ABATE of Wisconsin's Dave "Chubby" Charlebois gives an overview of the organization's officer training event that takes place annually.
Dave Charlebois: We’re at the hotel meet in Wisconsin Rapids at ABATE of Wisconsin’s officer training. Every year we hold an officer training, bringing together officers from our 39 regions of the state. Our state officers take time to train them in each aspect of ABATE of Wisconsin. So we have breakouts so everyone has the ability to step up and do what they can to run a region, to be part of ABATE of Wisconsin and to affect the future of motorcycling.
For dinner we’re going to have about 155 state officers in the room. They have dedicated a weekend of their time, aside from dedicating at least one day a month to regional meetings. They’ve dedicated this entire weekend. At this function too, this is something that ABATE, we raise money and funds to support our representatives. So, we accept donations to offset the cost. Hupy and Abraham has graciously donated a dinner for about as many years as I can remember. I appreciate it. It’s one of the largest expenses we do every year but this how we can do things effectively lobbying for motorcyclist’s rights in the state of Wisconsin.
This is definitely a special year. Every anniversary for us is a special year. I don’t know how many people expected ABATE of Wisconsin to last 45 years but from the original repeal of the helmet law and moving on from there, we have dozens upon dozens of bills that we have helped offer and work through the system to become law. We are very proud of the efforts we make. We also are taking a long time this weekend to explain our programs on safe riding, motorcycle awareness, motorcycle education, to show us how we can further our education as motorcyclists and just a lot of other little things that make us run more efficiently as an organization.