A Motorcycle Club(MC)
Is an organized club of dedicated motorcyclists who join together for camaraderie, strength of numbers, and peer group acceptance. Motorcycle clubs have a group of elected officers, a probationary period for new members, and a measure of privacy about their internal structure, bylaws, and membership. As part of becoming a full member, an individual must pass a vote of the membership and swear some level of allegiance to the club. Each club has a unique club patch (or patches) adorned with the term "MC" that are worn on the riders vest, known as colors.
Membership in a MC is much different than membership in a motorcycle riding club, or any other club, for that matter. A motorcycle club is the pinnacle of the counterculture biker lifestyle, where riding a motorcycle is not just a pastime or a hobby, but a way of life requiring a strong level of commitment to the club and ones fellow members. Membership is not automatic and may take more than a year to earn. Motorcycle clubs are historically divided into two types: One-percenters, and everyone else (or 99-percenters). One-percent clubs were named in a famous statement by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), describing certain troublemakers as only one percent of motorcyclists. There are a great many clubs for motorcycle riders who refer to themselves generically as motorcycle clubs. Though they are grammatically correct, these clubs are not MCs in the strictest sense of the term, and members of MCs, that is, clubs who wear an MC patch, regard these other clubs as motorcycle riding clubs.
HISTORY
The earliest motorcycle clubs were started following World War II by pilots looking for the same thrills they experienced during the war, though the reputed oldest motorcycle club is the Yonkers MC, founded in 1903. Other notable early clubs include the San Francisco MC, founded 1904, and the Oakland MC, founded 1907.
MEMBERSHIP
The typical internal organization of a motorcycle club consists of a president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, road captain, and sergeant-at-arms. Localized groups of a single, large MC are called chapters, and the first chapter established for an MC is referred to as the mother chapter. The president of the mother chapter serves as the president of the entire MC, and sets club policy on a variety of issues.
The membership process for most motorcycle clubs begins as a guest or "hang-around", wherein an individual is invited to some club events or meets club members at known gathering places. If the guest is interested,or a club asks the hangaround to join he may become a member. If accepted, they remain a prospective member, or prospect, for some minimum time period, participating in some club activities, but not having voting privileges, while they are evaluated for suitability as full members. Some clubs refer to a potential member as a probationary member or probate, though probationary status is usually reserved for those that already have the necessary knowledge and experience to be members. For example, if an entire chapter switches from one club to another, the members are probationary members for some period of time.
Some amount of hazing may occur during the prospecting period, ranging from the mandatory performance of menial labor tasks for full patch members to sophomoric pranks, and, in the case of some outlaw motorcycle clubs, acts of civil disobedience or crime. During this time, the prospect may wear the club name on the back of their vest, but not the full logo, though this practice may vary from club to club.
To become a full member, the prospect or probate must be voted on by the rest of the full club members. Successful admission usually requires more than a simple majority, and some clubs may reject a prospect or a probate for a single dissenting vote. A formal induction follows, in which the new member affirms his loyalty to the club and its members. The final logo patch is then awarded. Full members are often referred to as "full patch members" and the step of attaining full membership can be referred to as "being patched".
Most one-percenter MCs do not allow women to become members. Membership in what authorities term Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs is often racist as well as sexist, and membership in the Hells Angels is closed to African-Americans, Native Americans, and Jews. MC members are not usually referred to by their given names, but instead refer to each other by nicknames, or road names, sometimes even displaying their road name on the club vest. Whether or not this practice was carried over from the military aviation history of colorful pilot callsigns is not known. Larger motorcycle clubs often acquire real estate for use as a clubhouse or private compound.
COLORS
The primary visual identification of a member of an MC is the vest adorned with a specific large club patch or patches, predominantly located in the middle of the back. The patch(es) will contain a club logo, the name of the club, and the letters "MC", and a possible state, province, or other chapter identification. This garment and the patches themselves are referred to as the "colors", or, sometimes, "cuts", a term taken from the early practice of cutting the collars and/or sleeves from a denim or leather jacket.
Many motorcycle riding clubs (as opposed to MCs) such as Harley Owners Group (HOG) also wear patches on the back of their jackets or vests, but the letters "MC" are nowhere to be seen on such patches. This is an important distinction, for only true motorcycle clubs sport the "MC" moniker. The colors for some clubs can consist of a single, one-piece patch, while other clubs may have a three (or more) piece patch. In the latter case, the top and bottom patches, usually crescent shaped, are referred to as rockers.
