votes are unanimous and the plan is coming together

that was very cool! i asked for everybody to read and respond to the message about voting and everybody did exactly that in under 24 hours, thanks guys! thank you also for unanimously agreeing on the president vote. it's a lot better to know everyone's in agreement than to have a few that strongly disagree and end up getting outvoted. i promise to do everything i can to keep this little thing we got going enjoyable, positive, and productive for everyone involved.

as for the questions about the meet this summer, i've decided to nail down the dates and place for the main base camp now so people can begin doing whatever planning and preparation they need to do to make sure they can make it. i have a buddy who has offered the use of his place to set up camp on. i am open to the possibility of relocating the base camp halfway through the meet so we can explore even more area for riding and destinations for runs. i have planned for a weeklong meet, for a couple reasons. i personally want to have a good long chunk of time to hangout, go riding, and unwind from the annoyances of the daily grind; also, if anyone's schedule prevents them from making it on a given day, the week long window should ensure that everyone will be able to come and hangout for at least a couple days within that week. the details i have set so far are below, but i also want to ask you guys to try brainstorming some sort of name we can use for what i hope become an annual event...i'm getting tired of referring to 'the meet' or 'the get together'. it doesn't have to be fancy or hip or whatever, just a solid name for the event.

PLANS AS OF 25 JANUARY:

-WE WILL MEET FROM 17 JUNE THROUGH 24 JUNE, 2012.

-OUR BASE CAMP WILL BE IN THE HAYWARD, WISCONSIN, AREA.
View Larger Map

-THE PRIMARY SLEEPING ACCOMMODATIONS WILL BE CAMPING, WITH EVERYONE BRINGING THEIR OWN CAMPING GEAR. DON'T OVER PACK, BUT BE PREPARED TO SLEEP OUTDOORS.

-WE WILL TAKE DAILY RIDES FROM THE BASE CAMP, WITH A COUPLE RUNS POSSIBLY LASTING OVERNIGHT. RIDERS ARE FREE TO CHOOSE WHICH RIDES THEY WANT TO GO ON, OR PLAN THEIR OWN RIDES IF DESIRED.

-THERE WILL BE SOME SPOUSES AND GIRLFRIENDS IN ATTENDANCE. NO ONE IS EXPECTING A PG-RATED GIRL SCOUT CAMPOUT, BUT BASIC RESPECT WILL BE SHOWN AT ALL TIMES. USE YOUR OWN JUDGEMENT AND COMMON SENSE...OTHER THAN THAT, GO CRAZY, I KNOW I WILL!

i have some ideas for run destinations, but i encourage anyone who's interested to check a map and do some research and come up with runs they'd like to do, too. some of my ideas so far include: madeline island, grand marais, ely, eagle river, possible overnighter to the motorcycle history museum in anamosa, and a possible overnighter to the northernmost tip of michigan's upper peninsula. what would you guys like to see?

as far as a name for these shenanigans, i don't know that i've found a winner yet. maybe these will at least get somebody else in the braistorm mode to think up a better name. here are my ideas so far: zen family reunion, bastards' summer vacation, the great escape, thunder dome, gathering of the bastards, the running of the bastards, and week of the freaks. i know, not great, but somebody out there has a better idea...i just know it.