Black Sheep

Page 10 | www.BlackSheepHDFC.org WheelsOfGrace.com | Volume 10 Issue 6 | 1 WOGMag.com TM Volume 10 Issue 6 (Issue 46) $7.45 Value HELL FIGHTERS USA GRAND OPENING! BIKER HUMOR TRIBUTE TO ARLEN NESS 2019 H-D ELECTRA GLIDE STANDARD F.A.I.T.H. RIDERS HARLEY GIVE AWAY LADY RIDER & The Five Whys P R E P A R I N G F O R T H E R I D I N G S E A S O N Handlebar News Biker Jargon UCLA Study On Riding NEW FEATURE Shark Bites WHAT TO DO ON A CRASH SCENE By: Law Tigers FEEDBACK FROM THE SECULAR WORLD By: Last Disciples MC By: DK Custom This Old Dyna Dyna INDIAN Chieftain Dark Horse 116 c.i. SubScribe by calling: (951) 777-0503 or click THe link belOW: https://wheelsofgrace.com/product/more-than-a-subscription/ MAGAZINE Published & Printed in the USA ThaT's Who We are, ThaT's WhaT We Do Steve Merrill, Fresno BSHDFC "Black Sheep Is As Black Sheep Does" (apologies to Forrest Gump). We're always looking for ways to support our local H.O.G. chapters. That's right, plural! Fresno punches above its' weight class, having two Harley Shops: Mathews H-D (since 1953), and H-D of Fresno (since as long as I can remember). We're a busy bunch of Sheep! Our 6th Annual Downed Biker Breakfast brought riders together for friendships, a great breakfast at Applebee's, cool raffle prizes and an opportunity to contribute to our Downed Biker Fund! When a biker goes down, it is our prac ce to visit the hospital, pray for the injured and their family, present them with a BSHDFC Downed Biker Blanket and offer a li le financial assistance as well. Our financial resources include our chapter and friends, fundraisers such as this breakfast, and local businesses. On April 13th the Fresno Black Sheep were able to raise $2700. We are ready when God calls! Marty Edwards I'm a kidder! I love to mess with people! When I'm standing in a BSHDFC booth at a motorcycle rally I tease the people walking by in hopes of ge ng them to stop and talk. I'll say things like, "Hey Lady! There's a suspicious looking man following you!" to which she replies in a monotone voice, "He's been following me for forty years!" The next thing you know, they've stopped and we're cha ng it up. Teasing, however, can be dangerous. To tell you the truth, I'm surprised I've never been punched out! Not only can it be dangerous, teasing can be hur ul even if you didn't mean for it to be. From my point of view as your president, I believe that some teasing has been detrimental to our ministry. Here are some examples: We had an African American gentleman in BSHDFC who was always joking about being black. When some of the other guys began to tease him back, it didn't go well. When he le our ministry he claimed racial harassment. We tease people about being from Texas or New York or California or…wherever. I had a couple leave my church one me to move to Missouri. I referred to their new home as "Misery" and immediately knew that I had hurt their feelings. Evidently they had heard it more than once and I was just pouring salt into the wound. (BTW – since that day I have had mul ple opportuni es to visit our members in Missouri. What an incredible and beau ful state! Truly!) Harley-Davidson riders tease people who ride Sportsters, calling them "Half-a-Harley" or "a girl's bike." But maybe it was all they could afford? Maybe it's what they felt the most comfortable on." The message here is KNOCK IT OFF! I've seen the faces of some of those riders and watched them walk away from an event never to return. We need those young riders and many of them ride Sportsters. (BTW, old man! Some of those Sportsters will blow the bags off of your Streetglide! Lately, we have had an increasing number of Victory and Indian riders coming into BSHDFC. That's TERRIFIC, but I am seriously concerned the never-ending teasing is going to discourage some from coming back. KNOCK IT OFF! Even if you end each joke or tease with an "I'm just kidding!" the message has been sent…and sent…and sent! My church actually has motorcycle parking, which I see as a very kind and respec ul gesture towards BSHDFC and bikers in general. I park my Harley there and when I see a Yamaha or a Honda I am very quick to say something nice. They will o en say in their defense, "It's not a Harley!" to which I will always reply, "Do you like? Are you enjoying it?" and they say, "Yeah!" Then I say, "Well, it's a beau ful machine! Enjoy it!" And I always add, "You can come ride with us any me! (Trying to dispel the very common and usually earned comment, "Harley Snob!) There are some people we can tease or kid, but dear friends, be very careful! You don't know who you are discouraging or hur ng. BSHDFC needs more Victorys, more Indians, more young people riding Sporsters and Dynas. If you haven't no ced, we need more African Americans. In fact, the best person to a ract an African American is another African American. The best person to a ract a young rider on a Sportster is another young rider on a Sportster, so let's be encouragers! Let embrace and not push away. "…encourage one another, be of one mind, and live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you." (2 Cor 13:11) I'm Just KIddIng!

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