New York State, Hudson Highlands Area

About Retreads International

Retreads Motorcycle Club International, Inc., (AMA Charter 3233) with some 24,000 members nationwide, all of whom share two things; an age of 40 plus and a love of motorcycling. The Retreads, founded by George Spidell in El Cajon, California in 1969, have members in all 50 states as well as Canada and Europe.

ABOUT THE RETREAD CREST

THE CHIEF is a field of GOLD representing the Golden years, with the name Retreads thereon. The band sinister is BLUE and black, upper sinister field being RED with Stallions in place. The lower dexter field being WHITE with Roman numerals XL in RED letters and the word "plus" underneath.

This insignia is a REGISTERED INSIGNIA and TRADEMARK in the United States of America and Canada.

THE NAME Retreads is obvious. We have reached an age where a retread has become necessary!

THE SHAPE of the Retreads crest was taken from a US Navy award presented for that which is considered to be the best!

THE GOLD FIELD at the top is to denote those Golden years over forty.

THE FIELD OF RED which contains the rampant stallion heads is for the valor and blood that we have shed.

THE STALLIONS who appear so proud, represent the strength and stamina of the retreads. Used as a pair, they indicate that we work together as a team.

THE BAR SINISTER which slants upward from left to right across the field signifies the BLACK and BLUE marks that we all acquired while we were learning to ride.

THE FIELD OF WHITE symbolizes our purity of mind and thoughts, and also the color of our face in the first tight squeeze.

THE RED ROMAN NUMERALS XL "plus" designates our age of over forty... and as everyone knows, life really does begin at forty!

THE BLUE OVERBAR above the field of gold is reserved to designate the state or province in which the wearer resides.

WE....Wear this CREST with PRIDE. It designates you as a member of a select group that enjoys a wonderful sport, good times, many laughs and miles of open road.

Membership Requirements

1. Forty (40) years old and up.
2. A motorcycle owner or enthusiast
3. Dues - A donation of $15 for a single or $ 20 for a family is requested

BYLAWS OF RETREAD MOTORCYCLE CLUB INTERNATIONAL, INC.
AMA CHARTER 3233

ARTICLE I
This club shall be known as the Retread Motorcycle Club International, Inc. and members of the Club known as "Retreads." The Club insignia shall be as illustrated in Article X of these bylaws. This club insignia and designation "Retreads" shall serve to identify one club member to another while traveling or attending events and shall not be lent, given or sold to any non-member for any purpose, public or private.

ARTICLE II
Members shall be riders of motorcycles, those connected with the trade or motorcycle enthusiasts. Membership will be limited to those persons who have attained the age of 40 years, or spouses of those persons. There shall be no restrictions as to race, creed, sex, or citizenship. Membership must be renewed annually by all members, who shall be issued a new membership card upon renewal in the region or state of residency. Memberships may be revoked by the President with the approval of the Board of Directors for conduct detrimental to the public image of the Club or for conduct endangering the health and well-being of any Club member or the public.

ARTICLE III
Regional clubs may be organized and authorized to use the official name of the club, that being Retread Motorcycle Club International, Inc. If regional clubs are organized, it shall be by application to the President with approval by the Board of Directors; and, if the application is granted, a regional director will be appointed by the President of the Retread Motorcycle Club International, Inc. Regional directors, with the approval of the President, may appoint or remove state and area representatives who will be responsible to the regional directors.

ARTICLE IV
The expenses of operation for this club for regional clubs will be paid by membership donations. A minimum donation of $15.00 per person or $20.00 per couple upon joining or renewing is requested from members to cover the expenses of running the Club. (The Canadian Directors shall specify a minimum donation for their members consistent with the above.) Only the President, secretary and regional directors, or their duly appointed agents or representatives, are authorized to receive donations, pay expenses or handle financial matters or funds in any manner. The regional and state clubs, from donations, shall support the activities of the international organization with a minimum donation of $2.00 per member per year.

ARTlCLE V
Section 1 - Board of Directors - General Powers - The business and affairs of this corporation shall be managed by its President with the approval of its Board of Directors.

Section 2 - Number, Tenure and Qualifications - The number of directors of the corporation shall be six (6). Each director shall hold office until his/her successor shall have been appointed and qualified. The six (6) members of the Board of Directors shall be appointed by the members who are listed on the club charter with American Motorcycle Association.

Section 3 - Meetings - A meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held as necessary to conduct the business affairs of the corporation. The Board of Directors may provide, by resolution, the time and place for the holding of meetings without other notice than such resolution. Meetings may be held by telephone conference, but any action taken by the Board during a telephone meeting requiring a vote of the Board shall not be final until each Board member voting by telephone confirms his vote by letter to the International Office.

Section 4 - Quorum - A majority of the number of directors fixed by Section 2 of this Article V shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Board of Directors.

Section 5 - Vacancies - Any vacancies occurring in the Board of Directors may be filled by appointment by the members who are listed on the club charter with the American Motorcycle Association, a director appointed to fill a vacancy shall be appointed for the unexpired term of his predecessor in office.

Section 6 - Compensation - There shall be no compensation to any member of the Board of Directors of this corporation.

Section 7 - Presumption of Assent - A director of the corporation who is present at a meeting of the Board of Directors at which action on any corporate matter is taken shall be presumed to have assented to the action taken unless his dissent shall be entered into the minutes of the meeting, or unless he shall file his written dissent to such action with the person acting as the secretary of the meeting before the adjournment thereof or shall forward such dissent by mail to the secretary of the corporation immediately following the adjournment of the meeting. Such right to dissent shall not apply to a director who voted in favor of such action.

