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Dale & Carolyn Frieden
Arkansas District Directors
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Arkansas Chapter D in Jonesboro introduced their Chapter Couple of the Year, Wayne & Kathy Hall, at the end of December of 2005. They came to our first Spring Fling as a brand new Chapter Couple. They really enjoyed themselves. They have been on the go ever since then, letting everyone know how great GWRRA is. So here’s a little history on Wayne and Kathy.

They were both born in Arkansas, Wayne in Lake City, and Kathy in Monette. They have been married for twenty. They reside in Jonesboro. They have two sons, Brad & wife Linda, and Lance &wife Shelley. And they are the proud grandparents of Grandsons, Dillon (7) and Evan (1). Now let’s get to the important stuff, Grandson Dillon has been riding since he was two years old. He got his first gas powered 4-wheeler at two, his first dirt bike at four and now is riding his Pa’s 350 4-wheeler. Kathy says, “What will he be on next”. Maybe a Honda???

Kathy also says that their work interferes with their riding and they look forward to all that work coming to an end so they can RIDE, RIDE, RIDE! Wayne has been with Hytrol Conveyer Company for 38 years and Kathy has been with the US Postal Service for 30 years. Maybe that retirement isn’t too far off? In the meantime, they both ride their own ride….Wayne has a 2004 1800 and Kathy drives her 1500 Trike! Go girl! (We do have a lot of Lady Riders in Arkansas)

Since joining GWRRA in 2005, they have been very active. They went to their first Arkansas District Rally in 2005 and again in 2006. They have been involved with everything at the chapter level, always volunteering their services anywhere they could to be of help. They attended their first Wing Ding in Nashville this past year. They have made most of the chapter rallies, and really get put out when work doesn’t cooperate with their GWRRA plans. They have also attended Rider Ed courses at Morrilton and are real believers of our slogan, Friends for Fun, Safety and Knowledge.

They are both expecting to be very busy in 2007. After participating as Chapter Historian, Scrapbook Editor and Chapter Couple for Chapter D, they have now taken on a new endeavor as Assistant Chapter Directors. They plan to attend the Horizons Program in January, the Spring Fling in February and also the Knowledge Enhancement Program in February.

I’m sure you will meet them on the road somewhere, or at one of our many events planned for all our Gold Wing riders this year. And for sure, at our Spring Fling, they will be in the Couple of the Year Selection. They know it will be a busy year but it will also bring lots of “Fun, Fun, Fun”!

Arkansas Chapter I in Stuttgart proudly introduces their Chapter Couple of the Year, David and Joni Barham. Chapter Director, Warren Morris made their appointment, acknowledging that the commitments they have made to their chapter and all of GWRRA have been phenomenal. They are charter members of Chapter I, have also served as Assistant Chapter Director, Chapter Treasurer, Arkansas District MAD Coordinator, Arkansas District Vendor Coordinator, District Public Relations Director and Region H Trainer.

After deciding that life needed to slow down a little, David gave up his job as Region Trainer, so there came the opportunity for Warren to give them the honor of being the very first Chapter Couple since their chapter began in 2003. Many of us have had the opportunity to learn more about our GWRRA organization through David and Joni’s training classes and their invaluable support in anything that is asked of them.

On the personal side of life, David was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee and Joni, in Little Rock, Arkansas. They were married in 1984. Interesting places they have lived and traveled include Chattanooga, TN, California, South Carolina, Rota, Spain, Florida, Cedar Grove, New Jersey, Manahawkin, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. David and Joni have both traveled extensively in their lives.

They moved to Stuttgart, Arkansas when David’s employment at Riceland Foods, Inc began, as Manager of Information Systems. In later years he accepted the position of Director of Corporate Training. Joni works at BancorpSouth as a Regional Computer Tech.

Their family includes the recent birth of their first grandchild, Sydney A. Barham, who is the daughter of their son, D. Edward Barham and wife, Jan. Sydney is two months old. (And add to that of course, their extensive Gold Wing family!)

