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30 Years of the BMWTCD
by Kay Shaw
Congratulations to all of us!!! Our wonderful club is 30
years old. No small feat in this world of constant change
and upheaval.
Back in July 1995 Jim Fick wrote “A Personal History
of the BMW Touring Club of Detroit” for the newsletter.
It was a superb piece of writing, and Jim has given me permission
to use as much of it as I’d like in my own history of
BMWTCD.
Jerry and I are original members – the only ones still
active – and we’d like to share our memories with
you.
Having purchased his first BMW (yes, he really did own a
couple of beemers) in the fall of 1968, he was attracted to
an article in the newspaper by Vern Hansen that was seeking
BMW owners to form a motorcycle club. A phone call to Vern,
a meeting with Vern and a few other perspective members –
and the club was on its way. At that first meeting were Vern
and his wife, Gloria; Jerry (I had to stay home with two small
sons); Al Feldman; Art Borkin; George Adams; Wade Allen and
Paul Vanderberg. I’m sure that someone(s) is being left
out, but can’t seem to remember who else was there…
Called Gloria Hansen, and her memory was as good as mine J. The purpose of the club was RIDING.
No clubhouse, no (or very few) meetings, no “colors”.
Perhaps “eating” should have been included –
but that kind of evolved as the club grew…
Vern Hansen was our “Glorious Leader,” and was
a true leader by example. Gloria tells us that in the beginning
there wasn’t a newsletter. At the beginning of the riding
season a list was put together of the planned rides. We’re
not sure when the newsletter was started, but we do know that
the first editor (for three years) was Marge Wilmot. The first
club event, other than a Sunday ride or a weekend rally, was
the Spaghetti Dinner at the Hansen’s home. Vern cooked
the spaghetti, and desserts were pot luck by attendees. Cost
was $3 per person to attend. This spaghetti dinner tradition
moved into a hall as the club grew, but Vern continued to
do the cooking for a few years. As time passed, this spaghetti
dinner evolved into our annual dinner dance. I love this tradition,
as it gives us a chance to see each other in civilian (even
dress-up) clothes! No helmet hair on dinner-dance night. Art
Borkin was the unofficial “official” photographer
for the club right from the start. He was so very generous
in sharing his photos with all of us.
In the beginning, annual dues were $6 - paid to George Adams
- who carried the money around in a leather draw-string bag.
There was no worry about excess funds, as we were usually
broke because the activities planned always came up short,
financially. Dick Hautau joined the club soon after its inception
and was in charge of prospective membership. Jim Slater, Jim
Fick, Jack Bresnahan, Hal Klavitter, Joe Jurgelonis, Bill
DeWitt, Dick Mager, and Ron Guilmet joined near the beginning,
too.
Speaking of Mr. Hautau, he was the first official Club Ambassador
in October 1972. Al Feldman was the second member to be appointed
Club Ambassador, and Glenn Brechner was the third.
My first big ride with the club was to a Four Winds Rally
in Pennsylvania. There were 35 bikes riding together. Vern
– being ever safety conscious – insisted that we
ride in groups of six and ride in a staggered style. We all
wore bright orange-glo vests (the closest we ever got to “colors”).
In the process of planning this ride, Vern suggested that
it would be classy if all the men wore white shirts and ties.
I got out the old sewing machine and made plain dark blue
ties for all of the men. No “Hell’s Angels”
image for the BMWTCD. Never will forget our first stop for
coffee and a stretch. Thirty-five bikes pulling up to a restaurant…
you could see the panic on the waitresses’ faces! But
as we dismounted and the guys took off their jackets and helmets,
there was an audible sigh of relief from people in the restaurant
as they saw the white shirts, ties, gray hair and bald heads.
J
The club grew, and so did traditions. Dick Hautau hosted
a “Cold Duck” party at his home that was a unique
experience for all of us. Home-made “Cold Duck?”
It was wonderful!! There was a trampoline – a new adventure
for many of us; great food – pot luck tradition; sharing
of photos; and great conversation. Can’t remember how
many “Cold Duck” parties Dick hosted, but each one
was more fun than the last – and then it turned in to
a Halloween costume party that featured Cold Duck! The creativity
expressed in the costumes was memorable. I have photos to
prove it!
