Your Great Abs

Posts Tagged ‘Motorcycle Club’

As a Member of a Motorcycle Club, I wanted to give some advice to new Clubs out there that are starting up and to those looking to become part of a Club on why I feel Prospecting is so important. I hope I can help make it clear.

I hear members of new Motorcycle Clubs say things like “We do not prospect people” or “We met someone and liked them so we gave them a Patch”. To some of you out there this many sound unbelievable, but trust me it not only happens in many new MCs, it is the reason most new MCs do not make it threw their first year.

Finding a person you like and get along with is a great start. I have many real good friends I like, But I do not know if they would make good Club Members or not. If a person is going to be your Motorcycle Club Brother you need to get to know him as a Club Member first and he needs to get to know what it means to be a part of the Club!

I have spoken to many members of very casual Clubs and I hear a similar story over and over again. The story is how a group of them had been riding together for years having a great time and all getting along. Well one day a new person shows up maybe a friend of a member and he seems like a nice guy. He rides with them a couple of times and they let him into the Club. Right after he becomes a member he turns into a total moron! Now He is going places representing himself as a member of the Club making others hate him and the Club in the process. He starts making it so good members who have been around for years no longer wish to be a part of the Club! Some members want to throw him out, others say they cant do that. The Club is in total chaos and all are in fear of the club shutting down!

What should they do? Well all these problems could have been avoided if the person had prospected! By having a person prospect you can get to know them and see what they are really like. It is easy for a person to behave real well for a few days, but give them a little time and their true Colors will show!

Now how long should you prospect a person for? Well that depends on you and your Club. How much does your Club mean to you? Should you prospect the person three months? Six Months? One Year? I feel the answer is real simple, you and your Club members set a Minimum time limit and then you Prospect the person until they have become a Member and not a moment before that!

Now Prospecting is not just for the Club to find out if they want a person as a Member. It is also for the individual to find out if they want to be a Member of that Club. There is no shame in the fact that a certain Club may have not been for you. If it wasn’t Im pretty sure there is a Club out there for you. Most people don’t get married to the first person they meet in life. They look around till they find the one that’s perfect for them! Like People all Clubs are different and Prospecting is going to be different from one Club to another.

Now it just maybe only my opinion, but I have always felt prospecting is not about trying to break a person. Prospecting is about a person turning into a Member of your Club. Some will rise and become a Brother others will not! My Club Brothers are as close to me as my real Brother. They are all strong adult men who have proven themselves! Not Boys who are looking to prove something to themselves! We all get along great and the only way to keep the Club that way is Prospecting!

I have heard many who have been involved in a Motorcycle Club say that they feel the Brotherhood of the Motorcycle Club world no long exists! I want everyone to know that just because it may not have been there in the Club they were apart of, or tried to become a part of does not mean it has gone extinct! I know that the Brotherhood of the Motorcycle Club world is alive and strong because I am a part of it!!!

I am Your Bro LJ James AmericanBikerX.com Listen to my Radio Show at BikerLowdown.com

Why speak to the MCs in your area before starting a new MC?

I want to address a question I have gotten a lot recently. (I am sure it has a lot to do with the hit show Sons of Anarchy) It is from people who want to start new Motorcycle Clubs. They want to know if they should go to the predominate MCs in their area to talk about starting a new MC first. Many have said to me they do not understand the reason why they should go talk to them! Some have even gone as far as to say that if they have to go to the predominate MC in their area and ask permission that just proves that MC is a Criminal Gang! Not sure how they came to that conclusion but they are some very strong words sent over the computer.

I want everyone to remember I am writing this info as a guideline to those who are looking to get into the MC world and individual results may vary. This maybe some new fad to you but to true Motorcycle Club Members this world is everything!