ARTICLE VI
Section 1 - Officers - The officers of the corporation shall be a president, a secretary, a legislative officer, and a referee, each of whom shall be appointed by the Board of Directors.

Section 2 - Removal - Any officer or agent may be removed by the Board of Directors whenever, in its judgement, the best interest of the corporation will be served thereby; but such removal shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the person so removed. Appointment of an officer or agent shall not of itself create contract rights.

Section 3 - Vacancies - A vacancy in any office because of death, resignation, removal, disqualification or otherwise, may be filled by the Board of Directors.

Section 4 - President - The president shall be the principal executive officer of the corporation, and subject to the control of the Board of Directors, shall, in general, control and supervise all of the business and affairs of the corporation. He shall, when present, preside at all meetings of the corporation. He may sign, with the secretary or any other proper officer of the corporation thereunto authorized by the Board of Directors, any deeds, mortgages, bonds, contracts, or other instruments which the Board of Directors has authority to be executed.

Section 5 - Secretary - The secretary shall: (a) be custodian of the corporate records and of the seal of the corporation and see that the seal of the corporation is affixed to all documents, the execution of which on the behalf of the corporation under its seal is duly authorized, and (b) in general perform all duties incident to the office of secretary and such other duties as may from time to time be assigned to him/her by the President or by the Board of Directors.

Section 6 - Salaries - There shall be no salaries for the officers of this corporation.

ARTICLE VII
This club is non-political in nature and shall affiliate with no organization other than the American Motorcycle Association. Officers of this club shall not hold office in any other national motorcycle organization.

ARTICLE VIII
The mailing address for the President shall be - Summer - 528 North Main St., Albany, Indiana 47320 - Winter - 4504 Pittenger, Sarasota, Fl. 34234.

ARTICLE IX
These bylaws and its contained articles may be changed or modified by: adding to, deleting from, rewriting or amending, at the discretion and by majority vote of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE X
The Chief is a field of gold representing the golden years, with the RETREADS thereon. The Band Sinister is black and blue, Upper Sinister field being red with stallions in place, the Lower Dexter field being white with the Roman numeral XL in red letters and the word "plus" underneath, This insignia is a registered insignia and trademark in the United States and Canada.

Rev. date May 4, 1998 (As copied from original mailing)

Contact Information

New York Regional Director

Jim Kelly
131 Wilson Place
Freeport, NY  11520
516-378-7234

 

North Country Retreads (NY) Directors

 

 

Bill  Blair

16420 Parker Rd

Watertown, NY 13601           

mailto:kspencer@gisco.net

Hudson Highlands (NY) Breakfast Coordinators                                                 

Ted & Terri Beers
454 Flax Island Road
Otego, NY  13825
607-988-7433

mailto:syrupman@earthlink.net

Hudson Highlands (NY) ..Directors

Ray & Elma Taylor
2457 County Rd 35
Bainbridge, NY  13733
607-563-2083

mailto:retaylor@stny.rr.com

Back around 1982, when Robert and Ona House were the International Retread Directors, New York State was divided into three sections. The Rochester area consisting of everything to the west of Interstate 81 was headed by the state directors Dick and Betty Dillon. The Long Island are was headed by directors Dick and Pat Hildebrand, and the rest of the state was headed by Chuck and Joan Starr.

The state rally held in Cooperstown, NY in 198? caught the interest of many local riders who started gathering and joined the Retreads. Jerry and Jane Fisher were assistants to Chuck and Joan. Eventually the eastern part of the state was split into two sections, the North Country and the Hudson Highlands. Don and Mary Salisbury were the North Country directors, while Ken Tonkinson headed the Hudson Highlands with Ray Donaldson coordinating for the downstate area, and Jim and Iny Leveille coordinating for the upstate group.

Currently the membership of the Hudson Highlands area Retreads consists of approximately 160 members.  The ages of our membership ranges from the minimum of 40 to 88 years old (and still riding!).

Since 1995, the club changed its primary physical location from the Poughkeepsie, Wappingers Falls location (in the Hudson Highlands) to Oneonta, NY.   The change was primarily due to the decrease in participation in the downstate area after IBM®, the major employer in that area, reduced it's local work force, and some of the victims of downsizing were our club leaders.

We still have several members from the downstate area, although they do not usually participate in our monthly breakfasts or dinners, but occasionally show up for a poker run or other special event.  I suspect they maintain membership to continue to receive the newsletter through which they  keep in touch with nationwide Retread events and to keep track of old friends in the upstate area.  We do have several active members who regularly attend our functions from the Binghamton and Albany, NY areas.  We appreciate this since it is a 60 to 80 mile ride (or drive) ONE WAY.

Over the past few years we have had several nice "rides".   Several times we have chartered a bus for our members to attend the NYC Motorcycle show.  Over the  past few  years we have taken rides after our monthly breakfast supplemented by rides nearly every Wednesday (Retiree Rides !) all summer long. During the riding months we also meet for weekly ice cream runs.  Once a month we pick a restaurant and have a "Mid-Month" dinner ...attended winter and summer, riding or driving by 25-30 hungry Retreads.  Jokingly (but true), the unofficial motto is "Ride to Eat, and Eat to Ride".  We certainly do that !

If you check out our newsletter, you will see that we have a turnout of about 50 members for our monthly breakfasts.  We have held those breakfasts on the first Sunday of every month at 9:00 a.m. for the past eight years.  Why not come and join us?  We don't pressure anyone to join, however it seems that the majority of guests eventually can't resist the lure of good friends and good times and succumb to the lure of the Retreads.

Wes St.Onge,  "Webmaster"
(this comment revised 2/8/2004)

(Corrections and additions welcomed !!!!)