Other interests and hobbies for David are hunting, fishing, ATV riding, travel, geocaching adventures, gadget collecting, reading and teaching others. Joni enjoys fishing, ATV riding, travel and reading. They also belong to several professional organizations pertaining to training and banking.

David and Joni both grew up riding motorcycles. Motorcycle life has been ongoing for David since owning his first bike, an Allstate 125 in 1957.

All through David’s life he has always owned at least one bike. Too many to list here, however most were of the “V” twin cruiser type. Once all the college bills were out of the way, they knew they could get the bike of their dreams, their new 2003 Illusion Blue Honda Gold Wing. They rode this bike for two and a half years before installing a 2005 CSC Trike Conversion. They named it “The Future” because that’s what they were saving for when they bought it.

While providing the information to write this article, Joni said, “Other than this our life is pretty dull”. Don’t believe it, because not much could be dull around Joni and David. For those of us who know them well and love them to death, we are always having more fun when they are around to stir things up a little and put some life in the party!!

Their contribution to GWRRA has been outstanding. Last year at our 2006 District Rally, they were the recipients of the Arkansas Member of the Year Award. I know we will be seeing a lot more of them in the future, riding their dream, “THE FUTURE”. We know they will enjoy being “Couple of the Year” and will fulfill their duties as ambassador from AR-I, just like they have done in all the roles they have taken in GWRRA.

David and Deborah Blees are in the “Spotlight” for Chapter A in Little Rock. CD’s Bobby and Barbara Summerville say it wasn’t a hard choice to make. They are always there any time help is needed and they love our GWRRA organization.

David and Deborah are both native Arkansans, he was born in Little Rock and she in Hot Springs. They now call Bryant, AR their home. They have been married for almost 25 years. David and Deb have three daughters, Tina, Stacey and Kristen, two granddaughters, Callie and Madison and 2 grandsons, Ryan and Matthew. Although David didn’t come into their lives until the girls were 15, 12 and 8 years old, he has been a very good father to Deborah’s daughters and ultimately a great “Pepaw” to their grandchildren.

David goes to work to support their newest life venture, “riding a Gold Wing and having fun with their GWRRA friends”! He works for the US Postal Service as a maintenance clerk. They say their goal in life is to retire and see the USA on the back of a Gold Wing. (What’s up with this, everyone wants to retire to ride a Gold Wing!!!)

David spent nine years in the US Army as a Military Policeman. Three of those years were spent in the Republic of Panama in Central America and one year in Johnston Atoll, which is two miles long and ¾ of a mile wide, and located 750 nautical miles southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii. They were also stationed in Fort Rucker, Alabama and Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. David was a staff sergeant when he left military service.

On to the motorcycle side of life, Deborah says she became interested in motorcycles when her ex-husband bought a barrel from the US Government and found parts for a 1937 Harley Davidson bike and sidecar in the barrel! We’ll have to find out what became of that Harley?? (Just found out what happened to the Harley, after it was reassembled, it was sold for $10,000)

David was attending college in Little Rock and decided gas would be cheaper with a motorcycle. They have been riding on and off for about 20 years. They have owned various trail bikes, a Honda Sabre and a Yamaha 650. Now their prized possession is their Gold Wing.

They do have other interests aside from their GWRRA activities. David likes hunting, fishing and working on his Gold Wing. Deborah likes cross stitch, sewing and cross-word puzzles.

David and Deborah joined GWRRA in May of 2006. They started looking for a Gold Wing chapter that would be close to home and made a call to the Summerville’s. They were having a Chapter ride that Saturday, so they joined them and the rest is history. They were asked if they would help out with the Chapter and a “yes” answer became the Chapter Treasurer position. They have been instrumental to the growth and activity of Chapter A. Their willing spirit of excitement keeps them very busy helping with anything that is asked of them.

They have attended Horizons Class. They were named their Chapter Couple of the Year. They have attended our Couple of the Year Seminar. Ever since joining Chapter A, they have been on the go, to as many chapter rallies and Gold Wing events as they could squeeze in. Deborah says when you get to know them, she is the nutty one and David is the quiet one, and by the way, in their chapter he is known as “Grumpy”. I have a Grumpy too. They are only BIG TEDDY BEARS in reality!!