For my answer to this Question I am going to put aside any statements of having to ask permission of the MCs in your area. I am going to instead ask why would you not speak to the MCs in your area and get their Blessing first before starting a new Motorcycle Club. Many say its because they are going to start a different type of Motorcycle Club. They may even be calling themselves something different like a Riding Club or a Motorcycle Association. Are your Members going to ride Motorcycles and have Club patches on their vests? If the answer is yes, Then again why not go speak to those who have come before you and paved the roads you now wish to ride down!

For many I know the reason they don’t want to ask is simple fear! Fear of what they do not know or what they think they do know. If it is fear, then it is because you do not know the real Motorcycle Club world! Now every Motorcycle Club in the world is different. But most Motorcycle Clubs don’t mind helping to get a new MC started and teach them what it really means to be in a Motorcycle Club, I can guarantee you it is something you will not learn on TV no matter how many episodes you may watch!

Now if you have decided that what you really want is to start up a new Motorcycle Club, One thing I want to make sure you know is something every Father should have taught his Son as a Child and that is “Do not lie and Always do what you say you are going to do” One fact I will also give you is the MC world is all about Respect! If you just start up a new MC without talking to the other clubs in your area that will most likely be seen as disrespectful!

Lets think about some other reasons you would want to talk to the MCs in your area first. You are going to want to make sure your new Patch or MC name is not similar to another Motorcycle Club. Many MCs have worked hard over the years to create a name and image for themselves. They will not like the idea of you either using a name close to theirs or wearing a patch that looks like theirs. The reason being is a simple one, They do not want you being mistaken for them doing anything that would make them look bad. You also could be seen as trying to ride on their coat tails by using the reputation they have worked hard for. You may not understand it now but the MC world is a Brotherhood and if you are fortunate enough to be welcomed into it, You will understand after years of working hard creating a name for your MC. The bottom line is meeting with the MCs in your area and talking with them before starting a new MC is the right thing to do!

Another fear many have is they wrongly believe they will be forced to do things for these other MC’s. The only thing most Clubs may ask of you is to come to a few of their events each year have fun and again to show Respect!!!

Now I have heard complaints from many that there are areas where the MCs have decided they do not want any more new MCs! Well all I can do is guess why that might be! The reason I would think that Motorcycle Clubs would say no more Clubs in an area is that there are already a lot of different MCs in that area and they all get along real well. These MCs would not want anything new coming in and messing up the harmony they have created.

Now like I said before the reason most say they want to start a new MC is because they want to start something different then what is in that area. Well often that is not the truth. The real reason People often want to start a new MC is because they do not want to have to Prospect! If the only reason you want to start a new MC is because you are not willing to prospect, My best advice to you is to stay an independent rider because you will not last long in the Motorcycle Club world anyway! I am Your Bro LJ James AmericanBikerX.com Listen to my Radio Show at BikerLowdown.com

Every February I attend the Annual AMA Biker’s Blood Drive and Party at Harley Davidson of NYC in Long Island City. The Biker’s Blood Drive grows a little bigger every year.

I have gone just about every year and always give a pint of the good stuff, The event always brings in many Bikers from all over the Long Island\New York City area and many pints of Blood are always collected!

The Blood Donated will be used locally to help save those in our area. For just one Pint of Blood Guests are treated to Live Music by The always incredible “The Transplant Band” They are also given all the Bagels, Donuts, Muffins, Cookies and candy they Can eat along with many varieties of Juice. I think what really gets many of the Bikers to donate is the Free Harley Davidson of NYC T-Shirt.

Blood Donations get slow during the Winter Months and the goal of this event is to make sure there is plenty of Blood in the NYC area. All Blood donated stays in the area and goes to help someone local. The Bikers all know the life they help save could be one of there own.

This is another great event that helps everyone to see the great things that Bikers can do when they stand together and united! A big thanks goes out to Lauren of the Chai Riders MC, She has been a huge part of what has kept this event going over the years!

For more info check out nycharleydavidson.com I hope to see all of you there Next year !!!

Your Bro L.J. James AmericanBikerX.com Listen to LJs Radio Show at BikerLowdown.com