National Guidelines
As members of The Freedom Cruisers Riding Club we
believe in total freedom. We have no initiation fees, no dues, no
mandatory meetings, and no major commitments. We do not believe in club
dictatorship, cliques, power plays, politics or any BS. We are not a 1%
club, nor are we territorial, therefore we will not wear rockers on our
backs. We respect all clubs and enjoy good relations wherever we go.
Mission Statement: The Freedom
Cruisers Riding Club (hereafter known as FCRC) is a family orientated
Club. We represent motorcycle riding, family, unity, camping,
traveling, fun and the camaraderie of the Members.
Purpose: The Freedom Cruisers
Riding Club is a NOT-FOR-PROFIT organization, operating with the sole
purpose of promoting good, clean, and safe riding activities.
FCRC Patch: The Club Patch is
Copyrighted and as such may not be reproduced for sale by any Club
Member or any outside entity for any reason without the written
permission of the Copyright Owner. The National President of the FCRC
is the Sole Owner of the FCRC Patch and its design.
The Club patch may be reproduced for Chapter Websites, Business Cards,
Letterhead, Newsletters and other similar items not for sale. The
Copyright Certificate is available for any Member to view by making a
request to the National President.
Officers: Officers that are
Members in good standing with the FCRC will govern The FCRC. The
Officer titles shall be:
National Level: President, Vice President,
Administrative Director and Membership Director.
State Level: State Director, Assistant State
Director.
Local Level: Chapter President. Vice President, Road
Captain, Tail Gunner, Secretary/Treasurer, Safety Officer.
FCRC Officer's Code of Conduct:
- As an Officer of FCRC you agree to follow all the
Freedom Cruisers Club Guidelines, Rules, and Regulations.
- FCRC Officers are responsible for maintaining the
public image and perception of the Club. An FCRC Officer should not
publicly make any statements, in any form of communication, or commit
an act, that portrays the Club, or its Members in a negative or
unfavorable manner.
- An FCRC Officer has a duty of loyalty to the FCRC,
other fellow Officers and Members. An FCRC Officer should not make any
statement, or commit any act, which would cause his/her duty of loyalty
to be called into question.
- All Officers of FCRC will be required to wear the
FCRC Club Patch. All Chapter Presidents must be patched, as well as any
other appointed Chapter Officers.
- Chapter Presidents must keep The National Board
notified of any changes to their email address, mailing address, and
contact phone numbers. Violation will lead to dismissal from their
current position. Chapter Presidents are also responsible for keeping
updated contact information of their Members.
National Officer's Titles:
National President: The National President will
oversee the operation of the Freedom Cruisers Riding Club. It is the
National Presidents duty to uphold all of the FCRC Guidelines at all
times. The National President is responsible to choose his/her
replacement upon leaving the Office. The National President has final
say on the choosing and placement of all National and State Directors.
The National President holds the tiebreaker vote on all issues
concerning National Business.
National Vice President: The National Vice President
is responsible for helping the National President oversee the operation
of the Freedom Cruisers Riding Club. The National Vice Presidents duty
is to help uphold all the FCRC Guidelines at all times. The National
Vice President may be called upon to oversee the operation of the FCRC
in the event the National President is temporarily unavailable. The
National Vice President is appointed by the National President.
National Membership Director: The National
Membership Director is responsible to maintain the FCRC Membership
Roster. The National Membership Director will receive, record, and
update the Membership as needed. The National Membership Director will
contact Chapter Officers In Charge of any additions, transfers, or
changes in said Chapters Membership Roster. The Membership Director is
responsible for naming the Chapter President of a new Chapter when a
new Chapter is opened.
National Administrative Director: The Administrative
Director will be responsible for providing support to new and current
Chapter Presidents who are in the process of building and recruiting
for their FCRC Chapter. Other responsibilities will be to semi annually
confirm the activity status of each Chapter and report the findings and
recommend apprproiate action to be taken for any that are inactive to
the Membership Director. Also to assume the duties of other Board
Members when required.
State Officer Titles and Duties:
State Director: The State Director shall oversee the
operation of the Freedom Cruisers Riding Club as it pertains to their
State. It is the State Director's duty to uphold all of the FCRC
Guidelines at all times.
The State Director has the tiebreaker vote on all issues concerning
State Business. It is the duty of each State Director to collect,
verify, tally, and report to the National President the votes of the
Board of Directors in their State on voting/elections at the National
Level.
When The State Director vacates office, The Assistant State Director
has the right to replace The State Director. If The Assistant State
Director does not want the Office, The State Director shall nominate a
replacement candidate, and notify The National President of the nominee.
No State will hold an election/vote on any State matter without the
prior approval from the National Level.
