When meeting clubs or people for the first time, I'm often asked "Who are you guys?" When you think about it, that's a pretty odd question. My first thought is usually "you don't get out much". If you are an active rider in an area we ride in, you probably know who we are. You've seen us on the street. You've watched us in local parades. You've ridden with us in charity events. We're a very active club. If you've interacted with us at all, you know what we're about: Brotherhood.
Probably like every other club that started from scratch, we sat around a table asking ourselves what we were going to be all about. In the end, we didn't need to give it much thought. We'd all known each other for quite some time. We'd ridden together extensively. We've shared good times and bad. We'd be brothers if we didn't own motorcycles. I trust each and every member of my club with anything and without question. If we wore a tag line on our cut, it would probably be something like NBOB. No Bullshit, Only Brotherhood. Since Brotherhood and HILD (Honesty, Integrity, Loyalty, Duty) are our cornerstone, our prospective members have to fit with us. They have to be someone we welcome into our homes and lives. Some people are a natural fit, others aren't. One thing I hear often from individuals and clubs we associate with is "you guys are a real tight group". Fortunately, people who approach us for membership are drawn by this and usually fit right in. It takes a special kind of person to associate with others on a level playing field with honesty and integrity. Those are the people we accept.
We take the same approach to prospective chapters. We'll get emails saying "I have 15 guys who want to start a chapter". My response is typically "you have 15 BROTHERS who want a charter?" That's rarely the case. Usually it's 4 guys who are like brothers, 5 guys who are friends with 1 or 2 of them, and 6 guys who think it would be cool to have a patch. We don't want that. I'd be more serious about a chapter request that said "I have 3 life-long friends who want to form a chapter". That's manageable. The number isn't important. The brotherhood that exists within that number is. We aren't about the numbers. We're about the brotherhood.
I guess that still doesn't answer the question "who are you guys?" It does tell you WHAT we are, though. We're brothers. We share a love for two wheels. Our wives and associates are a large part of our family. We support our local charities. We support our local causes. We support each other. If you see us on the road, don't send me an email later saying "I saw you at such and such event". Walk up and say hello when you see us. We'll swap stories, have a beer or 10, and leave friends.
Probably like every other club that started from scratch, we sat around a table asking ourselves what we were going to be all about. In the end, we didn't need to give it much thought. We'd all known each other for quite some time. We'd ridden together extensively. We've shared good times and bad. We'd be brothers if we didn't own motorcycles. I trust each and every member of my club with anything and without question. If we wore a tag line on our cut, it would probably be something like NBOB. No Bullshit, Only Brotherhood. Since Brotherhood and HILD (Honesty, Integrity, Loyalty, Duty) are our cornerstone, our prospective members have to fit with us. They have to be someone we welcome into our homes and lives. Some people are a natural fit, others aren't. One thing I hear often from individuals and clubs we associate with is "you guys are a real tight group". Fortunately, people who approach us for membership are drawn by this and usually fit right in. It takes a special kind of person to associate with others on a level playing field with honesty and integrity. Those are the people we accept.
We take the same approach to prospective chapters. We'll get emails saying "I have 15 guys who want to start a chapter". My response is typically "you have 15 BROTHERS who want a charter?" That's rarely the case. Usually it's 4 guys who are like brothers, 5 guys who are friends with 1 or 2 of them, and 6 guys who think it would be cool to have a patch. We don't want that. I'd be more serious about a chapter request that said "I have 3 life-long friends who want to form a chapter". That's manageable. The number isn't important. The brotherhood that exists within that number is. We aren't about the numbers. We're about the brotherhood.
I guess that still doesn't answer the question "who are you guys?" It does tell you WHAT we are, though. We're brothers. We share a love for two wheels. Our wives and associates are a large part of our family. We support our local charities. We support our local causes. We support each other. If you see us on the road, don't send me an email later saying "I saw you at such and such event". Walk up and say hello when you see us. We'll swap stories, have a beer or 10, and leave friends.
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