NK Merrimack Valley Radio: Recent Episodes
Nam Knights MC Merrimack Valley
Podcast from the Nam Knights MC Merrimack Valley studios featuring NK events and happenings at our chapter & the NK community.
2025 Introducing Project NK OK, a conversation with NK Rodeo
Today, our Brother Rodeo from our Appalachian Chapter joined us on the podcast for a long-awaited discussion introducing his Project NK OK.
Rodeo is a Marine Corps Veteran. He joined straight out of high school and served for 6 years. After serving the country, he had an opportunity to join the Florida Marine Patrol, which later became the Florida Fish & Wildlife. He later transitioned to a local Sheriff’s office and spent the remainder of his career there before retiring and moving to the Appalachian Chapter.
Rodeo was first with the Westside FL Chapter and claims now to be on the best motorcycling roads in the nation.
NK OK was first introduced at the OJ Run in 2023. Rodeo was deeply impacted by a personal experience with a Brother and friend who took his own life. Throughout his military service and law enforcement career, he encountered or witnessed many similar events. He remarked that in many of those occasions, you would never have imagined that the individual was harboring those feelings, and that the next thing you know, you hear the news of what happened.
Rodeo observed that it goes to the forefront of the discussion for about a week, and then it's politely ushered away and no one ever talks about it. “It’s the shiny penny for about 10 seconds and then its gone.” “The end product is that you have a job to do, and your personal feelings and everything that goes along with is kind of sidebar.”
Rodeo finally decided that he had to do something. After thinking about it for quite a while and being introspective about his own feelings. He realized that we all need to address those feelings and the impact its having on us.
At the OJ Run, he felt like it was time to say his peace and introduce the idea of the program. He received a lot of support at the event and for the months following. The following year at the NK Memorial Run in DC, he addressed the entire coalition of the organization and invested a great deal of himself in creating an introduction letter for the Program NK OK.
Today, the Program serves as Gateway for the Nam Knights Brothers and others in need. NK OK draws from a great deal of support, but Brother Rodeo still shoulders the bulk of the program.
He believes that the Program will continue to grow within the club and also in the community of Military, Veterans, First Responders, Law Enforcement, and anyone in need of talking to someone. “It's just a place where like-minded people can talk about it”, sometimes you just need someone to listen to you.
For more information contact Rodeo at the email below.
EMAIL: Rodeokffk@gmail.com
2025 Cartman's Call In from the Parent Chapter
Brother Cartman joins the Merrimack Valley Podcast, coming across the airways from the Corn Masg, Cigar Ash, & Motorcycle Trash Podcast!
Brother Cartman is a Patriot Member and 3rd Generation Patch Member of the Club, his Dad, Machine Gun Kelley is also a member of the Parent chapter and his Grandfather, now retired was also member of the Parent and Tampa chapters. He recently celebrated his 10th Patch Anniversary and recalls how his Grandfather intersected with the club at the local VA during their bingo nights & subsequently prospected and joined the club.
We joked a bit about the 2nd Bike Trend working its way through the club. Cartman has an “unridable” 1980 Sportster in the back of the garage that’s always “amost there”. The second bike is almost always the favorite; but you wouldn’t want it for the long march.
The Annual Beefsteak event was recently hosted by the Parent Chapter and organized by Brotheer Flatline. It was a great time and another successful event. We talked about how in many ways, the Beefsteak marks the first big event for the New Year. The event recently moved to its current location in the Elks Lodge in Paramus NJ and by all accounts it has been a great location.
Next Up is the Parent Chapter’s Car & Bike Show on Sunday, May 4th (rain date: May 18th). The biggest event of the year for the Parent Chapter. The event boasts DJ Music, Vendors, and plenty of food, the grill will be going all day! Its hard duty working from early in the morning, throughout the day, sometimes in the blazing sun and in the heat.
The Car & Bike Show event has had a long run at the Parent Chapter (does anyone know how long its been continuously running?).
Gates open at 8am and Cartman promises he will be up front working the parking crew. He doesn’t have a flashy safety vest; but he did get radios which he clips on his shirt. It gives him an air of importance, he says laughing.
The event is family friendly, public event with cars and motorcycles, so the decision was made to forgo alcoholic beverages. Its the one event at the club house that is minus libation.
Next Up is the club wide run to DC for Memorial Day!
July 26th, the Parent chapter will be doing their Christmas in July event. This past year, the chapter did their first Toys for Tots run and donated the toys to a local Boys & Girls Home. In July they are going to invite the kids out to the clubhouse, grill, have games, music, and collect donations for the home.
September 21st, the chapter is hosting their Annual “Buzz Run”. An escorted ride, it used to be their poker run, destination is to be decided. Last year they had a great route for the ride, rolling roads and wooded area. The run returns to the club house with a large spread of food. The Run raises money for a Scholarship Fund that Brother Fritz will present to the school every year.
October 4th is the Chilli Cook-Off. Brother Goob organizes the event, which is held Rain or Shine. Cartman thinks its one of his favorite event and denies he might be a bit partial because his wife is defending champion chilli winner. Everyone gets to judge the competitors during the competition which has a panel of judges but also awards the Fan Favorites. Competition is rumored to be fierce. The Champion gets their name on a plaque and become immortalized in the clubhouse.
December 12 has been reserved for the Parent Chapter’s Christmas Party. Details to follow.
October 18th for the External Chapter Ceremony at the Orlando Chapter.
Cartman reveals some insider information on the Mash, Ash, and Trash Podcast as we wrap up the episode.
Welcomed Hunter back into the studio for this special episode recounting 25 years with the Nam Knights MC. Brother Hunter talks about the Granite State Chapter receiving their charter, the first in New England and some of the early days. He gives us some perspective on Brotherhood in the NKMC, the importance of Prospecting and continuing to earn one's patch. He recalls the early days of the Bass Trail Paralyzed Veterans Tournament, the POW MIA Observance in Manchester NG, and why family matters. One hour was not enough and we will be sure to bring him back again. Thank You.
