It's OtP Time Again! :clap: :wee_hee:
The 16th year of bridging the Atlantic through motorcycling has officially been kicked off.
This year, a member of GCE/GTR Clubs will be coming West to ride around, meet some new friends, and attend the 2018 COG National in Kerrville TX.
Please come back to this thread for updates. There is also a Facebook page ("OTP Over the Pond") set up for communications.
OK, so not everybody knows... What is OtP? :017:
Over the Pond takes a North America COG member, or a GTR Clubs member from Europe, over "the Pond" to visit the other side, once a year, alternating years. They often stay with club members, do some great riding, and participate in the rally of the hosting club. The clubs raise funds to make the trip as low cost as possible for the traveler. The funds are 100% from donations, with none coming from club funds, so it's up to us to keep this thing going!
In the next few months, there will be opportunities for club members to help financially. We already have a "donate" button on the COG & Forum webpages, and there will be other opportunities to contribute.
Donations can be made on both sides of the Atlantic.
- North America: donations can be easily made via Paypal: treasurer@cog-online.org
- North Ameica: COG Web Page: https://cog.memberize.net/clubportal/Fundraising.cfm?clubID=1328&campaignID=375
- Europe: donations can also be easily made via Paypal: GTR1000@t-online.de
Please make donations to the proper Paypal account to avoid currency exchange charges.
You can support this program in several ways:
- Cash Donations
- Hosting the traveler(s)
- Merchandise donations (to be sold to raise cash)
- Hotel nights (for nights where a host is not available, or impractical)
- Route guides or company
- Cash Donations (yes, repeated because this is the most critical item)
COG Members surely have seen the articles published by lat years' travelers on the Concourier. It was a fantastic trip, and one we hope to match for a GCE/GTR Club member this year.
OtP Has a numbers of persons on the team. On the European side, it is headed by Bernd Neumann. On the North American side, the team is made up of the following persons: Jim Culp, Mike Aldea, Chris Baum, Eddie Minter, Nancy Isely, and others. Mark Hartman and Dan Breeden (last year's travelers, who will also be helping), and me, the OtP Coordinator.
If you do a search for past OtP threads on the forum, and you'll see some great stories.
The traveler is selected by the clubs. Here's the very basics of the process:
- Nominees are submitted
- Nomineees meeting requirements are contacted to make sure they can make the trip
- Their names are published
- Candidates "campaign" for votes (not at all like presidential elections :truce
- The clubs votes to select the traveler. In case of a tie, there will be a runoff vote between the two tying nominees.
- Trip of a lifetime takes place
- Live happily ever after - with lots of new friends from Over the Pond
As with anything like this, there are rules. :96:
They're meant to keep the process fair, and make it easier to manage it. The guidelines, rules, etc. are included below. The rules will cover who can be nominated, who can vote, etc. Please keep in mind that we are not lawyers (at least most of us), and show grace to us as there will always be room for improvement. If you have suggestions for improvement in future years, please send them via PM, or to the OtP email address below, instead of posting them, to keep the thread more focused. This thread tends to get long, so we will try to keep the content focused.
As in past years, more than one thread on the subject will probably come up, but let's try to keep this one on track as the main communication for this great event. There are also announcements on Facebook that are posted by various people, and as in past years, we will try to disseminate information via the Micapeak email list.
The rough timeline is also below, to help clarify when each step will take place. The dates are approximate, but any changes should be minor.
Please start considering who you will nominate from the GCE/GTR Clubs, and get ready for the opening of nominations...
Any suggestions or comments, feel free to email me at: otp@cog-online.org
Rules for nominating persons: Not much needed here... just nominate someone who really deserves this (or that you want gone for a while).
Send any nominations to me (not PM, help me keep things straight) at: otp@cog-online.org
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Nominee/Traveler Requirements:
1. "OtP" Team leaders and past "OtP" Travelers are NOT eligible.
