-
How do I join?
- Where
can I get SCRC merchandise (Patch, Decal, T-Shirts...) ?
- SCRC
Constitution.
- Riding
rules.
-
Hand Signals
-
General Liability Disclaimer
-
History of the SCRC
-
Links of interest
Membership in the SCRC is open to
anyone with an interest in group riding regardless of race, creed,
sex
or brand riden. All
applicants must be 16 years of age or older. Members must be
either a Rider or Passenger on a Motorcycle. Spouses, if they ride
with their husband or wife as a passenger are eligible to join
with the same Membership Status as the motorcycle operator.
Non-riders will only be allowed Membership under special
circumstances to be determined by the Chapter First Officer and
the National Membership Director.
Registration is handled through
the
National Site using this secure
FORM.
Note: When registering, the
Chapter name is Chapter 437 Ottawa and the "State" is Ontario
Once you have registered Online, the Membership
coordinator will get in touch with the Chapter 437 First Officer,
who in turn, will get in touch with you.
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For Chapter and "Nickname"
patches, please contact the Chapter
First Officer
SCRC merchandise: Patches, T-Shirts, decals, caps...etc are available on
the
National Site
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GENERAL INFORMATION
1)
SOUTHERN CRUISERS RIDING CLUB®, from here on known as the
SCRC, in Memphis, TN is the National and International
Headquarters for the Southern Cruisers Riding Club® and all local
Chapters and Membership will take direction from said Headquarters
and will comply with the constitution of this organization. Any
information about the Southern Cruisers Riding Club® and the
operation of its Constitution should be directed to the Founder
and National President at this address:
Rickster@SouthernCruisers.Net.
2)
For those that wish to form a Chapter you must apply to the
Southern Cruisers by utilizing the Online Chapter Form located at:
http://www.southerncruisers.net/chapt.htm.
1st Officers must be 21 years of age or older and have a valid
motorcycle endorsement on their license. After review of the
instructions on the Chapter Form, and if the applicant agrees with
the information listed here, the Vice President will contact the
local State Officer for the state in which the proposed would be
located. The State Officer would make contact with the applicant
and the First Officers of any other Chapters that would be deemed
to be in close proximity for information on whether this Chapter
is in the best interest of the SCRC. After approval has been
obtained, the applicant will then be required to purchase the Club
Patch. Upon submitting proof of purchase, the Vice President will
then open the Chapter and assign the Chapter a Chapter Number. The
applicant that applies for an SCRC Chapter will at that point be
known as the 1st Officer of that Chapter and will take direction
from the State Officer in which they applied. Any information
needed about Chapters and Officers of the Southern Cruisers Riding
Club® will need to be directed to the Vice President of the SCRC
at this address:
Richard@SouthernCruisers.Net.
3)
All First Officers of formed Chapters will be sent the current
codes to access those areas restricted to Club Officers. A JPG
file or Microsoft Word® of the Membership Card will also be
supplied and a program will be made available for those that are
interested in making Membership Cards for their Members. The First
Officer may also place within the Chapter a Second Officer with
the approval of the Vice President.
4)
All First Officers must maintain current Email, Phone Number and
Address with the SCRC. Officers who do not maintain lines of
communication with SCRC National, their State Officer and their
Chapter members shall be replaced. If no replacement First Officer
is found, the Chapter will be closed and the remaining Membership
moved to the closest Chapter. Any Member of the Chapter may
contact the State Officer or National Vice President as a request
to assume the role as the New First Officer. The State Officer and
the National Vice President will issue all decisions on these
requests.
5)
The Club Patch of the SCRC and the names "SCRC" and "Southern
Cruisers Riding Club" are Registered Trademark and as such are not
to be reproduced for sale by ANY member or outside entity " Profit
or Non Profit " for any reason without the written permission of
the SCRC Trademark Owner. Trademark information can be located at
this site,
http://www.southerncruisers.net/tm.htm.
The "Patch" and the name "Southern Cruisers Riding Club®" may be
reproduced for Membership Cards, Letterhead, Newsletters and other
similar items. All Graphics used on the National Web Site may be
used on the Chapter Web Sites with permission from the SCRC.
Chapter Web Sites will need to be approved before they are listed
on the National Site and all updates involving the National Web
Site will need to be directed to the Webmaster of the National
Site at this address: .