Swamp Fox Chapter Call In
Today, we welcomed Brother Skee from the Swamp Fox Chapter in Charleston, SC to the podcast. Another great episode where no plan was the plan for the conversation!
Skee introduces himself and the chapter at the outset. Serving both his country and community, not necessarily in that order. At 38 years of age, he decided to join the Navy and says he held his own with the other recruits, nearly twenty years his junior. After 6 years of service, he was sidelined with an injury and subsequently medically retired.
The Swamp Fox located in Charleston SC, was started in 2015 with Skee and a handful of other patches. Growing quickly, they soon began to deal with the challenges that come with a large member footprint and have since leveled off at a more manageable size that is producing results. “We are doing a lot better now than we have in previous years”, says Skee. They currently have a group of “really good guys”. “I would rather have 12 guys that will go to everything than have 40 guys and have same five guys show up all the time.”
The Chapter has their 10 year Anniversary Party Coming Up on April 26th starting at 12noon.
Low Country Veterans has been designated as the charity to benefit from the event. Low Country is a Veterans' Residential Home on James Island. The chapter has donated and visited the home in the past. They have donated Care Packages to the Residential and Transitional Living programs.
Listening to the Boondocks Chapter episode on the podcast, Skee admits he’s liberating their idea of buying supplies through Amazon to put together 100 Personal Hygiene packages. “Actually, we kind of stole that”, he says.
All of the programs are crunched for money these days, Skee points out, and this helps them out. The residents really appreciate the chapter visits, just hanging out and talking with them. Alot of residents are WWII and Korea era veterans who enjoy the bikes and the visits.
The chapter is running a Gun Raffle, and the proceeds help them with these programs.
One of the chapter’s patches recently had a serious motorcycle crash, and a Go Fund Me has been set up to help the family defray the hospitalization cost. Link Below
Go Fund Me Link
Nobody supports our Brother better than our own.
We started to explore the details of their upcoming Anniversary Party. The first detail that jumped out was the Bikini Bike Wash, which we first suggested was going to be Skee himself washing bikes. He suggested they may be more successful if he accepted donations to do it in reverse and pay him not to wash the bikes.
$20 per plate gets you the Low Country Boil, DJ music, cigar & knife vendors, beverages, and the promise of a great afternoon at their clubhouse. They are prepared to feed up to 80 people. The chapter has cornhole boards, dart boards, pool tables, and a large industrial parking lot behind the building. Plenty of room to enjoy yourselves.
In January, the chapter turned out to help a Veteran’s widow with repairs to her porch and home. Once the work started, they discovered that it was going to require a lot more than first anticipated. Last weekend, they completed the work with a paid General Contractor & work crew to finish the siding on the house. They are still working on replacing the floor in the future.
We talked about how impactful the sweat equity is as opposed to just writing a check.
The chapter hosts a monthly Open House at the clubhouse. We talked briefly about how challenging it is to organize and execute Poker Runs and such. It's hard to get municipalities to support large runs, road closures, and escorts. Not to mention liability riders and growing traffic.
A legacy member himself, Skee has been around the club since he was 16 years old. We explore some of the obstacles he’s encountered trying to etch out his place in the club.
Skee talks about the importance of networking and developing your own reputation among the community and bike scene and how they’ve worked hard to build that credibility.
“Over the last year, we’ve lost some members, and we’ve actually gotten closer as a chapter; we’ve become a much closer chapter,” says Skee. “I hated losing the guys that we lost, but I’ll tell you what, the rest of us have rallied.”
Bloodstripe Chapter Call In
Brothers Roadside and Pennywise joined the podcast to introduce us to the Bloodstripe chapter.
We had a great conversation about how they are working hard to make an impact and success with a close-knit knit small chapter. The chapter recently did some re-organizing to support both the Bloodstripe and 1st North chapters.
The Bloodstripe chapter was founded in 2013 and comprised mainly of Marines. Over the years people have retired, moved away, and reduced the numbers overall. That was one of the biggest challenges for the chapter, but in the past months they
“Where’s Kevin” actually helped start the chapter.
The Chapters hosts a Family Day quarterly for the patches, ladies, and their families. More than just being out on two wheels on Saturday for a couple of hours. We try to get “It’s a great thing, especially when you have people wanting to hangaround, prospect, and are interested in us.” We bring them to family day so they can meet the families as well, says Roadside. The belief is that if the family doesn’t support it, it's hard to be a part of anything.
Pennywise adds, “It’s important to us and helps, especially if you have someone who’s looking to join they can see that it’s a family environment.”
Most recently, the chapter sponsored a Valentine’s Day for a local veterans home.. The chapter teamed up with Family Dollar and received a bunch of donations, and put together packages for the residents. The kids created cards that were included and gifted to each one.
The chapter doesn’t yet have an annual event that they host; however, they are looking forward to participating in the Kennedy Home Run that benefits the Kennedy Home in Kinston NC.
Kennedy Home in Kinston is a part of the Baptist Children’s Homes of NC (BCH) statewide ministries. Kennedy Home offers cottage homes for vulnerable children and family care cottages for single mothers and their children. Kennedy Home also provides foster care and foster-to-adopt services.
Moving forward, the chapter is looking for new ideas and innovative ways to interact with the community. The chapter attends local bike nights and gets to know the local Legion and VFW members in the process. Being small, co-hosting events is a great avenue for creating events without overwhelming the members. The goal is to advertise that they are there, because alot of people don’t know that the chapter is there.
The Chapter is working on merchandise and hopes to have it available for purchase very soon.
