Motorcycle Club Ranks

1 -When the American Motorcycle Association said in the late 1940s that only 1% of bikers were troublemakers, the outlaw motorcycle clubs adopted the term to describe themselves as separate from all the other bikers out there.

Patch-A one piece patch can mean a lot of things, anything from an ordinary biker who is a member of a riding club and buys rather then earns the patch, to a prospect trying to get into an outlaw biker club. A two piece patch often means an MCC, a motor-cycle club, something between ordinary bikers and rider's clubs, and the outlaw biker clubs. A three piece patch means an outlaw biker club, and they guard their territory fiercely and if need be, violently, against rivals.

Hang around-a friend of the club. Some prefer to just stay as friends of the club, whilst others like it so much that they decide to ask to join the club.

Prospect-a would be member of the club trying to join it. There have been all sorts of rumours about what is needed to join some of the more notorious clubs, but mostly it just involves all the dirty and unpleasant work, like cleaning the boots and bikes of the full-patch members, guarding the bikes against theft or damage, and various petty chores. After a certain amount of time the full patch members vote on if the prospect should become a full member of the club. In some clubs even one no vote is enough to stop somebody joining. Given that nearly all full patches had to prospect to earn their patch, most of them are not too unpleasant to their prospects as they remember what they had to go through to earn theirs.

Full-patch-a member of the club who has earned his full patch and been voted in by the other full patch members, who can vote on things like where to ride next, and can order prospects of his club around.

Treasurer-handles the club's accounts. Money comes in from membership fees, fining the members for breaking club rules, club loans to members, merchandizing in some clubs, and it is rumoured, extortion, selling drugs, pimping, and providing illegal services/items in the more notorious clubs. Money goes out for bills of various kinds, partying, and any legal fees that need to be paid.

Sergeant at arms-responsible for keeping order at meetings and internal club discipline.

Road Captain-responsible for keeping members together when riding in a pack, safety issues, and doing any negotiating with police officers that has to be done.

Vice President-the president's deputy, who runs the club if the president is ill, abroad representing the club's interests, or, in some of the more notorious clubs, in jail or prison.

President-In charge of the entire club. Some club presidents run their clubs with an iron fist, whilst others go along with what the members as a whole want to avoid annoying too many of their own club members.