Author: cash

A 1% MC stands apart and commands respect for several reasons. There is an extremely deep level of personal commitment and self–discipline that a man has to demonstrate and maintain in order to wear a 1% MC back–patch. In some cases, their commitment is comparable to a religion or a full time profession for the individual. The membership process is long and demanding. As a result, their colors are closely guarded, and the individual’s’ expectations for respect come from their earning the right to wear and keep wearing their patch. It is not uncommon for the dominant club of an area to select some of their prospects from the best of the ranks of their support clubs.

A 1% MC will have a vigilant level of mutual support. There are potential dangers of invoking a negative response from a well–organized unit that travels in numbers and is always prepared for confrontation. You cannot provoke one club member without having to answer to the entire club, and that such an answer is a point of honor that must come down to the last man, if required.

As the the strongest and most established club, they will assume charge of the particular area or state in which they ride. The CVMC operates with the understanding the dominant club shall generally handle authorizing new clubs in an area or state, disbanding clubs that cause continual problems, mediating resolutions between existing clubs with issues, enforcing their own solution if clubs cannot resolve conflict on their own, and promoting a communications link and providing for intra-club events or cooperative bodies (such as the UC).

The preceding speaks in respectful generalities and is not meant to apply to every 1%er club; it is for prospect general educational purposes.

The CVMC prides itself in observing MC protocol, promoting an historical MC culture, and extending all respect given in kind. We do not sanction or approve/disapprove the establishment of any type of organization, but we do adhere to the standards of the MC community in any area we desire to operate. We operate as an independent, non-affiliated club at all times. Part of being a MC is following the protocols that extend and receive the respect that three-piece patch clubs mutually accord one another. Within the confines of any given MC, and absolutely in the CVMC, a common thread is loyalty; to the club and to its the mission.

Members will not abuse prospects; they may someday be your brother and thusly shall be brought up in a culture of honor and respect. The club environment isn’t a schoolyard and the members are no bullies. The prospect period exists so that potential members can actively work to earn the trust and respect of patched members. Prospects must prove by action, not words, their desire to wear CVMC colors and their commitment to our values, culture, protocols and to the brotherhood.

Invited hang-arounds and prospects should show genuine interest, dedicating his time and effort to hanging around the club, learning and abiding by CVMC protocol, and adapting to its culture in order to gain the trust and respect of its members and carry forward the traditions of the club.

The prospect period is the period of time to observe, listen and learn. It is not the period of time to become familiar and buddy-buddy with members; that will come in time. It is the time a person should show the most aggressive approach to learning about the club, about each patched member, about the club’s culture, mission, and protocols. The prospect period is the time where patched members focus on educating the potential member on MC culture, CVMC protocol, and to see if they will make the effort to prove their true interest in the club.

Prospects should be observed meeting or exceeding the member participation requirements. They should consider every invitation to a club function, formal or otherwise, to be very important. The club takes note of how many events are attended, how many rides are attended, and how many are skipped and the excuses or reasons given; all as part of the evaluation of dedication to the club. Prospects should be seen regularly volunteering for work/tasks, showing respect for and taking care of patched members, and making a noticable and concerted effort.

There is no coasting after patching. Each member is expected to pull more than his weight. As a member reaches higher levels of experience, his brothers look to him to provide leadership. There are decisions to be made, other clubs to relate to, causes to be fought and won. There are brothers to be taken care of, charities to be funded, and a family to be kept safe. There is always commitment to the club. There is always the expectation that the individual will conduct himself in a manner that projects a positive image to the motorcycle club community and the general public. The CVMC is a true three-piece patch Motorcycle Club. We are an association of veterans and patriots, a club of bikers who have adapted selflessly to fly under one banner for the club’s purposes. We are increasingly recognized and respected by other MCs. We support each other, and recognize that each member has family and professional obligations, expecting our members meet those priorities in a mature and responsible manner, never forgetting we each decided the club is a life priority. Either through life experience or service to our nation, our members come to the plate knowing about such things as loyalty, duty, and sacrifice. We are here, bringing the best of ourselves and the skills we have to support the CVMC mission.

The CVMC is part of a proud motorcycle club tradition dating back to the 1940s. Prospects and members of the CVMC have the privilege to carry forward decades of MC culture. Proper and respectful behavior by both prospects and members measures part of his pride in the club, and is indicative of esprit de corps, morale, and discipline within a chapter. Repercussions of failed protocol and/or disrespectful behavior, intentional or not, can have immediate and national impact on the CVMC and its members. As such, every prospect and member has an individual responsibility for ensuring their conduct reflects the published standard, and for ensuring every brother is meeting the standards contained in this regulation both in the best interests of the club, and to continue our shared tradition.