2. Nominee must be a "current" COG or GCE member.
3. Nominee must have put on COG/GCE Events, Sponsored "OtP" Travelers, been a Team Leader on a COG/GCE National, held a Club Office, taken on a position of responsibility at club events, or have an extended history of helping the Clubs - Bottom line, must have been a "Worker" for COG/GCE)
4. During the nomination all candidates will provide information about riding skill/experience.
5. During the nomination all candidates will provide information about their physical capabilities. Nominee must be in good physical health and have time available for the trip. (approx. 2+ weeks)
6. Nominee will be required to fill out 2 questionnaire's on themselves.
· Copy 1- The answers will be used to determine eligibility and as a means of introducing the Nominee to the club).
· Copy 2- TO BE POSTED BY THE CANDIDATES ON THE FORUM...
7. Traveler must have Medical Insurance. (In the event of an accident).
8. The selected Traveler will receive all funds we collect to support the trip.
· These $$ will be given to the Traveler prior to the trip.
· Additional Funds "may" be received from Hosts throughout the "OtP" Ride (while these would be nice, traveler cannot count on this).
· Nominee must be willing (and able) to assume expenses above what is collected. Estimate of additional out of pocket expenses will not be greater than $2000
9. Nominee must have (or be able to quickly to get) a passport, prior to departure.
10. Nominee is not to be a frequent traveler to US/Europe. We hope to send someone who has "never" ridden in the US. (Military who served overseas are NOT considered frequent travelers)
11. We ("OtP" Team leads) will work to arrange a motorcycle for the Traveler.
· The "Bike Lender" will be responsible of supplying a motorcycle that is safe to use for the trip.
· The "Traveler" is responsible for normal operating costs of the bike, and must assure the bike is returned in the same condition it is received.
· The "Traveler" is responsible for any damages to the bike while in his use.
12. Insurance arrangements must be made to cover the motorcycle in the event of an accident.
13. Travel period is still TBD, but will likely be more than 2 weeks total. (Actual dates will be determined during trip planning).
14. Traveler may choose to do additional sightseeing after his "OtP" Ride at the Travelers expense.
15. After the "OtP" ride, the Traveler is required to write a report of the trip. The report is to be published in the Concourier and also at a webversion on the GCE-site.
16. Nominee may be asked to make a short presentation at either the COG National, and/or the GCE Rally
17. "Nominee/Traveler" will be expected to taste a special, tasty Delicacy, maybe more than one...
18. During the trip, the Traveler is requested to keep a record of all "OtP" money received and used during their trip.
Requirements for Voting
1) Current COG/GCE Members are entitled to 1 Vote.
2) An Associate Member {of a Current COG/GCE Member} is entitled to 1 vote.
3) Significant Others {That are NOT Associate members}, can vote 1 time.
BUT (before Voting) a $10 Minimum donation must be made to "Over the Pond" by that person.
4) Forum Subscribers (with a minimum of 20 posts, and registration prior to OtP announcement date) can vote 1 time, but before voting a $10 Minimum Donation must be made to "Over the Pond" by that person.
5) Non-Members can vote 1 time, but before voting a $15 Minimum donation must be made to "Over the Pond" by that person
There is also a questionnaire that prospective nominees will be asked to fill out. The questionnaire will help ascertain their eligibility, and will help all to prepare properly. If anyone would like to see it, email me and I'll be happy to send it to you; I'm not putting it here to not make this longer than necessary.
The approximate timeline is shown below. These dates are the current plan, and may be adjusted as needed, or as requested by the traveler(s).
2018 Plan Event
1-Jan Announce start - OtP Facebook
7-Jan Announce start - COG Forum
8-Jan Donations & Pledges start
21-Jan Open Nominations
7-Feb Close Nominations
9-Feb Contact Nominees
13-Feb Nominees finalized
15-Feb Announce Nominees
19-Feb Voting Starts
12-Mar Voting ends
17-Mar Winner selected
18-Mar to 24-Mar Winner & Runner-up contacted
29-Mar Winner & Runner-up Presented
4-Apr Begin travel arrangements
18-Apr Complete initial travel arrangements
24-Apr Tickets purchased
11-Jun Traveler arrives in country (Approximate timing)
11-Jun to 14-Jun Participation in COG National
?? Traveler returns home
16-Jun Donations & Pledges Conclude
The 16th year of bridging the Atlantic through motorcycling has officially been kicked off.
