Jul 2011
Gypsys Speak Up! | Aug 2011 | Jun 2011

The Patch Holder by E.T. (3 of 3)

July/24/2011 Filed in: Hangarounds and Prospects
This is the third in the series by E.T. - first the Hang-Around, second the Prospect and now, the third - the Patch Holder. All three of these articles will be published in July, so, they’re on the same blog page and they’re all categorized under “Hangarounds and Prospects”. Just to set the record straight, E.T. has a pretty good concept of “how the cow eats the cabbage”. He’s been around for nearly twenty years, so he’s got a good perspective of the club and the membership process. E.T. is also an excellent writer - his thoughts and concepts come through clear and intelligible. I’ve learned to pay close attention to what he’s saying. Enjoy the ride - Raoul

The Patch Holder

You've put in your time as a hangaround. You've worked for half a year as a prospect. You've earned the trust and brotherhood (and hopefully the affection) of your chapter. Your sponsor stands up at a meeting and makes a motion. Time to lay the cards on the table. You leave the room, butterflies in your stomach. You're sure you've done everything you could and should have done; you just hope the majority of the patch holders in your chapter agree. You stand around, feeling awkward at being outside the meeting, but after a span that probably seems much longer than it really is, the Sergeant at Arms calls you back into the room. The President probably makes you sweat for a couple of minutes, leaving you unsure of the vote before cracking a smile and welcoming you to the family. The SA stands you in front of everyone, your back to the crowd as he places four safety pins in the corners of a shiny new Pickle Patch, attaching it to your Gold vest. You feel ten feet tall. What time is it? Party Time, of course!

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2011 Gypsy MC Iron Butt Run by Wild Bill and Raoul

July/23/2011 Filed in: Event Summaries
The 2011 Gypsy MC Iron Butt was run on June 18th - our traditional Father’s Day Weekend Event. The Paris Chapter has managed our Iron Butt for two years and this year’s event included a lucky thirteen riders. Paris President Jumpy and Secretary Feathers rode to Victoria, the southern command headquarters. Wild Bill and Peach managed the northern command headquarters from Denton.

First, a little history on the Gypsy MC Iron Butt. Our endurance ride was established in 2004 by a former Gypsy named Mount-N and was fashioned after one of the Iron Butt Association’s more modest challenges, the Saddlesore 1000. The Iron Butt Association (IBA), is a group of over 24,000 members worldwide. The IBA is dedicated to safe, long-distance, endurance motorcycle riding and several different endurance rides. The Saddle Sore 1000 most closely parallels the Gypsy MC Iron Butt. The general idea for both the IBA and Gypsy events is to ride a thousand miles in twenty-four hours or less. The IBA Saddle Sore 1000 allows the rider to establish their own route; the Gypsy MC Iron Butt route is pre-established and changes each year. Since the IBA event is “self guided” documentation is required to earn a pin, a license plate back and a certificate. The Gypsy event establishes a route with check points where the rider’s name and time are recorded by Gypsy volunteers. Typically there is a starting point and at least two check points - the starting point is also the ending point. Although the first, i.e., 2004 Gypsy MC Iron Butt route did not meet the requirements for the IBA, subsequent Gypsy events have been planned so the participant can earn both Gypsy MC and IBA recognition. The Gypsy MC award has always included a patch and most importantly, bragging rights. A plaque, with riders names and times commemorates the first two Gypsy Iron Butt rides (2004 is hung in the Big “D” clubhouse - 2005 is in the Gypsy museum). From 2006 through 2010 only patches were issued and, in 2011 a patch and certificate were awarded each rider completing the course.
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The Serious Relationship Between a Biker and His Motorcycle: Observations According to Goldfinger

July/22/2011 Filed in: Club Culture
Here’s another article from Goldfinger that describes the relationship between the biker and the bike – after all, it’s a motorcycle club and that little patch on the back of your colors, the one that says “MC” is one of the most important patches you wear. It means MOTORCYCLE CLUB and it’s a patch that’s worn by a lot of guys and gals throughout the world … it means that the club revolves around motorcycles. When other clubs look at you and your colors and your bike and your demeanor and how you handle yourself in public, do they think you’re a part of the MC society? Do you deserve to wear that little patch? …. Think about it! Raoul