We are very glad to have David and Deborah as part of our GWRRA family. They will be one of our Couples in the Selection at our Spring Fling. Only more fun and friendship will follow them on their ride with this organization!

AR Chapter C in Cabot shines the spotlight on Dennis & Kathey Blankenship, as their 2006-07 Chapter Couple of the Year. When CD’s Chris & Pam DePriest approached them about this quite a while back, their answer was a big NO! After much persuasion by Chris, Pam and Yours Truly, they agreed to do what they had already been doing anyway, which was to spread the word about GWRRA and help their chapter in any way they could. So after a while they found themselves wearing their patches proudly! ( Dennis says my real name is the Headhunter)

Their personal history goes like this; Dennis was born in Vallejo, California. Kathey was born in Independence, Missouri. They met at a GWRRA Arkansas Rally in Mountain Home, AR in 1997. They were both married to someone else at the time. Dennis has been a member of GWRRA since 1984. After joining, he was asked to take on the responsibility of vendor coordinator for 1985 Region Rally in Hot Springs. That year he also recruited a very special couple, who are very dear to this organization, Bud & Freida Price, In 1997-98 he served as State Coordinator. Kathy was Assistant State Director at that same time. Dennis and Kathey both went through divorces at that time. Bringing their relationship closer, they remained friends through both divorces and the rest is history.

Between them they have five children. Dennis has a daughter, Pam, married with two children, Mackenzie (11) and Macy (5). Their daddy, Ken is in the Navy and has served two terms in Iraq. His son, Paul is single. Kathey has a son, Troy, who is married with 2 children, Daniele (16) and Ty (7). She also has two daughters, Karen, who is married and has one child, Kaleb (1) and Wendy is married, and has the newest addition to the family, Sophia Marie, who was born in October.

Dennis and Kathey have recently made their long awaited move into their brand new home, so they can enjoy another chapter of their life. In the meantime they are seen quite often on their 2001 Yellow Gold Wing that they converted to a trike, (Thanks you, Arkansas Trike Center). Dennis has been riding for 42 years and has had at least 15 different motorcycles. (Nine have been Gold Wings) They have had two during their marriage.

After Dennis & Kathey were married they served as Assistant Chapter Directors for Chapter A in Little Rock, Also have participated with Chapter L in Conway and are now proud members of Chapter C in Cabot. Needless to say, they have traveled many miles over the years, too many trips to remember. They love to travel on their trike and look forward to many more years of riding. They have taken many Rider Ed courses. Their favorite place to eat is a good steak house.

We are glad to have them on board as ambassadors for the good of AR GWRRA. We look forward to seeing them at our upcoming Spring Fling.

Batesville, Arkansas Chapter H presents Don & Denise Provence as their 2006-07 Couple of the Year. They have helped their chapter in many ways over the last year, especially when CD Marty Melton bought a business that kept him busy virtually 7 days a week. Don and Denise were already his Assistant Directors. They stepped up early into their role as Chapter Directors just this past month to relieve Marty with some of his workload. We thank them for their hard work. They had already been honored as Chapter Couple this past summer.

Don and Denise have been married since 1979 and have always resided in Batesville . Don was born in Arkansas and Denise in California. Don and Denise have both been at their jobs since 1978. Don is a technician for Suddenlink Communications. Denise is customer service manager for White Roges. She is also attending college, studying accounting.

As far as motorcycles, Don has been interested since he was old enough to notice them, had his first bike at the age of 12 years and has owned 14 bikes. Denise has had 5 bikes of her own since they have been married. The bike they ride together is their ’05 Gray 1800 Gold Wing. They have their own personal bikes, Don has a Yamaha FZ6 and Denise has a XT 225 that has been customized into a supermotto bike! Wow, super Denise!!