Rickster@SouthernCruisers.Net
6)
The "Patch", as worn on the vest or jacket shall consist of the
Winged Eagle worn on the upper half of the vest or jacket as the
cut of the vest may allow. The SCRC Club Patch is not and should
not be referred to as "Colors". No three-piece patches are
permitted in the SCRC. No Member of the SCRC shall ever add the
letters MC or wear the designation 1% on their vest, jacket or any
other article of clothing while representing the SCRC. No M/C or
1% Support patches or any kind of MC support insignias, such as
hats, T-shirts, stickers on helmets or bikes, or representations
of any kind, will be displayed by members of the Southern
Cruisers while wearing the SCRC patch, participating in Southern
Cruisers events, or representing the Southern Cruisers in any
way. No Rockers/Chapter Location Bars - "CLBs" that identify a
City, State, or Territory or anything giving the appearance of a
rocker will be worn with the SCRC wings on the back of the vest or
jacket. The Southern Cruisers is a neutral, family oriented,
international riding club and cannot show preference to any one
club over another. Other patches that present the Southern
Cruisers in a bad light will also not be worn. If there is any
doubt, contact the National Membership Director for clarification.
SAFETY
1)
The Southern Cruisers Riding Club considers safety to be the most
important feature of any ride. Given the nature of the club's free
structure and that membership in the SCRC is voluntary; at no time
does the SCRC accept responsibility for any rider's actions or
lack of action before, during or after a ride. Safety information
can be located at this site,
http://southerncruisers.net/newriding.htm
Each individual rider is 100% responsible for:
a) safely operating their vehicle in accordance with all
applicable Federal, State and local laws.
b) Making sure that they and their vehicle are un-impaired,
and are currently functioning safely.
c) Making sure that they can perform and manoeuvre safely
in the riding environment that they are in. Should they be not
100% sure of their ability in the current ride, they must remove
themselves from the situation. At all times, each rider must ride
within their capabilities.
d) Section (a) - (c) above and thus, ultimately,
their own safety, actions and/or lack of action.
It is the duty of every rider to make sure the environment is safe
for themselves as well as for other riders. In doing so, every
ride will be as safe as possible.
2)
The Southern Cruisers Riding Club does not condone drinking and
riding. Anyone participating in a Southern Cruisers ride or event
who consumes alcoholic beverages or any other substance that may
impair their ability to operate a motorcycle or any other motor
vehicle does so without the consent of the Southern Cruisers
Riding Club. Everyone that participates in a Southern Cruisers
ride or event must follow the laws regarding driving under the
influence set forth by the state(s) within which that ride or
event will take place.
3) The
Southern Cruisers Riding Club requires all members to follow and
observe all State and Local Laws while participating in a Southern
Cruisers Event. The Southern Cruisers does not condone any
illegal activities or practices while riding in or holding an
event or ride including but not limited to parading and road
blocking. Whenever possible, event or ride organizers will
coordinate with their local law enforcement or department of
transportation for their assistance in road blocking for large
processions. If law enforcement assistance is not available,
large groups must be split into smaller groups that will be
manageable without blocking any intersection, streets or drives.
Any violation of this article will be reviewed by the Board of
Directors and/or the National Officers and could lead to dismissal
from the Southern Cruisers.
4)
Any officer recognized by this constitution for the Southern
Cruisers Riding Club may dismiss anyone participating in a
Southern Cruisers ride or event if they are endangering the safety
of ride participants. Ultimately it is the individual’s
responsibility to maintain themselves in a safe and lawful manner.
OFFICERS
1)The
SCRC at the National and International level will consist of
National President, National Vice President, National Membership
Director, National Rides and Events Director. The term of service
of these Officers is unlimited. If one of the National Positions
becomes available, the new Officer will be voted in by the
remaining National Officers. The National Officers have the right
to vote in a New National Officer and to remove one when it
becomes necessary to maintain the SCRC to its fullest
capabilities.
2)
The National President will oversee all activities within The
Southern Cruisers Riding Club and all activities involving the
Trademark of the Club. The National President will also maintain
the National Web Site and will oversee all Officers and Members
within the SCRC. The National President will also oversee the
Rides and Events Director on all rides and events through out the
SCRC.
