What do you think of this?

Read the whole letter, do you think this is the right way to handle this?
Many members spouces, girlfriends or boyfriends who ride a none Harley are told they are no longer welcome on chapter events.
The new lady HOG director I heard went to the owner to get this put through

This is a letter that the dealer owner put out to all members and is stirring up a lot of problems.

Rose City H.O.G. Chapter #4105

Message from George Latus, Rose City HOG Sponsoring Dealer

Periodically Rose City HOG issues and questions come up that are not clearly covered in our National HOG Charter. In many of these situations these decisions are left up to the sponsoring dealer. There currently seems to be some confusion regarding the qualifications for Associate membership in HOG and also what brands of motorcycles can participate in Rose City HOG rides and events.

Let's talk first about HOG Associate membership. According to HOG National Bylaws, Associate membership is limited to spouses and immediate family members. I've expanded this to also include what I would call "significant others" i.e. boyfriend/girlfriend. That being said, Associate membership in Rose City HOG is limited to spouses, significant others and immediate family. Associate members must be sponsored by full members. Friends, riding buddies, etc. do not qualify for Associate membership unless they meet the above criteria.

The second issue is whether Rose City HOG allows other brands of motorcycles to participate in chapter rides and events. This is a question left largely up to the sponsoring dealer. Here is my view.

HOG is an abbreviation for Harley OWNERS Group. Latus Motors Harley-Davidson sponsors and supports the Chapter as a benefit for Harley-Davidson OWNERS. National HOG was formed as a benefit to Harley-Davidson OWNERS not owners of other, competing brands. Allowing riders of other brands open access to the same benefits and fun enjoyed by Harley-Davidson owners diminishes the value of membership to those who made the decision to purchase a Harley-Davidson. We want some degree of exclusivity to membership in Rose City HOG; you must be a Harley-Davidson owner to be a member. Even though we were a Buell dealer in the past and are now a Triumph dealer, we don't allow those brands participation in Rose City HOG events. I don't think this is much different than membership in the Porsche Club of America or the Corvette Owners Club. Both of these organizations are brand specific. I don't think they would allow full membership and participation in their events for a person who owned perhaps a Mustang!

I would like to see 85% of Rose City HOG events as "closed" events. This would mean the events are open only to Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Those who are Associate members would be welcome, but only as a passenger on a Harley-Davidson. 15% of our events would then be "open" events. We would welcome other brands of motorcycles and invited guests to these events. It would be my hope once these people saw the fun and comradeship available thru membership, they would decide to buy a Harley-Davidson so they could fully enjoy the entire Harley-Davidson ownership experience.

This is a difficult decision. Some people will agree with this explanation and policy. Others will not. Both National and Rose City HOG exist primarily as a benefit to Harley-Davidson OWNERS. We need to stay true to that end.


George Latus

Team Latus Motors Harley-Davidson

Rose City HOG Sponsoring Dealer

The problem lies with a guy like anyone of us that owens a Harley and the wife rides a Honda, maybe due to cost or another reason. The wife would now not be allowed to ride with her husband on a local chapter ride. That's where I feel it's wrong. This was never a problem before until this new women chapter director took over and then went to the dealer owner about it.
When she first came to the chapter she was riding a Goldwing trike and allowed to participate on chapter rides.
I agree on not allowing just anyone riding with the chapter that does not own a Harley but I still feel that shutting off a members spouse is going to far. Many of those people who did start riding with the chapter that did not ride a Harley including the new chapter director eventually bought a Harley.

Well you and the dealer owner would get along well then. When my wife (associate member then) started to ride we triked my old Valkyrie Interstate for her and she was welcomed on the chapter rides. She eventually sold that bike and bought a Harley but had she been told she was not welcome, she would have never bought a Harley and doubt either one of us would have stayed. :rant:

Please go back and re-read the post. Had she been told when she started riding the Valkyrie that she was not welcomed she would have not bought a Harley.

I think you missed my point but that's OK

Like any change there are folks who will embrace it
and those that will have issue, I don't see the problem
with a HD dealers HD chapter having a requirement
that an HD bike be ridden on HD runs....

OTH you'd think that if you get some metric
riders in the ride that see a bunch of HD riders
having fun riding HD bikes might help encourage
them to buy a bike from the dealer.

I'd take my opposition against the policy
to the owner vis a vis that avenue vs the why are
you excluding charlies wife on her valkawing Trike
I'm gonna stop riding with you confrontation.

dealer has a point, you don't see mustangs on a corvette
clubs rally but I doubt they would raise a stink if you brought
Eleanor to a club meet because your vette was in the shop...

I'm referring to a chapter members spouse only. I to don't want a bunch of suzchy sport bikes on a Harley chapter run. Simply talking about those guys wife's or the husband who rides a different brand. I think it's wrong to discriminate against a members spouse. Do you really think that spouse will now purchase a Harley. Had they done that to my wife when she was riding her Valkyrie she would not have bought a Harley and I would not blame her.
There are a few wives and one husband who do ride another brand for one reason or another, mostly that they can't afford a second Harley yet. Bet they don't buy one now.

Again no problem it's a HOG group HARLEY owners group
aka Harley, managed and partially funded by the Harley Dealer
I see no problem with the rules....

Leave wife at home, take girlfriend, put her on back of bike.

Problem solved!

Well I don't think it shows good sense or a good policy to change it midstream when for over 20 years it has been that way ( spouses could ride another brand). Not talking about girl friends, significant other or what ever you want to call them. The only reason it changed in this chapter was because the new director wants to single out a certain few. That was what I was told by some in the chapter.
The old director would have never let it go this far and instead of going to the owner he would have stopped it right were it started.

Here is what another member found out. " Like it says here right from the HOG site, cut and past with out edit," INTENDED FOR PASSENGER OR FAMILY MEMBER ". it does not exclude a family member from riding a non-HD bike but must be sponsored by an active full Member."

So I guess I was correct

Well then vote the director out...