Assistant State Director: The Assistant State
Director shall work at the discretion of the State Director. The
Assistant State Director shall oversee the operation of the Freedom
Cruisers Riding Club, as it pertains to their State, in the absence of
the State Director. When doing so, the Assistant State Director shall
hold all of the State Director's responsibilities, as well as the
holding the tiebreaker vote on all issues concerning State Business.
The Assistant State Director has the option to replace the State
Director when the position is vacated.
State Board of Directors: The
State Board of Directors shall consist of the State Chapter Presidents.
Each Chapter President will hold one (1) vote at State Board Meetings
(formally called OIC Meetings). The State Director may hold a Board of
Directors' Meeting when deemed necessary. Minutes of such meetings are
required to be sent to the National Board
Voting: At all FCRC meetings
(Board of Directors, Chapter Meetings, etc.), the voting members
present are a quorum. A simple majority of that quorum will determine
the passage or defeat of the item.
Chapter President: The Chapter President shall be
responsible for the business of the Chapter. The Chapter President
shall facilitate the scheduling of monthly Chapter Rides and Events.
The Chapter President holds one (1) vote for State Board Meetings. A
Chapter President may send a proxy if unable to attend State Board
Meetings. Proxies should be arranged in advance, if possible, with the
National President or the State Director. The Chapter President may
find it necessary to appoint additional Officers to help maintain order
in a Chapter. In the spirit of keeping the FCRC on common ground, the
following titles will be used for said Officers:
Vice President: Vice President reports to the
Chapter President. The Vice President shall act as the First Officer of
a Chapter, and shall work at the discretion of the Chapter President.
Duties can include scheduling or leading Chapter rides, etc.
Road Captain: The Road Captain's duties will include
scheduling and leading rides. There can be more than one Road Captain
per Chapter.
Tail Gunner: The Tail Gunner shall ride at the rear
of the formation and keep the riders together in a formation. The Tail
Gunner shall be responsible to check with the Road Captain for the ride
details, including the route, the destination, and the duration of a
ride. The Tail Gunner should always check with the Road Captain of the
ride to make sure the riding rules and hand signals are discussed
before the riding group leaves on a ride. There can be more than one
Tail Gunner per Chapter.
Safety Officer: The Chapter Safety Officer shall be
responsible to gather and present safety material to all Chapter
Members. The material can be discussed on Chapter Rides or Events, or
at Chapter Meetings.
Secretary/Treasurer: The Secretary/Treasurer shall
be responsible to record the minutes of Chapter meetings and/or to
maintain the treasury of the Chapter. Any money belonging to the
Chapter shall be accurately recorded on how it is used and the
information shall be made available to any Chapter Member who makes a
request to inspect this recording. If a Chapter elects to have meetings
and minutes are kept, the Secretary/Treasurer shall be responsible to
send to the National and all Chapter Members the meeting minutes.
The Secretary/Treasurer titles and duties may be separated into two
Officer's Titles. Their duties will remain same as described in this
section.
Membership: Membership in the
Freedom Cruisers Riding Club is open to anyone that is 18 years of age
or older, any race, creed, or sex, and has a valid motorcycle license,
or a motorcycle permit (limited participation), as well as proof of
liability insurance. Members must own and ride a motorcycle. A spouse,
or any other person, can also become a Member if they ride as a
passenger. All Members must have a current application on file with the
FCRC National Office. Members with a
motorcycle permit may not ride on a Highway, at dark, or with a
passenger. Therefore, they will not be allowed to participate on any
rides that will include these restrictions.
Anyone applying for Membership in the FCRC must fill out an online Application
for Membership.
On the menu, click on Membership, then Membership Application. Fill out
the online form and submit to the Membership Director for approval.
Applicants may choose a Chapter to join when they apply for Membership.
If you do not choose a Chapter, the Applicant will be assigned to the
nearest Chapter. If there is not a Chapter within a reasonable distance
of where the Applicant lives, the Applicant will be placed as a Member
At Large (MAL) until a Chapter starts in the Applicant's area.
A Member may transfer to a different Chapter at any time. All transfer
requests must be sent to the FCRC Membership Director to be processed
and approved. Once a Member transfers to a new Chapter, that Member may
be subject to a vote of former Chapter Members to transfer back to
their former Chapter.
A new Member must attend and ride a minimum of three (3) FCRC Rides
before they can buy and wear the FCRC Patch. Patches may be purchased
only from your Chapters President.
A Member at Large will not be allowed to obtain the FCRC Back Patch
without belonging to an FCRC Chapter and fullfilling the 3 Ride Rule.