Rickster@SouthernCruisers.net
3)
The The National Vice President will assist the National President
in overseeing all activities with in the Southern Cruisers Riding
Club. The National Vice President shall maintain the appointment
of all State and First Officers. All Officers resigning positions
shall inform the Vice President and assist at finding a
replacement. The National Vice President prior to acceptance shall
approve all replacements for State and local Chapter Officers and
will oversee all Officers within the SCRC. The National Vice
President will approve all opening and closeting of any chapters
in the SCRC he can be contacted at this address:
Richard@SouthernCruisers.Net.
The National Vice President will also oversee The National
Membership Director.
4)
The National Membership Director will oversee all activities of
the General Membership of the SCRC. First Officers will update the
National Membership Director on all status changes for Members.
Any information regarding the General Membership of the SCRC
should be directed to the National Membership Director at this
address:
Bill_Presley@SouthernCruisers.net.
5)
Rides and Events Director shall oversee all rides or events
throughout the Southern Cruisers Riding Club. The Rides and Events
Director will coordinate with All officer who are setting up a
rally or event for their state/chapter to assure that the event
has met the guidelines set forth for any SCRC event.
Bubba@SouthernCruisers.net
6)
The Regional Officers are appointed by the President and the Vice
President, to serve an unlimited term and may be removed by the
same, or by action of the National Officers or Board of Directors
for conduct that shows the SCRC in a bad light, or any other
reason deemed in the best interest of the Club.
Their
responsibilities include:
a)
Maintaining contact with assigned State Officers.
b) Coordinating rides and events in their regions and
relate neighbouring state and national rides and events.
c)
Ensure that State
Officers in their region stay active and that National has their
valid contact information including their email address and phone
number.
d) Maintain an open line of Communication with the National
Officers as well as local Officers within their region.
e)
Regional Officers must have been an actively participating member
in the Southern Cruisers for a minimum of 1.5 years. They must
have a working email address and phone number. Regional Officers
will not hold any other Full-Time Officer position in the Southern
Cruisers Riding Club.
7)
The State Officer shall be appointed by the Regional Officer and
approved by the National Vice President to serve an unlimited term
and may be removed by the same, or by action of the National
Officers, Regional Officer or Board of Directors for conduct that
shows the SCRC in a bad light, or any other reason deemed in the
best interest of the Club.
The State Officer
duties include:
a)
Assisting the National Vice President in opening Chapters and
determining if a new chapter should open when another chapter
exists in close proximity.
b) Assisting the National Vice President in replacement of
First Officers in his state, whether they resign or are removed
from office.
c) Maintaining communications between Chapter First
Officers and the dissemination of information. State officers
shall keep the National Officers and Regional Officer informed
of all matters that concern the SCRC.
d) Organizing a State Rally or Multi-Chapter Events.
e) State Officers must have been an actively participating
member in the Southern Cruisers for a minimum of 1.5 years. They
must have a working email address and phone number.
f ) State Officers will not hold any other Full-Time
Officer position in the Southern Cruisers Riding Club.
8)
The Assistant State Officer shall be appointed by the State
Officer with the approval of the Regional Officer and the National
Vice President to serve an unlimited term and may be removed by
the same, or by action of the National Officers, Regional Officer,
State Officer or Board of Directors for conduct that shows the
SCRC in a bad light, or any other reason deemed in the best
interest of the Club.
The Assistant
State Officer duties include:
a)
Assistant State Officers' only duty is to assist the State Officer
when needed in the handling of matters within that state. The
Assistant State officer, only when needed, is to step in and take
the place of the State Officer. However, Assistant State Officers
cannot remove a member within the SCRC without first obtaining
approval from the State Officer or National.
b) Assistant State Officers must have been an actively
participating member in the Southern Cruisers for a minimum of 1.5
years. They must have a working email address and phone number.
c) Assistant State Officers will not hold any other
Full-Time Officer position in the Southern Cruisers Riding Club.
9)
First Officers are those that have applied for a Chapter and are
in charge of the same. First Officers must be 21 years of age or
older. First Officers are required to purchase a large Southern
Cruisers Riding Club patch. They are also required to wear the
large patch as long as they are the first officer of the chapter
or are a Officer within the Southern Cruisers Riding Club. First
Officers will use their own discretion as to their term of office.
When leaving office, they may suggest candidates to the State
Officer and National Vice President for appointment or an election
may be held within the chapter with the approval of the National
Vice President.
