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A WORD FROMYOUR EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR2009is here, and the holidaysare behind us.2008 was a roughyear in many ways, particularly with the stockmarkets being down and the tough economy inthe U.S. and elsewhere. I know you are with mein hoping that this coming year is going to bemuch better.For our part, we are trying to find newways to help you, our Members, in any way thatwe can.And we have two new options for 2009.We are now offering a payment plan for your membership renewal.You can now renew your membership for one, two, or three years andmake two payments: Simply pay half the first month you renew and therest the following month.There will be no additional charges or stepsthat you will have to go through. Just pay with a credit card and let usknow you would like the two-payment option.This works out great forthe three-year renewal because you can save $15 and be able to spreadout the cost over two months. We hope that being able to make twopayments for any membership level will help those of you who havebeen hit hard by the economy and/or who are on a fixed income.And remember that even a one-year individual membership costsonly about $3.75 per month yet brings you many—and increasing—Member Benefits. Not only will you have security when you travel—with the Gold Book and Rescue Roadside Assistance—you’ll also continueto receive Wing World magazine and remain a Member of an organizationwith tens of thousands of Members who are willing to help youwith just about anything you might need. All this is just a few dollars amonth.Keep in mind also that we’re continuing to negotiate with companies—likeOffice Max,Avis, and Budget (see “News Brief”, page 18, thisissue)—to add more and more Member Benefits for you. So don’t forgetto check out the benefits page on the GWRRA websiteMelissa EasonExecutive Directormeason@gwrra.orgBetter YearAhead—OurPlans to Help(www.gwrra.org) throughout 2009 to see whatnew discount packages we have been able toadd for you.Another big change for 2009 will be atWing Ding. We understand that the biggestexcitement for some at Wing Ding is who willwin a Gold Wing; however, we also know thatmost of you already own Gold Wings andcould probably use cash instead.Therefore, wehave decided that—in lieu of a 2010 GoldWing, we will give away $10,000 in cash instead. This way, the grandprize winner will also not incur any out-of-pocket expenses for havingwon a bike. Just think about all the great things you could do with$10,000! And you will not even need to be present to win (however, thewinning ticket will still be drawn at Closing Ceremonies).For anyone who has already purchased drawing tickets for the GoldWing, you should have already received a phone call from one of ourgreat Member Service representative notifying you of this change andallowing you the opportunity to transfer your bike tickets for the cashtickets. If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a call at (800)843-9460 or (623) 581-2500 (Phoenix area) or send us an email (customerservice@gwrra.org).We hope that these new payment options, discount packages, andmonetary grand prize will offer a little something for everyone duringthese times. If you have suggestions on ideas you would like us to lookinto, please let me know. You can email me at meason@gwrra.org.I look forward to hearing from you as we head together farther intothis new year of 2009.Enjoy the Ride,Melissa Eason“Every Member Matters”●February 2009 7