I wanna be just like Dot!…part 2

Now that we have all had a chance to read about the life of this most remarkable woman, Dorothy Robinson, lets talk about something that is and always will be synonymous with her name, The Motor Maids Motorcycle Club.
While Dot was competing in the Laconia National in 1940, she was approached by a fellow woman rider from Providence, Rhode Island named Linda Dugeau.  In the late 1930s Linda had decided that there may be other women who were interested in becoming a part of a group that enabled them to come together and have comradery with other women riders.  She wrote to motorcycle dealers, other riders and anyone she thought might know of women who were currently riding or may be interested in riding, for her to recruit. After this extensive search, she put together a list and from that list came the 51 charter members of the original Motor Maids. Dot had always desired to unite women riders and to show that you could ride a motorcycle and still look like a lady so, she was the perfect partner to Linda in creating the club. Together they started a group that has become legendary to woman riders today. The American Motorcycle Association Charter #509 was issued to the club in 1941 making them official!

Dot became the first appointed president. She held the position for the next 25 years.  She resigned the position in 1965 at one of the yearly conventions that the club holds in July at different locations across the country.
The founding premise of the Motor Maids was to unite women riders and promote motorcycle interest.  “The Constitutional Articles” of the club established that the member must legally own and operate their own motorcycle or one belonging to a family member. This requirement has remained the Motor Maids hallmark ever since.  During the time Dot was with the Motor Maids, she estimated that she logged up to 50,000 miles a year to help increase the visibility of  not only the Motor Maids but, women riders in general. Although the uniforms may be something that we would consider quite formal today with their slacks, blouses and white gloves, they were hard-core riders. Many joined the Armed Forces and rode as couriers.  The Motor Maids and their activities were covered extensively in a monthly column in the American Motorcyclist Magazine. I sure wish I could get my hands on those issues!
Dorothy Robinson would be pleased to know that the Motor Maids are still alive and well and still “promoting a positive image and safe riding skills” today.  Dont believe me? Check it out at http://www.motormaids.org/Home.aspx. 
So, along with her tireless desire to promote women riders, Dot helped forge the idea of the motorcycle riding club.  These lady pioneers put together a working club that stood the test of time.
I don’t believe we can begin to thank these women for the trail blazing they did.  I hope the biggest lesson we ladies take away from all the lovely stories we read about these powerful women is that there is nothing we can’t try. We may not make the same mark that Dot made but, we can aspire to be like her and give it a run for its money!
I can’t help but think that I can do more to pay homage to this woman named Dorothy Robinson.  I want to be like her, make my mark like she did.  And so, I am going to buy an electric bike called the Enertia by Brammo and have it painted Dots signature pink, do a mural  about her on the cover ( normally we would paint the gas tank but, this bike doesn’t have one), and ride it proud!!  It makes me wonder; what would Dot think?
                                             The Editor

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