The National Vice
President will approve all First Officers. First Officers may be
removed by the National Officers, Regional Officer, State Officer
with approval of the National Vice President, or by action of the
Board of Directors, for conduct that shows the SCRC in a bad
light, or any other reason deemed in the best interest of the
Club. Officers that resign their positions for any reason shall
notify the State Officer and/or the National Vice President.
All Officers who
resign from their positions for other than hardship reasons will
have a 6 month waiting period before they can be considered for
another Officer position in the Southern Cruisers. Hardship
reasons consist of personal illness or that of a direct family
member, death of a direct family member, relocation, temporary
financial hardship or extreme time constraints placed on a member
by employment, education or family. Officers that have resigned
due to hardship will be able to regain an Officers position based
on the Chapter's need and with the State Officer and National Vice
President’s approval.
All Officers that
resign due to conflict of interests; or who have been negatively
reviewed by the Board of Directors previously; or Officers that
have been removed from their position for failing to follow the
Club By-Laws or Officer Code of Conduct will not be allowed to
hold an Officers position in the Southern Cruisers Riding Club
again.
First Officers duties
are:
a) Keeping chapter Members informed of SCRC National
policies and events and also local rides and events.
b) Maintaining communication with their State Officers
and National Officers.
c) Maintaining their chapter roster and notifying the
National Membership Director of all changes in Membership status
and member roster information.
d) Maintaining a ride schedule which includes regularly
scheduled chapter rides and the possibility for impromptu rides.
e) They must have a working email address and phone number.
First Officers will not hold any other Full-Time Officer position
in the Southern Cruisers Riding Club.
10)
The National Vice
President will approve all Second Officers. Second Officers may be
removed by a National Officer, Regional Officer, State Officer or
First Officer with approval of the National Vice President, or by
action of the Board of Directors, for conduct that shows the SCRC
in a bad light, or any other reason deemed in the best interest of
the Club.
Second Officers
duties are:
a) Second Officers' only duty is to assist the First
Officer when needed in the handling of matters within that
Chapter. The Second Officer, only when needed, is to step in and
take the place of the First Officer. However, Second Officers
cannot remove a member within the SCRC without first obtaining
approval from the First Officer or National.
b) They must have a working email address and phone number.
Second Officers will not hold any other Full-Time Officer position
in the Southern Cruisers Riding Club.
11)
National Officers, Regional Officers, State Officers, Assistant
State Officers and Chapter 1st and 2nd Officers are the only
positions that will be recognized by the SCRC and have access to
Officer's Only material.
12)
Other Officers may become necessary as the Club grows and will be
established by the National Officers and duties described in this
Constitution.
13)
The National President or National Vice President or any National
Officer can overrule any decision made by any Officer in the
Southern Cruisers Riding Club.
BOARD
OF DIRECTORS
1)
The Board of Directors will consist of a panel of 8 Members
and at no time will fall to less than 5 members. They will be
appointed by the President, Vice President, Chairman and Assistant
Chairman of the Board of Directors. Board Members will serve on a
year-to-year basis not to exceed more than Three Years as a Board
Member. The Chairman and Assistant Chairman of the Board will
serve an unlimited term until he/she or the National Officer deems
it necessary to replace him/her. The Board will meet on-line for
the discussion of issues that CANNOT be resolved by the General
Membership, First Officer, State Officer or the Regional Officer.
2)
Any Member has the right to address the Board for any grievance,
but the Chain of Command should be followed in this order:
a) First Officer
b) State Officer
c) Regional Officer
3)
A grievance may be presented to the Board in either Email or
letter form. All pertinent information must accompany the
grievance. All grievances sent to the BOD
for a review will be kept confidential and will not be released to
the Public or the general Membership of the SCRC. The substance of
the grievance will only be shared with the principals involved,
the Board of Directors and National Officers. Any information
and/or issues to be reviewed by the SCRC Board Of Directors will
need to be sent to the Chairman of the Board at this address:
BOD@SouthernCruisers.Net.
4)
Decisions of the SCRC
Board of Directors are final, Subject to veto by the President of
the SCRC.
5)
Any Board Member may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the
remaining Board Members, SCRC President and Vice President.