To go along with all the motorcycle excitement, they also belong to the River City Cruisers Car Club, where they participate with their own 1977 Pontiac Grand Am. They are also interest owners of a modified dirt race car. They have enjoyed attending NASCAR races over the years at Talladega, Texas, Memphis, Richmond, Rockingham and Darlington. They have also been special guests of Bill Davis Racing at some of them. Although they don’t ride their Gold Wing as fast as their other modes of transportation, they have traveled to the AMA Superbike Races in Birmingham, Alabama on their Gold Wing. They also enjoyed Honda Hoot in Knoxville, Tennessee. They are looking forward to many more rallies and good times in the upcoming years.

They joined GWRRA in April of 2005. They say they must admit, when taking everything into consideration, they have the most fun when they are riding motorcycles. They say that their GWRRA friends are becoming some of their closest friends. Why does that not surprise us?

Don and Denise are joining us at the Spring Fling in February and we expect to see a lot more of them in the future. They are already great ambassadors for our Arkansas Gold Wing family!

Steve and Kandi Johnson are in the “Spotlight” as Chapter E, Hot Springs, Arkansas’ Couple of the Year. Steve was born in Orofino, Indiana and Kandi in San Francisco, California. Their family includes two children, Jason & Amber and three grandchildren, Ryan (14), Brenda (7) & Alek (3).

Steve and Kandi, like most of us, were busy for years with a career and family. They say that motorcycles were a luxury that had to wait for a while. Then in 2001, as his retirement years were approaching, they contemplated selling their Bed & Breakfast, and slowing down. (Steve is a retired Air Traffic Control Supervisor.) Kandi had suffered with multiple sclerosis (MS) for several years, but was still fairly mobile, the kids were raised, and it was time. They purchased their Valkyrie and started riding again. At first it was just short trips to get the feel of things, and to judge the impact of her impairment on their ability to share the fun.

In May of 2002, just two months after Steve’s retirement, Kandi suffered a catastrophic stroke. Quoting Steve’s own words, ”I was told to call the kids and prepare myself, but nobody told Kandi. Then we were told she’d never be functional at any level, but nobody told Kandi. Next they said she’d need nursing home care and be bedridden, but again, nobody told Kandi.

In June of 2003, they relocated to Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. With the help of their son, they tried to start their retirement life over again. A wheelchair was Kandi’s only way to get around. Then in September while Steve was out for a short caregiver break on the Valkyrie, something happened that would change their life dramatically. Steve ran into a Gold Wing rider. It was Dan Gruben, Director for Chapter E in Hot Springs. Dan invited him to a Chapter meeting. Steve explained their situation, they exchanged e-mail addresses and he rode away.

Steve was able to make a few rides with the Chapter that fall, but there was no way to bring Kandi along. She made her first Chapter meeting in their van and met the folks who were soon to have such an impact on their life. After attending a progressive dinner ride, with Kandi escorted to each house in the van by their son, Jason and Steve on his bike, things were set in motion for Kandi to be able to ride again. She said she had a great time, but she wanted to ride with Steve.

After much discussion and research on how to achieve their goal, the decision was made that a sidecar would be their answer. They made the trip to Heartland Honda, where they had found a rig with a sidecar, so they could take Kandi on a ride. She loved it! Then they had to come up with a way to transport her in and out of the sidecar. Steve purchased a hydraulic patient lift for home use. Next they needed a trailer to carry the lift.

At our GWRRA District Rally that May, Steve was given the business card of longtime GWRRA member, Eddie Spears. Steve called Eddie, he remembered seeing them at the rally. He happened to have a trailer with the right dimensions. Eddie said “Come on down and try it out”. The trailer worked! Problem solved!

After many, many miles of riding, Steve and Kandi are still enjoying the time spent with their very special GWRRA friends. It has changed everything for them. They don’t ride fast, but they ride together. Steve says that his biggest problem now is that he can’t keep her off the bike; she wants to take it everywhere. They say this could never have happened without their friends in GWRRA, Chapter AR-E and the folks at Heartland Honda, who worked so hard to make this work for them!

Steve says it does take extra time and effort to get Kandi ready to ride, but “the way her face lights up when I mention riding is worth it”!

We are so happy to have then as part of our GWRRA family. Steve has even been known to share his singing talent with us at several GWRRA functions. (In case you are wondering, Steve does have a talent agent. Her name is Carol Bass with AR-E. He has even made his first CD and it’s a great one.)

