Since the International Board reinstated the Grand Tour at the 1998 convention it has grown every year. In 1999 we had 32 members complete a Tour. After a note in the Newsletter in the spring of 2001, participation started to grow again with 31 members finishing a Tour in that year. Grand Tour participation has grown each year till 2007 when 274 members completed a Tour. In the years since 1998, 1032 members have earned a pin.

Have you participated in the Grand Tour? Plan to run the Grand Tour this year, either by yourself, with a few Red Knight friends, or with your Red Knights Chapter, and help spread the word to other firefighters about what a great organization the Red Knights are.

What is Grand Tour?

When the club was young, the easiest way to tell others about it was by word of mouth. This meant that the members had to get out to visit other firefighters in their areas, and one of the best ways to do that was to visit Fire Stations. Someone came up with the idea of rewarding members who made a certain number of visits with a certificate and a pin. Proof of these visits was needed and so the idea of Grand Tour was born.

In order to earn a pin a member had to supply a photo of him/herself and his/her motorcycle in front of Fire Stations whose names’ began with the first letters GRAND TOUR and that is basically the way it works for today's Red Knights except that now you have a little more variety! In the fall of 2006 the GT Committee with the blessings of the International Board decided to add 2 new rides to Grand Tour. The RED KNIGHT tour and the FIRE HOUSE tour were born in the spring of 2007.

How do I earn a Grand Tour Pin?

In order to earn a Grand Tour Pin you must first get an application form from the G.T. chairperson or download it from this page, then during the course of one (1) riding season you must visit nine (9) fire Stations whose names begin with the letters GRAND TOUR, RED KNIGHT, FIRE HOUSE or twelve Fire Stations beginning with any letter of the alphabet (this is for members who live in some of the more remote areas and may not be able to come up with Stations beginning with the required letters). You must have a picture of you and your motorcycle taken at each Station, with the name sign visible. Co-riders may also earn a pin and a rider and co-rider may have their picture taken together. Group photos are OK as well if you are doing the Tour as a chapter.

Please send hard copies of photos and applications to:

Grand Tour Committee

C/O Henry Heideman 
4926 County Road 45 - PO Box 83
Baltimore ON Canada K0K 1C0

Please send electronic photos and applications to: hheideman@cogeco.ca

DOWNLOAD GRAND TOUR APPLICATION

 

Photo Gallery

A group of members from PA-8 on their 2004 Grand Tour	RK NJ-4 at a stop along their Grand Tour. It was an all day Grand Tour from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Three day rides, 20 hours, and 1500 km... earned Al and Charlotte Lawrence with Steve Nicholl of Alberta-3 their Grand Tour Pins.	Members from Illinois Chapter 2 used University Park, ILL and Richton, Illinois
Members from Illinois Chapter 2 used University Park, ILL and Richton, Illinois	RKMC NH-6 at a stop along their Grand Tour in 2005.
Members of Deleware-1 August 2000	Members of GA Chapters 14 & 15 during a pitstop on their Grand Tour... ...is that really a fire station??
Gayle Keagy from PA-12 2005	RKMC Illinois-2 had their 2005 Grand Tour on August 28 with 30 riders participating! During the ride they stopped at a fund raiser for a fellow rider who had been injured in a crash, presenting him with a check from the chapter.
Members from Illinois Chapter 2 make it two years in a row with another Grand Tour for 2003.	Members from Illinois Chapter 2 make it two years in a row with another Grand Tour for 2003.
Reggie Moors, Sr. from RK-Maine-3 at the Rumford, ME FD -- 2004	On May 26, 2007 North Carolina 5 had a Grand Tour Ride. Visiting local Fire Departments in North & South Carolina. Members participating were: Pres Tony Austin, Treasurer Walt Ratchford, Secretary Becky Hipp, im Hipp, Mike & Donna Baucom, Darrell & Lisa Laws; New member Matt & Cindy Gosnell
New Jersey Chapter 14 members attended a 150 mile, 12 fire house Grand Tour on October 2, 2005.	Members of Ontario-7 on a break during their Grand Tour in '04 Gary & Kathy Reynolds., Henry and Marybell Hiedeman., Leo Patry, Ray Leeworthy, Bill McKee, Lorne and Norma Cornell
PA-17's Grand Tour included: Dave Alderfer , Toby Wise, Bonnie Wise, Brian Boyer, Scott Dressel, Bob Bean, David Ondik, Brian Kisch, Sr, Harvey Heimbach, Jeffery Grimm, Jeanne Laird, and Bill Laird	Members from Vermont Chapter 2 at Ascutney and Underhill, Vermont along their Grand Tour.
Members from Vermont Chapter 2 at Ascutney and Underhill, Vermont along their Grand Tour.	From Maryland 1's Grand Tour ride on July 10, '05. They had 16 members complete the tour. There's more on their web site at www.redknightsmd1.com.
Bob and Diona Laford, Mass-2 in New Salem, Mass.	Members of Maryland 4 started visited 13 Fire and EMS stations in one day dropping off applications and answering questions. Members which participated were John "Fohead" Ford "Road Captain" Michael "Poorboy" Davis "Webmaster" Travis McLane "our newest member"

RK Illinois Chapter 2's 2004 Grand Tour consisted of Downers Grove FD, Tri-State Fire Prevention District, Oak Brook FD, Aurora FD, North Aurora FD (picture shot from the bucket), Geneva FD, Rutland-Dundee FD, and Union FD. Members of the Aurora FD joined the tour and also some friends of the chapter who are members of LAMA of Chicago.

North Carolina-5 completed their Grand Tour in 5-1/2 hours - and the longest stop was for Road Construction! Riders included Tim Hipp, Becky Hipp, Richard Winters, Robert Hubbard, Tony Austin, Andy Hammond, Bryan Robinson, Herb Blanton

If you have pictures from the Grand Tour that you have done in the past and would like to share them with the rest of the club -- scan and email, or (snail) mail your pictures to the Webmaster.

Webmaster@redknightsmc.com

TMG Designs, PO Box 362, Galloway, OH 43119

 

Grand Tour New Zealand style

What started out as a brief ride to Auckland to look at a new motorcycles turned out to be a weekend Grand Tour for Dianne and Russel Rawiri and Verne and Debbie O'Dwyer from Northland-1 (our RKMC Chapter in New Zealand) in September 2002. Their Grand Tour garnered them 1,050 kilometers on their bikes before they were through! Their GT fire stations included: Greenhithe, Remuera, Albany, Ngaruawahia, Devonport, TeKuiti, Otorahanga, Urenui, and Rukaka

It sounds as if New Zealand has some great roads for motorcycling.        

"We couldn't believe the weather. Leaving Mercer there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The farmland route is far more enjoyable that the highway, and just as we came into Otorohanga we caught a glimpse of the central snow capped mountains (where we stopped for photos). The road to get to our destination, Urenui (one of only two "U's" in New Zealand), goes through some rugged picturesque country and the Awakino Gorge down the West Coast over Mt. Messenger. After refueling in Urenui it was back up the coast to Mokau where we stopped for a well-earned rest. On the way home on the second day one short stop was on the top of Brynderwyn's with the best view overlooking Bream Bay. A total of 1,050 kilometers with great company, great weather, and great motorcycling roads -- who could ask for more!?"      

 

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