Publications

Article Published by Jonna Travels - 2017

Battle Buddy: Strengthening the Bonds of Sisterhood

July 3, 2017

Today's blog post comes from guest contributor: Sisters Eternal WMC, National President, Blaze. If you are interested in contributing an article, contact me via email (sisterseternal.twinkletoes@gmail.com) for details.

As a WMC, our sisterhood often faces a common misconception of what club life and/or prospecting entails. Many independents will spend a surplus of time researching the Internet, reflecting on the history of what is considered “motorcycle gangs” and forming assumptions based on stereotypes from various articles. While every club is unique in its own way, I believe our sisterhood truly is like no other club. Our mission includes, but is not limited to, developing members by education, training, positive reinforcement, and maintaining a strong self-esteem. We are a very close-knit, cohesive, and family oriented club which is displayed by each member no matter their location.

When I was prospecting Sisters Eternal WMC, I had the blessing of doing so with “Scout,” a Corporal for the United States Marine Corps. In the military, a “battle buddy” is a partner assigned to a soldier. Each battle buddy is expected to assist their partner both in and out of combat. Similarly, prospecting for a motorcycle club with a battle buddy comes with advantages. Buddies tend to keep one another informed about key instructions and information, promote cooperative problem-solving, provide encouragement to one another as well as motivate increased confidence, decrease stress, and promote better leadership skills.

Throughout the prospecting period, battle buddies spend quite a bit of time with one another. You get to know each other and gain a much deeper bond than you would have expected. You share laughter and tears as you overcome the obstacles of life together. You become involved in many aspects of each other’s lives, such as spending time with one another’s family, taking care of one another when they are injured or ill, working on projects together, dancing like no one is watching, or taking a morning walk down the beach to find your buddy’s shark fin which was lost in the surf the night before.

Scout and I were enjoying a morning cup of coffee at the Lone Star Rally in Galveston, Texas, when we decided we wanted to do something to commemorate our bond. We rode up to one of the more entertaining tattoo parlors on the island where we had the pleasure of working with a California artist who was in town for the rally. We thought it would be appropriate to design one another’s tattoos, so that’s exactly what we did! We created shark tattoos for each other and each had the same sugar skull face to capture the unity among our Sisters. I designed Scout’s shark with flames coming up the tail to capture who I am, but even more importantly to capture the strength of our bond. No matter how hot the fire is that we walk through together, we will always rise above soaring higher and stronger than each time before. I know this is the same reason Scout chose the Marine Blood Stripe to run through the body of my shark: to commemorate the sacrifice and strength of our bond. Reflecting on my journey through the prospecting period, becoming a patch holder of Sisters Eternal WMC, as well as the bond that has continued to grow thereafter, I could not imagine my life without my battle buddy.

As with all my Sisters, I know that they will be there for me, even when I can’t be here for myself, to cheer me to my greatest heights and to console me when I have fallen. They stand up for me and lie down beside me. Sisterhood isn’t always blood. It’s the people in your life who want you in theirs; the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what. It’s nothing like anything you could have ever imagined and yet so much more.

“She is your Sister. She is your mirror shining back at you a world of possibilities. She is your witness who sees you at your best, your worst, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime. She is your midnight companion. She knows you are smiling even in the dark. She is your Sister. She is your heart.”

Sisters Eternal WMC, National President, Blaze

https://www.sisterseternalwmc.com

The founding members of Sisters Eternal WMC desired a higher level of club commitment, to be held to a higher standard of honor, as well as to garner a deeper respect from the motorcycle community. As a result, our passion for riding and our dedication to the support of our community, we are respected by Motorcycle and Riding Clubs across the nation.

Article Published by Jonna Travels - 2017

Causing trouble, breaking the law, and flipping off authority may be the stereotype that surrounds bikers, but this image couldn’t be further from the truth. While MCs still exist which fit that persona, the majority of riding organizations are now known for their charity work. Many groups focus on rallying donations and support toward a specific cause that holds special meaning for them.

