Ulysses Club

of New Zealand

Rotorua Branch

Rotorua Ramblings…… APRIL 2015 issue 22

Welcome to the April Newsletter. The end of our Club year is fast approaching and although rides have been far and in between with the Easter break and unseasonal weather we did have a great weekend at the Annual General Meeting and Rally of the Ulysses Club in Tau-ranga on the 12th of this month. Our Branch was well repre-sented with 17 members making their way to this event. Well done and some of the theme costumes showed some innovative thoughts. Our long awaited Poker Run had to be postponed again(blame the weather) but fingers crossed we may be just lucky this coming weekend. I would like to pay tribute to Tony Baker for producing our monthly Newsletter for quite a number of years and the high standard of the finished prod-uct particularly from later years. Its gratifying to see that our weekly Saturday mornings cof-fee/breakfast meeting at the Lakefront are so well attended and trust that the same will happen at our Branch AGM this coming Sunday. See you at St Johns Pererika St 7 pm. (not 7.30) Ride safe

Peter V

#8136

To open Branch website, click onto: www.ulyssesrotorua.org.nz

EDITORIAL CO ORDINATOR’S COMMENTS

Next Branch

Meeting

Sunday 26 April

2015 at

7.00pm

This is my last Rotorua Branch Ulysses News-letter as I believe it is time for a change to another member with a different vision. We all see things from a different perspective and this can be the “spice of life?” I have enjoyed every moment putting the Newsletter together each month, hopefully an interesting, newsy Newsletter, for all tastes. I wish to thank all those who have contrib-uted as it makes better and more interesting reading from “others” than the same old one we call “The Editor”. A special “thanks” to Mal (“Axle”) for the very professional photography he has passed on during the year - “Thanks mate”. “Keep the rubber on the road”.

Tony B. #2436

2013-2014 Rotorua Branch Committee Co-ordinator: Peter van der Maat 349 3021 pemaint@xtra.co.nz 027 224 5100

Secretary: Bruce Quedley 347 8659 bruce@quedley.com 021 616 736

Treasurer: Hartley Gray 348 0555 hartleyandteri@gmail.com 027 229 6407

Newsletter: Tony Baker 345 7607 tbaker@wave.co.nz 022 345 7607

Committee: Bruce Roe, Graeme van Praagh, Mal (Axle) Bain, Jan Matthews, plus the above.

LAKESIDE CAFÉ & CRAFTS On the Lakefront, Memorial Drive, Rotorua. “Where we meet every Saturday morning at 10:30am”

Our hosts: Colin & Norma Craig

Branch Annual General Meeting The Rotorua AGM was advertised as a “Notice of AGM” in the March issue of the Ulyssian. In case some Officers are standing down, you may wish to cut out this Nomination Form, have it signed by the member you wish to nominate, and bring it to the AGM this Sunday 26 April, 2015.

NOAH THINGERTOO SAYS :-

I hear that the Tauranga A.G.M. was great. From what I could see through my binoculars from over the wa-

ter, it certainly looked like a fantastic party. I suspect that the early finish on both nights was a reflection of

your length of membership. Smokey must be doing it right to remain your boss money-man for another

year !

Those who decided not to go home from the A.G.M. by way of the Old Tauranga Direct Road because of the

one-way bridge repairs, got the wrong day didn’t they!

I see Bruce Q had the photo of a young relative in the news. Also see Marlene and Tony on the front page of

their special magazine!

Happy Birthday to Aries Peter Anderson (4th May), and Taureans Jack Butterworth (22nd May), and Lynne

Sands and Tony Baker (26th May). Should be a party in there somewhere!

Capt James Kirk of Star Trek fame is going to ride a trike down Route 66 – it has a V8 Cadillac power plant,

and looks, and goes, like a rocket.

Are you going to make Tony’s Poker Run a regular Anzac Weekend Run? With all the delays and shuffling

around, maybe it should be christened a “Polka Run”! Hello, we’ve got a comedian in our Branch? (Editor).

I hope your new Magazine Editor has time for my trivia. I would hate to see you all getting away with your

transgressions and no-one to keep an eye on you all!

I hear “Axle” has finally got a decent muffler fitted to the Suzuki! - No pun intended!

Bob McKenzie 9 April

Jim Bolton 29 April

Peter Anderson 4 May

Jack Butterworth 22 May

Lynne Sands 26 May

Tony Baker 26 May

How’s this for the front cover of the

New Zealand Dementia Society’s

National magazine!!!

Taken when Eddie Dawkins visited

Rotorua on his promotional tour a few

weeks ago.

notes taken at the Tauranga agm,

Saturday 1 1 aprIL 2015 President Mike Dew welcomed Ulyssians to the 2015 Ulysses AGM. President Mike spoke on his concern for the drop in membership over the past 8—10 years and that

Branches need to get 40—50 year old motorcyclist involved to keep the Ulysses Club going. Treasurer Stuart spoke about the Club finances and that with the membership drop-off suggested

that the drop in income, National will most probably look at increasing the annual membership from January 2016 by $8.00 to $48.00.