The number and arrangement of patches is somewhat indicative of the nature of the club. Most one-percenter clubs will have a three-piece patch arrangement; few have a one-piece arrangement. Not all (or even most) clubs sporting a three-piece patch are one-percenters, however. The club patches always remain property of the club itself, not the member, and only members are allowed to wear the clubs colors. A member must closely guard their colors, for allowing ones colors to fall into the hands of an outsider is an act of disgrace and may result in loss of membership in a club, or worse.
Law enforcement agencies have confiscated a clubs colors and other club paraphernalia when they raid a clubhouse or the home of a MC member, and they often display these items at press conferences. These items are then used at trial to support prosecution assertions that MC members perform criminal acts on behalf of their club. Courts have found that the probative value of such items is far outweighed by their prejudicial effects on the defense.
ONE PERCENTERS
Members of motorcycle clubs are often viewed in a negative light by traditional society. This perception has been fueled by the movies, popular culture, and highly publicized incidents. One of the earliest and most notorious of these occurred in Hollister, California in 1947 and is now dubbed the Hollister riot. Whether or not an actual riot occurred is debatable, but there was a motorcycle rally in Hollister from July 4 to July 6 of that year that was attended by about 4000 people. Several newspaper articles were written that, according to some attendees, sensationalized the event and Life magazine ran an article and a staged photograph of an intoxicated subject on a motorcycle parked in a bar. The film The Wild One, starring Marlon Brando, was inspired by the event, and it became the first in a series of movies that depicted bikers and members of motorcycle clubs in this stereotypical manner.
The press asked the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) to comment on the Hollister incident and their response was that 99% of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens, and the last one percent were outlaws. Thus was born the term, "one percenter".
During the 1940s and 1950s, at rallies and gatherings sponsored by the AMA, prizes were awarded for nicest club uniform, prettiest motorcycle, and so forth. Some clubs, however, rejected the clean-cut image and adopted the "one percenter" moniker, even going so far as to create a diamond shaped 1% patch to wear on their vests as a badge of honor. The patch is also used to instill fear and respect from the general public and other motorcyclists. Another practice was to cut their one piece club patches into three or more pieces as a form of protest, which evolved into the current form of three piece colors worn by many MCs today.
One percent clubs point out that "one percenter" simply means that they are committed to "biking and brotherhood", where riding is not just a weekend activity, but a way of living. These clubs assert that local and national law enforcement agencies have co-opted the term to paint them as criminals.
Is an organized club of dedicated motorcyclists who join together for camaraderie, strength of numbers, and peer group acceptance. Motorcycle clubs have a group of elected officers, a probationary period for new members, and a measure of privacy about their internal structure, bylaws, and membership. As part of becoming a full member, an individual must pass a vote of the membership and swear some level of allegiance to the club. Each club has a unique club patch (or patches) adorned with the term "MC" that are worn on the riders vest, known as colors.
Membership in a MC is much different than membership in a motorcycle riding club, or any other club, for that matter. A motorcycle club is the pinnacle of the counterculture biker lifestyle, where riding a motorcycle is not just a pastime or a hobby, but a way of life requiring a strong level of commitment to the club and ones fellow members. Membership is not automatic and may take more than a year to earn. Motorcycle clubs are historically divided into two types: One-percenters, and everyone else (or 99-percenters). One-percent clubs were named in a famous statement by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), describing certain troublemakers as only one percent of motorcyclists. There are a great many clubs for motorcycle riders who refer to themselves generically as motorcycle clubs. Though they are grammatically correct, these clubs are not MCs in the strictest sense of the term, and members of MCs, that is, clubs who wear an MC patch, regard these other clubs as motorcycle riding clubs.
HISTORY
The earliest motorcycle clubs were started following World War II by pilots looking for the same thrills they experienced during the war, though the reputed oldest motorcycle club is the Yonkers MC, founded in 1903. Other notable early clubs include the San Francisco MC, founded 1904, and the Oakland MC, founded 1907.
MEMBERSHIP
The typical internal organization of a motorcycle club consists of a president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, road captain, and sergeant-at-arms. Localized groups of a single, large MC are called chapters, and the first chapter established for an MC is referred to as the mother chapter. The president of the mother chapter serves as the president of the entire MC, and sets club policy on a variety of issues.
The membership process for most motorcycle clubs begins as a guest or "hang-around", wherein an individual is invited to some club events or meets club members at known gathering places. If the guest is interested,or a club asks the hangaround to join he may become a member. If accepted, they remain a prospective member, or prospect, for some minimum time period, participating in some club activities, but not having voting privileges, while they are evaluated for suitability as full members. Some clubs refer to a potential member as a probationary member or probate, though probationary status is usually reserved for those that already have the necessary knowledge and experience to be members. For example, if an entire chapter switches from one club to another, the members are probationary members for some period of time.
