Range Riders club just wants to have fun
FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS
BY SUZANNE LOUDAMY Staff writer

Members of the Range Rider Motorcycle Club gather for a ride.

No matter the age, most people just want to have a little fun in life. That was the goal in mind of the charter members of the Ranger Riders Motorcycle Club.

"There were several of us who had motorcycles and enjoyed taking trips together," President Rick "Hoss" Waller said. "We had gone to some of the rallies and saw everyone in their colors. We thought we should look into forming our own club."

And with that thought and a bit of action the Range Riders Motorcycle Club was chartered Nov. 4, 2004 in Whitehouse.

The club's goals include promoting, maintaining and enjoying the sport of safe motorcycling as well as promoting the brotherhood of motorcyclists and to further the awareness and good will of the general public's view of motorcycles.

Now don't let that "brotherhood" part fool you. This is not an "all men" outfit. Among their 80 plus membership are quite a few women.

Bonnie Trotter said she was looking for a new way to meet new people.

"Two and half years ago I took the course, bought the bike (a Harley) and didn't want to ride alone," Trotter said. "So I joined the Range Riders."

The Range Riders have an annual Joy Ride in December, furnishing gifts and food to needy families.

She wanted friends, she got friends. "I really like it. Everybody's real laid back, they're fun and the club is really organized."

Charter members Eddie and Donna Siler are long time bike riders. "We've been riding motorcycles together since we got married in August of 1977," Mr. Siler said. "They're just all a great bunch of people and we enjoy spending time with them."

This is an official club charted by the Texas Motorcycle Road Riders Association. They have a constitution and bylaws they abide by. A member must be 21 years old. They don't have to ride any certain type of motorcycle, the bike just has to be 350CC or larger. The bike must be registered, licensed, inspected and must be mechanically safe and road worthy. Members must have valid drivers license and meet all state safety requirements.

The club's officers include President Rick Waller, Vice President Billy Moss, Sergeant-At- Arms Darryl McCartney and Secretary/ Treasurer Jennie Wesley. Road Captains are Jeff Tomlin, Nick Moss, Ronny Fite, Ray Collins and Chet Johnson. Other officers include TMRA representative Jim Powell, Historian Cathy Brown and Chaplin Johnny Brown.

"We think of ourselves as a 'Mom and Pop club,' having members from many different vocations," Waller said. "We are mostly folks with families and community obligations."

The club meets the first Thursday of each month at the Whitehouse Volunteer Fire Department. "We've about outgrown the fire station and we're working on another club meeting place," Waller said. "We've grown from the original 25 members to over 80 members with almost no real membership recruitment. People just hear about us, see what we're all about and come to us asking to join up."

The Range Riders do have a good time wherever they go, whatever they do even when it's helping out someone in the community. Their annual events include a Joy Ride in December which furnishes gifts and food to families in need in and around Whitehouse.

Plans are under way for a car, truck and bike show to be held during the YesterYear celebration on June 23 at Whitehouse City Park. The profits from this event will go to the Shattered Dreams program at Whitehouse High School.

In October the club will host a Fun Fest. This is a club rally open to the public. It is a day filled with games, fellowship, good food, loud music and the night ends with a big dance.

"It's just good old grown-up fun," Waller said.

Among the many trips planned for the year, several members will take off on a major ride through Colorado and South Dakota in June and a shorter trip to Arkansas during the summer as well.

Under the colors are doctors, lawyers, police officers, firemen, teachers and secretaries. The professions may differ but the heart beats the same and it's all about the ride. It's all about the ride.