Former Ohio District Couples

GWRRA started the Chapter Couple Program in 1988. Listed below are the couples who participated in the District Couple Competition and were selected Ohio District Couples for the years listed. If chapters or chapter members have any pictures of the couples listed without an accompanying picture and you would like to share it with us, please contact me at ghorgan@fuse.net

From Jim & Shirrin,

What an honor this was! The first Couple of the Year for the Great State of Ohio. During our final competition at the State meeting, we were so nervous, our vest pins were making their own music as we attempted to present our resume to the crowd of Officers in the room. Our vests were jingling so loudly, we remember the State Director reaching over and tugged on Shirrin's vest to stop the noise. But we finally got through it and we were chosen that day to represent Ohio as Couple of the Year.

What a great time we had, traveling with the State Staff and traveling to chapter meetings and events. We will never forget 1988, as it was the year that we met so many great people in GWRRA and we really believe the COY program gave us the confidence to pursue the many titles we have held since then.

We would like to encourage all chapters to select a Couple of the Year and with proper guidance and direction, watch them grow within GWRRA.

Jan and I had the honor and privilege of being the 1992 Ohio District Couple of the Year. The friends we made and the memories we shared were unbelievable. All we had to do was tell others what GWRRA meant to us. GWRRA has and always will mean Friends, Family, and for Fun to us. So we encourage anyone who is thinking of trying out for COY to "Just Do It". You have nothing to loose and everything to gain. We wish you the best of luck.

We are Dave & Karen Taylor. On X2’s Chapter Birthday Bash in September 1996, we signed up with the chapter and at the same time with GWRRA. In 1998, we were asked to fill the positions of Rider Education and Sunshine for the chapter. In 1999, we had the honor of being asked to become their Couple of the Year. At Cabin Fever, we became the 1999 District Couple of the Year. In July of 1999, while we were the District Couple, Tom Taggart asked us to join his staff as MED/Couple Coordinators. In July of 2000, Dave became District Ride Educator and I became the District C.O.Y. Coordinator for the Couple of the Year program. We believe in the Couple of the Year Program and the honor that it is for a couple. The Couple’s life becomes richer and fuller as they live the motto for GWRRA - Friends for Fun, Safety and Knowledge. If they go on to be in the Couples’ Program for the District, they find doing that will give them skills and a belief in each other they probably did not know they had before. That’s why you see Chapter C.O.Y.'s in leadership positions. We are thankful for the experience & hope more couples get to be their Chapter Couple of the Year.

Wow what a great honor to be selected as the Ohio District Couple Of the Year in 2000. We had a super time. This position enables you to significantly expand your sphere of friends within GWRRA. The fun starts when you participate in the District COY selection process. There you get to meet the other COY's and you develop a special bond because all of you are experiencing the same thrills associated with the competition. Once selected you have the opportunity to become close friends with all the District Staff. It was a real privilege to see how hard your District Staff works for the more than 5,000 members in Ohio and to provide them some assistance. Throughout the year you get to visit many of the chapters in the state and everyone welcomes you with open arms. The more you get involve the more friends you find and the more fun you have. We recommend all chapter couples seriously consider participating in the District COY selection process.

Jim and I were surprised and honored to be announced the 2001 District Couple. During our year we tried to represent G.W.R.R.A. and to promote the couples program. We were able to visit 26 chapters and attend 4 rallies. We also attended officer meetings, went on Teddy Bear rides and attended Safety Sundays. We participated at Skills Day and chapter events around the state. We had fun and met a lot of new friends in Ohio and other states. Everywhere we went, everyone made us feel welcome. Would we do it again? YES !!!

What a privilege to be selected as the 2004-2005 Region D Couple. We are so excited and are looking forward to a busy and fun filled year.

But we didn’t start out being excited or even enthusiastic, it was more like being apprehensive about being our Chapter’s couple back in 2003. Why us! Somehow the Chapter convinced us it was an honor. They said they chose us because of all that we had done for the Chapter and our commitment to GWRRA. They wanted to show us their appreciation. All we had to do was continue what we were doing and be ourselves, which we did.

Next came Buckeye Time-out and the Chapter asked us if we were going to participate in the selection process for District Couple. We went to Buckeye Time-out and decided we would give it a try. And guess what, the whole Chapter became involved. They were determined we were going to be the best we could be. They encouraged us and made us say our speech to them over or over until they knew our speech as well as we did. We would watch them and they were saying the speech to themselves as we were presenting it to them. This tickled us because it was bringing new life back into our Chapter.

On we went to Cabin Fever. Our Chapter had given us a lot of support so we were a little nervous that we would let them down. When we were on stage giving our presentation we could see our Chapter in the front row and they were all smiles. Just knowing they were there for us made us relax and that’s when I think the fun started. After being named the new District Couple we just wanted Ohio to be proud of us. We started going to as many GW events as we could fit into our schedule. And we were having FUN and meeting a lot of great people. And our Chapter started getting more involved and they were having fun also. This was going to be one of the best years of our lives.

But it gets even better. Next we are off to the Region D rally. Our Chapter went as a group to Marshal, MI. and we are all excited and full of enthusiasm. This is great, we are all having fun, and that’s what this is about. Being with friends and having fun. Win or lose, we just wanted to do our best and make Ohio proud of us. When they introduced the couples and they announced our name, WOW what a loud cheer came from the crowd. We knew that we had a lot of support from Ohio and we didn’t want to let you down. On stage giving our presentation we looked out into the crowd and we saw our chapter, the state staff and all of Ohio with big smiles on their faces. This meant so much to us. Thank you!!!!!

Now, here we are the 2004-2005 Region D Couple of the Year! We are so happy that our Chapter chose to honor us as their Chapter couple. We’ve enjoyed every minute of being a COY couple and will always have fond memories of this time in our lives. We are very excited to be working with Tom and Sandy and the new Region staff, but more importantly we are looking forward to Wing Ding 2005 and representing Ohio and Region D. We will make you proud of us!!

In February of 2005 when our chapter named us their Couple of the Year, we said, “No way will we compete on the district level.” Boy were we wrong. We had so much fun with it at a chapter level we decided to try it. In November at the Officers meeting we had to get up and do our presentation. Talk about being nervous, there was so many people and soooooo many eyes watching. If you had tried to take a picture, it would have been blurred we were shaking so bad. We didn’t even last five minutes. Forgot over half of our presentation. But we got through it. We were invited to compete at Cabin Fever along with three other couples. No wait, not three other couples but six new very special friends. Friends who came with the same fears, the same dreams as we did. They will always be very dear to us.

Talk about being shocked, we sure were when we were named the 2006 District Couple. What really made it sink in was when we were at closing ceremonies when we were introduced again to everyone. A small rumble came from one side of the room as our chapter, what few were there, came to their feet cheering. All of a sudden from the other side of the room came a huge roar of cheers. These were from chapters that had previously been cheering on there own couples. It brought tears of joy to both of us as we saw everyone standing. Now we really have our work cut out for us. We now represent all of you and this fine district. And we look forward to seeing as many of you this year as possible.