We would like to remind you that The American Legion Riders Association is NOT a M/C, and does not practice M/C rules or regulations.

We are only providing this information to assist motorcyclist once that are out and around Motorcycle Clubs. Also keep in mind that whatever you may be, weather it be an Association, Riding Club, Ministry or just Independent rider it is advisable that you be aware of the MC protocol. Better you educate yourself than to be educated the hard way. You might want to look at the Do's and Don't page we will be creating in the near future,

Patch Holders are people just like you and I and have good and bad days, they have jobs, families, and normal everyday problems and concerns just like anyone else.  We all run into those people that seem to be pissed at the whole world and Patch Holders are no different they also have those people. I am sure you know the kind that no matter what you do or say they are still going to be pissed.

Protocol and Respect are primary rules when dealing with a motorcycle club patch holders. We all want respect in our walk threw life but you need to show the MC respect or being educated about respect could hurt.

If you are being introduced to a patch holder, make sure either you or the person doing the introduction know what club you belong to & if you are an officer, what position you hold. Under no circumstances do you interrupt to correct a mistake while that person is introducing you or while they are talking. Wait till the introduction is done & politely introduce yourself correctly. Do not tell the patch holder the person doing the introduction was wrong just introduce yourself with the correct information. Include your name, Club name, officer title if you hold one and your location. Use you real name and the road name or nick name can come later.

If you are unsure of a patch holders name do not make the mistake I have in the past. I went up to a person and ask how they were doing by name because another person had told me that was his name and I find out later the lady did not even know this person and it was a little embarrassing for me not to mention I got corrected harshly. Just introduce yourself and wait for them to give you their name.

Greet them as you would meet anyone else & wait until the offer is made to shake hands. Even if you know them do not offer to hung thier neck under any circumstances unless they extend the offer first. Do not interrupt, stand at a distance from them and wait for them to recognize you. Do not be offended or make a big deal if they do not offer to shake your hand.  Many times they want to get to know about you and your club a little better before they will offer to shake your hand.

By no means Never, Ever, Lie. This can cause you to loss all respect from MC's just as it would in your work place and could cost a price. You can refuse to answer a question in a polite manner by saying something like, "That sounds like club business, and I would rather refer you to one of our officers for that information." You can expect to be asked question about you and your club. Here are some thing you might need to be prepared to answer based off questions you might be asked that I have been asked or I even asked as a former MC member and a 1%'er support group member.

1.) "We are a association or riding club riding club and  not a motorcycle club and have no intention of ever trying to become a motorcycle club".

L.) Do not volunteer club info. If they ask a question about the local chapter answer it if you can but do not tell a lie. If you do not have the answer to the question refer it to another member that might be with you that may know the answer. If they start asking questions about the number of members, or the National chain of organization refer them to one of the club Officers.

M.) We at American Legion do not wear colors, we wear a patch. But be aware to the MC world and the motorcycle community, you are wearing colors like it or not. If your patch is referred to as colors, do not be offended and this would just be one of those statements you may want to just go along with and not be rude with any replies pertaining to your patch.

5.  Women in leadership positions or being a patch holder in motorcycle clubs are not totally unheard of but is very rare. MC's often will not even want to communicate with a female officer. from another club. That's just the way it is, like it or not. Most motorcycle clubs would also rather deal with a man if there is business to conduct so don't be offended and even if you are offended don't show it. Most MC's realize what a riding club or Association is about & will for the most part accept a woman as an officer, and a woman officer will most likely be allowed to attend any meeting. Whether or not they will deal directly with a woman officer or not depends on the individual motorcycle club, chapter or Association. There is no set rule for this and they will let you know if it's ok with them or not.  Many motorcycle clubs do not care to deal with the National officers.  They would prefer to deal with the local or possibly even state representatives.

If you or any of your members know a patch holder, don't let them throw the patch holders' name/nickname/club's name around like there a great buddy of theirs. Even if you are good buddies or long time friends, most MC's don't like name dropping. Many clubs consider that as being disrespectful to the whole club and the patch holder.

Anything said about a patch holder between club members is club business ONLY. If comments, even those said in a joking manner were to get out, problems could start.  Discussion outside the privacy of the chapter can start  rumors which could cause a lot of problems for not only the chapter, but also for other chapters in your area as well as out of the state.

If for some reason you have to say something while in public about a motorcycle club, take the person you're talking to aside, alone, and say ONLY what you need to say to get your meaning across. Do not be rude, even in anger respect can be shown and try to refrain from the use of cursing during the conversation. Say as little as possible so nobody else could overhear the conversation & misunderstand what you're talking about.

