Chinchilla AGM 2011
| Friday the 8th of April dawned cloudy and showery with Brisbane Northern suburbs riders experiencing a wet trip out of town then diminishing showers from then on. |
| The majority made Chinchilla on Friday where the accommodation was split between the Club Hotel and the White Gums Motel. |
| Friday afternoon, a large group gathered on the verandah of the Club Hotel accommodation wing with the usual pre dinner drinks and nibblies arriving from everywhere. Someone suggested Fish and Chips for dinner and the local Fish and Chippery had their best Friday night ever with Wingriders lined up out the door. |
| Everyone then split into two groups, one for each hotel, so there would be no need to travel once a few after dinner drinks were enjoyed. |
| Being in the Saturday arrivees, Morag and I left Ipswich at 6.30am on the Saturday and arrived at about 9.10am, just a bit late to join to join the main group whom had gone for the 42km ride to Miles to visit a Museum. |
| Dying for a coffee and rest stop we wandered the shops in town and took note of the flood photos in the Pharmacy and if you didn’t know, Chinchilla was hit by floods on Dec. 8th and then again in January at the same time Brissie was getting flooded. |
| Wandered up to the Club Hotel and first sight we saw was Clint flat on his back removing the rear wheel of his bike as he had found a new place to put shiny bits on his bike namely the steel band on his rear tyre! |
| Fortunately John and Gwenda had come up from Stanthorpe by car and John drove Clint to Toowoomba to have a new tyre fitted to his rim. The Honda dealer in Toowoomba graciously agreeing to stay back until they arrived to do the work, while at the Club we met again some of our amazing Victorian cousins who never fail to make the AGM’s every time and deserve a medal for dedication to both the club and all Goldwinger’s, this year coming via the scenic route through Dirranbandi. |
| Well done – people! |
| After getting our bike, we went to the “White Gums” motel and as our room wasn’t prepared as yet, sat down outside and was joined by Gwenda (Stanthorpe) fronting up with a walker after recently having a operation which didn’t go well leaving her in a lot of pain. |
| We talked for an hour and caught up on all the gossip, then Gwenda departed and we went to the information centre and had a great chat with the local volunteer’s of the centre – being informed about the floods etc. |
| Went back to the Motel and had forty winks and came a knock on the door and Eric and the others had returned from Miles and greetings exchanged, a bit of relaxing with the 3pm photo shoot next on the agenda – met Frans from Wollongong for the first time. |
| We arrived at the Club Hotel with the marshalling of bikes already almost complete and finally set up to everyone’s pleasure, and what a sight it was with 17 X 1800’s, 2 X 1500’s and one Deauville (Bevan and Therese) courtesy of some idiot running into their wing near Taree on their return trip from the Newcastle Ulysses AGM (body ok and the Wing can be saved). |
| Many photos taken and an attempt to take group photo with finally asking a passing body if he could take it, he agreed and we later learned was the owner of the Club Hotel and also owns the Commercial Hotel and a very nice person into the bargain. |
| He has had a bit of a tough time of it only having bought the “Club” in Sept. And was inundated in December and had just started re-furbishing when the second flooding come and the water level was up to the top of the bar, still he kept all his staff on and paid them for every day and was quite impressed by some people who came to help. Apparently he had a young electrician come in to rewire the bottle shop, saw how big a mess things were, made a phone call at 7.30 at night and within no time had 42 young people turn up to help out and they worked past 1.30in the morning and not a single drink was taken. Very impressive and good on those who helped. |
| But I digress. |
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 Click for a larger version |
| With the photo shoot completed, we moved onto the AGM and I believe it went very well and the majority of positions staying the same, the only vacant positions were Vice President, Ride Co-Ordinater and Regalia Officer, Phil was nominated for Vice President and accepted, I had applied for Ride Co-Ordinater and as no one else applied, was accepted and Morag was nominated for Regalia officer also accepting the position. |
| Raffles and door prizes were then disposed of then there was a recess of an hour to meal time, and in an effort to allow people to drink and not have to ride back to the motel the Club Hotel courtesy bus was set to pick us up in 30min and allow the girls to ”Gussie” themselves up. It was at that time Eric accidently locked his keys to the Wing in the top box, what followed was a two hour endeavour to retrieve them. With advice and internet assistance not getting any results, it was finally down to removing the seat and cutting a hole in the plastic rear section into the rear of the top box, Deb then could get her arm in and searched for the keys which were at last located in a pouch in the top box, very high drama for Eric. I imagine really spoiled their evening, they were too weary and drained to even attend the meal. |
| After returning by courtesy bus to the motel and we gathered for drinks at the rear of the office after our hosts kindly offered the area to us, saying not to worry about the time and others joined us from the Club Hotel and drinks and verbal intercourse terminated 10.30 – 11pm after a great day (except for Eric and Deb’s misfortune). |
| We awoke at 5am by the sound of our Southern travellers leaving to head home to N.S.W. and Vic. and at six we rose and packed up and had breakfast at the road house just up the road and later joined by John, Gwenda, Thommo and Val and watched as the rest of the group went past to have breakfast at Dalby at the “Coffee Club” where we caught up with them. |
| Finally headed off home as had chores to catch up at home and took the scenic route turning off at Helidon and travelling through Grantham – the devastation to the town has turned it into a ghost town. |
| Anyway I wish them all the best and hope they are soon back on their feet. |
| To finalise – a good week-end and thanks to all, who made it a good week-end and congratulations to all the new committee. |
| Sorry if it has been a bit long winded but good luck to all. |
| Keep the shiny side up. |
| Kevin and Morag |