MEMBERSHIP
1)
The Southern Cruisers Riding Club is a free, voluntary club. There
are no dues but there are some commitments. Membership in the SCRC
is open to anyone with an interest in group riding regardless of
race, creed or sex and all applicants must be 18 years of age or
older. Operators of motorcycles must have a valid Motorcycle
endorsement on their license. Members must be either a Rider or
Passenger on a street legal Motorcycle. Spouses, if they ride with
their husband or wife as a passenger are eligible to join with the
same Membership Status as the motorcycle operator. Non-riders will
only be allowed Membership under special circumstances to be
determined by the Chapter First Officer and any of the National
Officers. The Southern Cruisers is an open club but retains the
right to terminate the membership of any member that is found to
be in violation of any part of this constitution or other club
rules.
2)
The Southern Cruisers Riding Club is a No Dues, "Family Oriented
Club" and does require some attendance to Meetings or Rides.
However, lack of Communications and Participation in a 90 day
period may lead to revocation of Membership at the discretion of
the Chapter First Officer. Only after attempts to contact Member
through Email, Telephone attempts or US Mail are not responded to
or the attempts fail due to incorrect information. The Southern
Cruisers is not an Internet Club for Motorcycle enthusiasts.
3)
Anyone wishing to apply for Membership shall either complete:
a) An application form that has been reproduced on paper
and return it to the chapter 1st Officer, or
b) The On Line form at
https://secure.southerncruisers.net/purpose.htm.
The words "I AGREE" must be entered on the online form for
consideration of Membership. A signature must appear if using
reproduced forms. The SCRC and its Chapter Officers reserves the
right to refuse Membership to anyone with the approval of the
Membership Director.
4)
Upon submittal of the Membership Application, the Chapter First
Officer shall contact the new applicant as soon as possible,
within a week preferably.
5)
The First Officer may remove Membership from any Member that does
not comply with the Constitution of the SCRC or acts in a manner
that does not reflect the SCRC in a good light. The First Officer
may also turn problems within the Chapter over to the State
Officer for more direction on the problem with the intent to make
a final decision that's acceptable to the SCRC and the Membership
of that Chapter.
6) The
National President or Vice President and or any National Officer
can at any time revoke or refuse membership to any person for the
good of the Southern Cruisers Riding Club as a whole.
MEETINGS
1)
Meetings may consist of formal sit down or rides that are
conducted by the Chapter.
2)
Any National Officer, Regional Officer, State Officer, or Chapter
First Officer may call meetings. Members of the Southern Cruisers
Riding Club® may also request meetings by contacting the First
Officer of that area and with approval may head this meeting.
CHARITY EVENTS
1)
The SCRC will not discourage any member from attending a charity
event or any chapter from conducting one. If the SCRC is to
sponsor or its name is to be used in the billing of such event, a
request for approval of event must be submitted to the National
Events Director by filling out the application at this address:
https://secure.southerncruisers.net/eventpack.htm.
After reviewing the submission of documents stating nature of
event, benefit organization, insurance information, activity and
lodging information. The National Rides and Events Director will
make all decisions as to whether or not the ride or event can be a
Southern Cruisers function.
2)
If the name, Southern Cruisers Riding Club®, SCRC, or the Club
Emblem is to be used in the promotion of a charitable event, by a
chapter or member, then the beneficiary (Charitable Organization)
of the event must be approved by the National Events Director,
President and Vice President. This is to include any tee shirts or
any banners.
3)
No Bank accounts, Savings or Checking under any circumstance, will
ever be opened under the name Southern Cruisers Riding Club by any
Officer or Member.
4) Any
Officer or Member involved in any acts of public Nudity, during a
Southern Cruisers function will be removed from the Southern
Cruisers Riding Club.
NATIONAL AND STATE EVENTS
1)
The Southern Cruisers Annual Birthday Celebration will be
conducted in a location set aside by the President of the SCRC.
The local Chapter/Chapters will be responsible for conducting
rides and setting up motels for the Event. One motel will be
designated as the headquarters and establishment of the
Headquarters will be done as soon as possible for maximum
occupancy. The Birthday Celebration will be conducted in
conjunction with a charity event for St Jude Children’s Research
Hospital.
2)
State and Local Rallies are encouraged and the State/Regional
Officer will oversee the management of the rally. State Rallies
will not be limited to members in the State, but open to all
members of the SCRC. Officers in charge of organizing these events
should first contact the SCRC
National
Events Director at this address:
https://secure.southerncruisers.net/eventpack.htm.