Finally, the chapter does want to participate in Kinston’s Annual BBQ Fest. The event draws thousands of people from all over, so the chapter is going to try and set up a booth.
https://kinstonbbq.com
No Plan was the Plan
Sometimes the conversation just clicks.
Here's a teaser of their upcoming episode.
Stewy’s Garage Episode 2025 03
Brother Stewy returns to the podcast with his segment entitled “Stewy’s Garage”.
Today we talk about his own experiences with his recent transmission failure. While researching his repairs and his discovery of trending failures on the Compensator Sprocket. As the mileage is accrued, the splines wear and could fail entirely. It's an individual decision, but you may want to consider preventive replacement. (Baker Drivetrain Link below)
What do you think about that?
We get sidetracked talking about breaking down on our chapter’s return from our DC Memorial Weekend and how that ended up building our Brotherhood. This particular event also caused the chapter to implement the Life 360 group when traveling over the road as a group.
We talk about what to consider throwing in your saddlebags when heading out as a group. A small 1-gallon gas container, a small rechargeable battery charger, a small air pump, and other things we include based on our experiences.
We included some laughs from our own experiences to wrap the episode.
https://bakerdrivetrain.com/products/m8-compensator-sprocket?srsltid=AfmBOoon8j99L35qm2MiC8y3mqOQMPYtoyrlo1kDeW19uJfue1WzZDE0&variant=29823539675214
Appalachian Chapter Calls In
We had a great podcast today with the Appalachian Chapter and welcomed our NK Brother Sig back to the podcast. Brother Sig is no stranger to our podcast and was one of our, if not the first regular call-in guests to join our Group-Casts way back in the day.
As a Career Officer and K9 handler, he reflects briefly on his 27 ½ year career and a chance meeting in Washington DC where he met the Nam Knights MC and bravely waded into the mayhem outside the Hilton Hotel in Crystal City.
He hasn’t been the same since.
The Appalachian Chapter is celebrating its 27th Anniversary as the Seventh Chapter of the Nam Knights MC chartered on January 16, 1998. A worthy celebration to say the least!
On the weekend of April 10th to the 12th, they will be pulling out all the stops to mark the occasion.
Even though they’ve been around for almost three (3) decades, they certainly aren’t taking their foot off the pedal. This week, March 22nd they’ll be hosting their Bike Night at the Grumpy Old Men Brewery! Brother Sig says they try and host an event a month to keep both the Brotherhood and the Community engaged. “We will have something every month, except December”
The chapter enjoys amazing community support, but that doesn’t come without hard work. There are a lot of prominent folks vacationing in the area and some local breweries that are “hugely supportive”.
“We’ve gotten an infusion of new members”, says Sig, and with that came a lot of new ideas and energy. “We’ve got some prospects in the pipeline too”.
The Chapter hosts a “Bikes and Brews” event every September benefiting the Georgia Police K9 Foundation. Live Bands, Raffles, and it's a very big deal. The next one is scheduled for September 13th and will be their fourth time hosting the event. The Brewery that helps sponsor the event is moving to a much larger venue, offering the chapter a larger footprint to organize the event. Every year the chapter tries to make it bigger and better.
The chapter runs Trivia Nights, Chilli Cook-offs, the Angel Tree promotion, Toys for Tots, Feed Fannin, and anything the local area needs that we can jump in on. “We are very fortunate that everybody here has embraced the Nam Knights MC” and they’re taking that ride as hard as they can because they want to help the community as much as possible.
https://feedfannin.org
Brother Sig says the area is a little out of the way but they still get great support from the local chapters, particularly from the Georgia Area.
He encourages any patch that’s coming down their way to ride or for vacation, to please give one of them a call and check in. There are some fantastic riding to be had and they would like to point you in some right directions. “When people come to town, it's like Christmas for us”.
2025 Boston Chapter Calls In and our conversation with their VP Sarge
In this episode, we talked with the Boston Chapters Vice President (Sarge) and started out with a brief recap of his service with the US Army in Iraq and his discovery of the Nam Knights MC.
We call out Sensi who had some “miscommunication” and missed his first appearance on the podcast. Sensi has been an outstanding addition to the chapter and prospected with the chapter last year.
We talked about the chapter’s transition to their new home at the American Legion in Weymouth MA. From the first night they went to the post, it's been nothing but good.
At 22 years of age, the chapter has undergone many changes and is still finding its rhythm on the South Shore of Massachusetts.
“What we gained in support from the post membership, has been nothing but great. Its been a great partnership.”
“It’s not a Burger Burn” but the chapter has partnered with the Post on the first Friday of the Month when the post runs its Meat Raffle. Having the food brings in more people into the post.
Boston Chapter’s big annual event is their Comedy Night fundraiser. This year the event is planned for October, more information to follow.
We talked about about they maximized the use of a small hall. One of the challenges was that good-willed people purchased tickets to support the chapter but opted out of attending leaving a few empty seats. Something that’s being discussed on how to go forward.
The Fundraiser has been successful for the chapter, year after year.
The chapter supports some big local Veterans causes like the Boston Wounded Vets Run and is often involved in one of local efforts that have a huge impact.
We talk about keeping the Brotherhood alive and organizing rides without a purpose or cause. “This is supposed to be fun!”
Another Great Episode and we appreciate Sarge for joining us!
Southern Tier Call In
We welcome Brother Contempt and Bulldog from our New York Southern Tier Chapter.
The chapter started in 2004 and recently celebrated their 20th Anniversary last year.
The chapter is a busy, tight crew that opened their own clubhouse last year.
We talked about their unique geography in the mountainous foothills of the NY Catskills. Great scenery, great roads, there’s not a bad direction to head in. We laughed about cold mornings and warm afternoons.