This year, a member of GCE/GTR Clubs will be coming West to ride around, meet some new friends, and attend the 2018 COG National in Kerrville TX.
Please come back to this thread for updates. There is also a Facebook page ("OTP Over the Pond") set up for communications.
OK, so not everybody knows... What is OtP? :017:
Over the Pond takes a North America COG member, or a GTR Clubs member from Europe, over "the Pond" to visit the other side, once a year, alternating years. They often stay with club members, do some great riding, and participate in the rally of the hosting club. The clubs raise funds to make the trip as low cost as possible for the traveler. The funds are 100% from donations, with none coming from club funds, so it's up to us to keep this thing going!
In the next few months, there will be opportunities for club members to help financially. We already have a "donate" button on the COG & Forum webpages, and there will be other opportunities to contribute.
Donations can be made on both sides of the Atlantic.
- North America: donations can be easily made via Paypal: treasurer@cog-online.org
- North Ameica: COG Web Page: https://cog.memberize.net/clubportal/Fundraising.cfm?clubID=1328&campaignID=375
- Europe: donations can also be easily made via Paypal: GTR1000@t-online.de
Please make donations to the proper Paypal account to avoid currency exchange charges.
You can support this program in several ways:
- Cash Donations
- Hosting the traveler(s)
- Merchandise donations (to be sold to raise cash)
- Hotel nights (for nights where a host is not available, or impractical)
- Route guides or company
- Cash Donations (yes, repeated because this is the most critical item)
COG Members surely have seen the articles published by lat years' travelers on the Concourier. It was a fantastic trip, and one we hope to match for a GCE/GTR Club member this year.
OtP Has a numbers of persons on the team. On the European side, it is headed by Bernd Neumann. On the North American side, the team is made up of the following persons: Jim Culp, Mike Aldea, Chris Baum, Eddie Minter, Nancy Isely, and others. Mark Hartman and Dan Breeden (last year's travelers, who will also be helping), and me, the OtP Coordinator.
If you do a search for past OtP threads on the forum, and you'll see some great stories.
The traveler is selected by the clubs. Here's the very basics of the process:
- Nominees are submitted
- Nomineees meeting requirements are contacted to make sure they can make the trip
- Their names are published
- Candidates "campaign" for votes (not at all like presidential elections :truce
- The clubs votes to select the traveler. In case of a tie, there will be a runoff vote between the two tying nominees.
- Trip of a lifetime takes place
- Live happily ever after - with lots of new friends from Over the Pond
As with anything like this, there are rules. :96:
They're meant to keep the process fair, and make it easier to manage it. The guidelines, rules, etc. are included below. The rules will cover who can be nominated, who can vote, etc. Please keep in mind that we are not lawyers (at least most of us), and show grace to us as there will always be room for improvement. If you have suggestions for improvement in future years, please send them via PM, or to the OtP email address below, instead of posting them, to keep the thread more focused. This thread tends to get long, so we will try to keep the content focused.
As in past years, more than one thread on the subject will probably come up, but let's try to keep this one on track as the main communication for this great event. There are also announcements on Facebook that are posted by various people, and as in past years, we will try to disseminate information via the Micapeak email list.
The rough timeline is also below, to help clarify when each step will take place. The dates are approximate, but any changes should be minor.
Please start considering who you will nominate from the GCE/GTR Clubs, and get ready for the opening of nominations...
Any suggestions or comments, feel free to email me at: otp@cog-online.org
Rules for nominating persons: Not much needed here... just nominate someone who really deserves this (or that you want gone for a while).
Send any nominations to me (not PM, help me keep things straight) at: otp@cog-online.org
[/color][/color]
Nominee/Traveler Requirements:
1. "OtP" Team leaders and past "OtP" Travelers are NOT eligible.
