Saturday morning try (as long as they serve breakfast) and see if we can’t once again get the DFW cohesion many of us remembered.
Sounds like a leadership challenge. Anyone will to step up? We have a vacant VP slot open with the departure of our dear friends Godfire to Indiana and ValkPilot to Pennsylvania. For the record, I would but honestly folks I’ve got my hands full as the National VP of the Purple Heart Riders Association as well as my involvement with other Marine veteran’s organizations.
Bump …

[Ghillie]

I love an active discussion. Sounds like having a Saturday meeting followed with a ride or an activity would draw a crowd.

[Ghillie]

BTW I know some great hole in the wall restaurants, just have never felt comfortable suggesting we meet there.

[YODA MASTER]

Ghillie wrote: "just have never felt comfortable suggesting we meet there".

Amigo ... you are the President of the DFW VRCC ... we follow your lead. 

[RainMaker]

It's like anything else - you don't know if you'll like it until you try it.

Saturday morning breakfast meeting sounds great to me.  Schedule one and let's see who shows up and from where.  The proof will be in the pudding.

[Disco]

The first dozen or so meetings I attended were at Joe's in Grapevine.  There were some with 5-6 tables full of folks and one of the last had 5 or 6 guys sitting at one table.  The system may not have been broken, but it wasn't running on all six cylinders.  The first-in-a-while non-Grapevine meeting in April '09 had almost 30 attendees, many of whom I had not seen in Grapevine.  Some of that increase must be attributed to the concentration of members closer to Plano than Grapevine.  Some could be attributed to the fact that it was something different.  

Jim and I concluded that always having the meeting at any one location is either 1) consistently convenient, or 2) consistently inconvenient (same with always-Saturday or always-Sunday wrench parties and rides).  I believe it's reasonable to expand that to always having the meeting in any one area (NE Dallas / SW Collin) is consistently inconvenient to the mid-cities, Tarrant County, etc...

The October '09 meeting at Mercado Juarez in Ft Worth was not heavily attended, but it was convenient to Six Guns, 5_19, and Rainmaker.  It was cold, dark early, and more came in a cage than on a Valkyrie.  IMO, as soon as it make sense and there's a plan, it's time to go west again.    

I'm glad to see some new ideas being tossed around!  

I think it's an interesting observation about the winter nights that are already dark by 5:30 and how a weekend daytime ride/eat/meeting might make more sense and enable wider participation.  I agree that we should try that soon.  I don't like riding at night either.  

For the record, I voted "No Preference - I'll go anywhere"   

And, I love little Mom & Pop holes in the wall with good food.  You can't eat atmosphere.  

[SideCar]

Variety is the spice of life.

I thought the addition of NW Dallas was interesting and put that as one of my votes.  The only place I won't go is that Brazilian restaurant in Plano again.  I'm still full from all we ate that night last week.  Come to think of it, maybe we should go back and just eat once that week.   

I'm hoping that anyone reading this who lives in the Ft Worth area or even out in Weatherford or Aledo, etc. will chime in.  I know we have Valk riders out that way and it would be great to have those folks join us for a meeting or ride, too.

[YODA MASTER]

Well said Disco. I don't mind a variety of different weekend locations just as long as we get together for the purpose of kicking tires and telling lies. *

The majority problem as I see it is leadership. Someone with a little 'can-do' tucked conveniently away and fighting the let-someone-else-do-it syndrome needs to step up to the plate and be the catalyst for gluing this thing together. Leaders who have lead, Rainmaker, Disco, Speedo, et al, have the privilege of being allowed member only status.

*OK … embellished stories of how far, how long, how many mpg … you know, the one that got away!

bump ...

[Ghillie]

I think some forget that despite my current position, I ended up here with barely a year in the club to see how things worked. I lost out on my year of "training" when Godfire was called to the great white north. It appeared to me that the officers positions were more about organizing to the club's preferences than to dictate activities or locations. What I know of the club's functioning historically is only what I have gathered in conversation with those who have been around for a number of years before I came along.

I truly appreciate the active conversation from both sides of 360 since it was my desire to see more activity on the west side this year. I also appreciate what I feel is a vote of confidence both on the board and in PM that it is ok to just "git er done" sometimes.

[RainMaker]

I think some forget that despite my current position, I ended up here with barely a year in the club to see how things worked. I lost out on my year of "training" when Godfire was called to the great white north. It appeared to me that the officers positions were more about organizing to the club's preferences than to dictate activities or locations. What I know of the club's functioning historically is only what I have gathered in conversation with those who have been around for a number of years before I came along.

I truly appreciate the active conversation from both sides of 360 since it was my desire to see more activity on the west side this year. I also appreciate what I feel is a vote of confidence both on the board and in PM that it is ok to just "git er done" sometimes.

Ghillie

You're doing just fine.

In terms of what an officer does, it's really more of what he or she likes versus a set pattern.  Speedo and I wanted more rides so we took an aggressive role in promoting rides, leading them, etc because we thought that was what we should do.  It's a riding club, so let's ride.  Disco and Godfire also liked the rides but added in the scheduling of wrench parties on a more consistent basis, which I think really works for great fellowship between the riders.  They also promoted the meetings that move around and greatly increased attendance at those meetings.  Before those administrations, the club's main emphasis seemed to be towards raising money for RFK while under WinterHawk and before that, it was Ten Beers who was into rides and getting membership up.  That's at least how I remember it.

Each Prez and VP put their own stamp on a group and the changing of the guard allows fresh ideas to come out. 

There is no real training - just use your natural leadership abilities and all will work out.

It does take time to be an officer, but to those of you who haven't been one yet, I highly recommend it.  We need a VP so that Chris doesn't take it all on his own shoulders.  So I hope someone will volunteer.

Mark aka RainMaker

[YODA MASTER]

Ghillie ... I ditto Rainmakers accolades. You are in fact a great leader but perhaps a little hesitant to put your stamp on this outfit. You organization of last year’s Poker Run and Charity Event was fantastic and well oiled.

You said, “ it is ok to just "git er done"    I perfectly agree. You da man. Git ‘er done and you’ll be amazed at the amount of support you’ll get from this group. My comments about leadership hopefully were not take personally but understood to be mean we need you more proactively involved in the direction of this Valkyrie club. It was actually more pointed to the fact that you need support in the form of a strong VP to help and was stated hopefully to inspire someone to perhaps take on that important challenge. Maybe someone from the West Side so that all of DFW VRCC has a voice in our direction setting goals.

Hopefully we'll see on the morrow on the Edom run Amigo y Jefe'.

[Ghillie]

YODA, no offense taken. I fully understood the spirit of your comments. In the near future we can sit with a cigar and a scotch and have a long talk about the last 6 months.

[YODA MASTER]

A cigar & scotch!  now yer talking. Give me a call when you can break away for Addison one afternoon. I've got a membership at the Addison Cigar Club. We can 'socialize' there.

[Hollywood]

hope  2 see (and meet ya'll soon) !   good job. ya'll!