Southern Tier hosts some different events like their Fly In Breakfasts at the local airport. They’ve been hosting them for about five (5) years now which regularly draws 200 people. The chapter provides the manpower assistance and in turn the chapter benefits via fundraising.
“We leave it better than we got it”, says Brother Contempt. Pointing out that they clean the venue thoroughly before they leave. Minutes later perhaps confessing to some nefarious activities as well. (joking).
We talk about their venue for the August Event. The field provides plenty of space of camping overnight, axe throwing, shooting competitions, bonfires, tattoo artists, bands, and more. This will be the 21st Year of the event and in the last two years they’ve expanded the event even more with bands on Friday and more activities. The event is open to the public and clubs which are encouraged to attend and support our Veterans and First Responders. This year Brother Ambassador promises to “to blow it up and make it bigger and better than ever”.
Contempt contends that he will soon succeed in having a Huey or a Blackhawk land in the field one of these years.
The chapter admits they might have “stole” the term Burger Burns from the Merrimack Valley with tremendous success! “We’ve gotten a tremendous following.” It helps us out during the winter, we post that thing on our facebook and people show up.
It's been a huge help to the local Vets Club and Legion Post when the Burger Burn draws the crowd and it's a huge boost to their business.
Contempt expounds on why it's important to have that community connection.
“If something happens in this area, one of the first group people talk about is the Nam Knights.” That only benefits the veterans and first responders. That results in some interesting donations.
This year they did fishing gear and tackle for the Vets Home. We get side tracked a little with a discussion about their donation of robotic cats and dogs to the Memory Unit at the Vets Home. What a unique idea. A few years ago they delivered 10-15 electric razors.
This year the chapter hopes to do the Tail of the Dragon and the Blue Ridge Parkway as part of a chapter week’s long ride in the Fall.
“We’ve got a good crew, that likes to ride, likes to do things and hangout. Alot of BS flies and a lot of drinks get dranks!”
IRON HORSE CHAPTER CALL IN
Another great conversation to share, this time with Brother Hammer from the Iron Horse Chapter (NY).
Hammer reaffirms our belief that sometimes you need to step back from the pressure of chasing events and focusing on riding as a chapter and surely up the Brotherhood of our club.
We talk about some of the Iron Horse Chapter’s more recent events and some of their upcoming annual events including their annual BBQ. Its been moved from July to October.
We also talked about planning their first ever Golf Fundraiser.
Speaking of riding, our conversation goes to Sturgis and the Tail of the Dragon.
Wrapping up a road report, well not really but its a light-hearted criticism of the NY Roadways.
Thanks to Iron Horse for adding another great episode to our ever growing 2025 catalogue.
2025 White Mountain Chapter Call In
17th Annual “Blues Bash”
February 22, 2025
Doors Open at 6pm
Food starts at 7pm
$20 PP
Indy & Maker welcome WMC’s LT and Youngblood to their first appearance on the podcast.
The chapter started in 2007 and is based in Concord, New Hampshire.
More recently the chapter has experienced a change in membership and is currently undergoing a bit of a reorganization and change in its personality.
This year's Blues Bash is the 17th anniversary of the event. The event boasts a unique food fare where each patch brings their own “signature dish” to the event.
Indy points out how the chapter successfully organizes the event.
Many local patches and prospects have cycled through the event over the years. “Its a great event, so much stuff going on, you never see prospects sitting around”, setting the bar high.
LT points out some recent changes in the way they organize the room to ensure that everyone is included in the festivities.
The event always dodges the potential of seasonal weather. LT advises that the event is rain (show) or shine.
We asked if they ever had anyone ride to the event. Not that anyone could recall.
The support that the chapter gets from the VFW is strong and a great partnership.
Raffles include 3 items raffle: 55” inch flat screen TV, Blackstone Grill, and $100 Cash.Plus a door prize and basket raffles.
The event always has a big and diverse community turnout, in addition to the Nam Knights chapter attendance.
EVENT PAGE:
https://www.facebook.com/share/17prFXxTDb
TRI BASE CHAPTER CALL IN
Opened up the lines for the Tri-Base Chapter with Brothers Kickz and Webster.
https://www.facebook.com/nkmctribase
They are kicking off their 10th Year of hosting Bike Nights at the Eden Stanley American Legion Post 294 (Pemberton NJ) beginning on Friday April 11th! Six Bike Nights from April through September, 2nd Friday of Every Month.
https://www.facebook.com/share/18WzdzuaSj
In June the chapter celebrates their 10 Year Anniversary! June 7th, Save the Date and mark it on your calendar because you sure are not going to want to miss this one!
You might think that’s a full dance card for a small close knit chapter triangulating three posts and bases but I found it was only the tip of the iceberg.
The chapter supports the Field of Flags, Wreaths Across America, and works directly with the Family Support offices on post to provide everything from Pumpkins to Diapers (and everything in between) for the families of those deployed.
And in the vane of supporting the troops, Kickz and Webster enthusiastically introduced the story of a young man named. Vincent Lorenzo
For the past three years, Vincent has been giving veterans handmade Christmas cards and gift cards to a local restaurant, to show his thanks and appreciation for all they have done.
“He started raising money by playing a saxophone on the corner of his street. There he met a group of local men called the Nam Knights of America Motorcycle Club (Tri-Base Chapter), which honor American veterans and police officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty,” she said. “They were so touched by him that they have donated money to him the past three years so that he can reach more veterans.”
https://www.thesandpaper.net/articles/barnegat-teen-on-a-mission-to-honor-veterans
Innovation and creativity are evident in the Chapter’s social media, graphics, and support. Brother Webster commented that at times its best to let a graphic or idea stew a little . Such was the case with their 2nd (now) Annual upcoming Ladies Night event, the Dirty Bingo Fundraiser. They were both reluctant to divulge too many details but recounted how the idea first emerged during an evening gathering after attending the Eternal Chapter ceremony in Orlanda FL. At first dismissed, it returned and has now become one of their strongest events.