It is not the club’s responsibility or intention to conform to the needs of individual members, but in fact it is the responsibility and expectation that prospects and members come with a servant’s heart to both their brothers and our nation’s military veterans, conforming to the needs of the club in order to meet our mission. The mantra of each person seeking to earn and keep their patch should be, “Club first. Brothers always”. The actions taken by the CVMC are guided by the purposes of the club, executed in accordance with the bylaws and policies of the club, and in keeping with the protocols and expectations of traditional veteran motorcycle clubs. Leaders have a responsibility to the mission, the brothers of the club, and the traditions of the motorcycle club world in order to preserve the integrity and longevity of the club.

Everyone associated with the CVMC, in or away from our community, is expected to behave in a manner which does not bring discredit to himself, his brothers or the club name. Everyone is expected conduct themselves with the highest regard of the club principles. Prospects and members will above all, uphold the basic club principles of honor, truth, respect, support, loyalty, and commitment. The club must not be tarnished by unrestrained behavior, disrespect of fellow citizens, other clubs, or acts that generally reflect poorly on our image and reputation in or out of the motorcycle club community. In addition to the integrity of the club in the public’s eye, we must ensure the integrity of the club in our own hearts. The important of our mission to support our nation’s military veterans cannot be understated. If we serve ourselves more than we serve those in need, we are failing in our mission. If we fail to respect the protocols of the MC world we have earned our place in, we are failing to maintain our integrity as a three-piece club. Therefore in all our actions, we should seek to bring honor to the club, to our nation, to the motorcycle community, and to our military veterans.

The MC strives for respect. This is especially true as it pertains to those persons outside of the motorcycle community. This segment of society is by far the larger, and therefore represents a larger market for any fund raising activities that the group might undertake. It stands to reason that cultivating a relationship with these people is important, and to be perceived by them as “Biker Scum” would not be advantageous to the club’s mission. Members should therefore conduct themselves as upstanding citizens in every way… “Good neighbors” so to speak. The goal is to be admired and respected by the general public rather than feared. Anyone associated with CVMC should always conduct themselves in a highly professional manner.

Violent events that occur which may include members of a 1% MC sometimes make the headlines. Between this purported “news” and the motorcycle club fictions on television and in the movies, the majority of the non-riding public perceives all motorcycle clubs as if they were a 1% MC; fear, judgment and uneasiness are going to be common for almost any biker.

Because these events or these fictions are not generally the case for the 99%, it stands to reason that cultivating a relationship with the rest of the non-riding community is important. To be perceived as anything less than an organized brotherhood of dedicated, respectful men would be a disadvantage to the club. Therefore, CVMC will conduct themselves as upstanding citizens and good neighbors. Our goal is to be admired and respected by the general public, not feared. It is important for all clubs to be perceived this way publicly; in a highly professional manner. No hang-around, prospect, or member will go out of their way to cause trouble or to present themselves as an intimidating force without just cause or provocation.

Because the general public does not draw a distinction between different club colors, a serious breach of common decency, and certainly being a downright belligerent trouble-maker can have a negative impact on any of the area clubs. Your behavior as biker has the potential to cause problems for other clubs, and they will return to the source to correct the problem. Repeated behavior that draws heat from the general public, or the MC community will result is being put out bad. We will police our prospects and members accordingly, and hang-arounds will be separated.

This regulation prescribes the expected behaviors of every prospect and member as well as consequences and enforcement measures. It also provides information, responsibilities and established practices that each chapter shall follow as a guidelines to daily operations.

Common core MC protocols which have been developed over the history of the existence of motorcycle clubs shall be followed by all prospects and members of the CVMC to ensure the club fulfills its responsibility to carry forward those rich traditions, to live with pride and integrity as a three-piece motorcycle club, and to mitigate the risk of conflict with other motorcycle clubs stemming from avoidable disrespect. When it comes to protocol, it is always permissible to ask questions to clarify and continue learning, even as a member, and always advisable to apologize immediately if protocol has clearly been broken. Clubs may be seeing varying in their views of protocol. Regardless of your personal philosophy, you represent every member of CVMC in the motorcycle community, so it is important for you understand, agree to and carry out the expectations we have a three-piece club.

The most basic and applicable protocol when interacting with other MCs, particularly new or young relationships, is to be friendly and respectful. As time goes on, and more interactions occur, relationships will develop and many interactions may become more casual, but the basics of protocol will still be expected.

Problems created in one part of the metroplex, state, or country by a CVMC member or issues with the CVMC in one area have the potential to affect CVMC members in other areas, states, and across the country. As a three-piece club, we have our place in the rank-structure of clubs. It is not uncommon to be the humble recipient of respect-based protocol from a lower-tier club, nor should it be uncommon to humble yourself to show respect for a senior-tier club. Keep in mind that those in riding groups, and even some riding clubs do not subscribe to and often are completely unaware of the MC protocol we promote in the CVMC.