The Mosquito Beemers motorcycle club was founded by Bob Woofter, of Cortland, Oh in the spring of 2003. Here’s the story of how that happened in Woofter’s own words:
“For many years I had envisioned a motorcycle club based in Cortland that would serve the needs of those who either owned imported machines or those who rode domestic manufactured bikes but did not care to be associated with the loud pipes and the black leather group. I looked around and saw hundreds if not thousands of bike owners just in this immediate area who might enjoy belonging to a club made up of like minded folks. A few years earlier I had myself belonged to the “loud pipes” club but dropped out and sold that bike because I didn’t like being automatically lumped by the public into the same cultural and intellectual group that so many them typify. It didn’t do any good for me to know that I wasn’t like the rest of them, the public assumed I was! The other important impetus for starting a club was that the local riders’ club associated with my replacement, newfound brand of motorcycle was unorganized, had no agenda and was essentially inactive. Rats! I wanted to belong to a club made up of great people and who did things together other than just sitting around eating and talking. After realizing that the only way this was going to happen was to start a club myself, I polled a few fellow riders to gauge their opinions and was astounded to discover they all agreed!
“Ok, I thought, now what? Well, it really wasn’t all that difficult. I realized that being associated with a national organization has several advantages for a local club: a magazine, established infrastructure, national activities, and valuable resources being just a few. The BMW Motorcycle Owners Of America (BMWMOA or just MOA for short) of which I already belonged fit just the bill. And, importantly, they allowed owners of other brands of bikes to belong too. Additionally the MOA had just instituted a new service where they would address mass mailings for a club to all MOA members throughout an area. Subsequently, approximately 200 letters which I prepared were sent out to MOA members in several surrounding counties. I also placed news releases detailing the new club in area newspapers.
I built it but would anybody come?
“D” Day was March 30, 2003 at Baconsburg Restaurant in Cortland, meeting time 8AM. After waiting nervously, a total of thirteen riders attended with most signing up.
“Now, some seven months later, the club has had monthly meetings, a camp out, group camps at several rallies, many local rides, a Christmas dinner, and can boast a logo, a full color newsletter, a web site in the making, and….50 members!”
While most of the riders own BMW’s all of the major brands are represented with members residing as far north as Canada, as far south as Kentucky, westward to Akron and east as far as Mercer, Pa. Clearly, Bob Woofter’s and the Mosquito Beemer’s goal of serving all area riders has become a stunning reality and the future of the club is bright.
Copyright © 2003 Mosquito Beemers