It's sold out again this year by the way.
2nd Annual Dirty Bingo Fundraiser (Ladies Night)
https://www.facebook.com/events/1628934901040436
Later in the season they’re planning a collaborative event at Riv’s Toms River Pub. A project that brings an event to a community partner and benefits the club & local veterans at the same time.
https://www.rivstrhub.com
We wrapped with an all too familiar sentiment, that it’s important to focus on the reasons we are drawn to the Nam Knights MC in the first place. Brotherhood, belonging, call it what you want but its important not to lose sight of that too.
The Tri-Base is a small close knit powerhouse chapter that is clearly firing on all cylinders!
What an absolutely terrific episode, we squeezed the best of everything into 30 minutes!
Brother Professor of our Merrimack Valley chapter checks in on the phone lines. Despite a few dropped calls, he lays out his adventures riding solo across the country. We discussed some destinations, preferences, and probably his best story of showing up unexpectedly at the home of one of his former students. We can all laugh now (and we hope she can too). Florida, Cleveland, Hilton Head, Vegas Baby, and San Diego. Miles from home and all alone! Brother Professor is on the mend from a knee replacement surgery and very much looking forward to getting back on the bike this spring. No one has a more positive attitude than this guy! Atlanta Traffic He recalls it as being one of the worst traffic encounters of his trip. https://511ga.org/region/Atlanta Hilton Head Expensive but exciting week spent here with his friends. There are current six golf balls he graciously donated to the treeline during his stay. https://www.hiltonheadisland.org/ Navarre Beach (Florida) Recalls as one of his favorite destinations. https://www.getrelaxing.com
And finally tonight, we peeled open the door to Stewy's Garage and recorded a truly entertaining episode. We start by discussing how high temps and humidity steal power and performance from our motorcycles. That discussion evolved into a roundtable about Handlebars, Seats, and Highway pegs. Engine Idle Temperature Management System (EITMS) The idea is that when the engine temperature reaches a predetermined point, the system will turn the rear cylinder fuel injector off, and then proceeds to act as a “air pump” to cool the engine. https://www.sunshinecoastharley.com.au/blog/harley-davidson-idle-engine-temperature-management/2967 Surprisingly we go on to talking about riding the roads in the State of Florida and the potential wildlife hazards that exist, including the LoveBug invasion. A comical way to end our return to the garage! https://www.news-press.com/story/news/environment/2023/05/13/biologist-answers-questions-about-love-bug-season-in-florida/70202840007
Our Annual January Fundraiser and Bash is this weekend.
Indy and Maker sit down in the studio to give you a preview and talk about planning the event.
Doors open at 6, the meat raffle starts at 7:15
$20.00 cover funds six (6) $50 cash door prizes
10 games for assorted meat packages, these aren't your usual meat raffles. We are raffling off $1500 worth of Quality Meat from McKinnon's Market & Super Butcher Shop in Salem, N.H
https://www.mckinnonsmarkets.com
In addition, we look forward to opening our Post Home, the American Legion Post 315 to everyone and are thankful for all the hard work our Bartenders, Floor Sellers, and many many people behind the scenes provide.
https://dracutamericanlegionpost315.com
We are welcoming a New Sponsor this year, The Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers from Boston.
On behalf of the entire Nam Knights MC Merrimack Valley Chapter, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to Jeffery Glassman for this donation. That support helps us support local veterans and continue to build our community. We are grateful for their commitment to supporting local riders and look forward to riding together in the future!
https://www.jeffreysglassman.com
https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyGlassmanInjuryLawyers
We welcome back Boyer's Truck Equipment from Hudson NH and are thankful for their generous donation year after year.
https://www.boyerstruckequipment.com
And finally but by no means last, Brothers Sports Bar and Grille from Dracut MA will be providing the food for the event. Brothers has been a staunch support of this and many others of our events throughout the years.
https://www.bsbandg.com
Had a great conversation with Iron Mike from the Boondocks Chapter of the Nam Knights MC. There's a lot packed into this 30 minute Call In. Talked about upcoming events, charitable endeavors (with some absolutely terrific suggestions BTW), his upcoming Rib Eye Round Up and some past donation drives, namely the Wolfhounds Legacy. Show Notes below. Boondocks Chapter, Nam Knights of America MC https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087533913246 2nd Annual Rib Eye Round Up February 1, 2025 1p-4p $30/pp Hygiene Kit Bundle 5 Piece (Supplies to Make 100 Kits) 100 KITS - all the supplies to assemble 100 kits, including the bags SAVE MONEY - by packing kits yourself, your dollars go further DONATION - Great for donations to your local chaities COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT - Get groups to take action, pack kits, and make a difference in the lives of others. PLAN AN EVENT -Perfect for Faith based groups, corporations, community groups, or individuals wanting to change lives. www.amazon.com Bags in Bulk Bags in Bulk serves as the premier destination for those supporting others, offering unparalleled and competitive pricing across our entire product range. This approach ensures that each order has the maximum potential to assist a broad spectrum of individuals. Our diverse range of items addresses genuine human needs from childhood through adulthood, bringing hope, opportunity, and joy to humanitarian missions, disaster relief organizations, charities, school districts, as well as children and parents. https://bagsinbulk.com Wolfhounds Legacy 501c3 non profit EIN 81-4381275 Our mission is to train rescue dogs and pair them with a veteran with PTSD. We are saving two lives at a time. https://www.facebook.com/wolfhoundslegacy Arcadia Rodeo Get ready for four straight days of non-stop rodeo action at the 97th Annual Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo sponsored in part by Visit DeSoto, Florida Power & Light, Land South, and Everglades Farm Equipment. Save the date for March 6th-9th, 2025, and join us at Mosaic Arena in Arcadia, Florida for the oldest rodeo east of the Mississippi. www.arcadiarodeo.com
Brother Outkast joins the Podcast with his next episode of Outkast's Bullpen.
