This is from RUTS North - Please take the time to read -

 

There seems to be a bit of confusion regarding this year’s Crab Feed and I hope to clear a couple things up so that all of our energy can go towards putting on an event that will continue to draw an appreciative crowd year after year.

 

First and very importantly, are the comments that follow from Eric Hodel. Understanding a bit of the Crab Feed history will help in understanding why we do what we do:

 

 

Over the years I have heard minor grumbling about the fact that we are a motorcycle club, so why are we promoting a Crabfeed? Well, the simple fact is we wanted sufficient financing to support our activities and this was a convenient avenue.

 

Having been part of promoting races in the past I knew the work and commitment required to pull that off. At the time I did not see that sense of commitment by enough members to think it was viable. It takes a lot of people to promote a good race.

 

At the time DualSport was not that big a deal although I was pleasantly surprised to see the results from Tim's event this year. BTW, good job Tim.

 

Therefore, the Crabfeed. A half day commitment for most members (a great deal more for a few), and you get to eat some great food and have fun meeting new people. Plus it was a chance to spread the word about RUTS. It also offers a family oriented, alcohol free admosphere for people to bring there kids with them. Believe me, that is truly unique.

 

This is how is came to be. The half day commitment for most members was a big attraction.

 

If you decide to continue with the Crabfeed, don't forget the raffle items and the people that put that together. It is a LOT of work and they need the items EARLY. Gloria, Teri Jones, and Kathy Reynolds were the drivers on that in the past, and they may not all be available this year.

 

I pray for RUTS often. And I thank God for RUTS because you had a lot to do with what Gloria and I are doing now. It was a crucial step in our growth, so never, ever think that RUTS is not a valid ministry as long as you keep your emphasis on God and His Kingdom. Yeah, I know the bikes are great and fun, but the underpinning of RUTS is God, not motorcycles.

The Crab Feed is able to generate a decent income for us considering the amount of time that it takes to “get it done”. So here is the deal for this year; it was decided at the October club meeting that we would be going forward with the event and WE ARE going to have the 8th Annual Crab Feed and Tri-Tip Dinner. As an answer to prayer, we have been able to reschedule the event from January 2nd to JANUARY 9th which is a huge answer to prayer (would you think that God is in this thing?). So with this in mind and the clock ticking ever so quickly toward this date, this is what needs to happen:

 

#1 – We need commitment from you, and honestly, we need it now. This coming Monday, November 9th, we will be holding our monthly club meeting at Robert & Melanie Sinex’s home in Sacramento (the address and telephone information are available at the clubs website – www.rutsnorth.org). We need to have as many people at that meeting as possible for the purpose of planning. Regardless of whether you can make this meeting or not, please, please, please respond to this email and let us know if you WILL or WILL NOT be able to make the meeting and/or volunteer on January 9th.

#2 – All club members are asked to contribute an approximate $50 gift that will be used for the raffle at the Crab Feed. Also, if you are able to have a business provide a donation, that is great as well. The key here is that the gifts need to be in Lodi preferably by the December club meeting and certainly no later than the end of December. The time and effort it takes to put the raffle together is great and last minute donations are not able to be handled in a manner that will allow for the maximum return on its value, plus late gifts also put unnecessary stress on the raffle team.

#3 – We need to sell tickets!!! We will have tickets to distribute at the November meeting and everyone is asked to provide friends, family, neighbors and business associates with the opportunity to purchase tickets. If we don’t ask people to buy, guess what, the tickets don’t sell. So again, we need to sell tickets.

#4 – Pray, pray and pray some more that our Lord Jesus will be glorified through this fundraiser. Remember that last year when Scott Ruiz gave a short message before the meal and asked those who wanted to receive salvation to raise their hands, there were many who did…proving that the Crab Feed is as much an outreach as a trail ride.

#5 – Remember our brother, John Borga. John will not be with us this year due to his death. John was always faithful to volunteer and support the Crab Feed. It was always a joy to see John at the event with his RUTS jersey on displaying his servant heart, huge smile and happy laugh, all of which were an example of a person joyfully serving.

 

I know that this has been long and I thank you for making it this far. Please consider your commitment and let me know your intentions by responding back before Monday, either by email or phone. I can be reached at 209/993-0283. May the Lord of heaven and earth continue to bless you all.

Your Brother,

Doug Reynolds