Fall, being apple harvest time, meant a ride led by George
Adams to a cider mill. Another tradition... Jim Fick led a
couple of cider mill rides (with George’s blessing).
After George died, Glenn Brechner took the lead for the cider
mill ride for a number of years. Jerry did it the last couple
of years. Seems like this year – 1998 – was the
first year I can remember that there wasn’t an “official”
George Adams Memorial cider mill ride (or did Dave & Leslie
Allgood lead one?). Can’t let that tradition go!
Another great “annual” ride was the Fathers’
Day ride led by Dick Hautau. Dick always knew a great restaurant
where you really got your money’s worth. After a while,
this turned into a Fathers' Day breakfast. We cooked breakfast
outdoors at a public park for a couple of years, and then
Gail Chapman and Lindsey Higgenbottom hosted it at their lakefront
home for a few years.
Of course, the RIDING has always been the focus of the club.
In the 70s the newsletter announced a club ride scheduled
for almost every Sunday during riding season after breakfast.
Many different members were willing to be a leader for a day.
And because of the diversity of personalities in the club,
the rides were diverse.
In 1972 Jerry bought a used BMW without an engine! But he
had a plan… With the help of Vern, the bike was cut apart,
lengthened and reassembled with a Volkswagen engine in it.
“Why,” you ask? So that Jerry could attach a sidecar
and make it a family vehicle. He and son, Scott, sat
up on the bike. Younger son, Chris, and I sat in the sidecar
for Sunday rides. What fun! The boys, now 36 and 34, still
talk about it.
One of Jim Fick’s memories was the very early spring
of 1973 when Hal and Nancy Klavitter hosted a party at their
home in Waterford. It snowed. We were able to ice skate on
the lake in front of their home. Seems like one or two members
showed up on their bike(s)… May of 1973 was the first
Mini-Rally in Coldwater, MI. The first National BMW Rally
was held in California that year. June brought rides to Sarnia,
Ontario; the Ozark Hillbilly Rally; and a ride to the Mossport
M/C races. We picnicked at Kensington in July; rode to Manchester,
MI; and there was the Buckeye Rally at Uncle John’s Campside
in Loudenville, Ohio. August was the Four Winds and Retread
Rallies. On September 1st we rode to Pancake Bay
in the Upper Peninsula.
Vern Hansen was also the first National BMWOA President.
Our club is the first chartered club in BMWOA. Much to be
proud of! The torch of leadership was passed from Vern Hansen
to Dick Long. After that, Jim Fick had a spell as president.
In 1978 Dick Hautau was president “officially,”
even though he had done more than his share since he joined
the club. The sixth National BMW Rally was in Rutland, Vermont.
We were still basically riding to places like the Motorcycle
Races in Mt. Pocono, PA or to a tour of the Indy Track in
Indianapolis. Dick Hautau was still hosting the Cold Duck
party and George Adams cider mill run had 33 bikes participate
in ’78.
We moved into the 80s with Fred Iwata as President, Jim Heyl
as treasurer, Chuck Blair as VP and Fred’s wife, Gina,
as secretary (i.e. newsletter editor). Fred created a great
8mm movie of one of his & Gina’s trips – and
now, 16 years later, he is thinking about having it transferred
to video. I want a copy!! At our ’82 dinner dance we
observed moments of silence for George Adams and Jim Carmona
who had passed on. During this time, Dave and Kathy MacFarlane
began leading rides to many and various Dairy Farms and ice
cream parlors. Wade Allen won the “Pioneer” award
for having attended all ten of the National BMW Rallies at
the ’82 rally. Jim Heyl introduced club
t-shirts in 1982. Does anyone have all of the different styles
the club has produced?
Breakfast at Annie’s (on Telegraph) seemed to be a regular
feature back then. The ’83 National was in Lake Placid,
NY. Dot Day was president then and led the annual George Adams
Memorial Cider Mill Ride.