Some amount of hazing may occur during the prospecting period, ranging from the mandatory performance of menial labor tasks for full patch members to sophomoric pranks, and, in the case of some outlaw motorcycle clubs, acts of civil disobedience or crime. During this time, the prospect may wear the club name on the back of their vest, but not the full logo, though this practice may vary from club to club.
To become a full member, the prospect or probate must be voted on by the rest of the full club members. Successful admission usually requires more than a simple majority, and some clubs may reject a prospect or a probate for a single dissenting vote. A formal induction follows, in which the new member affirms his loyalty to the club and its members. The final logo patch is then awarded. Full members are often referred to as "full patch members" and the step of attaining full membership can be referred to as "being patched".
Most one-percenter MCs do not allow women to become members. Membership in what authorities term Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs is often racist as well as sexist, and membership in the Hells Angels is closed to African-Americans, Native Americans, and Jews. MC members are not usually referred to by their given names, but instead refer to each other by nicknames, or road names, sometimes even displaying their road name on the club vest. Whether or not this practice was carried over from the military aviation history of colorful pilot callsigns is not known. Larger motorcycle clubs often acquire real estate for use as a clubhouse or private compound.
COLORS
The primary visual identification of a member of an MC is the vest adorned with a specific large club patch or patches, predominantly located in the middle of the back. The patch(es) will contain a club logo, the name of the club, and the letters "MC", and a possible state, province, or other chapter identification. This garment and the patches themselves are referred to as the "colors", or, sometimes, "cuts", a term taken from the early practice of cutting the collars and/or sleeves from a denim or leather jacket.
Many motorcycle riding clubs (as opposed to MCs) such as Harley Owners Group (HOG) also wear patches on the back of their jackets or vests, but the letters "MC" are nowhere to be seen on such patches. This is an important distinction, for only true motorcycle clubs sport the "MC" moniker. The colors for some clubs can consist of a single, one-piece patch, while other clubs may have a three (or more) piece patch. In the latter case, the top and bottom patches, usually crescent shaped, are referred to as rockers.
The number and arrangement of patches is somewhat indicative of the nature of the club. Most one-percenter clubs will have a three-piece patch arrangement; few have a one-piece arrangement. Not all (or even most) clubs sporting a three-piece patch are one-percenters, however. The club patches always remain property of the club itself, not the member, and only members are allowed to wear the clubs colors. A member must closely guard their colors, for allowing ones colors to fall into the hands of an outsider is an act of disgrace and may result in loss of membership in a club, or worse.
Law enforcement agencies have confiscated a clubs colors and other club paraphernalia when they raid a clubhouse or the home of a MC member, and they often display these items at press conferences. These items are then used at trial to support prosecution assertions that MC members perform criminal acts on behalf of their club. Courts have found that the probative value of such items is far outweighed by their prejudicial effects on the defense.
ONE PERCENTERS
Members of motorcycle clubs are often viewed in a negative light by traditional society. This perception has been fueled by the movies, popular culture, and highly publicized incidents. One of the earliest and most notorious of these occurred in Hollister, California in 1947 and is now dubbed the Hollister riot. Whether or not an actual riot occurred is debatable, but there was a motorcycle rally in Hollister from July 4 to July 6 of that year that was attended by about 4000 people. Several newspaper articles were written that, according to some attendees, sensationalized the event and Life magazine ran an article and a staged photograph of an intoxicated subject on a motorcycle parked in a bar. The film The Wild One, starring Marlon Brando, was inspired by the event, and it became the first in a series of movies that depicted bikers and members of motorcycle clubs in this stereotypical manner.
The press asked the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) to comment on the Hollister incident and their response was that 99% of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens, and the last one percent were outlaws. Thus was born the term, "one percenter".
During the 1940s and 1950s, at rallies and gatherings sponsored by the AMA, prizes were awarded for nicest club uniform, prettiest motorcycle, and so forth. Some clubs, however, rejected the clean-cut image and adopted the "one percenter" moniker, even going so far as to create a diamond shaped 1% patch to wear on their vests as a badge of honor. The patch is also used to instill fear and respect from the general public and other motorcyclists. Another practice was to cut their one piece club patches into three or more pieces as a form of protest, which evolved into the current form of three piece colors worn by many MCs today.
One percent clubs point out that "one percenter" simply means that they are committed to "biking and brotherhood", where riding is not just a weekend activity, but a way of living. These clubs assert that local and national law enforcement agencies have co-opted the term to paint them as criminals.
