ABATE of Florida, Inc. - Forest Chapter

06/19/2026

06/19/2026

ABATE OF FLORIDA, INC. Forest General Meeting Minutes June 6th, 2026
@ Charlie Horse Meeting Start Time: 9:31 am
President: Greg - State and Chapter Elections. Spoke about a used charcoal grill that is for sale for $300. Lynn made a motion to purchase the grill for ABATE use. Lorrie second. Discussion of usage. Motion carried. Ragou said that he would donate a trailer that would need modified for the grill to be mounted on. Mark made a motion to accept the donation of the trailer. Lorrie second. Motion carried.
Vice President: Lee - NTR
Secretary: Lorrie - Lee made a motion to accept the May minutes. Bridgette second. Motion carried.
Treasurer: Lynn - Balance reported. Ragou made a motion to accept the treasurer's report. Lee second. Motion carried.
Sergeant - At -Arms: Mark - Be safe. 50/50 tickets.
Membership: Bridgette - 153 current members. 3 expired. 0 renewals. 0 new. We need to get out into the community.
Website/Newsletter: Lorrie - Passed out the Newsletters. Decided on who was taking some to each of our advertisers. Bridgette made a motion to spend an additional $100 for printing more newsletters for the next 3 months; July, August and September; to drop off at non advertisers where motorcyclists go. Lynn second it. Discussion. Motion carried.
PR/ Communications: Kim - Vanguard HS has a summer school. Will get dates for the MSAP presentation. Kyle from ECO Outfitters is donating a cooler. He is asking for color choices. We went with red, white and blue with the ABATE eagle as our first choice and orange as our second choice.
Legislative Report: Bridgette - A lot has been happening locally. MarionCountyFL.org. Marion County Calendar. Marionfl.legistar.com. Meeting information. District 2 and District 4 of the Commissioner seats are open. Primaries are on August 18th. Florida is a closed primary state. You must have your voter registration changed to vote for someone outside your party at the Supervisor of Elections. The general election is in November. Will invite all of the confirmed candidates to our August meeting. Will have 4 minutes to speak on our topic.
Products: Lee - Need to order X-Large t-shirts. Will get quotes for screen printed ones.
Safety: Vacant - Drive like you are invisible. Had discussion about Kim being listed as the Safety trustee since she was already doing the work of Safety.
Delegate's Report: Remember to take our vote of the chapters being allowed to sell patches and t-shirts at State meetings.
Old Business - Cooler, Corn Roast, September 27, noon to 5pm, at Snowbirds. Baskets.Need a flyer. Bridgette will contact Russ about making the flyer.
The Forest Chapter Supervisor of Elections is Edie.
1st Round of Nominations. President: Greg Smale accepted, currently unopposed. Vice President: Lee Geesey accepted, currently unopposed. Secretary: Lorrie Geesey accepted, currently unopposed. Treasurer: Lynn Matley-Tobin accepted, currently unopposed. Sergeant-At-Arms: Mark Posey accepted, currently unopposed. Membership: Juan Torres rescinded. Legislative: Currently open. Safety: Jason Thomas accepted, currently unopposed. PR/Com: Kim Plawecki-Brown accepted, currently unopposed. Products: Lee Geesey accepted, currently unopposed.
2nd Round of Nominations. President: Greg Smale accepted, currently unopposed. Vice President: Lee Geesey accepted, currently unopposed. Secretary: Lorrie Geesey accepted, currently unopposed. Treasurer: Lynn Matley-Tobin accepted, currently unopposed. Sergeant-At-Arms: Mark Posey accepted, currently unopposed. Membership: currently open. Legislative: Bridgette Pace rescinded. John Melin rescinded. Safety: Currently open. PR/Com: Kim Plawecki-Brown accepted, currently unopposed. Products: Lee Geesey accepted, currently unopposed.
New Business: Getting a cooler. Changed the BOD meeting day, time and location. Third Thursday of the month. At 6PM. The Remedy Dog Bar on E. Silver Springs BLVD.
Good of The Order - UMF is having a Savanna Banana Dice Run. July 20th. Starts at the VFW #4493. District 22, Marion County VFW Rider has a drawing for a 9mm Beretta. Tickets are $10 a piece or $25 for 3. Bike night at Charlie Horse. 6PM. Tonight. Contact people to be able to set up booths at the various bike nights and other organizations events. June 28th at Fox Crossing, there is a benefit for Stan Brown. Discussion about ways to get members to the meetings. Lorrie made a motion to run a quarterly drawing, start pot at $100, must be present at the meeting to purchase tickets, must be present to win, tickets will be $5 a piece with no limit on how many, winner will receive 75% and chapter will receive 25%. Ragou second it. Motion carries.
Elections - STATE President: Steve, Vice President: Big Bone, Secretary: Lynn, Treasurer: Brandi, SAA: Frenchie, PR: Rick, Products: Velcro, Masterlink:Tara, MSAP: Lana, Legislative: Darin, Membership: Tara. CHAPTER President: Greg, Vice President: Lee, Secretary: Lorrie, Treasurer: Lynn, SAA: Mark, Legislative: Bridgette, PR\Com: Kim, Products: Lee, Membership: Bridgette, Newsletter: Lorrie, Safety: Kim
Next BOD meeting - The Remedy Dog Bar June 18th 6pm, July 16th 6pm.
Next General Meeting - Charlie Horse Aug 1 930am
A motion was made to adjourn @ 11:47am by Lorrie, second by Lee. Motion carried.
Summarized and Submitted by Secretary Lorrie Geesey on 12 of June, 2026. If there are any additions, deletions or revisions, please contact me as soon as possible.