Members of the Freedom Cruisers Riding Club must ride at least 3 rides
in a calendar year to maintain their Membership with the FCRC. Any
Member that has been awarded Member Emeritus, are Honorary Members of
the Chapter, or those on military deployment may have the 3 ride rule
waived. The National Board is the only authority to decide whether to
waive the 3 ride rule once a request in writing has been submitted by
the Chapter President.
If a Member needs to take a leave of absence from the Freedom Cruisers,
or their Chapter, the 3 ride rule can be waived for the time of the
leave of absence. All leave of absence requests must be submitted in
writing to the Chapter President who will then forward to the National
Board for approval to waive the 3 ride rule.
Any Member in good standing (a patch wearer) with the Freedom Cruisers
Riding Club who can No Longer Ride Due To Illness or Injury
may retain their Membership in the Freedom Cruiser Riding Club as a
Member if they wish, belonging to their Chapter or to become a Member
at Large.
Every Chapter may have one Member who does not own or ride a motorcycle
but will attend rides in a Chase Vehicle. This Member may wear an FCRC
patch.
We do ask:
- Always ride safe!
- Do not give the Club a bad name.
- Get involved in the Club when you can.
- Respect other Members rights and beliefs.
- Never disrespect or misrepresent the Club Patch.
- We do promote motorcycle and public safety rules.
- UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES will we be involved in any
illegal activity.
FCRC Disclaimer: Each Member
participates in activities solely by choice and participation itself
relinquishes any responsibility of the Freedom Cruisers as an
organization for any and all liabilities resulting in participation in
any Club related event or activity. All activities and events must
comply with any State or local laws and ordinances. Any personal injury
or property damage resulting during a Club activity or at any time
becomes the responsibility of the individual parties involved, and at
no time shall the Freedom Cruisers be held liable.
Any individual involved in any illegal activities will be immediately
scrutinized by the Freedom Cruisers Officers and subject to immediate
removal from the Club Roster and Membership roles and forbidden to
claim any and all association with the Freedom Cruisers, to include,
but not limited to:
A) Prohibited to participate in any activity of
the Freedom Cruisers.
B) The removal of any insignias of the Freedom
Cruisers, including the Freedom Cruisers' Patch.
A Member that has been removed from the Club for any reason may not
reapply for Membership for a period of one year.
Starting a Chapter:
Any Member may request to start a Chapter. The
Membership Director and/or National Board must approve new Chapters
before start up. Chapters may not be too close to another Chapter. The
National Board will determine how close Chapters may be from each other.
The Member that starts the Chapter becomes the Chapter President of
that Chapter.
The Chapter President agrees to adhere to the FCRC Officer's Code of
Conduct. (See above.)
Chapters are required to abide by all FCRC Guidelines. The Chapter
President is responsible for the conduct of the Chapter and it's
adherence to the FCRC Guidelines.
When wearing the FCRC Patch, Members of FCRC should not wear support
patches for other motorcycle or riding clubs. (Excludes patches from
AMA, MMA, HRCA, etc.) This includes, but is not limited to, 1%er club
support patches.
Chapters may regulate their Chapters as needed. But, under no
circumstances, may a Chapter adopt any rules, regulations, or
guidelines that conflict with the FCRC Guidelines.
Chapters are allowed to design a Front Vest Patch. All designs must be
submitted to the National Board for approval.
Chapters agree to link their Website to the National Website. The link
will be placed on the Chapters Main Page.
Complaints on any Officer by any Member may be presented in writing to
either the National President or the State Director of their State who
will then submit such complaint to the National Board. The National
Board will review any violations of the Clubs Guidelines. The accused
will be afforded the right to address the Club National Officers before
a decision is made. An offending Officer may be removed from his/her
position, and/or expelled from the Freedom Cruisers Riding Club.
FCRC Rides:
Chapter Rides: Chapter Rides should be scheduled
once a month, weather permitting. Each Chapter calls it's own Chapter
Rides. The Chapter President is responsible to schedule and promote
these rides for their Chapters. The Chapter President can either act as
Road Captain for the ride, or select someone else to Road Captain. The
Chapter Rides should be posted on the Chapters Calendar for
informational purposes. Chapter Rides should be open to all FCRC
Members, regardless of Chapter Affiliation.
Called Rides: Any Member of FCRC may 'Call' a ride.
To do so, you must be a Core Member of FCRC (patch wearer) and ask
approval of your Chapter President. When seeking permission, Members
should have all of the details of the ride for the Chapter President.
The Member that calls a ride is considered, but not required to be, the
Road Captain of the ride. Called Rides may not conflict with Chapter
Rides.
The FCRC Board of Directors reserves the right to accept or reject
Membership and to periodically, without notice, revise or amend the
Club Guidelines and Regulations when necessary.
Last updated 19 June 2015
Michael S. DePeralta "DOC"
National President