2. Nominee must be a "current" COG or GCE member.
3. Nominee must have put on COG/GCE Events, Sponsored "OtP" Travelers, been a Team Leader on a COG/GCE National, held a Club Office, taken on a position of responsibility at club events, or have an extended history of helping the Clubs - Bottom line, must have been a "Worker" for COG/GCE)
4. During the nomination all candidates will provide information about riding skill/experience.
5. During the nomination all candidates will provide information about their physical capabilities. Nominee must be in good physical health and have time available for the trip. (approx. 2+ weeks)
6. Nominee will be required to fill out 2 questionnaire's on themselves.
· Copy 1- The answers will be used to determine eligibility and as a means of introducing the Nominee to the club).
· Copy 2- TO BE POSTED BY THE CANDIDATES ON THE FORUM...
7. Traveler must have Medical Insurance. (In the event of an accident).
8. The selected Traveler will receive all funds we collect to support the trip.
· These $$ will be given to the Traveler prior to the trip.
· Additional Funds "may" be received from Hosts throughout the "OtP" Ride (while these would be nice, traveler cannot count on this).
· Nominee must be willing (and able) to assume expenses above what is collected. Estimate of additional out of pocket expenses will not be greater than $2000
9. Nominee must have (or be able to quickly to get) a passport, prior to departure.
10. Nominee is not to be a frequent traveler to US/Europe. We hope to send someone who has "never" ridden in the US. (Military who served overseas are NOT considered frequent travelers)
11. We ("OtP" Team leads) will work to arrange a motorcycle for the Traveler.
· The "Bike Lender" will be responsible of supplying a motorcycle that is safe to use for the trip.
· The "Traveler" is responsible for normal operating costs of the bike, and must assure the bike is returned in the same condition it is received.
· The "Traveler" is responsible for any damages to the bike while in his use.
12. Insurance arrangements must be made to cover the motorcycle in the event of an accident.
13. Travel period is still TBD, but will likely be more than 2 weeks total. (Actual dates will be determined during trip planning).
14. Traveler may choose to do additional sightseeing after his "OtP" Ride at the Travelers expense.
15. After the "OtP" ride, the Traveler is required to write a report of the trip. The report is to be published in the Concourier and also at a webversion on the GCE-site.
16. Nominee may be asked to make a short presentation at either the COG National, and/or the GCE Rally
17. "Nominee/Traveler" will be expected to taste a special, tasty Delicacy, maybe more than one...
18. During the trip, the Traveler is requested to keep a record of all "OtP" money received and used during their trip.
Requirements for Voting
1) Current COG/GCE Members are entitled to 1 Vote.
2) An Associate Member {of a Current COG/GCE Member} is entitled to 1 vote.
3) Significant Others {That are NOT Associate members}, can vote 1 time.
BUT (before Voting) a $10 Minimum donation must be made to "Over the Pond" by that person.
4) Forum Subscribers (with a minimum of 20 posts, and registration prior to OtP announcement date) can vote 1 time, but before voting a $10 Minimum Donation must be made to "Over the Pond" by that person.
5) Non-Members can vote 1 time, but before voting a $15 Minimum donation must be made to "Over the Pond" by that person
There is also a questionnaire that prospective nominees will be asked to fill out. The questionnaire will help ascertain their eligibility, and will help all to prepare properly. If anyone would like to see it, email me and I'll be happy to send it to you; I'm not putting it here to not make this longer than necessary.
The approximate timeline is shown below. These dates are the current plan, and may be adjusted as needed, or as requested by the traveler(s).
2018 Plan Event
1-Jan Announce start - OtP Facebook
7-Jan Announce start - COG Forum
8-Jan Donations & Pledges start
21-Jan Open Nominations
7-Feb Close Nominations
9-Feb Contact Nominees
13-Feb Nominees finalized
15-Feb Announce Nominees
19-Feb Voting Starts
12-Mar Voting ends
17-Mar Winner selected
18-Mar to 24-Mar Winner & Runner-up contacted
29-Mar Winner & Runner-up Presented
4-Apr Begin travel arrangements
18-Apr Complete initial travel arrangements
24-Apr Tickets purchased
11-Jun Traveler arrives in country (Approximate timing)
11-Jun to 14-Jun Participation in COG National
?? Traveler returns home
16-Jun Donations & Pledges Conclude
. Give iron ass Angie your votes.