06/16/2026

This is the official ABATE OF FLORIDA INC. flyer for the chapter officers and trustees training seminars. Every chapter officers and trustees should attend with the up to date for those positions.

06/15/2026

Hey Everyone,

Today we're kicking off something new.

Every Monday, I'll be sharing a short piece of motorcycle history called History Minute Monday. Some stories will be about famous rides, legendary motorcycles, and the people who shaped our culture. Others will explore the history of rider rights, ABATE, and the events that helped make motorcycling what it is today.

The goal isn't to give a history lesson.

It's to tell the stories that every rider should know.

Because understanding where we've been helps us appreciate what we have and reminds us why some things are worth protecting.

For our first edition, we're going back to the beginning and taking a look at how ABATE was born.

I hope you enjoy the ride.

*******************************************************************************************************************************

The Birth of ABATE
Every motorcycle has a beginning.

A first ride.

A first road.

A first turn of the key.

ABATE had one too.

Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, motorcycles were becoming more popular across America. Veterans returning from military service had discovered a love for riding. New riders were hitting the road every year. The motorcycle community was growing fast.

At the same time, lawmakers and government agencies were paying more attention to motorcycles than ever before.

Unfortunately, many of the people making decisions about motorcyclists had never spent much time around them.

Riders began to notice something troubling. Laws affecting motorcyclists were often being discussed without motorcyclists being part of the conversation.

One issue rose above all the others: mandatory helmet laws.

The debate quickly became bigger than helmets.

It became about freedom.

It became about choice.

And it became about whether riders would have a voice when decisions affecting their lives were being made.

Across the country, motorcyclists started gathering in small groups. They met in clubhouses, garages, diners, and local meeting halls. They shared concerns, traded ideas, and slowly realized something important.

A lone rider could be ignored.

Thousands of riders could not.

Those early gatherings eventually grew into organizations known as ABATE.

Depending on where you lived, the letters stood for different things over the years. But the mission remained remarkably consistent:

Protect the rights of motorcyclists.

Promote rider education.

Encourage motorcycle awareness.

Give riders a seat at the table.

The people who built ABATE weren't professional politicians.

They were working men and women.

Truck drivers.

Mechanics.

Veterans.

Teachers.

Small business owners.

People who punched a clock all week and then volunteered their evenings because they believed freedom was worth protecting.

The truth is, most of the victories they achieved never made the evening news.

A bad bill stopped before it became law.

A legislator educated before casting a vote.

A misunderstanding corrected.

A relationship built.

Those small victories added up.

They still do.

Today, every ABATE chapter meeting, every legislative visit, every conversation with an elected official traces its roots back to those early riders who decided they would no longer let others speak for them.

They understood something that remains true today.

If riders want a voice, riders must provide it.

And more than fifty years later, ABATE is still doing exactly that.

History Minute
ABATE organizations began appearing across America during the early 1970s as riders organized to protect their freedoms and ensure motorcyclists had a voice in government.

Closing Thought
The men and women who started ABATE didn't know our names.

But they worked to protect our freedom anyway.

Now it's our turn to do the same for the riders who come after us.

"The future of motorcycling has always depended on riders who cared enough to get involved."

--
Darrin "Scribe" Brooks
State Legislative Trustee,
ABATE of Florida, Inc.

ABATE of Florida, Inc. is a Motorcycle Rights Organization dedicated to protecting motorcyclists' rights, promoting motorcycle safety, and educating riders