By Tom Scanlon VI Special to the Olean Times Herald Olean Times Herald | 0 comments
I feel it necessary to clear up any accusations, misunderstandings or misinterpretations about the Kingsmen Motorcycle Club and its Olean chapter.
The club was founded in 1958 by a group of hard-working men who lived in Lockport. Over the past 50 and more years the club has grown and expanded into other areas of New York as well as other states.
The club has endured a lot in its time in order to remain independent and free from supporting others or getting involved with other organizations’ issues or problems. You could say we are a unique club compared to others in that we stand up for what we believe, and that one’s family or job comes before the club.
We believe in brotherhood and family values and we are very passionate about motorcycling. Many of the members are military veterans; some fought in Vietnam, Panama, Grenada, Desert Storm, Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq. We have fought proudly for our country’s freedom and our way of life in the United States.
The Olean chapter of the Kingsmen was founded by some local bikers in 1968. After 40 years the chapter was deactivated due to a reduction in membership. The chapter was recently reinstated and has been building and growing strong ever since.
Over the years we have had our share of both good and bad members. We have all seen how poor-quality members can affect the reputation of a club, so accept my apologies if you were ever faced with an unjustifiable situation with one of these past members.
Because of this, we are very selective about who we accept as members. We don’t want trouble and we don’t want troublemakers. We want good-quality members who have strong family values, morals and integrity. Our club not only cares about itself and its members, we also care about our friends and the communities in which we have chapters.
http://www.oleantimesherald.com/editorial/article_e90e6ed8-e07a-11e1-bb89-001a4bcf887a.html
Recently, the Olean chapter, along with members from various KMC chapters, made a sizable donation and presented it to a local family whose teenage daughter was very ill with cancer to help pay for a very costly bone marrow transplant.
Shortly after this, members participated in a local motorcycle run to help support disabled veterans. Our chapter also donated articles and paintings to be auctioned off at another fundraiser for a homeless family. Our chapter has made food donations to various soup kitchens as well.
Unfortunately, many of these deeds are not made public and thanks to the media, television programs and stereotyping, this has given our club and other clubs bad reputations. We are not criminals and we are not a criminal organization. All of our chapter’s members work and have families. We too pay bills and taxes, like everyone else.
Seventy percent of our chapter is still serving in the military and will continue to serve until it is their time to retire. Many of our members are college-educated, own businesses and hold upstanding jobs.
All we want is to be left alone to do what we enjoy, and that is to ride motorcycles together as a group. We don’t want to be falsely judged or compared to other groups that have negative reputations.
If anyone would like to speak to me personally about this or their concerns, I would rather speak face to face with you, instead of someone having the wrong impression or incorrect opinion due to false information.
(Mr. Scanlon is the president of the Olean chapter of the Kingsmen Motorcycle Club.)
Over the years we have had our share of both good and bad members. We have all seen how poor-quality members can affect the reputation of a club, so accept my apologies if you were ever faced with an unjustifiable situation with one of these past members.
Because of this, we are very selective about who we accept as members. We don’t want trouble and we don’t want troublemakers. We want good-quality members who have strong family values, morals and integrity. Our club not only cares about itself and its members, we also care about our friends and the communities in which we have chapters.
http://www.oleantimesherald.com/editorial/article_e90e6ed8-e07a-11e1-bb89-001a4bcf887a.html
Recently, the Olean chapter, along with members from various KMC chapters, made a sizable donation and presented it to a local family whose teenage daughter was very ill with cancer to help pay for a very costly bone marrow transplant.
Shortly after this, members participated in a local motorcycle run to help support disabled veterans. Our chapter also donated articles and paintings to be auctioned off at another fundraiser for a homeless family. Our chapter has made food donations to various soup kitchens as well.
Unfortunately, many of these deeds are not made public and thanks to the media, television programs and stereotyping, this has given our club and other clubs bad reputations. We are not criminals and we are not a criminal organization. All of our chapter’s members work and have families. We too pay bills and taxes, like everyone else.
Seventy percent of our chapter is still serving in the military and will continue to serve until it is their time to retire. Many of our members are college-educated, own businesses and hold upstanding jobs.
All we want is to be left alone to do what we enjoy, and that is to ride motorcycles together as a group. We don’t want to be falsely judged or compared to other groups that have negative reputations.
If anyone would like to speak to me personally about this or their concerns, I would rather speak face to face with you, instead of someone having the wrong impression or incorrect opinion due to false information.
(Mr. Scanlon is the president of the Olean chapter of the Kingsmen Motorcycle Club.)
