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AUGUST 2021
By Richard de Groot, Member #769 Written on 4 January 2014 (don’t forget that, otherwise it gets confusing) but not published at that time. We are very pleased that Richard has sent it through so you can enjoy and reflect...
REFLECTIONS - FIRST 12 YEARS Like being a member of any organisation; membership of the BMWMCQ brought with it many memorable experiences, some of which we choose to forget; however by far the enjoyable memorable experiences are tucked away in the memory bank and from time to time are brought to the surface during times of reflection.
Prior to buying our first BMW motorcycle in 2002 I went along to a BMWMCQ meeting at the German Club in February 2002; just to get a feeling for the club. I liked what I experienced; so a few days later I confirmed our intended purchase of a beautiful BMW R1150 RT which I had checked out a few days earlier in the showroom of Morgan & Wacker. At the time I was 53 years of age and although I had been riding motorcycles since I was about 17 (off road of course) and held a license since I was about 20 and had travelled hundreds of thousands of kilometres on motorcycles; I had never travelled far from Queensland. It was my intention to travel the length and breadth of Australia on the R1150 RT; with Wendy as pillion passenger. And so the journey began. However; membership of the BMWMCQ was to be an integral part of our motorcycling journey.
A few days ago I posted a thread in regard to the BMW Motorrad Safari Events for 2014; and in posting that thread I reflected on our 12 years of club membership.
When we joined the BMWMCQ (Wendy is also a member) in 2002 the club meetings were held at the German Club. We had about 250 members in the club and eventually we were having around 100 members attending the meetings; mainly I suspect to devour the scrumptious sandwiches, cakes, treats, coffee and tea provided by Greg and Noelene Dunne, at the end of each meeting. The club reimbursed Greg and Noelene for the cost of the food; not for the wonderful time of camaraderie the consumption of which brought post meetings. Nothing could reimburse Greg and Noelene for the enjoyment that time brought to members of the club. Not to mention the German food and beer consumed at the club prior to the meetings. What a wonderful time that was! And then of course, there were the actual meetings at the German Club. That provided comical relief with the overhead projector running prior to and during the meetings (bringing much laughter) and Tony the ‘Gadget Man’ providing interesting and fun gadgets for both interest and comical relief to members. And of course, yet another Tony interjecting with various jokes and other