Be careful where you wear your patch since riding clubs and associations don't wear colors, colors are earned, not bought and it's just common sense to stay in numbers when wearing the patch for your own protection. Some motorcycle clubs are very territorial and don't see any difference between a Riding Club or Association weather you are a good or bad group. If you are unsure of the areas or places normally frequented by motorcycle clubs, find out from your club Officers.  If you are planning on traveling and your concerned about what the situation may be and your wearing your patch, in regard to the relationship with the local motorcycle clubs in the areas you'll be traveling through or staying in, talk to your local officer and ask if they can find something out by contacting the officers in the areas you will be visiting.

The best way to support them and show respect  and maintain the appearance of being a neutral club or association is to attend only "open to the public" events that a motorcycle club may be sponsoring.

If you feel that you do want to go to a "limited event", then you'll have to go representing yourself as yourself. It is recommended if you chose to do this that you go to the event without wearing any patches identifying your club or group. You have to keep in mind if you're wearing your club patch then you are considered by everyone to be representing your whole club or group. If something bad happens pertaining to you while at this function or because you were at the function, then your whole club will possible having problems down the road. Some clubs or associations have laws or rules against attending functions outside their own group, so you will need to check with your officers to see if anything like this is in place. If the rival club you visited finds out about you attending the event and you do not attend their event then they will no longer see you as a neutral group and you may end up being a rival of theirs for this reason. Don't think that the rival club will not find out because, they will within a few days. I have even had a situation where the rival club found out about it before I even got back home.

All officers of you club or association should be aware of who the top clubs are and have as much knowledge about them that is available. Often in a lot of groups you will find you may have members that were a part of one of these clubs and can be a good resource of information about these clubs. The key here is RESPECT and can not be said enough.

If someone from a motorcycle club requests that you remove your vest or patch, don’t argue and just say "No Problem" & politely take it off and give it to them. Once this occurs then club officers should be notified what motorcycle club it was that requested you vest or patch and the name of the person if you know them. That way the officer will have all the information and can deal with any potential problems. You normally will only get asked once the second time it will be taken, so to avoid problems just be polite and turn it over.

If an establishment has a sign indicating “No Colors”, even though your patch is not considered “colors”, the vest should be removed out of respect to the other clubs and the policy of the establishment.  While you may just be a Riding Club, it's only respectful to honor the business rules and policies. Motorcycle clubs that honored the policies of a business will probably be deeply offended that you didn't.  Also remember, many establishments choose to have this policy and it applies to all clubs that use any kind of patch since they often do not or cannot distinguish between a MC and a RC or Association.  Be aware of the local motorcycle club hangouts that it is best not to wear the RC or Association patch into them without an invitation or that you know it has already been approved.

In regards to women who are with a MC club, but not in the club:   Old Lady is not a negative or derogatory term, it's just a slang term commonly used describing a members spouse or girl friend.  "Property Of" patches are their way of showing support for their man and the club he's in and is also there for their own protection. If an ole lady is out in public being harassed by somebody from another club and she has her "Property of Patch" on her back it allows members of her ole man's club to be aware of who she is with and help her out with a situation if she needs it.

A patch holder often will not acknowledge your wife or girlfriend and she should never interrupt patch holders while they are having a conversation with other members.  

NEVER touch or sit on a patch holder's bike unless you have been invited.  NEVER touch a patch holder's vest or colors.

A prospect can usually be identified by the back patch they are wearing.  There are many different variations of how motorcycle clubs identify prospects.  They can have the rockers without the main patch and some may even have a patch saying "PROSPECT".  Some do not wear any patch, because all the Patch holders know who the prospects are.  You want to treat a prospect or even someone you suspect is a prospect the same way you would treat a patch holder - with respect and courtesy.

Keep in mind that, problems you have with an MC in your area could affect all members of your club or association in other cities or states.

Be careful with the use of the term Brother or Bro because it has special meaning to a Patch holder. Do not call a Patch holder Brother or Bro because their Brothers are fellow Patch holders and those that have earned that term and right to be called such which comes with respect.

Don't ever touch any part of another club member's colors, which includes the vest or jacket it's sewn on.  The vest is often called cut when an MC is referring to his patched vest. It is considered to be serious disrespectful act and could result in them aggressively educating the un-informed and offender.

Summary

In summary the key thing to remember when in presence of MC's is RESPECT.  It cannot be said enough and not doing so could and will possible be a painful lesson. The lesson of your disrespect could hurt all your members not just you. Check the Do's and Don't page coming in the near future.