Here’s Goldfinger’s thoughts:

During a phone call a couple of days ago Red Rocker Raoul, the heart of the new electronic Gypsy age, suggested a topic for my next article. I believe he said something like “It would be interesting to have an article on the relationship between the rider and his bike.” That’s at least what I heard, so this is my attempt at that answer. This article probably isn’t what he was thinking about at the time, but it is what I thought it should be about. So here goes.
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How I Became a Gypsy by Alduro

July/20/2011 Filed in: Hangarounds and Prospects | Member Profiles
We’ve got a new contributor to this section – Grapevine member Don, whose been a Gypsy for about a year is an author of sorts, writing under the nom de plume of Alduro. Don or Alduro (which I think would make a good roadname) has got a pretty good perspective on a lot of things motorcycle and Gypsy related. I’ve been following his blog, “The Wandering Gypsy” (http://gypsydroppings.blogspot.com/), and reading his comments on Facebook. Last week I invited him to contribute to this column and he’s accepted my invite. His first article follows the current topic (Hang-arounds, Prospects and Members from contributors E.T. and Gold Finger) that’s been the focus of this section for the last few weeks. Raoul

Almost two years ago my dad joined a motorcycle club and I’ll admit I was curious as to “why” and somewhat concerned all at the same time. My dad kept calling his club a “family club” which originally meant nothing to me at all, all I knew was they wore matching vests, patches and looked pretty much like what I thought a “biker” was supposed to look like. I had visions of going to the county jail and bailing him out or I’d try to picture what he would look like with a black eye after a street fight. Honestly I had no idea what he had gotten into. After many lengthy conversations with him regarding his club my eyes were opened to the reality vs. perception of what a motorcycle club is, what it is not and most importantly the differences between the various types of clubs out there. Read More...
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Life as a Gypsy MC Moscow Prospect and Beyond by Gypsy Gold Finger

July/14/2011 Filed in: Hangarounds and Prospects
Starting out where I left off at my last installment, I had just been voted in to prospect for Gypsy MC Moscow Chapter. This was the start of an education and unique experience, and hopefully a path for a very long time. There were many lessons to be learned, and perhaps a new way to view the world as well. Starting with riding which probably (or at least should be) one of the most important lessons a new prospect should master. Riding in a pack was object lesson one. How to maintain a staggered formation, navigate through intersections, and arrive safely. As a Prospect, it is expected that you will make mistakes. The goal is to make mistakes, get corrected, and not repeat the same mistakes again. I thought I knew pretty much everything about riding in a pack, having ridden in several “pick up” riding clubs around the Houston area. Turns out I didn’t know everything … one of the most basic rules , stay with the Road Captain, was learned one afternoon after a long day of riding up North on US 59.   We were headed back and the Road Captain missed our turn. Thinking that it would be easier for them to turn around and catch up, I exited the freeway. In my haste to go in the right direction, the next bike in the pack went whizzing by just barely missing me.
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What It's Like to Be a Prospect by E.T. (2 of 3)

July/12/2011 Filed in: Hangarounds and Prospects
Here’s the second in the three part series. The first article, “Why It’s Important to Hang Around” primes the pump for an interested rider to get to know a few members, go on some rides and attend some Gypsy MC events. Once the rider decides he wants to become a member what was a casual relationship gets stepped up a bit. Read what E.T.’s got to say about prospecting. Look for the third in this series within the next couple of weeks ... Raoul

Hey Prospect!!!
 
We hear it and say it all the time. Do you ever stop and wonder what the true meaning of prospecting is? It so happens that my son, Dylan, aka Armadylan, recently turned twelve, and he and I were talking about the fact that in just four years he'll be old enough to prospect. We had a nice little talk about what prospecting is for and what it involves. And of course, this took place in the garage, as all good biker related conversations should – if they involve people too young to get into the bar.
 
Our talk got me thinking and my thinking got me typing.
 
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Why It's Important to Hang Around by E.T. (1 of 3)

July/12/2011 Filed in: Hangarounds and Prospects
Long time member E.T. posted an article on the Facebook “Gypsy Stories” about prospects. He and I started talking about doing a three part series on Hangarounds, Prospects and Membership for the Int’l website. What follows is the first in this series, “Hangarounds”.

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?

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