This day he highlights getting emergency care at Non-VA Facilities and the requirement to notify the VA within 72 hours.
Ask the provider to notify us right away in either of these ways:
- Through our VA emergency care reporting portal, or
- By calling us at 844-724-7842 (TTY: 711)
We must get the notification within 72 hours of when your emergency care starts. We prefer that the provider notify us. But if they don’t, you or someone acting on your behalf can notify us instead.
https://www.va.gov/resources/getting-emergency-care-at-non-va-facilities
Outkast also talks about SGLI and VGLI insurance. We do a bit of deep dive into that topic too.
https://www.va.gov/life-insurance
Finally we highlight some new articles & topics.
Presumptive status
Veterans who served in the first Gulf War or Post-9/11 conflicts suffering from leukemia, bladder cancer and other related illnesses will be granted presumptive benefits status under plans announced by Veterans Affairs leaders Wednesday.
https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/2025/01/08/va-eases-benefits-rules-for-cancers-from-post-911-service-k2-tours Massachusetts' Veterans Equality Review Board
The HERO Act (Section 136) expanded the scope of the VERB board beyond Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell to include reviewing discharges for all protected classes, including race, religion, and age.
https://www.mass.gov/orgs/veterans-equality-review-board
Brother Canine checks in from the Bourbon Chapter in Bullitt County, KY. We talk about upcoming events, moving from New Hampshire, and generally about the chapter.
Our initial discussion with Brother NK Outkast about Veteran Benefits and Navigating the process for accessing the VA.
https://www.veteranscrisisline.net
Recurring Segment: Stewys Garage
Brother Stewy of the Boondocks Chapter in Florida and I pull up a couple of stools in his (virtual) garage and catch up.
Stewy was one of our first hosts on the podcasts and has been onboard for some our greatest remote recordings, including the parking garage broadcast from the 30th Anniversary Party and even the sidewalk in front of the hotel during the annual NK DC Run.
We start with a recap of the Boondocks support for the Wolfhounds Legacy "No Hero walks alone" foundation. He gives a great update on the sponsorship of Quigley the therapy dog and how they found this great program.
https://wolfhoundslegacy.org/nam-knights-of-america-motorcycle-club-boondocks-chapter-donation
Brother Stewy continues with an introduction to Hearts & Homes for Veterans Inc (Ft Myers FL).
https://www.hhveterans.com
Finally we get around to to this month's question: Hotel, Motel, or Camping and the conversation morphs into a list of essentials for the bike when roadtripping.
Awesome episode as always! 30 minutes of greatness.
See you next month in the Garage!
Put Us Back in Coach! Its a new season and the boys from Merrimack Valley are back at the podcast table and ready to knock it out of the park.
Indy, Scrubs, and Maker kick off the return espisode. As usual we talk about upcoming events and planning events. A couple of shout outs to chapters and patches and we try to answer an age old question about road tripping.. Hotels, Motels, or Camping.
44:00 Oddball does his call in segment, minus the dishwasher tonight, from the Blue Water Chapter. He's been at the Black & Blue Ball, Mama Tried Motorcycle Show, and hanging with the Brew City Chapter. Apparently prefers to sleep on people's couches (so be forewarned).
59:30 Iron Mike calls in from the Boondocks Chapter in Florida to thank you for support their first big event, a huge success. The snowbirds are abundant in the Sunshine State these days and he's had a few drop in's recently.
It's back and better than ever. The Merrimack Valley Podcast
This week we got a chance to call into the Hidden Battles Radio show on WCAP to talk about the club, the upcoming Burger Burn, and what the chapter does for our local veterans.
Huge thank you to Scott & Chris at Hidden Battles and Mike from the SPC Matthew Pollini Memorial Fund for inviting me on their show and giving us a chance to spotlight the Merrimack Valley chapter of the Nam Knights MC.
Dropped dropped a few minutes of tape today to open our 2023 Podcast Season! Nothing special, just knocking the rust with Fumes, Professor, and Maker on the Porch overlooking the Rear Company Street.
More to come as the crew gets back in studio and gives you a full length episode later this month.
The MVC crew traveled out to attend the Southern tier chapter's Summer Bash again in East Branch, New York, We set up our mobile studio and talked to our Southern Tier brothers about what goes into hosting this great annual event.
Brothers Bulldog, Rancher, Contempt, and Shiner all sat down and gave us a few minutes of their time. Cameo's by Brothers Canine and Maddog add some color to the podcast.
Maker tries to herd the cats so to speak in the studio, alone and once again unsupervised. This episode is the result..appropriately entilted.. from a Tent down by the River..
This weekend we joined our Southern Tier Brothers at their annual Summer Bash. It was the first time Merrimack Valley did a mobile broadcast in a long time and we're very glad that week did. What a great event and great time.. here's a little sample of what we captured.
The MVP usual suspects return to the studio for our February episode and we're "off the rails" before we even starrted.
We start out with a little recap of our January event and we toss around some feedback and ideas.
Later on in the episode we discuss our ideas on what make a BIKE NIght a successful event as we prepare for our upcoming Burger Burns.
19:25 Upcoming Events review
Shout to NK Southern Tier and a reminder that the WMC Blues Bash is coming up.
37:30 Final Rounds.
The Merrimack Valley MVP's return to the studio and it doesn't take long for the train to left the rails. Recapping for time lost and looking forward to the future. Maker, Scrubs, Indy, and Fumes are in studio, Stewy & Oddball call in to provide additional commentary.
