ABATE of Indiana - Board Meeting Minutes

Jay Jackson opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance at 1:05pm. Those in attendance were: Region 01 – Russell Zawacki & Katrina Martin; Region 03 – Scott Bowman; Region 08 – Mike Jeffers; Region 09 – Carlis McKinney; Region 10 – Suzanne Eckert & Becky & Jasmine Rogers; Region 11 – Pat Haggard; Region 12 – Brian Russell; Region 13 – Christian & Heidi Harper; AdComm – Bob Stoner, Rick Thompson & Justin Kennedy; LINC – Aaron Meyer; DIRT – Roy Garrett; State Administrator – Kelly Jackson. Region 07 was excused due to an event; Regions 00, 02, 04, 05, & 06 were not present.

ITEM 1: Jay reviewed the January/February director’s packet.

MOTION 1

ITEM 2: Jay then announced the roof replacement completion at Freedom Hall. Scott Bowman replied that he looked at it. Pat Haggard inquired about the status of the fire suppression system. Jay replied there’s been no progress on the project, but another compressor has been replaced.

ITEM 3: Roy Garrett reviewed Dirt Bike School (DBS) and the Adventure Ride at LCRP. Scott Bowman added that he participated. He feels that the event was undervalued given it’s a two day event with a ride and meal. Aaron Meyer asked if Rayce has reached out to other dual sport riding groups. Jay agreed that it should be beneficial, and will follow up with Rayce.

Rick Thompson stated that there’s a job list at the LCRP office if anyone can assist. The park is open Thursday-Sunday.

ITEM 4: Jay reminded the group that May is Motorcycle Safety & Awareness Month (MSAM). The BMV has conducted an Advisory Board meeting. We conducted an Instructor Prep (IP) this spring and have added four new instructors. Rider Ed registration is a little slow this year as compared to previous years. Kelly Jackson expounded that she hasn’t received any complaints about the price increase. Registrations have increased recently, and posting on social media has helped. She asked the directors to share our events and information whenever they can. Pat Haggard asked about Rider Skill Test (RST) examiner training. Jay stated that we continue to request that from the BMV.

Jay relayed that the Motorcyclist Advisory Committee (MAC) has not met, and he is awaiting the first meeting. He has accepted the chairmanship of a newly formed group, the International Motorcycle Safety Alliance. It is a group of non-MSF providers conducting rider education. The group discussed higher than average motorcycle fatalities in Indiana in the past few months. Aaron Meyer referenced the National Institute for Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NIHTSA) crash statistics for 2023. Jay advised that ABATE may conduct an MSAM virtual press conference. Pat Haggard announced Region 11’s Motorcycle Safety & Awareness Ride.

ITEM 5: Aaron Meyer summarized Indiana General Assembly’s legislative actions this session. Autonomous semis are now driving on Indiana roads. He stressed the importance of 10,000 active ABATE of Indiana members. We have state legislators requesting audience with us, but Aaron questions whether we have the members to support those meetings. Jay supported and agreed with Aaron’s statements. He reminded everyone that the next General Assembly session is a short one. Jay has been approached on several subjects including anti-profiling legislation, lane filtering and definition of a motorcycle.

Aaron then discussed the Biker Approved Gas (BAG) program.

ITEM 6: Jay announced dates for the MRF’s Bikers Inside the Beltway (BITB) and Meeting of the Minds (MOTM). He asked that those interested in attending let him know.

ITEM 7: The May issue of Hoosier Motorcyclist (HMC) contains a full page Boogie ad including the entertainment schedule. Bob Stoner relayed that we’ll have some new games that coordinate with our theme. RV reservations continued to be strong this year. Kelly requested crew information for the Sign Up Genius.

ITEM 8: Bob Stoner recapped the AdComm meeting conducted earlier today. First on the agenda was reducing the HMC editions to quarterly from monthly. Discussion followed. AdComm also discussed the fire suppression system at Freedom Hall, and road maintenance at LCRP. We have two ABC applications pending. Bob will contact Glenn ‘Junior’ Susnis for more information on the organization in his area; Suzanne Eckert will contact the applicant in her region for more details. Pat Haggard leads in our Region Director Bingo. Brian Russell asked about the delays on replacing the fire suppression system at Freedom Hall. Jay and Justin Kennedy explained the project and our inability to secure an electrician to begin the process. Bob Stoner reminded the directors to review their election procedures on file with the state office.

ITEM 9: Jay divulged that Marc Falsetti is working on new membership promotion materials that will target specific demographics.

ITEM 10: Discussion ensued regarding our Bargersville and LCRP properties. Some of the trailers we use for Boogie and other events at LCRP will need replaced in the next couple of years.

ITEM 11: Jay referenced an article regarding poor service from an Indianapolis postal service hub. It affects our organization and its members when mail isn’t delivered and/or is delayed. Jay then reminded the directors that we are currently mailing membership cards once per month, but processing memberships daily. Jay then announced that we now have an email address for our Tiny Tots program. We need to confirm with the State Fair if we will have our Tiny Tots at the fair this year. KMA/KBA in Kentucky is also waiting for an answer.

Christian Harper had a member question the frequency of financials in the monthly HMC. Jay replied that we approve two month’s financials at each BOD meeting, and the HMC is a month behind. Specific questions should be referred to the state office.

ITEM 12: Aaron Meyer explained the “Can’t Spam Act”. He suggested solutions for our email blasts. He then explained the complexities and expense in updating our current website. Aaron asked the directors to consider an increase in our membership dues. Jay will have more information for decreasing the HMC issue frequency for our June BOD meeting.

Meeting adjourned to, 4:07pm.

MOTION 2

Respectfully submitted,

Tina McCormack

Secretary/Treasurer

The next scheduled BOD meeting is Saturday, June 7 at LCRP.

Motion 1: Carlis McKinney made the motion to approve November/December financials, with a second by Russ Zawacki. All regions present voted in favor; motion carried.

Motion 2: Suzanne Eckert motioned to adjourn the meeting, Russ Zawacki seconded. All regions present voted yes; motion carried.

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