Top Cats - Chicagoland Bikers Who Mean Business

March Design 2009

Welcome to the Top Cats of Illinois! We are devoted to promoting the sport of safe motorcycling. Our members are social by nature, and we host many types of activities, but our emphasis is on riding. We average more than 25 rides a season... most last a few hours, others are for a day. Several last a weekend and even longer. We are business owners, leaders, and executives... but most importantly motorcycle riders and enthusiasts who enjoy the thrill of safe riding.

Group Riding And Safety Seminar A major focus of the Top Cats is to provide a safe riding environment for our members and guests. To promote this environment, we conduct a Group Riding and Safety Seminar, or G.R.A.S.S., for our members and guests. Attendance at a G.R.A.S.S. session is required for all new members. Non-members are welcome. G.R.A.S.S. does not teach you how to ride...it simply teaches our members and guests how the Top Cats ride safely.

Ride For Dreams Every year the Top Cats hold a major fundraising event for our favorite charity - NISRA: the Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association. All riders are invited to join us in July for our Ride for Dreams…a fun-filled day including a leisurely 75 mile ride through the countryside. The event begins and ends at the Volo Auto Museum in Volo, IL. Registration includes entry into the museum. To date, Top Cats of Illinois has contributed more than $200,000 to NISRA from the proceeds of these events.

Membership Top Cats of Illinois is a not-for-profit association. The Regular Members are motorcycle enthusiasts who own a business or are employed in an executive position with authority over a division, department or other entity within a business, governmental, charitable, or educational organization, or who are motorcycle enthusiasts that are sponsored as Associate members by Regular Members. Interested in joining? Come to one of our general meetings and introduce yourself!

September Meeting: New Location!

The September 7th General Membership Meeting has been moved to:

Anthem Grill

704 West Euclid Avenue

Palatine, Illinois

847-963-8920

Guest speaker is ABATE attorney, Rod Taylor, Esq.

He will be joining us from Indianapolis to speak about what to do when pulled over by the police.

Check out the Top Cats Events Calendar for more info and a map to the location.

President's Corner

Written by Carlton R. "Top Cat" Marcyan

Top Cats of Illinois - Rides On

Now in our 15^th year, Topcats-Illinois has accomplished a great deal. Motorcycling is our passion and providing benefits to our biker and greater community is our goal. Each year we devote many, many hours to raise funds for the Northern Illinois Special Recreation District. This year is no exception; Joan Derango and Michael Bradbury as committee heads have led the way to very successful raffle sales and participation in our annual charity ride. Give a thank you to both of them for their tremendous efforts and great job!

2010: Top Cats 15th Anniversary

Written by Gary Brandt, Past President

15 Years of Excellence

Last year the board of directors decided to investigate the official date that the Top Cats were formed. There was some disagreement and confusion. After reviewing documents from that time period it was determined that officially, September 2^nd 1995 was the correct date. Efforts to form the Top Cats had begun well before then; the original members had already ridden and spent time together. But the creation of the bylaws and official meetings determine the actual day. The 2009 Board approved this date as the Top Cats birthday.