Applicability of Rules and Challenges

1.  
2. These General Rules apply to the entire event and all individual challenges.
3. These General Rules may be revised annually, and the final version of the Rules and Challenges will be published by March 1st of the event year.
4. These rules should be understood in the context that the goal of all challenges is for the participant to visit a location and complete the requirements of the challenge.
5. Challenges may have additional specific requirements in the challenge description that must be honored to receive points.
6. Participants may submit any questions about these Rules or Challenges by email to coddiwomple@bmwmoa.org. All changes to, or interpretations of, these Rules and/or Challenges will be recorded in The Grand Coddiwomple FAQ on the Grand Coddiwomple website at bmwmoa.org/coddiwomple.

Participants

1. This event is open to all BMW MOA members as a no-cost member benefit. You must be a current member to register for the Grand Coddiwomple. You must maintain your membership through the end of the Grand Coddiwomple to receive points.
2. Non-members are encouraged to register for this event. Once the BMW MOA Office processes your membership, your packet will be mailed.
3. Registering for this event will be considered acceptance of the event rules. Participation in this event is strictly voluntary and does not constitute a contract between a Participant and the BMW MOA or represent any implication of liability or warranty. Participants are responsible for all costs and/or losses caused by or related to their participation in this event and are solely responsible for their actions.
4. Participants agree to grant the BMW MOA the right to use submitted photographs for the promotion of this event and the benefit of the BMW MOA.

Event Dates & Registration

1. The Grand Coddiwomple is an annual event running from April Fool’s Day through Halloween (April 1 – October 31, 2025, inclusive).
2. Registration opens Groundhog Day (February 2, 2025) at bmwmoa.org/coddiwomple. Participants will receive an event packet via USPS with their numbered Grand Coddiwomple flag and a sticker.
3. Registrations will be accepted after the event starts, but late registration does not extend the end date or submission deadlines.
4. All photographic proof of visit must be submitted by October 31, 2025 (Halloween) at 23:59 UTC -12, the Howland and Baker Islands Time Zone. This Time Zone is uninhabited and the last place on Earth where it will officially still be any given date. It is four hours behind the US Pacific Time Zone and gives the whole world a few hours of slack for turning in Grand Coddiwomple points.

Definitions

1. “Place” means a city, town, or village recognized as such by a State, Provincial, or other government authority.
2. “Site” means a single physical location which contains, or is marked by, a memorial, historic marker, or other elements as required by the challenge.
3. “Park” means a park established and maintained by a National, State, County, City, Village, Town, or other governmental authority.
4. “Highway” means an Interstate, Federal, State, Provincial or County highway.

Photographic Proof of Visit Requirements

1. Photographs submitted to claim challenge points must clearly include your flag, your motorcycle, and all challenge requirements. Your face can replace your flag or your motorcycle but not both.
2. Visits to a Place, Site, Park, and Highway have specific documentation requirements as follows:
   1. “Place” – Your photograph must include one of the following that clearly shows the Place name: Post Office building, Fire Department building, Police or Sheriff’s Department building, Town Hall or City Hall building, City/town/village welcome sign, City/town/village limit sign.
   2. “Site” – Your photograph must clearly include a historic marker or point-of-interest marker that displays the elements required by the challenge.
   3. “Park” – Your photograph must include one of the following that clearly shows the Park name: Park Welcome sign, Park limits sign, Park entrance or exit sign, Park Visitors Center
   4. “Highway” – Your photograph must clearly include the official federal, state, provincial or county highway sign as required by the challenge. Your photograph must clearly show that you are on or at the highway in question.
3. Any sign, plaque or other identifier must be a government marker or from a recognized historical organization, not from a private party or business, unless otherwise stated in the challenge description.
4. The plural of any defined term (Place, Site, Park, Highway) is the same as the singular term.
5. State includes a Province or other similar governmental subdivision of a country.
6. A Place, Park, Site, or Highway may only be used once for a given challenge unless otherwise stated in the challenge description.
7. In circumstances where you cannot physically get your motorcycle into the photo, your face must be in the photo in place of your motorcycle. If you have lost your flag, your motorcycle must be in the photo. Your face can replace your flag or your motorcycle, but not both.
8. The primary photo must clearly contain all the required elements of a challenge. Supplemental photos may be submitted to help clarify the primary photo submission. The second clarifying photo may be submitted only to provide readability or other details of an element in the primary photo.
9. A given photo can only be used once per participant per Grand Coddiwomple. For example, if you and another rider are in the same photo, each of you may use the same photo once.
10. Any sign or other identifier must be free of mileage and distance indicators or arrows.
11. Holiday decorations are not accepted for any challenge unless stated in the challenge description.
12. Mobile objects (Cars, Trucks, Trains etc.) are not accepted for any challenge unless stated in the challenge description.

Grand Coddiwomple Flag

1. Each participant will receive an official BMW MOA Grand Coddiwomple flag (hereafter referred to as “flag” or “the flag”) bearing the Grand Coddiwomple logo and a unique participant number. Your flag must be clearly visible in all pictures submitted as photographic proof of visit.
2. If you lose your flag, please contact the Grand Coddiwomple Committee by emailing a description of your unfortunate and woeful predicament to coddiwomple@bmwmoa.org.
3. If you lose or forget your flag, your face must replace your flag in all photos. Your face may replace your flag, or your bike, but not both. For example, Rule 5g permits replacement of the motorcycle with your face in situations where it isn’t safe to include the motorcycle in the photo. In such cases, you would not be able to claim the photo without your flag.
4. If you find a lost flag, leave it where you find it. It’s ok to weigh it down if it’s in danger of blowing away or to post a message on the BMW MOA Forum or Facebook page that you found a flag and its location but leave it for the owner to retrieve.

Submitting Photos

1. All Challenge photos must be taken during the Grand Coddiwomple event period.
2. All Challenge photos must be submitted using the Grand Coddiwomple Riders’ Portal. Instructions on how to register and submit photos are in the instructions which are posted on the Grand Coddiwomple website at bmwmoa.org/coddiphotos
3. All Challenge photos must be individual links, must be browser viewable, and must be available till November 30th for audit purposes. If a Challenge photo link was previously scored and when audited that Challenge photo link is no longer available, the submission will be changed to rejected resulting in the loss of previously scored points.

Code of Conduct

1. This is a PG13 rated event, and all submissions must meet that standard. Participants are expected to follow all applicable laws and regulations while participating in this event.
2. We expect all participants to follow these rules. Any attempt to cheat or intentionally distort the rules may result in the disqualification of a submission or a participant.
3. Any pointless complaining will be considered an offer to volunteer to help with the next Grand Coddiwomple.
4. Discrimination, hatred, and violence have no place here. Any submissions containing such depictions or behavior which reflect negatively on the BMW MOA are grounds for immediate disqualification from the event.
5. All decisions of the judges are final. Submit any questions or concerns by email to coddiwomple@bmwmoa.org.

Earning Points, Completion and Winning

1. Participants earn points by completing some combination of the challenges listed in the “The BMW MOA Grand Coddiwomple Challenges.”
2. Any combination of accepted challenge submissions which total 300 points is considered Completion. All participants who complete this event will receive a Certificate of Completion (suitable for framing) and a commemorative pin. The overall event winner will be the participant with the greatest combined total of points. In the case of a tie, the earliest completed submission will be considered the winner.
3. The top three finishers will receive a personalized award.
4. There will be a random prize drawing on or about National Squirrel Appreciation Day (January 21, 2026) for riders who completed the Grand Coddiwomple. Prizes to be determined.
5. All final judging, announcement of the winner, prize drawings, and mailing of certificates will be done following the end of the event.