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Biker clubs are 'good to the bone'
By T.J. Aulds
The Daily News
Published October 25, 2009
Just the mention of motorcycle club conjures up images of Hell’s Angles causing havoc or the characters of “Sons of Anarchy” running the roads as part of a criminal enterprise.
When it comes to motorcycle groups, Galveston County is known as the birthplace of the outlaw motorcycle club Bandidos, which was founded in 1966 by San Leon resident Don Chambers, who eventually wound up in prison on a murder conviction. While the outlaw or one-percenter (1 percent) motorcycle clubs still are prominent, the vast majority of motorcycle groups are family friendly and, in some cases, are made up of riders from the good side of the law.
One motorcycle club won’t even let you join unless you have the power to arrest outlaws.
The Blue Knights, which has chapters across the nation, is represented in Galveston County by the Blue Knights Texas XXXI. Formed in May 2004, the chapter boasts more than 100 members including officers from the Galveston, League City, Jamaica Beach, Dickinson, Santa Fe, La Marque, Texas City and Friendswood police departments, as well as the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Coast Guard.
Club President Lt. D.J. Alvarez, of the Galveston Police Department, said to join the club a rider must have arrest powers or be retired from a law enforcement agency where he or she had arrest powers. In addition to taking to the roads on weekends, the group raises money for charitable endeavors and provides toys for under-privileged and sick children.
The charitable aspect is why Shawn “the Joker” Lootens, a retired Coast Guardsman who now works for an energy company, joined up.
“In addition to the outstanding camaraderie, the charitable fundraising and giving has kept me active,” Lootens, who is the club’s secretary and webmaster, said.
Alvarez said a big part of the groups’ efforts is to promote motorcycle safety not only for riders, but also for car drivers who often fail to see bike riders before there is a crash.
Family members also are a big part of the Blue Knights, and spouses and children are present for almost every ride or fundraising events. Special recognition is reserved for those members of the club who have died. They remain members of the club, but as members of the Heaven 1 club.
Lootens said as a member of the Blue Knights, he has gotten a few cross looks from the more outlaw element of the motorcycle culture. He joked once of offering to swap a Blue Knight patch with a member of the Bandidos.
“He turned me down, which is a good thing,” Lootens said.
If you ride and would like to join a motorcycle club that isn’t a part of a criminal enterprise, but you don’t have the authority to arrest people, there are other clubs to choose from. One of the more prominent clubs is the LOST Inc. Motorcycle Club that regularly hangs out at Mother’s Speakeasy bar in Bacliff.
LOST Inc. Motorcycle Club is an American Motorcyclist Association chartered “family first” motorcycle club. “Our primary purpose is to promote the sport of motorcycling,” the club’s mission statement reads. “Through organized club interests, we try to improve the public image of our sport by our activities, conduct and our service to the community.”
Other clubs in the area include two chapters of the Christian Motorcyclists Association, a Marines-only club called the Confederation of Leathernecks, and for owners of the luxury Harley-Davidson Gold Wing cruising motorcycles, there’s the Gold Wing Road Riders Association S-2 Chapter in League City.
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Biker clubs
Want to join a motorcycle club?
Blue Knights Texas XXXI: www.blueknightstx31.org +
LOST Inc.: www.myspace.com/lostincmc
Christian Motorcyclists Association: www.cmausa.org
Gold Wing Road Riders Association S-2 Chapter: www.spacefor2.org
American Motorcyclist Association: www.ama-cycle.org *
+ Must be in law enforcement to join
* Has links to AMA chartered clubs across the state
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