Moose Riders

Revving Up, and Gaining Traction Fraternity-wide

> There are times, upon entering Moose Centers and introducing myself, that I almost feel I’m stepping to the lectern to address a 12-step program meeting; acknowledging that I have a behavioral flaw that I need to correct:

“Hi, my name is Chris... and I’m a Moose Rider.”

I get polite nods and smiles, but I sense that somewhere — deep down — there still lurks some bit of reluctance to trust that motorcycle riders can be good and productive Moose members. It may help in my case that I work in the Supreme Lodge at Moose International, but there are other Co-Workers and Lodge members, who are motorcyclists, like myself, interested in combining two of their passions; motorcycling and Moose membership and who are, at times, met with grudging acceptance into their Lodge homes. Generally speaking, though, once Moose Rider units are up and running in Lodge homes, those very same skeptics become very enthusiastic supporters of their Moose Riders after they experience an influx of new, active and productive members, not some biker gang bent on taking over the Social Quarters.

I hope to dispel some of the misconceptions about Moose Riders, modify some of the pre-conceptions about those of us who ride, and help to instill some actual positive conceptions of Moose Rider units within our Order.

Actually, motorcycling and fraternalism have gone hand in hand for decades. Since the introduction of motorcycles as alternate transportation in the early 1900s, folks choosing two wheels over four have shared a kind of kinship; a brotherhood of sorts. But it is in going to the days of returning World War II fighter pilots, who chose to keep the relationships they had developed in the U.S. Army Air Force intact by trading in their Flying Tigers for military-surplus Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and starting riding groups stateside, that we see the start of modern motorcycle riding “fraternities.”

Aside from the friction with the small minority of Motorcycle Clubs known as “outlaw” or “1-percenter*” organizations, modern-day motorcycle enthusiasts generally consider each other as a big, extended, two-wheeled family, regardless of the make of motorcycle ridden.

The demographic for motorcycle riders has changed as well. According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, today’s rider is more apt to be between the ages of 35 and 55 with an average annual income above $45,000. And, more and more women are becoming riders every year. Since 1998, the number of women riding motorcycles has grown 36 percent. Today, one in 10 buyers of new motorcycles is a woman. More than 4.3 million women can operate a motorcycle.

Nitro, WV Lodge 565 Moose Riders gather on the steps of the Lodge with Moose Magazine’s Chris Ecker and Regional Manager Jim Hale (front row, center). In a two-day period in August, the Nitro Moose Riders traveled to six West Virginia Lodges and gathered more than $7,000 for Moose Charities with their “Reason to Ride” event.

Motorcyclists tend to be community-spirited. Each year millions of charitable dollars are raised by hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists across the continent, from Laconia, MA to Hollister, CA and Sturgis, SD to Daytona, FL. Savvy charitable organizations have tailored fundraising programs to fit the motorcycling lifestyle. These include St. Jude Children’s Hospital’s Cruisin’ For St. Jude, the March of Dimes’ Ride Against Premature Birth program and the Muscular Dystrophy Associations’ Ride For Life events.

Is it any wonder then, that Moose members with a common interest in motorcycling and “doing some good thing for someone each day” would form riding clubs within Lodges to extend Moose fraternalism, and to carry forward the Moose mission into the public view via the open road?

Progressive Moose Lodges and Chapters have followed the example of the American Legion Riders, Independent Order of Odd Fellows Riders, Blue Knights Law Enforcement Motorcycle Riders, and the Masonic Motorcycle Riders Assn., by creating motorcycle activity chapters, known alternately as Herds, M.O.B.s (Moose On Bikes) or Moose Riders clubs across the country.

A current and comprehensive history of Moose Riders units within the Order is not readily available, but evidence indicates that one of the earliest Moose motorcycling units appears to have originated at Waverly, OH Lodge 2263 some 12 years ago.

Though motorcycling Moose members may not be a new phenomenon, the organization of Moose motorcycle riding clubs, sponsored by Lodges and Chapters with recognized bylaws and elected officers recorded by the General Governor’s office is a recent trend. Also recently, the Moose Riders have been given a place to formally exist within the fraternity, being recognized as a Family Activity under the supervision of Shawn Baile, Director of Fraternal Programs. A National Moose Rider Meeting is being planned by Baile to coincide with the Fifth Annual Blessing of the Bikes at Mooseheart, the weekend of May 17-18, 2008.

Moose Riders from several Florida Lodges pose for a picture on the front lawn at Moosehaven in Orange Park, FL. The ride was part of a three-day fundraising event sponsored by the MacClenny, FL Lodge 2412 in May 2007.

Motorcycling isn’t an activity only limited to rank-and-file Moose members within our Order. the Executive Director of our Moosehaven retirement community, John Capes, is perhaps the most avid motorcyclist among the full-time officers of Moose International--although retired Supreme Treasurer Chuck Thulin and former General Governor David Chambers are also longtime bikers.

“For me riding is an opportunity to explore back roads rather than hurrying down an interstate,” said Capes. “It affords me the opportunity to see communities and other places that I would otherwise miss. It also presents an opportunity for potential new friends who share my same love of riding.”