The women’s motorcycle club, Sisters Eternal, has participated in a number of various charity events since their conception in 2013. But last year, in addition to their other fundraising efforts, they decided to do what they could to further the cause of the Alzheimer’s Association (AA). Not only did the WMC agree with the way the Association distributed the funds they received, many of the members felt a personal connection to the organization’s mission of eliminating the disease.

Sisters Eternal WMC NW Houston’s Vice President, Blaze, explains, “Alzheimer’s and dementia resonated across the board with our group because we’re either all caretakers for somebody that suffers from this, or we have lost somebody afflicted with it.”

Their effort to raise money for Alzheimer’s started last year with the Sisters Eternal anniversary party, which allowed them to provide a donation of $1,400 to the Alzheimer’s Association.

“It wasn’t really a publicized effort at that time,” said Blaze. “It was just something that happened. But, it caught the attention of the Alzheimer’s Association corporate headquarters who reached out to me to express their appreciation.”

From there, Blaze met with representatives at the local AA office and told them the ideas Sisters Eternal had in mind for future fundraising. An hour and a half later, they were more than enthusiastic about the event the WMC wanted to hold on June 17, 2017 to coincide with the Association’s annual fundraising event, The Longest Day.

Spurred on by the organization’s excitement, Blaze started using social media as a tool to raise donations. Many of the people she reached out to were moved by the cause and asked how they could help. One such outreach came from Distinctive D.O.L.L.S. of Houston, a charitable group that champions worthwhile causes. They teamed up with Sisters Eternal to help spread the word about their event and assist in their fundraising efforts.

“It went from being a casual ride/get-together to raise money with the local MCs, to being this full-blown charity event with a fun run and all the works,” said Blaze.

The upcoming run will begin and end with a bike blessing, and the 80-mile ride will wind through the national forest before ending up at Yankee’s Tavern and Grill, where there will be a multitude of activities to choose from including multiple live bands, a DJ, live auction, tattoo artist, and rockabilly bike wash. The event is also family friendly with an entire section dedicated to younger fun that includes sack races, badminton, fake tattoos, and a bounce house, just to name a few.

In addition, local hotels are offering discounts to those that want a place to crash after their day of fun. For booking information, see the footnote below.

Blaze credits the massive growth of the event to how everyone has been touched by the cause. “We didn’t really set a monetary goal for this first event because we wanted to see how it goes, but I am already halfway to the personal fundraising goal I had set for myself.”

It may be the first official event Sisters Eternal has done for the Alzheimer’s Association, but it won’t be their last. The WMC already has plans to make it an annual fundraising event. If you can’t make it to the festivities this year, donations toward the cause will still be accepted, and you have plenty of time to start planning to attend next year’s ride.

For more information on the event, contact Sisters Eternal at info@SistersEternalWMC.com or to provide a monetary donation, please click here. Vendor and Sponsorship opportunities are also available through the following link for those interested: http://act.alz.org/goto/LongestDayVendorRegistration

Hotel Information:

Comfort Inn and Suites
- 15% off when calling in mentioning Alzheimer’s Association as the coupon code.
- 9345 Hwy 6, Navasota, TX 77868
- (936) 825-9461
Country Star
- 9517 Elmo Weedon Rd, Bryan, TX 77808
- (979) 219-1048

Click Here for a Link to the Article by Jonna Travels

Article Published By The Alzheimer's Association - 2016

The Alzheimer’s Association’s 2017 Longest Day Launches With A Group Doing What They Truly Love

The Longest Day is all about love.

Love for all those affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
Showing our love by doing what we love to #EndAlz.

On the summer solstice, teams of all kinds will join the Alzheimer’s Association and select any activity they love — or an activity loved by those affected — to help end Alzheimer’s… and here in Southeast Texas, The Alzheimer’s Association Houston & Southeast Chapter along with The Sisters Eternal Women’s Motorcycle Club will doing just that!

When a woman has the support of her Sisters, she is Unstoppable!

Sisters Eternal WMC is an experienced women’s motorcycle club, the members of which strive to maintain a higher level of club commitment and standard of honor and to garner a deeper respect from the motorcycle community. As a result of our passion for riding as well as our dedication to the support of our community, we are respected by motorcycle and riding clubs not only in the Houston, Texas area, but across the nation.

