Are Your Club Members Informed?
(Published in the May 2005 issue of Southern Motorcycle Times magazines)

There are approximately seven issues at the state level and approximately three issues at the federal level that your club members should know about. These issues are legislation that will affect your ability to customize your bike, affect the bikes you can build, affect the way you dress when riding, and affect the penalties that cage drivers get when they negligently kill riders. There are also issues related to discrimination against your club members and legislative efforts to label your club as a criminal gang just because you wear matching club patches.

All these issues are out there. They are current; and they are facing your club NOW. The only way for your club members to be informed about these issues is for at least one member of your club to stay informed and bring that information back to club meetings. Each club should have at least one person who will take the initiative to monitor the bikers' rights movement and inform club members about attempts to hinder us from riding. Every club, whether your club is a motorcycle club or a riding club, should have at least one person who holds the title of "Legislative Affairs Coordinator". That person can keep your club in touch with what is going on and inform your members when they need to get involved.

The best way for your Legislative Affairs Coordinator to stay involved in the issues facing us at the state and federal level is to join the state Motorcyclists' Rights Organization (MRO), and the federal MRO. Whether your club is a black club or white club, a sport bike club or a cruiser club, a manufacturer sponsored riding club or a "MC", you will still benefit from staying involved. You don't have to ride with other MRO members, but your club will certainly benefit from having one of its members become a MRO member and by following the important issues that the MROs are following.

In North Carolina, the state MRO is the Concerned Bikers Association (www.cba-abatenc.org) and in South Carolina, the state MRO is ABATE of SC (www.abatesc.com). The federal MRO is the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (www.MRF.org).

If you want your club to stay informed and be notified about important bikers' rights issues, please have at least one member of your club join your state MRO and the federal MRO.

Vinny Neuman
Copyright: www.NCRider.com 2005