The New Zealand Club logo was announced with 2 fern leaves below the Old Man. Members were asked to support the Ulyssian magazine sponsors BRM by buying their own maga-

zine, Bike Rider. Gear sales now include a Ulyssian Hi-Vis jacket for $80.00 each. Those present were asked to help sell the “still large stock” of “Grow Old Disgacefully” books. A presentation on the 2016 Ulysses AGM to be organised by the Buller Ulysses Branch and will be

held at Solid Energy Centre, Westport from 18 March until 21 March 2016. The theme for the 2016 Saturday night function will be, “West Coast Wear”.

Of note was that the Nelson Branch Guss Rally will be held the weekend before the AGM Rally and the Warbirds Over Wanaka air show the weekend after the AGM Rally. Food for thought???

Two Odyssey medals were awarded to: Glennis Wilson, #1400 of the Whakatane Branch and Bob Kenrick, #4977 of the Taumarunui Branch.

National Past Committee badges were awarded to: Jenny McGee and Murray Hawke. National Committee for the year 2016 are: Mike Dew (President), Jim Galt (Vice President), Stuart

Burns (Treasurer), Nicky Bright (Secretary). Committee: Jim Furneaux, Jane Mansell, Nick Player (#8778).

Tony & Marlene

2436 & 7843

Tauranga National Ulysses AGM

How to waste a perfectly good Saturday night?

or: “Time will tell”

Was Tauranga 2015 a good AGM? “Time will tell?”. A.G.M.'s are invariably successful, but the good ones are those we are still talking about ten years later. We remember the better AGM's: Blenheim, Dunedin, Christ-church, Rotorua, Gisborne for not what they achieved, but rather, the personalities and events that transpired to make the weekend memorable. Most of the incidents and occurrences come back to us much later, some-times many years later when we look back and say, “That was a darn'd good weekend!” What will our memo-ries of Tauranga 2015 be? - “Time will tell”. We'll remember the Ulyssian who joined the Saturday ride only to find that he had linked up with a Wairarapa group who were off to see some vintage cars. It wasn't until they got to Katikati that he suspected he was no where near the lunch venue!. We'll probably remember how lucky we were with the weather. If the weekend was successful, the memories will be with us for years. As with the case of most AGM's, we enjoy Saturday night. Re-acquainting with old friends. Noticing how many of the old regulars no longer turn up. Observing just how many of us now commune by car. This year – no different. The ANZAC theme was well supported with uniforms of all ranks in evidence, Rotorua members just about had an army division and were forced to bring along their own chef (muppit), nurses and maid. The theme was not confined to military, with a sprinkling of farm-girls and others too numerous to recall. Good use was made of ANZAC poppies pinned in appropriate and inappropriate places. The theme was set early, with background music comprising of old WW1 tunes played throughout the venue. These had been distorted to sound like old phonograph music—very effective. Before dinner the Last Post was sounded. You could have heard a pin drop. This was very dramatic when you realise Ulyssians are generally a very rowdy lot. Dinner passed scrutiny with both ham and beef included in the first course followed by a nice little desert. The local three piece band set the tone for the “young at heart” who were set to dance the night away. However, reality set in and most players were exhausted after a couple of rounds. At 9 p.m. the local “Mr Plod” drew the motorcycle raffle which, unfortunately, was not delivered to Rotorua. Then, back to dancing and singing till the band took it's first break. This was the signal for “oldies” to leave, so by the time the band returned, most of the gathered multitude were tucked into bed. Highs? Difficult to identify one outstanding moment Lows? Not winning that damned motorbike.

Was 2015 a good AGM/Rally? Time will tell From an unknown author

Thank you, see ya next year ! Nice photo Mal ?

*********************************************

DATE DESTINATION MEET TIME IN-CHARGE

Sunday 26 April

2015

Poker Run.

Briefing 9.30am; start time 10.00’ish

Lakeside Cafe 9.30am Tony Baker

Sunday 26 April

2015

Branch Annual General Meeting

Rotorua Branch

St John Rooms, Pererika

St, Rotorua.

7:00pm Peter van der Maat

Sunday 7 June

23015

“The 80klm Ride”

Watch this space

Lakeside Cafe 10.00am “Smokey” Burns

19—21 June

2015

Final Okataina Rally Ever!.

All Rotorua members to help during the

weekend.

Watch this space “Flash” White

Rotorua Branch Runs List

What is a "Poker Run"?

The event will actually have little to do with poker, beyond using the hand-rankings to score

the event. You don't need to know a great deal about poker to take part, other than what

beats what in the scoring - and even that will be done for participants by the organisers.

Essentially, a poker run is an excuse to meet up, travel, and have a good time at the

stops.

Just turn-up at Lakeside Café, 9.30am on Sunday 26 April—the day after ANZAC Day !!

* Remember to bring your “final hand” of 5 cards to the Branch meeting that same night.

Thank you all over the last few years for your help with the Newsletter Be kind to the lucky member who takes over and give him/her all your support