We are active members in the Region 3 Texas Confederation of Clubs and Independents, as well as the U.S. Defenders. We attend various motorcycle rights and information exchange events such as the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), Legislative Day, state rallies, and we support Texas ABATE efforts. We answer Calls to Action, as well as promote safety and awareness of motorcycles and their riders, which is of utmost importance to us.

Riding is definitely our passion, whether on short trips or long hauls! We take several trips each year to desired riding areas such as Sturgis, Eureka Springs, Red River, and Daytona Beach, as well as day or weekend trips to parts of Oklahoma, Louisiana, and of course all over our great state, Texas.

Sisters Eternal WMC enjoys giving back to the community as well as raising awareness for the Alzheimer’s Association.

We support the Alzheimer’s Association’s efforts in advanced research to end Alzheimer’s and dementia while enhancing care for those living with the disease. Sisters Eternal WMC is looking forward to future opportunities to raise funds and awareness benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association. We will be organizing a motorcycle ride through the beautiful backroads of Texas in June of 2017 promoting The Longest Day.

For more information, please be sure to connect with the Sisters through any of our social media sites linked to our website: http://www.sisterseternalwmc.com/.

Look forward to meeting you! Shiny Side Up!

Sisters Eternal WMC

About The Longest Day

Held on the summer solstice, teams across the globe honor those facing Alzheimer’s disease with strength, heart and endurance. From sunrise to sunset, teams participate by putting their passion to good work — doing what they love, trying something new or selecting an activity that honors a friend or family member.

In 2015, teams for The Longest Day raised an incredible $3.2 million to support the Alzheimer’s Association’s vision of a world without Alzheimer’s. Our 2,300 teams took part in physical activities like running and biking, hobbies such as bridge, baking and reading, and honoring family members by doing some of their favorite things like fishing, sailing and dancing.

Together, we will raise funds and awareness for care and support while advancing research toward the first survivor of Alzheimer’s.

Do you love to dance… zumba… paint… bake… ride… bike… hike? You name it, you love it…

You join us this coming June to…

Do What You Love To #ENDALZ!

Source: http://blog.alztex.org/alzheimers-associat...

Article Published By Clubhouse Magazine - 2014

I love planning for a road trip. I look for interesting attractions, curvy roads, mountain views, and interesting restaurants along the way. The great motorcycle trip for 2014 was all planned, and Sisters Eternal WMC had 7 members ready at the meet up spot early that Saturday morning, and we had 4 adventure-filled days to get to Sturgis.

We braved the blistering Texas heat and made it to Childress, TX the first day, anticipating riding into Dodge City, KS the next. I have a strange connection with all things Old West, and my bucket list contains stops in all of the towns with an Old West affiliation. Luckily, my sisters indulge me and let me plan the route. I’ve visited Virginia City, NV, Deadwood, SD, Tombstone, AZ, Oatman, AZ, and Cody, WY, and so Dodge City was a necessary stopping point for me.

The day after Dodge City found us in Manitou Springs, CO—a really cute town just a few miles from Pikes Peak. We chose Hwy 50 to get to Manitou Springs since it’s the same road that is called The Loneliest Highway when it crosses Nevada, and we rode that a couple of years ago. Once we got to Pikes Peak, which boasts an elevation of 14,114 ft., we made it around the sharp curves and inclines, many not outfitted with any railing, but at the top, the views were spectacular, even if the air was a bit thin.

Tuesday’s dawn meant that we needed to pack everything back onto the motorcycles and head for Estes Park, CO to enter the Rocky Mountain National Park. Mother Nature wasn’t nice to us, with a monstrous storm settling atop the mountain ridge, so we barely entered the park and headed right back out to get to Cheyenne, WY.

On Wednesday, we made it to Sturgis, SD, home of a legendary motorcycle rally. We met up with some of our buddies from Women in the Wind, Twisted Sisters Chapter out of Tulsa. Let the party begin! There were great rides and plenty of partying. I had to leave early to meet up with two girls in Wisconsin to travel on into Canada, so hugs were exchanged, and I headed out solo toward Fargo, ND and then on into Wisconsin.

