We use the analogy of Alcoholics Anonymous. They don't turn people away because they are alcoholics or because they used to drink at one point.
In fact the best place for an alcoholic to be is Alcoholics Anonymous. We encourage meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans alike to join the club, ride with us party with us, come to events with us but to be a full-patch member there are several requirements;
- The full-patch member must be a biker first. You must have a valid motorcycle licence, up to date insurance and a motorcycle in good working order, licensed for the road, in excess of 650 cc's. (accommodation may be made for custom choppers and or vintage bikes but not less than 500cc)
- You must be vegan to the best of your ability *
- Pay the membership fee.
- Adhere to Club policies and accept the waiver of liability which can all be found on our website under FAQ's
* There is no such thing as a 100% perfect vegan, much as we like to think there is there isn't. As long as we shall live and perhaps even after death we will all cause some collateral damage it's impossible to avoid. We are all going to step on ants we are all going to Splat bugs on her windshields, when we buy anything it sends a signal to the universe that we need more of that product and everything we buy, everything we consume, everything we use during our time on Earth is going to have some type of collateral offset. A simple example is buying an avocado at a grocery store. You can't get more vegan than that, however it took machines to maintain the crops , trucks to get them to the grocery store, the facility itself has to be maintained heated and cooled, people have to work there, some of those people may not be vegans so in fact whatever we do creates chain reactions.
Instead of sweating the small stuff, we want to focus on the big picture and encourage as many people as possible to reach for the goal of being the best vegan they can be.
We don't have vegan police chasing members around so we cannot assure anyone's actions however wearing our patch carries a responsibility to our fellow brothers and sisters, animals and the Earth to do the best we can.
Members basically cut or approve themselves you know. Many people hesitate buying the patch because they feel they cannot make the commitment, conversely those that take the patch help themselves and help others to hold each other to a higher standard.
Policies about the patch;
- Never fix the patch to anything other than a motorcycle type jacket or vest, denim or protective textile. Anything extraordinary to typical motorcycle wear would not be permitted.
- Typical motorcycle wear would include such things as denim jackets or vests or other motorcycle wear such as a protective jacket, however rainwear, caution vests or leather are not permitted. If a member decides to fix their patch too anything not considered normal and three other full-patch members vote against this, said member must remove the patch and put it on something proper or return the patch in good shape to the club without refund, in which case said member would no longer be a full member.
- The patch is a motorcycle patch not a car patch! Don't wear your patch if you are taking the car. We have lots of other automobile attire, such as t-shirts hoodies, jewelry, hats Etc. But the patch is made for motorcycles.
- The patch must be kept clean. Do not lie on the ground on your patch, or against anything that might tarnish or damage it.
- The right of being a full-patch member is non-transferable therefore the patch also is non-transferable. If for some reason the member wishes to relinquish their patch it must be given back to the club in good shape, without refund.
The issue of leather comes up all the time in our club and the policy on it is this;
We do not advise buying new leather products as this sends a signal to the manufacturer that there is a demand for such products.
Many members however have old leather clothes that predate their knowledge of veganism. What the member does with these is up to them. Whether they keep them, sell them or give them away will make absolutely no difference to the past. We cannot rewrite the past but we can change the future.
We recommend fixing your patch to a denim vest. This way you can wear it over a cold weather jacket or over a t-shirt when it is hot. If you don't have one, denim jackets or vests can be purchased new from various retailers as well as used from second hand stores. Used is likely better since buying anything used is a form of recycling. Saves you money and saves the environment. Watch this...