3)
Chapters are encouraged to hold inter-chapter rides and weekend
get-togethers. Chapters are also encouraged to attend local events
and conduct local events so to promote the camaraderie of the
club, increase chapter participation and demonstrate a positive
public image.
AMENDMENTS
1)
These bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of all the National
Officers with the final approval of the President of the
Southern Cruisers Riding Club.
The latest version of the constitution text
above
is always available at
http://www.southerncruisers.net/constitution.htm.
In the event of discrepancies between the text on this page and
the text at the
central site, the
latter will
always have primacy.
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Rules for Group Riding Safety
The purpose of riding in an organized group instead of an
undisciplined pack is to provide the additional safety that a
well-organized group inherently generates. This comes from within
the group and from the outside. When a group rides in an orderly
fashion, people don't get in each others way, and the organization
of the formation itself discourages cars from attempting to cut
in. I have even seen trucks move to the far side of their lane to
minimize wind blast when they see a well-ordered formation "single
up" and move as far away from the truck as their lane allows. Once
riding rules have been adopted by a club, EVERYONE Riding with the
SCRC is expected to follow them. Anyone violating the rules, and
compromising everyone else's safety, will be warned, and if their
actions continue, will no longer be welcome to ride with the club.
The following rules are compiled from a number of sources. Most
clubs that ride in orderly formations follow similar rules.
Details may vary from one club to another, sometimes because of
the style of riding they do, or sometimes because there are a
number of reasonable options, so they chose the one they prefer.
NO ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION OF
ANY KIND WHILE WE ARE RIDING !!!
Formation Riding: Will be in a standard State Patrol
(staggered)
formation. In staggered formation, the bikes form two
columns, with the leader at the head of the left column, so he
will be able to view all bikes in the formation in his/her
rearview mirrors, and be able to see around vehicles the group
approaches. The second bike will head the right column, and will
ride approximately 1 second behind the leader (and in the opposite
side of the lane). The other riders will position their bikes 2
seconds behind the bike directly in front of them, which puts them
1 second behind the diagonal bike. This formation allows each
rider sufficient safety space, and discourages other vehicles from
cutting into the line. The last rider, or Tail Gunner, may ride on
whichever side of the lane he prefers. He will have to change
sides during the ride, based on the situation at the moment. The
distance between bikes will augment as the speed increases.
Do not try an maintain a constant distance, use the ''time''
method to gauge where you should be.
Ride Leader: The Ride Leader must be aware of the
length of the columns, and must gauge the passing of merges,
highway entrances and exits, etc., to allow for maximum safety and
keeping the group together. He must make sure that he leaves
enough time/space for the formation to get into the appropriate
lanes before exits, etc. All directions come from the Ride Leader.
The Ride Leader makes all decisions regarding lane changes,
stopping for breaks and fuel, closing of gaps, turning off at
exits, any concerns of what lies ahead, accepting/rejecting
radioed messages from other individuals, and so on. No individual
will assert himself independently without direction from the Ride
Leader to do so.
Tail Gunner: The Tail Gunner serves as the eyes of
the Ride Leader. He watches the formation, and informs the Ride
Leader of any potential problems within the group. He watches
other vehicles, and informs the Ride Leader (and anyone else with
radios) of hazardous conditions approaching from the rear, such as
vehicles trying to cut into the formation and trucks passing with
potentially dangerous wind blasts. He will watch for merging
lanes, and will move into a merging lane (or stay in a merging
lane just vacated by the group) in order to "close the door" on
other vehicles that may otherwise find themselves trying to merge
into the formation. At the Ride Leaders request, the Tail Gunner
changes lanes before the formation, to secure the lane so the
formation can move into it.
New Riders: The position of new (inexperienced with
GROUP riding) riders within the group is significant. New riders
should be positioned as close to the front as possible. When
you first ride with us, you will be put at the front of the pack.
Don't be insulted, we haven't seen you ride and want to make sure
you can follow. Once you have proved you can ride with us
SAFELY, you can pick your spot.
Lane Changes: All lane changing starts with a radio/hand
signal
request from the Ride Leader to the Tail Gunner. The Tail Gunner
will (when it is safe to do so) move into the requested lane and
will inform the Ride Leader when the lane is clear.