In Eau Claire, WI, Mother Nature unleashed her fury again. We skirted around the worst of it and headed out toward Duluth, MN, where the rain came for real. We stopped for gas, and the nice guy at the counter directed us to Fitger’s, which had a hotel, as well as several restaurants, shops and a brew/pub—all inside and out of the rain. Perfect! It was a great old historic hotel, and the food and beer were all wonderful, as was the beautiful Lake Superior backdrop.

Finally, we were headed for Canada the next Tuesday morning. We rode along Highway 61, a road that caresses the west side of Lake Superior and that was special to Bob Dylan, a Duluth, MN native. The views of Lake Superior were amazing. The whole way, the thought, “I know why they named it Superior” kept popping into my head. The blue of the water was so beautiful. I got yelled at while at the border crossing because I pulled up past the sign that read, “Stop here until the car in front of you is released.” I’m such an outlaw. Also, apparently every road we were riding on was under construction once we got onto Highway 61. The ruts were deep, and they would just throw the bike around wherever they wanted while massive construction machines were swinging around just to our right. The road bed was often soft sand, and several times, I had the inclination to stop and kiss the smooth pavement once we were on it again.

In Thunder Bay, we stayed at the Prince Arthur Hotel, another historic one, and we’d paid an extra $20 for a water view. The view from our window was of the famed Sleeping Giant—a huge rock formation that resembles a giant, perhaps readied for burial with his arms crossed over his chest.

Wednesday morning, we bundled up for the unseasonable 40 degree temps and headed for Wawa, Ontario, home of Young’s General Store where they have all kinds of interesting items to tempt you—from home-made fudge to an old-fashioned pickle barrel, along with souvenirs galore. There, we satisfied our need to take photos by the stuffed moose and browse the store for souvenirs.

I kept thinking of the old movie

If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium

as we unloaded and reloaded all the luggage onto the bikes daily. A little later that day, after crossing back into the US, on the Mackinac Bridge--the 5th longest suspension bridge in the world--there was more construction so the bridge was down to one lane. Waiting in that line was its own adventure

The wind was so strong that it was all we could do to hold our bikes upright while waiting for the line to move. I kept thinking that we’d look kind of funny with both legs on the ground one minute and then just plopping over the next.

Back home, I think fondly of the 5000+ miles we put on our bikes in 2 weeks and wonder, “Now, where are we going next year?”

Article Published By Clubhouse Magazine - 2013

While at the COC&I bi-monthly meeting we ran into one of the regulars in patches that always shows up. They were showing off their newly designed colors. The gals today are really becoming a strong presence in the motorcycle world and we were glad to be able to go behind the scenes and find out just how the Women's Motorcycle Club came into being and maybe give you some ideas for your own club.

"Sisters Eternal WMC has members that have been riding together in the Houston area since 2009. During early period, we pushed boundaries by working hard for our riding club to become members of our local Confederation of Clubs (COC). After a lot of presence, we were allowed to join as a full member of the Texas Confederation of Clubs on February 2011 after successfully completing a year of probation. Some members in the Southeast part of town decided to form another riding club to better work for their location.

After working hard for several years to build a cohesive group of members, both riding clubs realized that we wanted more. It seemed that we had accomplished as much as we could as riding clubs in the Houston area. We garnered respect from many in the Houston biker community because we showed up and participated in events important to Texas bikers. We handled the gate at the State COC Rally - this year and last, a task that was both exhausting and exhilarating. We attended benefits, fundraisers, and political events. And we rode. We rode to California, Tennessee, Washington, D.C., South Dakota, and everywhere in between.

So, having become all that we could be as an RC, we decided to take the next step and petition for WMC status. We were assigned a sponsor from a local dominant club chapter. It took lots of meetings, explanations about why a 3-piece patch was so important to us, but eventually, our perseverance paid off. He graciously approved our application to transition from RC to WMC status on July 20th, and we worked feverishly to have our patches created and sewn on before the August COC meeting." Who knows what this extraordinary group of women will accomplish next? All it takes is their minds to it, and miracles happen!