Why It's Important to Hang Around by E.T. (1 of 3)
July/12/2011 Filed in: Hangarounds and Prospects
Raoul
They go by many names: P.I.T.s (Prospect In Training), PPs (Potential Prospect), Hangarounds. Ah, the hangaround time period. There's no official hangaround status in Gypsy MC, so why am I writing about it? Well, because even though it's not official, it's an important concept. We all know the prospect period is about learning the rules, history and culture of belonging to an MC, but what about making sure of the person before even hanging the Gold vest on them at all?
True, prospects aren't members, and aren't expected to know it all; however, when they wear that Gold vest with a town rocker on the bottom, they represent the chapter they're prospecting for. It's a fact that escapes many people. It's important that the individual knows what he is getting into before starting out. Just because a man has been to some Gypsy rallies and seen Gypsies at the bar and likes what he sees doesn't mean he's ready to jump in with both feet. He needs to learn more about what we stand for, what we do, and what he has to do to earn the right to wear the Gold.
There are a multitude of ways people become hangarounds. The most common way is that the hangaround is a friend of a member who believes he or she would be a good Gypsy. The patch holder then brings his buddy and introduces him to the club. Another way is to have a friend who directs the hangaround to the chapter. The friend can be a Gypsy who lives in another town, or may actually belong to another club. I know of one incident where a guy wanted to belong to a motorcycle club, and his one percenter friend pointed him toward Gypsy because he thought the guy would be a better fit for us. And of course, we live in the digital age, so more and more folks are discovering MCs through the websites that clubs maintain.
The hangaround time should be an easy period of learning and getting familiar with the club on a casual level, but also learning more in-depth about us. If the prospect time is like basic training, think of being a hangaround as talking to the recruiter. Not that we recruit. We should never go out looking for new members. That's asking for a set of problems that calls for a separate discussion. No, I mean that, much like when one is considering joining the Navy, one spends a lot of time talking to a Navy recruiter, asking questions, reading, absorbing knowledge that will help in the decision making process. This is the time the hangaround uses to get to know the club and its members better without obligating himself to being worked. He will attend some meetings, ride around with the chapter, go to a run or two. Hopefully, he'll witness some prospects being run for beer, setting up camps, cleaning up, and generally performing their duties. I've seen people who prospected too soon and couldn't handle following orders. They obviously didn't know what they were expected to do to earn the patch.
This is also the time for the membership to observe the hangaround to see if he's Gypsy material. Some people just aren't cut out to be club members. There's nothing wrong with that, as long as they recognize it and don't try to be what they're not. Others might be club material, just not our club material. They need to recognize that also, much like a military recruiter does a rudimentary background check on his potential recruits (ironically, I think they use the word “prospect”), the club can start looking into this potential member. First off: does he own and can he ride, a motorcycle? Second, what is his character? Is he sociable? Is he both respectable and respectful? What is he like when drunk? I've noticed over the years that a lot of people are different and a bit more extreme in their drinking when at a rally. Because they know they're not riding home, they go overboard, and this often brings out a shift in their personality. If someone is like this, you probably don't want them in your club, much less your chapter, where you'll have to deal with them continuously.
So, when you want to bring a friend into Gypsy MC, don't jump into sponsoring him immediately. Let him come around, let him look, listen, absorb. If he decides he wants to take that step, when he's ready, he'll ask you to sponsor him.
E.T.
Gypsy MC Lifer Del Valle
*Note: I tried using he/she and he (or she) and man or woman to be inclusive. It got cumbersome and it makes for both awkward writing and reading. Just assume that I'm not excluding women. The word “he” can be considered gender neutral in English.
There are a multitude of ways people become hangarounds. The most common way is that the hangaround is a friend of a member who believes he or she would be a good Gypsy. The patch holder then brings his buddy and introduces him to the club. Another way is to have a friend who directs the hangaround to the chapter. The friend can be a Gypsy who lives in another town, or may actually belong to another club. I know of one incident where a guy wanted to belong to a motorcycle club, and his one percenter friend pointed him toward Gypsy because he thought the guy would be a better fit for us. And of course, we live in the digital age, so more and more folks are discovering MCs through the websites that clubs maintain.
The hangaround time should be an easy period of learning and getting familiar with the club on a casual level, but also learning more in-depth about us. If the prospect time is like basic training, think of being a hangaround as talking to the recruiter. Not that we recruit. We should never go out looking for new members. That's asking for a set of problems that calls for a separate discussion. No, I mean that, much like when one is considering joining the Navy, one spends a lot of time talking to a Navy recruiter, asking questions, reading, absorbing knowledge that will help in the decision making process. This is the time the hangaround uses to get to know the club and its members better without obligating himself to being worked. He will attend some meetings, ride around with the chapter, go to a run or two. Hopefully, he'll witness some prospects being run for beer, setting up camps, cleaning up, and generally performing their duties. I've seen people who prospected too soon and couldn't handle following orders. They obviously didn't know what they were expected to do to earn the patch.
This is also the time for the membership to observe the hangaround to see if he's Gypsy material. Some people just aren't cut out to be club members. There's nothing wrong with that, as long as they recognize it and don't try to be what they're not. Others might be club material, just not our club material. They need to recognize that also, much like a military recruiter does a rudimentary background check on his potential recruits (ironically, I think they use the word “prospect”), the club can start looking into this potential member. First off: does he own and can he ride, a motorcycle? Second, what is his character? Is he sociable? Is he both respectable and respectful? What is he like when drunk? I've noticed over the years that a lot of people are different and a bit more extreme in their drinking when at a rally. Because they know they're not riding home, they go overboard, and this often brings out a shift in their personality. If someone is like this, you probably don't want them in your club, much less your chapter, where you'll have to deal with them continuously.
So, when you want to bring a friend into Gypsy MC, don't jump into sponsoring him immediately. Let him come around, let him look, listen, absorb. If he decides he wants to take that step, when he's ready, he'll ask you to sponsor him.
E.T.
Gypsy MC Lifer Del Valle
*Note: I tried using he/she and he (or she) and man or woman to be inclusive. It got cumbersome and it makes for both awkward writing and reading. Just assume that I'm not excluding women. The word “he” can be considered gender neutral in English.
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