At this point, the Ride Leader has three options:
Simple Lane Change: This is an ordinary lane change, and
can be used in most situations. After the Tail Gunner has secured
the new lane, the Ride Leader will put on his directional signal
as an indication that he is about to order a lane change. As each
rider sees the directional signal, he also turns his on, so the
riders following him get the signal. The leader then initiates the
change. All other riders change lanes too. The important concept
is that NO ONE moves until the bike in front of him has started
moving.
Block Lane Change: This can be used interchangeably with
the Simple Lane Change. It requires a little more work, but it is
well worth the effort. Its quite impressive to watch, and gives
the riders a tremendous feeling of
"togetherness". This sounds a little complicated, but is actually
very simple to do. After the Tail Gunner has secured the new lane,
the Ride Leader will put on his directional signal as an
indication that he is about to order a lane change. As each rider
sees the directional signal, he also turns his on, so the riders
following him get the signal. The leader then raises his left arm
straight up. Each rider repeats this signal. Then, as the leader
lowers his arm to point to the lane into which he is moving, he
actually initiates the change. All other riders lower their arms
at the same time and change lanes too. This allows the entire
formation to move from one lane to another as a single block.
Rear Fill-in: This is sometimes necessary if a long enough
gap cannot be maintained in the new lane, for example when trying
to move from the right lane to the center and vehicles from the
left lane keep cutting into the opening. After the Tail Gunner has
secured the new lane, the leader (usually at the suggestion of the
Tail Gunner) will call for the group to fill in the space from the
rear. He signals this by raising his hand to shoulder height and
"pushing" it towards the new lane. All riders repeat the signal,
and the last bikes move into the space in the new lane ahead of
the Tail Gunner, then the next-to-last bikes move in ahead of
those, and so on until the Ride Leader finally moves into the
space ahead of the entire formation.
Emergencies:
In the unlikely event of an emergency condition, the Ride Leader
will make every attempt to move the formation to the shoulder in
an orderly manner. If a bike breaks down, let the rider move to
the right. DO NOT STOP. The Tail Gunner will stop with the problem
bike. The Ride Leader will lead the group to a safe stopping
place.
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Hand Signals
Each rider (and passenger) should duplicate all hand signals given
by the rider in front of him, so that the signals get passed all
the way to the back of the formation. The following signals are
used in addition to the standard (right turn, left turn slow
/stop) hand signals.
Block Lane Change:
The leader (after having the Tail Gunner secure the lane) raises
his left arm straight up. Each rider repeats this signal. Then, as
the leader lowers his arm to point to the lane into which he is
moving, he actually initiates the change. All other riders lower
their arms at the same time and change lanes too.
Fill in from rear:
After having the Tail Gunner secure the lane and putting on his
directional signal (which is repeated by each rider), the Ride
Leader raises his left hand to his shoulder and "pushes" his open
hand toward the lane into which he wants to move. This signal is
repeated by all riders, and each rider in turn, rearmost first,
moves into the space ahead of the riders behind them.
Single up:
When conditions warrant single file (narrow road, anticipated
wind-blast from trucks, obstruction, pedestrians, etc.) the Ride
Leader will raise his left hand straight up, holding up just his
index finger. All other riders will repeat this, and the two
columns will merge into one.
Staggered Formation:
After singling up, when single file is no longer necessary, the
Ride Leader will raise his left hand with thumb and pinky out,
other fingers closed, rotating his wrist back and forth
(indicating left, right, left, right). All other riders will
repeat this and resume staggered formation.
Tighten Formation:
When the Ride Leader feels that the formation should be tighter
(bikes closer together) (usually after being informed by the Tail
Gunner), he raises his left hand with fingers spread wide and
repeatedly closes them into a fist. All other riders repeat this
and close up all unnecessary space in the formation.
Road Hazard:
This is the one signal that can be initiated by ANYONE. Anyone
seeing a hazardous condition on the road surface (road kill, oil,
gravel, significant pot hole, etc.) will point at it. All
following riders will repeat this, and all riders will avoid the
hazard.
The latest version of the
riding rules text
above
is always available at
http://www.southerncruisers.net/ridingrules.htm. In
the event of discrepancies between the text on this page and the
text at the
central site, the
latter will
always have primacy.