- 01:00 Too Loud
- 04:00 Knocking the Rust Off - Our January Event is approaching
- 15:00 Recapping the past months
- May DC
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25:00 June / July - the Burger Burns returned
- August - Southern Tier Hospitality
- 37:40 Perspectives on Prospecting
- 49:00 Chapter remembers our losses, Tributes to Brother Batman
- 01:00:00 Upcoming Events
- 01:14:00 Saved Rounds
Its our Memorial Day episode and the whole crew is in Washington DC for our annual Run to the Wall. Maker mans the control board back home and is completely unsupervised, a risky proposition.
We talk about the weekend's Remembrances and a few special moments for Hunter and Professor.
The podcast crew returns to talk about the surge of Events being organized as the Nation awakes.
Brother Slider calls in and talks DC & other upcoming events with the regular crew.
The crew is broadcasting from our weekly Cigar Night as the conversation takes unexpected and humorous turns as the hosts talk about the opportunity for a fresh start to the new year.
Indy, Scrubs, Professor, and Stewy join Maker to host the start of our THIRD season of MVP Podcasting!
The crew is back in the studio to record another episode.
With not much going on we start tossing around the idea of Virtually Connected Event between several chapters.
The talk continues about so of our more recent gatherings and the upcoming Veterans Day Ceremonies.
Maker & Indy host a bonus episode with Havoc, The Kid, & Sk8tr from Treasure Coast FL chapter.
We run the table of topics talking about the importance of having a community connection, connecting with other chapters, Fundraisers, Anniversaries, and more.
We were thrilled to have our Florida brothers join us tonight!
Follow the Treasure Coast chapter on facebook at: www.facebook.com/TreasureCoastNamKnights
The Band is back together after a month off thanks to the power of zoom. We've got Knights from Florida to New Hampshire and seemingly everywhere in between. The group has a good discussion about fundraiser raffles and most of the pitfalls chapters can expect. As we also we recap the upcoming events (and some we missed this year) including West Virginia, Maryland, Leigh Valley, Dutchess County and Southern Tier. We talk about the POW MIA ceremony in Portsmouth NH and go off the tracks as much as we're on it.
NK Madman call in during "Open Mic" to discuss their event coming up in a few weeks.
If you've attended before, you know how great this is and we hope to see you again! If this is your first time, this is what you can expect:
100-mile scenic (coastal and historic) motorcycle ride around the smallest state in the country
American and Portuguese BBQ
Live Music
Presentation of Colors
Awards, Raffles, Cash Bar
ALL proceeds to benefit the 2020 Gold Star Teen Sailing Healing Adventure (www.goldstarsailing.org)!
Back in May we opened the phone lines and waited to see who would call. Canine calls in from the White Mountain Chapter to give us a preview and update on what that chapter is up to.
Staying connected as a very different Memorial Day weekend approached. We've got the geography to back it up with Maker & Indy in studio, Call Ins from Scrubs & Professor at Home, Stewy's slaying trees in North Conway NH, Oddball from a distant land known as the Mitten, and Iron Mike joins the team from Florida.
The crew starts out talking about how different this Memorial Day is but the meaning & significance remains. We talk about staying connected as a club and the value of our relationships with the local Legion and VFW posts. Sometimes navigating that terrain can be challenging but the rewards for both organizations is huge.
The podcast crew dials into Zoom Record the April edition of NK Radio! Maker & Indy are in studio hosting Scubs, Stewy, and Kid via the magic of technology. OddBall joins us again long distance from just south of the "UP". Yeap we're all hip to the Michigan, Wisconsin terminology now.
This month we talk about the success of the SuperMarket Gift Card giveways, the ways teleconferencing is changing how we do business (every in the club) and what we think the next few months are starting to look like.
If these guys aren't quarantined,they ought to be. This month we're both in studio and connecting remotely to bring another awesome episode. As Scrubs says "if you aren't listening to us this month, you're wrong". >> We take the feedback to heart and put it out to you.. should this still be called the Merrimack Valley Podcast or what.. give us your suggestions. We get creative in discussing how to support those businesses that support your chapters, especially in these times. Then the whole thing gets off track and goes off the rails as usual but that's what makes it entertaining and worthwhile. The March episode of Merrimack Valley Radio.
Our newest Nam Knights MC chapter, the Moonshine Chapter President Outcast calls in after hearing our recent discussion about venues and floats the idea of getting event sponsors. Updates us on the progress the 75th chapter of the Nam Knights is making getting underway in Columbia SC.
Back from the break, the MVC crew talks events, what's cooking locally and beyond. Nobody is safe and the conversation gets completely off script at times but its all in fun as they promote the best we have to offer in the upcoming months. Summer is just around the corner, we hope.
The crew talks about selecting venues for your event. After a hugely successful event in January, the group is forced to confront the reality of needing to find a new venue for next year. We talk about what's important to consider when search for the perfect location for your next club event.
We open the mic at the Merrimack Valley Fundraiser and talk with "Just Jack", Nam Knights Club Founder, about the club and his custom built motorcycle being raffled off later in the evening.
Brother Canine from the White Mountain NH chapter joins us to talk about their upcoming "Winter Blues Bash" on FEB 22nd in Concord NH.
Brother Maddog from the NH Seacoast Chapter returns a veteran guest to check in and entertain us as always.
Finally Brother Salty from the Central Mass chapter joins the podcast for the first time to talk about their upcoming Valentines Day Dinner on Saturday FEB 15th.
We return with usual roundtable in February with a host of topics, tune in, subscribe, and spread the word!
On tonight's episode we check in with Oddball from the Wolverine Chapter in MI and Webster over at Tri-Base Chapter in NJ.
Indy, Scrubs, and Maker man the mics in studio at the Dracut American Legion for our first episode of Season 2..... and they never thought we would make it past December of 2018!