We will see Steve and Kandi in February at our Spring Fling. Come join us!!

Our next Chapter Couple in the Spotlight is Robert and Vicki Humphrey, from Chapter L in Conway. Their appointment by CD’s Frank & Debbie Likert was an easy one, they say that Robert and Vicki have done just about everything for their chapter. They have served as Chapter Directors, Asst Chapter Directors, Historian, Toad Suck Rally Coordinator, and now as Newsletter Editor.

Robert was born in Mt. Clemons, MI. Vicki was born in Little Rock, AR.

They have been married since 1988 and they reside in Cabot, AR. Their family includes a son, Stephen and wife, Contessa and 3 year old, Spencer. Then comes daughter, Tina and her husband, Nick and last but not least, Chad and wife, Jenny.

They have jobs that interfere with their fun on the Wing. Robert works for Moore Heating & Air in Cabot and Vicki works for NLR Code Enforcement in North Little Rock. Their other interests include NASCAR for Robert and Vicki loves music. And they both love GWRRA.

Robert has loved motorcycles all his life, started riding when he was 12. Vicki didn’t get interested until she married Robert. They own a 1989, 1500 Gold Wing. They have both attended Rider Education courses and are very active in their chapter.

As for rides they have made, there have been many! But most recently their favorites have been a 10 day, 4000 mile trip in May of 2006 out west to California, Nevada, and Utah. They went Whitewater rafting in Colorado down the Arkansas River. In the summer of 2007 they plan to ride to Maine, Canada and Niagara Falls.

They plan to continue having fun on their Gold Wing and with all their GWRRA friends for a long time to come. Thanks Vicki and Robert for all you do for your Chapter and GWRRA.

Chapter B in Springdale, AR is proud to present Don & Pam Redinger, they’re the Chapter Couple of the Year for 2006-2007. They are very active members in their chapter and really add a lot of fun and enjoyment anytime you see them out and about!

Don was born in Shattuck, Oklahoma and Pam in Clinton, Oklahoma; but are now proud Arkansans.

Don & Pam wanted a very special wedding when they were married and SPECIAL it was!! They had an UNDERWATER wedding in Key Largo, Florida. And then went on to honeymoon in Bimini! A tiny island in the Bahamas, Bimini is just 7 miles long and barely 700 feet wide at it's widest point. What a dream! (Would love to see pictures, if they had an underwater photographer!!)

Then came family life. They have four children and four grandchildren. They are: Son, Michael and daughter-in-law Heidi, and children, Haven, (12), Rylee, (6), and Taylen, (3). Son, Cory and daughter-in-law, Bobby, and one child, Lany, (3). Daughter, Nicole and Son-in-law Landon Highfill. And last but not least, Daughter, Kelly Marcy. They do share some of their time with the little ones when they aren’t riding their Gold Wing.

Don says he has liked motorcycles all of his life. He has been riding for 44 years. Got his license when he was 14 years old. He now has a 2005 GL 1800 and Pam rides a 2005 Suzuki Burgman. Don joined GWRRA in 1994 and Pam followed a little later in 1998. They have been having fun ever since. Along with all the riding that they do, they are also Assistant Chapter Directors to CD’s Mike and Ruthie Erskin in our Springdale Chapter B. They are also Newsletter Editor and Couple of the Year. Busy, Busy!

We have seen them everywhere on the road. The reason they joined GWRRA was to have someone to ride with and to form those lifelong friendships. They are doing just that! They are also involved in the Rider Ed program and have been to the training classes offered at our District Rider Ed Weekend.

Past motorcycle trips they have enjoyed include Wing Ding in Greenville, SC, then traveled the coast into Florida and came home along the Gulf Coast through Louisiana. They went to Wing Ding in Springfield in 1999, Grapevine in 2004 and Nashville in 2006. They would love to travel to Honda Hoot next year.