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General Liability
Disclaimer
Southern Cruisers Riding Club
and its Chapter herein after referred to as SCRC and Chapter 437
Ottawa, is a NON-PROFIT organization, operating with the sole
purpose of promoting good, clean, and safe riding activities. Each
member participates in activities solely by choice. Participation
in itself relinquishes any responsibility of the SCRC and Chapter
437 Ottawa as an organization, for any and all liabilities
resulting in participation in any Club or Chapter related event or
activity. All activities and events must comply with any and all
Provinces 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 SCRC, Chapter 437 Ottawa or its Officers be
held liable. Any individual involved in any illegal activities
will be immediately scrutinized by their Provincial officer and
subject to immediate removal from all club rosters and membership
roles and forbidden to claim any and all association with the
SCRC, to include, but not limited to:
- Removal
of club patch and insignias of any sort
-
Prohibited to participate in any activity of the SCRC.
The SCRC and
Chapter 437 Ottawa/Gatineau, reserves the right to accept or reject members
The SCRC can
periodically, and without notice, revise or amend rules and
regulations where necessary.
SCRC and Chapter 437 Ottawa/Gatineau
encourages you to exercise discretion while using information
contained in either this or the SCRC website. Chapter 437 Ottawa
makes no representations concerning any endeavor to review the
content of sites listed within this website, or any of the
materials, and so Chapter 437 Ottawa isn't responsible for the
accuracy, copyright compliance or legality of material contained
in sites listed or linked from our website.
The latest version of the
National General Liability Disclaimer
text
above
is always available at
http://www.southerncruisers.net/eventpack.htm. In
the event of discrepancies between the text on this page and the
text at the
central site, the
latter will
always
have primacy.
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History of the SCRC
Rick "Rickster" Perry, Founder
and President of the Southern Cruisers Riding Club
After being out of
Motorcycling for almost 15 years, I decided to buy a new bike and
to start enjoying life just a little bit more than I had been.
After a few weeks of riding alone I knew there was still something
missing.... The Brotherhood of Biking. It was at this point where
I decided to start a Riding Club in the Memphis Area to meet new
friends and to get the people riding together and sharing the
thrill of Motorcycling in a manner that was acceptable to all.
After getting a few people together and coming up with the name
Southern Cruisers Riding Club, I decided to put up a small Web
Site on the net and start the Cruisers Forum so we could all have
an on-line meeting place to discuss plans for rides we were
setting up. During this time we were working on a Club Patch and
went through about a dozen different designs before we all decided
on the Current SCRC Club Patch.
Shortly after The Memphis
Chapter started to form, I was contacted by Jerry Longdon "HIP"
from the Knoxville area and was asked about the Club. After
telling Jerry that it was just a Local club we decided to open a
Chapter in Knoxville, TN just to see what would actually happen.
Lots of decisions were made at this time about how to run the
Southern Cruisers including a NO DUES Style Club, Not to give the
Club a Bad name and, to keep it all clean and legal. Now the
Knoxville Chapter was starting to organize and the Southern
Cruisers was now a Tennessee Club.
A little time went by and
everything seemed to be going well for the two Chapters, then I
received a Phone Call from Tim Jones in Rome, Georgia. His first
words were something like this "How about a Georgia Chapter"?
Still kinda shocked that someone would want to start a Chapter of
the Southern Cruisers other than myself we got the Rome, GA
Chapter going. After a few phone conversations with Tim, He told
me that he designed Websites for a living and that he would gladly
set up the Southern Cruisers with our own Domain Name and build
and maintain the site for us. Still in shock from all of this I
agreed and Tim built
http://SouthernCruisers.Net and that’s when
everything started happening.
We begin talking to David
Williams in South Carolina, Tony Conway in Oklahoma, and Bill
Strebel about the Middle Tennessee Chapter. It seemed that
everyone wanted to be a part of the Southern Cruisers Riding
Club. We started opening up new Chapters all over the United
States and people were starting to join every single day and it
was at that time I realized that other riders wanted a Club set up
just like we had set up the Southern Cruisers.
Now just Five Years later, We
have Chapters spread all across the United States and even outside
the United States and we are growing faster than ever before, With
almost 31,000 Members in the Southern Cruisers Riding Club, I
can gladly say we have made it to the Big Time.
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Links of interests
Southern Cruiser
Members receive a 20% discount at all Choice Hotels which include
Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality
Inn, Sleep Inn, Clarion, MainStay Suites, Econo lodge and Rodeway
Inn.
See our Chapter 1st Officer for a
Discount card and group ID Number.
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