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5 Sep Bandera Days Parade Pictures by Skip Surre, Linda Brackeen and Ken & Connie Jordan. Write up by Jill Severe./ Chapter U attended its first Labor Day parade in Bandera in September 2009 on the suggestion of Duke and Chela Thompson. Boy was it fun! I don't think most of us had ever seen a parade started off by a bunch of Longhorns being herded down Bandera's Main Street by some real live cowboys! This is, after, the Cowboy Capitol of America. I guess we should have guessed that one! One year later, after attending the Bandera Memorial Day 2009 parade, the Chapter decided to participate in the Bandera parade with several thoughts in mind. The first thought perhaps was to show off our 2009 Couple of the Year, Bandera residents, Duke and Chela Thompson. Duke and Chela have contributed a lot to our chapter in the last two years, and they have driven a lot of miles between Bandera and San Antonio to participate in and support Chapter activities! They have also hosted our Chapter several times at their cute yellow and white ranch house, "Tierra Fina!" I guess Chapter U just wanted Bandera to know how much we think of some of its residents!
On the way to the staging area. Just arrived.
Nice line up of the bikes and trikes!
Side view, Charlie led the way there. Olin's armadillo mascot! So the plan was this: Duke and Chela would ride in their Mustang chauffeured by their son, accompanied by two grandchildren and Co-Rider Candy Brown. Signs were made up to put on both sides of their red Mustang announcing them as the GWRRA Texas Chapter U Couple of the Year. Duke and Chela wore all their "Couple of the Year" finery and sat up on top of the back seat...looking just like prom king and queen, leading the chapter down the parade route!
Court displayed the large colors. Jack chatting with Candy!
We had an hour and a half of down time!!!
Saddle up! Duke & Chela rode in the front. Then Court van Sickler led the Chapter's Gold Wings as he had an American flag posted on the back of his bike as he sometimes rides with the Patriot Guard. His bike was the perfect lead in for Texas Chapter U from San Antonio which bills itself as Military City, U.S.A. Court was followed by a sea of signature Chapter U red as almost everyone work red shirts, and a sea of many colored bikes and trikes with all the Riders and Co-Riders wearing helmets. In a state like Texas without a mandatory helmet law, it is unusual to see that many people wearing helmets with one organization unless you are with a GWRRA chapter! You see, Chapter U also had another important reason for participating in Bandera's well-attended parade: the opportunity to show everyone that Texas Chapter U rides safely, and that GWRRA has a Rider/Co-Rider education program we take seriously. While safety gear may seem to be overkill when riding down a parade route, not only were there some pungent, slick obstacles in the road, but we wanted people to know that safety needs to happen at all times while having fun on motorcycles. This meant that all chapter members wore helmets and jeans, with long sleeves, gloves and over the ankle boots on many participants despite the hot and humid day!
All formed up and on our way to the parade!
Here we come!!! The streets were packed with folks! Everyone loved the bikes! Especially since they were quiet! We had a lot of fun waving at people, young and old, swerving around horse-related obstacles in the road (yes, we made up a new arm and hand signal for horse poop in the road!), and just allowing Bandera to enjoy the beauty and quiet of our Gold Wings. All too soon we were off the parade route, and winding our way back to the starting point and then on to Duke and Chela's for lunch!
Longhorn cattle drive down Main Street! Tame enough to ride?
All sorts of unusual things were in the parade! Everything was quickly set up. Duke and Chela are always organized and ready to feed a crowd. It didn't take long to whip up a bunch of sandwiches, make iced tea, cover the tables and put out the chairs. Before long everyone had full plates and cups, and were chilling out in the shade and just enjoying being together (and not having a hand on the clutch!). Eventually people took their leave, "winging" back to San Antonio or its environs. Another great riding day in Bandera. Another "first" for Texas Chapter U: being in a parade. Hope that perhaps some more people may realize that some motorcyclists do make riding safe a priority. Perhaps even a young child or two may think to grow up one day and decide to take up the sport of motorcycling...or for that thought...even a granny or two!
After the parade we headed to Duke & Chela's for Lunch! Ladies helping out! Lots of food to prepare! Great outside deck to entertain on! The guys look beat! Relaxing after lunch.
Bike & trikes at Duke & Chela's! Thanks to everyone who decided to come out to support Chapter U's participation in the Bandera Labor Day 2009 Parade. We had 11 bikes, 3 trikes...and one Mustang car! Fourteen Riders, 6 Co-Riders, and one Couple of the Year! Congratulations everyone!
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