When they are not enjoying their Gold Wing, they have jobs that interfere with their fun. Don Works for Springdale Tractor Co in set up and delivery. Pam is office manager for Lowell Collision Services. Other hobbies they enjoy when they’re not wingin’ it are scuba diving and jet skiing. (Don was a scuba instructor for 13 years and they met when Don taught Pam to scuba dive. Therefore, an Underwater Wedding was a must!!) Also, Pam loves sewing and embroidery.

Don & Pam are faithful GWRRA members and bring a lot to our organization for all they volunteer to do. We are glad to have them on board as a Chapter Couple spreading the word about fun, safety and knowledge!!

Our next Spotlight shines on Johnny & Mildred Glasscock of Chapter W in Blytheville, Arkansas. We are proud to have their participation in the Couple’s program because they are one of our newest Chapters. CD John Bernier says they have been an important part of their chapter’s new growth. We welcome them! What better way to start off your first year in GWRRA!

Johnny and Mildred are both native Arkansans. They were married in 2001, still practically newlyweds. Both had been married before and their story is really an interesting one. In 1998 Johnny was an insurance adjuster for Mildred’s insurance carrier. After a minor fender bender, Johnny called to say he would be coming to look at her car. Mildred worked nights so Johnny said to leave the car unlocked. When she went to work that night she found Johnny’s card in the seat. About a month later someone tried to run her off the road and damaged the other side of her car. After working all night and being in court all day, she finally got home and Johnny shows up. They got acquainted and Johnny asked to take her flying, (and yes, he is a pilot) and she said no. But Johnny was persistent and kept calling, using the car as the excuse to call. Finally she gave in and he did fly to Corning to pick her and then to Pocahontas for Pizza. What a first date!!

Johnny continued to call and finally Mildred told him that her life was so busy with kids, working nights and a second job that she didn’t have time to date. He just kept calling. A short time later she gave in. They started dating in 1998. Mildred says, “I decided he was my destiny, why else would God keep sending him back to me. I had better not keep testing him – my car might not survive.” So now she says he’s the best thing that ever happened to her.

They both have children. Johnny has a daughter, Sylvia, 28 and two grandchildren, Alyssa, 8, and Skylar, 6. He also has a son, Johnny Lee who is 33. Mildred has three children, Jesse Dean, 20(and grandson Jesse Jr. who is 4 months old) a daughter Kristen Dean, 18 and another son, Thomas Dean, 15.

Now on to motorcycles. Johnny has ridden off and on throughout his life, even four-wheelers, racing and jumping, etc. He has had many motorcycles including a Honda CB100, CB750, a Kawasaki 454, Honda Shadow 600 & 750, then a Goldwing 1200 and their current Goldwing 1500. Mildred was scared to death of motorcycles all her life, so when Johnny finally convinced her to ride in 2005, after several “very still and stiff miles” she now loves riding. They are having a great time and look forward to more good times with their Gold Wing friends!!

When they aren’t on their Gold Wing, they have other activities they enjoy. Johnny is a pilot who loves flying airplanes and Ultra-Lights. They also enjoy fishing, computers, NasCar races, and of course spending time with their grandchildren and family. Mildred loves reading, photography and gardening.

Johnny is employed at Paul Newell Auto Collision Center as an auto body technician. Mildred is an LPN, working for Dr. James Russell at Family Medicine Associates in Blytheville.

As you can tell, they are a very busy couple that enjoys life and adventure. We are very glad that they are representing Chapter W as GWRRA Ambassadors. We look forward to seeing them at our Spring Fling and Couple of the Year Selection.

This spotlight shines on Ken & Rhonda Holmes from Arkansas Chapter J! Ken & Rhonda reside in Dover, Arkansas. They have two sons, Josh, 19, a freshman at UCA and Aaron, 16, a junior at Dover High School. Both Ken and Rhonda are native Arkansans. Ken was born in Blytheville and Rhonda in Russellville. They are both employed in the Dover School District. Ken is in administration as Special Education Supervisor and Rhonda is a second grade teacher. Now on to the personal side of their life…

Ken was raised in a military family. So as a result, he got used to being on the go and has pretty much enjoyed being on the go! He lived in Turkey in the first grade. During the family’s time in Florida, Ken got to watch the Space Shuttle go up at Cape Canaveral. Ken’s uncle introduced him to motorcycles and it stuck! He loves to ride and you will probably see him in route to work on his Gold Wing most of the time.