Like many other insightful Moose members, Capes notes that, for the Order, riding can be more than just another activity for Chapter and Lodge members. It can open a door into our fraternity for those who aren’t familiar with the Moose organization.

As Capes put it, “...this is the benefit of the Moose Riders. They provide public exposure and, more importantly, lead the fraternity to a wealth of potential new members. Motorcycle riding clubs and Community Service go hand and hand, making them a perfect fit for Moose community outreach programs.”

Some of the “Famous Moose” you’ll find on www.mooseintl.org are motorcycle riders as well. Tommy Thompson, a four-term Wisconsin Governor and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, is an enthusiastic motorcyclist and a member of Juneau County, WI Lodge 1913. West Virginia’s Governor, Joe Manchin, rides a Harley-Davidson Road King Classic and is a member of Charleston, WV Lodge 1444. NASCAR’s Tony Stewart is a member of Columbus, IN Lodge 398--and owns a custom motorcycle bearing his nickname, “Smoke”.

From left, Florida-Bermuda Moose Association President John Reiter, Florida Youth Ranches Donor Relations Officer Frank Kenny, MacClenny, FL Lodge Moose Riders President Carl Mays and “biker for a day” Baker County Sheriff Joey Dobson. Mays accepted a plaque for the MacClenny Moose Riders for outstanding contributions to the Florida Sheriffs’ Youth Ranches, which provide residential care, family counseling, camping programs and foster care to Florida youth, at the first-ever Florida Moose Rider Rally in May.

Not limited to being “circuit riding Moose evangelists” at functions throughout the country, in recent years Moose Riders and Moose International have invited non-Moose motorcyclists to visit the Child City during the annual Blessing of the Bikes at Mooseheart, originally conceived by the Lombard, IL Lodge 2350 Moose Riders in 2004.

“It’s really neat to talk to people who are here for the first time on campus,” Mooseheart Executive Director Scott Hart says of the riders and the event. “The (person’s) first experience at Mooseheart is something special and something that gives roots to why people are Moose members... these (riders) see Mooseheart and the residents of the Child City and can go home and pass their experiences on to others.” Hart continues, “It raises awareness of Mooseheart in the community. People come to our campus and walk away with a message of hope for what Mooseheart gives for kids.”

Moose Rider involvement with the residents of Mooseheart isn’t just limited to the annual Bike Blessing. In May 2007 the Batavia, IL Lodge 682 Moose Riders donated a full suite of outdoor furniture, a stainless steel grill, an outdoor fireplace and an outdoor shelter to the Illinois Home at Mooseheart from proceeds of the inaugural Sarge Run just a week after the Blessing of the Bikes. The Lockport, IL Lodge 1557 Moose Riders responded to the needs of the Illinois Home residents as well.

“We visited the Illinois Home last year on Illinois Day and they told us they only had one computer in their house,” says Lockport Moose Riders president Mario “Rocky” LaRocco. The Lockport Moose Riders got to work. They organized a raffle in which 1,000 tickets were sold at $5 apiece. After cash prizes were handed out, $3,300 remained--plenty for new computers.

Hart reports the level of support shown by Lockport’s Moose Riders is another example of the dedication and sense of service shown by a growing facet of the Moose fraternity. “Moose Riders have really bought into taking care of the kids in every way,” Hart says. “In this instance, it means making sure the residents have the tools to learn and to grow in school.”

“People have different opinions on who motorcycle riders are,” LaRocco says. “But you know what it comes down to? Any organization that is looking for help, they always seem to come to the motorcycle clubs. They know we will go out there and get the job done. It was a great idea when Moose International sponsored us as Moose Riders.”

In Moose Centers in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia, Moose Riders are proving to be active, motivated, willing and able to take the Moose message to the street and deliver new members to the Order and serve their communities, as evidenced by the photos accompanying this article. Moose Riders are a growing and valuable asset waiting to be utilized to help ensure the future of the Moose fraternity and its endeavors.

All of this is why I will continue to proudly say, “Hi, my name is Chris, and I’m a Moose Rider!”

> Dayton, OH Lodge 73 sponsors the annual Blessing of the Bikes in the E.J. Nutter Center parking lot in Fairborn, OH.	> The 2007 Mooseheart Blessing of the Bikes event was sponsored by the Mooseheart, IL Lodge 2655.
Fr. Pete Chiodo enjoys the process of blessing more than 2,500 motorcycles attending the 7th annual event in 2007. Proceeds from the event support A Special Wish Foundation, the Wright State University Chapel Fund, and the Greene County Chapter of Ambucs.	Mooseheart Chaplain Rev. Tom Riemenschneider blesses the attending riders and their motorcycles during a radio broadcast at the Mooseheart Blessing of the Bikes on the same day.

The attending “class picture” for the 2007 Mooseheart Blessing of the Bikes in the bleachers at Mooseheart Stadium. Reflecting the upswing in motorcycle riding popularity, some 240 participants on 160 motorcycles attended the fourth annual event and toured the Child City, tripling previous year’s attendance and fund-raising efforts.