Hour plus episode be forewarned but awesome event ideas and lots of great feedback on the podcast's reach. Webster talks Web Page vs Facebook and brings us up to speed with Tri-Base Bike Nights and their Open House coming up in June.
Our 1 Year Anniversary of the Podcast
Tonight we are broadcasting from the Dracut American Legion and talking with our Brothers Sig from the Tar Heel Chapter and Madman from our Blackstone Valley Chapter.
Our discussion about visiting other chapters and event ideas.
Brother Indy discusses our club's upcoming events and we challenge everyone to gather & attend the chapter Anniversary Parties happening this year!
Tech Tip: Paid Facebook Ads
In our November episode we talk about the highlights of the past year attending club events, specifically:
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Gathering of Nam Knights at Rolling Thunder 2019
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30th Anniversary Party at the Parent chapter
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Southern Tier's 15th Anniversary Party (Weekend)
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New England Paralyzed Veterans Assoc (NE PVA) Bass Trail Fishing Tournament
We take a look forward at some of the events appoaching on our calendar including our own:
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14 DEC Remembering our Veterans Wreath Ceremony & Breakfast
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25 JAN Annual Winter Fundraiser and Knight Out
Our discussion takes us to some national and local topics including the "Wreaths Across of America" and the recent announcement of Veterans Housing in Dracut, MA
Finally a tech tip for those on Facebook using the "EVENTS" function and the advantages of doing so.
The recorder is rolling as the Merrimack Valley crews broadcasts from their "Oasis" located on the lower level of the Econolodge Parking Garage. The crew is in New Jersey to attend the 30th Anniversary of the Nam Knights MC.
Scrubs, Stewy, and the Kid host the 9th Episode of our Podcast after a month long Hiatus.
Our Best Episode to Date.
In this episode we are broadcasting from Washington DC during the Annual Rolling Thunder Demonstration Run and our annual Memorial Ride.
Stewy and Maker break out in interviews from the plaza with:
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NK Maddog
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NK Wrench
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NK Iron Mike
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NK Highway
Brother Indy ties it all together with his dialogue throughout the episode.
Captured the sounds and intent of the Memorial Day Weekend.
In this episode, Brother Stewy joins us on 3rd mic.
Fresh back from his week in Florida, we talked about riding to DC next month and he offers some insight into the early season service rush.
Stewy's Custom Cycles
19 New Salem St, Wakefield, MA 01880
(781) 224-5600
https://www.facebook.com/Stewys-Custom-Cycles-191993667506631/
Brother Turtle checks in from the Sunshine State. We had a great conversation and decided to break it out as a Bonus Track!
Marching into Spring with our first call-ins and tons of other content.
Maker's been on the road visiting our West Virginia chapter and Georgia's Dixie Chapter.
Brother Contempt calls in to talk to the Merrimack Valley brothers about the NY Southern Tier's 15th Anniversary Party.
Brother Wrench checks in from sunny Daytona Florida and promises to (maybe) come back to the cold north.
We have audio from the White Mountain Chapters Annual Blues Bash and Brother Hunter accepting the 2019 New England Nam Knights award.
Finally we wrap up with a quick wrap up of our recent visit to the Middlesex GWOT Memorial Fundraiser and we finish with our bullet round of topics.
We had a great night at the White Mountain Chapter's 12th Annual Winter Blues Bash last night. Did capture as much audio as we wanted for our podcast, but we managed to put this slice together...
Brother Koo's feeling the winter blues and Brother Mongo has no sympathy as cleans up during the raffle.. all in fun..
Hunter and Professor join us on the mics this month as the crew recaps the January fundraiser and looks forward to our local events and beyond.
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Good Of the Order: We take a few minutes at the start of the show to remember Dave "Duke" Chambers, Granite State Nam Knights Chapter and our friend John Rapka of the Northeast Veterans Outreach Center.
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Around New England (NK Events) recap. This month we are looking forward to:
-- 15.FEB "Fill The Booth" at the NE Fishing Expo (NE PVA)
-- 16.FEB "Band of Brothers" (Central Mass) Valentines Day Dinner
-- 23.FEB White Mountain Chapter "Blues Bash"
and beyond..
- Around the Nation. (Nam Knights events beyond New England)
-- 09.FEB Jersey Coast 1st Annual Dinner Fundraiser
-- 23.FEB Parent chapter "BeefSteak"
-- Tri-Base Chapter's 2019 Bike Nights beginning 10.May
-- NK Orange County Chapter's 2019 Street Glide Raffle
Special Thanks to our local businesses, clubs, organizations, and friends that supported our January "Winter Fundraiser".
Broadcasting from our 5th Annual "Raffle Night" Fundraiser at the Dracut American Legion.
We are sincerely grateful to all of those that showed up at the event and everyone who supported us to make the evening possible.
We recorded some truly awesome conversations with some of our New England Chapters about their events coming up this year.
Indy and Scrubs checked in from Merrimack Valley.
Iron Mike and Canine from White Mountain chapter
Johnny Five from "Band of Brothers" (Central Mass) chapter
Madman from the Blackstone Valley chapter
and finally Maddog and I wrap up the program with our final conversation of the evening.
Great Night!
We talk with Brother Hunter about the Christmas Luncheon we sponsored at the Lowell VA Clinic in December.
Hunter joins the podcast to talk about the New England Paralyzed Veterans Bass Trail tournaments held in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. This month Hunter will be collecting donations at the New England Fishing Expo in Boxboro.
We also talk about our upcoming January Fundraiser, the Central Mass chapter's Valentine's Dinner, and the White Mountain chapter's Winter Blues Bash.
Coming events: Golden Gloves at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium and the GWOT Memorial Dedication on June 8th.
Indy and Maker talk about our upcoming fundraiser in January 2019 and go back over some of the great projects we participated in last year.