Rhonda was raised in a minister’s family. Her family all sang together as she was growing up. They were a very close family through the years. Rhonda’s best friend, her mother, passed away this past July. She has felt the loss deeply, a real adjustment for her. She visits her grandparents, who are still in the area, and that helps her a lot. She and Ken have had other adjustments in their life to get used to. Ken lost his father this past year also. Ken’s dad had open-heart surgery and just never recovered. They also had some empty nesting going on, as Josh went away to college in the fall.

They do manage to stay busy!! They have just stepped up as Chapter Directors for Arkansas J and they were already Chapter Couple. So add to that, their jobs, their church activities and family duties, they are busy! Rhonda also does the Chapter Newsletter and it looks great.

Ken and Rhonda have a great story about their lives together. Their first date was ironically on a motorcycle. Ken picked her up at 9AM on a May morning, and they went riding to the nearest mountains. They rode to Pettit Jean, Mt. Nebo and then to Mt. Magazine. (I don’t know if I would have made it past Mt. Nebo!!!) But it didn’t faze Rhonda too much, since they ended up at the altar a short time later. Ken continued to ride until their two boys came along. After having children, food and diapers were more important, so his bike wasn’t used very much and needed repairs.

When Ken and Rhonda decided that she would go to college, Ken automatically took extra jobs to put Rhonda through school. He had many different jobs. He took on the responsibility as Assistant Coach for the high school football and baseball teams. He worked every summer. He worked odd jobs at the Dover school mowing grass; he umpired Little League Babe Ruth games and worked at a store delivering furniture, refrigerators and other appliances. As Rhonda was going to school one day, she told Ken that she was going to get him a Gold Wing, when she graduated and they could afford it. He never complained and took on all the extra work to help her get through school. So it took them five years after she graduated before they got the bike, but in April of 1999, Rhonda got Ken his Gold Wing, a black 1998 GL 1500. She says that since she’s known Ken, he always dreamed of owning a Gold Wing.

Ken had traveled on three major trips in his bachelor days on a Honda 750. He put over 40,000 miles on the 750 in four years. On their 15th anniversary, their present to each other was a trip to Colorado and the Grand Canyon. They were gone for nine days and put almost 3,000 miles on their new bike. That trip will always be very special to them. Their 25th anniversary will be in 2009. Their big dream is to ride to Alaska and take a cruise. Then ride back home on their bike.

Ken and Rhonda joined GWRRA in 1999, but their family was still young enough that their priorities were mainly on them and their activities. They started becoming more and more involved in the last few years. They went to Wing Ding in Grapevine, TX in 2004 with a big group from several chapters. They have been to the Arkansas District Rally for the past two years. They had made plans for Wing Ding in Indiana this past summer and were over halfway there when they got the call that Rhonda’s mother had passed away. They returned home. They had planned to go on up through Maine after Wing Ding, but hopefully they can do that this year. They do look forward to going to Wing Ding in Nashville this summer. And many of the District Rallies, Arkansas a #1 priority!

We appreciate Ken and Rhonda as ambassadors from Chapter J and look forward to seeing them in February as they join in the 2006 Arkansas District Couple Selection in Morrilton. They are destined to be around for a long time to enjoy Ken’s Gold Wing because they are just youngsters!!! Most of us have more gray hair than they do and lots of grand children! We need more youngsters like them to carry on. I know they are excited about their opportunities as they look forward to lots of fun and many more great trips with their GWRRA family. We will see them on February 25th at the Couples Spring Fling.

Carolyn Frieden
Arkansas District Couples Coordinator

Our first “Spotlight Article” will shine on our Arkansas District Couple, Garry and Phyllis Floyd. They are from Van Buren, Arkansas, where they have lived for the past 30 years. They have been married for 33 years and have three sons, one daughter, three grandsons and six grand daughters. We can’t forget their Dachshund, Sassee and the Cockatiel, Baby. Their hobbies include fishing, art, pottery, stained glass and traveling to new places and meeting new people. They have also become Pine Car Derby Racers, although they haven’t won any races yet, they do have a lot of fun participating. They love to ride motorcycles and have been riding for 32 safe years.

