Garry Randall, President
Judith A. Chanter, Secretary/Treasurer
FEBRUARY 2005 NEWSLETTER
2005 RIDE SCHEDULE
May 6 - 8
.Work Bee- Establish Mullet
Lake Camp
. May 13
22
........Blossom Ride
Mackinaw City to Luzerne
.......pre-register by April 13
June 3 12
.Oscoda to Mackinaw City
(trophy ride)
................pre-register
by May 3
June 17 July 2
Empire to Oscoda (trophy
ride)
....pre-register
by May 11
August
19 -21
.Work Bee Johnsons Crossing
(General Clean-up of Camp) Sept
9 - 30
..Oscoda to Empire to Oscoda (Dbl Cross
trophy ride)
pre-register
by Aug 9
October 7 - 16
...Color Ride
Goose Creek
to Cadillac
pre-register
by Sept 7
ABSENTEE BALLOTS
It is very important if
you wish to recieve an absentee
ballot to request in writing as soon as possible. Please
include your M.T.R.A. membership number with that correspondence. Your M.T.R.A. Number is printed on your
mailing label every time anything is sent to you from the club. Many people write me saying that they cant
find their number. Please look on the front
of your envelope, its right there!
M.T.R.A.
Clothing
Betty Randall & Deanna Lucas (B & D Classic Sewn) will have M.T.R.A. logo clothing
available at the Annual Meeting in Houghton Lake. They will be in the Hospitality Room, Saturday, March 19, from
8am until 11pm. If you are unable to
attend the meeting, you can reach them at their business number, 231-825-2628. At the board meeting January 9, Betty
Randall presented the club with $939.00
from their sales in 2004. Since they have started selling M.T.R.A logo
clothes, Betty and Deanna has donated $3,955.00 to the club. Thank you very much!
ANNUAL MEETING - March 18 20, 2004 
If you are planning on staying at the Comfort Suites Lakeside you should
have received a conformation letter. If
not, Please contact them to see if there is a problem.
Our dinner buffet this year will include Chicken Cordon Bleu, Slow
Roasted Beef Brisket and Slow Roasted Pork Loin. Roasted Red Skin Potatoes and Mashed Potatoes w/gravy whole
seasoned green beans and fresh vegetable medley, garden fresh tossed salad
w/ranch or Italian dressing and Spaghetti Pasta Shell Salad. Fresh Baked Bread rolls and butter, Coffee,
fountain drinks during buffet service, Country Apple Dessert.
Please order your banquet or dance only tickets using the form enclosed
with this newsletter. In order to
receive an absentee ballot, your membership dues for the current year must be
paid. Only ONE ballot per membership.
Requests for absentee ballots MUST be on a separate sheet of paper,
include M.T.R.A. number and signed by requesting member.
Election of Officers to the Board of Directors
The following director's terms will expire this year: Al Dennis, Jeff Sawyer, Dale Peterson,
Tom Smith & Richard Chevalier. Richard Chevalier has chosen not to
run for re election. He was first
elected to the board of directors in 1984 and we cant thank him enough for his
service and dedication to this organization.
I know he will still be helping out whenever possible. Other people running for the board this year
include Jeff Balzer, Joe Burrill,
Terry Meier and Therese Supthen.
Al Davis was appointed
by the board to fill the position left vacant by the resignation of Ray Balzer
last year and his name will be on the ballot to be voted in by the general
membership. If there is anyone who
might be interested in running for that 2 year term, you can contact the
secretary or any board member and your name can be entered in that section of
the ballot. Everyone running for the
board this year was encouraged to write a resume about themselves and these
will be posted on the website and sent out to the members who request an
absentee ballot.
Please contact any of the board members or myself for information.
Judy Chanter 517-851-7554
!!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED !! 
If you are planning on
attending the Michigan Horse Councils International Stallion Exhibition
and Trade Show, March 11, 12 & 13, 2005 at the
Pavilion in Lansing, we need you!
M.T.R.A. will again have a booth in the Trails room. We need M.T.R.A. members to take about a
three-hour shift sitting at a table and talking to the general public about our
shore-to-shore trail rides. It's pretty
easy! To set up a time to man the
booth, you can call Judy Chanter at 517-851-7554. If
you have any photos you would like to share, please bring them with you.
Ride registrations
Please do not send ride registrations in
before March 29th!
Your calendar and registration form are included in
this newsletter. Please make copies as
needed. The club can save a lot of
money on postage if I dont have to resend information.
Please save the directions
listed below
Mackinaw City requires a special use permit.
Right now these camps are used only on scheduled M.T.R.A.
rides.
Directions to:
MULLET LAKE CAMP
MACKINAW CITY CAMP
Go to Mackinaw City exit
#339 on-I75. (Jamet St.) Turn right
(south) on Nicolet St., which is the first street. Go one block to the light.
Turn right (west) on West Central Ave. and go approximately 2 ½ miles to
end of the road. Turn left (south) on East
Wilderness Park Road. Camp is Ό mile on
the Left.
Maps Maps Maps Maps Maps Maps Maps Maps
Maps for the new sections
of trail (Stoney Creek to Mackinaw) are NOT YET AVAILABLE. The current maps and guidebook are still
available to current members for $5.00,
Non-members $10.00. Directions to Mullet Lake Camp and Mackinaw
City Camp are printed above. You should
save these directions in your guidebook.
These camps are only available on the days scheduled. Special arrangements have been made for
M.T.R.A. to ride these areas, please check with the Trail Boss on arrival for
updates on where you can or cannot ride!
Trail
Riding in Michigan
If you would like information on places to trail ride in Michigan, please
contact: The Michigan Horse Council, P.O. Box 22008, Lansing, MI
48909-2008
M.H.C. Phone Number 231-821-2487 or visit their web site: WWW.michiganhorsecouncil.com.
There is also a book available Horsemans
Guide to Michigan Trails Revised by John Faitel.
The book can also be found or ordered at most
bookstores.
PERMISSION TO SELL
As some of you know, you have to have permission
from the board of directors in order to sell anything on our trail rides. It has been decided by the board that you
must contact a board member or go before the board ANNUALLY if you would like to
permission to sell anything to our members during a trail ride. B & D Classic Sewn has
exclusive rights for the sale of our logo on clothes and they give the club
a pre set amount for each article sold.
If you only have one or two items you want to set out by your campsite
during a ride for resale, thats fine.
The board is concerned about our rides taking on a Carnival
atmosphere. Muddy Creek rain gear also
permission to sell their rain gear and they will be set up at Houghton Lake
Saturday of the Annual Meeting weekend along with B & D Classic Sewn.
OPTION DAYS
On the calendar you will see that there are days marked
as "option
day". That
means you have the option to ride on that day from Empire to Garey Lake Camp or
from Lake Huron to River Road Camp, (determined by which way the ride is
heading). The advantage of this is that
if you arrive early enough to ride on this option day, you will not have to
ride that distance plus the next days ride all in one day. (The bus does not
run on these days, you will have to make you own arrangements. Talk to the Tail Boss or other people in
camp.)