By ’84 Glenn Brechner’s name appeared on the newsletter
masthead for the first time as Vice President. The annual
spaghetti dinner was held in Craig Morgan’s home. This
was the year that the tradition of the Vermontville ride began.
Glenn led this ride for many years, and the tradition continues….
with different leaders now. For those of you who haven’t
been to Vermontville, the pancake breakfast with fresh maple
syrup is deee-lish. There’s also a great craft fair there
the same weekend. The whole elementary school is given over
to crafters with special talents and wares.
1985 was the year we rode as a club to the Finger Lakes Rally.
The next week we were at the Yum Yum Tree in Brighton for
ice cream. The Longest Day Ride had become a regular ride.
Our breakfast restaurant list grew from just Annie’s
to include the Athenian, Tom’s and Vassili’s. In
the spring, Jerry Shaw led a ride to New Orleans that turned
out to be an annual event for five or six years. Participants
were: Wade Allen, Jim Fick, George Adams, Jim Slater, Art
Stank and Jerry.
Lindsey Higgenbottom took over as editor of the newsletter
in ’86. He promptly told us that Dr. Ruth thought that
both R and K-bike riders were wonderful people. In April,
President Craig Morgan acknowledged that being an officer
entailed a lot of hard work. Mike Osmer toured the Blue Ridge
Parkway (beginning a new tradition). The National was held
in Laguna Seca, CA. Long-time member Joe Jurgelonis passed
away in July. Glenn Brechner’s videos made Channel 18
in Southfield, and we even had a pre-cider mill ride as well
as the regular George Adams Memorial Cider Mill ride.
In ’87 Ernie Durieux took over as editor. The Cold Duck
Party was held at Lindsey and Gail’s home. Our membership
listed 103 families. The National was in Escanaba, MI. We
had 102 riders at the National, but came in second to the
Chicago club. Our Eater’s Almanac listed such things
as Dick’s Dogs, Mager’s Turkeyville Trot, and a
Non-Breakfast at the Bronze Wheel.
1988 found the club with $149.39 in our bank account. Dick
Hautau began looking for our club banner (I think he’s
still looking for it). Again our ride schedule included such
rides as the Longest Day, the TCD Observtion Ride, Finger
Lakes, the Dinner Dance, Pokagon – and, of course, the
Memorial Cider Mill Run. In ’88 we bid a sad adieu to
the Magers, who retired and moved to the great Southwest.
It was the close of another decade for our club. After 20
years, we were well established in the area. There were four
BMW clubs in Michigan: the Saginaw Valley Riders, Mid- Michigan,
Battle Creek, and us. We were number one in the BMWMOA and
number one in attendance at Finger Lakes.
In the ‘90s we lost Wade Allen, Bill Vesperman and Art
Borkin. Glenn Brechner wrote a fine tribute when Wade passed
that was published in our newsletter in December 1991. Those
of us who knew these fine men miss them a lot.
Other traditions that have evolved thru the years are: the
run to Suzi Greenaway’s party; Mike Osmer’s ice
cream ride to Jackson, MI; Craig Morgan’s “Riders
for Cod” (a Friday fish fry); Dave MacFarlane’s
Edmund Fitzgerald Ride; the Thumb Run; Jerry Shaw’s jaunts
to Frankenmuth; the White Elephant Party; the Quinn’s
Halloween bash; Cherry Country Rally; Pat & Cliff Cox’s
corn roast; Marina Ackerson’s “Women Only”
rides.” Some of these are still with us, some are not
– but all provide warm memories.
Thirty years worth of memories cannot be crammed into three
or four pages…. My sincere apologies for any lapses of
memory (I do have “senior” moments now and then
J). Just couldn’t
let this milestone pass without at least a stab at capturing
some of the treasures the club has left imprinted in my memory
bank.
With the help of Jim Heyl, Jim Fick, Jim Slater & Dick
Hautau; following is a listing of the Club’s officers
thru the years…
Perhaps this “history” will inspire some of you
to add your own memories. It would be soooo nice to have an
article each month with a different member’s memories
of the BMWTCD.
Kay Shaw
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