It was the summer of 1973. Garry had always wanted a motorcycle but couldn’t afford one. His father owned a Honda 350-4. His brother-in-law wanted to ride, so he purchased a used 250 Yamaha. It had a suicide clutch and the brakes didn’t work well. He learned how to ride in his backyard. On his second time around the yard the clutch stuck, the brakes didn’t work and he went down in the yard. He immediately called Garry and asked if he wanted to buy a motorcycle. Garry paid $75 for that Yamaha and was now the proud owner of his own motorcycle. It turned out to be a good deal for both of them since both of their cars quit running in the fall of that year, leaving them with the 250 Yamaha as their only transportation to work. Even in those days they were safe riders, always wearing their helmets and proper riding clothes. This was the start of Garry & Phyllis’ motorcycle days. They have owned one ever since then.

They began their journey with GWRRA by attending the 2002 Drill Team competition in Springfield, Missouri. Then began attending Chapter X meetings in Clarksville. They traveled by car to all GWRRA Chapter and District activities until they purchased their first Gold Wing in December of 2002. Then they joined GWRRA. And participate, they have. They have attended ten District Rallies, two Region Rallies and two Wing Dings. They have participated in all the following: Best Dressed Couple, Best Dressed Chapter and Theme Dress, Talent shows, Mascot Competition and the Couple of the Year Selection in 2004, where they were chosen as the Arkansas District Couple of the Year.

They have served as Assistant Chapter Directors, District Webmasters and Assistant District Directors. They have been judges in the Best Dressed and COY Selection in both Oklahoma and Kansas District Rallies. They also conducted the “Not So Newlywed Game” and Couples Seminar at the Arkansas District Rally in 2005. This past February they attended Tennessee’s Cupids Caper 2005. This rally was the inspiration for our District Directors, Dale and Susan Wingrove, to plan our First Annual Spring Fling and Couple of the Year Selection.

Garry and Phyllis have been very busy working on the Couples Program for Arkansas They have visited 11 of our 14 Arkansas GWRRA Chapters and plan to visit the others by the end of the year. We currently have 10 active Chapter Couples and are hopeful of having all the Chapters represented soon. As our District Couple, Garry and Phyllis have attended all five District Rallies and the International Couple of the Year Selection 2005 Wing Ding XXVII at Fort Wayne, Indiana.

They have taken many safety classes since joining GWRRA They are currently Level 3 in Safety (Level 4 pending.) They have completed CPR and First Aid, Trike ERC Course, Co-Rider Seminar, Road Captain Course, Motorcycle Riding for the Mature Rider and the GWRRA Horizons Program.

The following is a message from Garry and Phyllis:

“As most of you know, we want to be your Region H Couple of the Year because we are so passionate and dedicated to the growth of the Couple of the Year program. It has been an honor to serve as Chapter and District Couple of the Year. We’ve worked very hard toward having 100% of our Arkansas Chapters with an active Couple of the Year and have been instrumental in implementing the changes to the Arkansas District Couple of the Year Program. We are very dedicated to the GWRRA slogan “FRIENDS FOR FUN, SAFETY AND KNOWLEDGE”, as you can tell by the number of safety and educational courses and events that we’ve attended. Every time we go to a GWRRA event we see old friends, and make new FRIENDS, while having as much FUN as possible. We promote SAFETY by setting an example by the way we dress, the actions we take when we ride, telling others about riding safely and promoting Rider Education. We feel that the KNOWLEDGE we have gained in GWRRA and the information we will learn in the future, will greatly benefit us, everyone we know and NEW FRIENDS we meet through our association with GWRRA.”

We do thank Garry & Phyllis for all their hard work and dedication. They are great people. They enjoy all the things that they do to promote the good of GWRRA. After all, it’s really about FRIENDS, FUN and SAFETY!!

Carolyn Frieden
Arkansas District Couples Coordinator