|
MEMBERSHIP QUALIFICATIONS
Briefly, to qualify for membership you must:
1. Be an active full or part time law enforcement officer with powers of arrest.
2. Be employed by a governmental agency and receive monetary compensation,
or be a retired or disabled former law enforcement officer.
3. Possess a valid license to operate a motorcycle.
4. Own
a motorcycle or plan to purchase one within six months.
MEMBERSHIP CLASSIFICATIONS
1. REGULAR MEMBERS
All regular members must be persons who are full time (32 hours per week
minimum) employees of a governmental law enforcement agency or department. Such employment must be the primary source
of employment of all Regular members. All Regular members must have arrest authority.
Persons receiving disability income or job reclassification due to injuries received while engaged in law enforcement employment
or who are receiving retirement income for full-time employment as herein defined, by a governmental law enforcement agency
or department are eligible for Regular membership although they are not presently employed by such a law enforcement agency
or department.
Persons who have served twenty (20) years or more and
have been a Blue Knight for one (1) year or more, who have taken a retirement option and who have taken a separation from
law enforcement employment, under honourable circumstances, and will at some time receive retirement income for full-time
employment, as herein defined, by a government law enforcement agency or department are eligible for Regular membership although
they are not presently employed by such a law enforcement agency or department. The person must provide letters of proof
of honourary separation from all departments.
Persons who are presently
Regular members for one (1) year or more and who have fifteen (15) years or more with a law enforcement agency or department
who have for any honourable circumstance, taken a separation from an agency or department are eligible for Associate membership
although they may not be employed by a law enforcement agency or department. The person must provide letters of proof
of honourable separation from all departments.
Persons who are presently
Regular members for five (5) years or more and who have served ten (10) years or more with a law enforcement agency, who have
for any honourable circumstance, taken a separation from their agency are eligible for Associate membership although they
may not be employed by a law enforcement agency or department. The person must provide proof of honourable separation.
Each Regular member must be properly licensed to drive a motorcycle by
the State or Province in which he resides and must own a motorcycle, excepting, however, that persons who otherwise qualify
as Regular members, but do not own motorcycles, may become members if they have plans to own a motorcycle and do in fact acquire
ownership rights in a motorcycle within six (6) months of their acceptance as members.
Any Regular member who because of an injury or medical or physical condition is unable to continue riding a motorcycle, may
retain his/her membership as a regular member.
Benefits of Knighthood
It is difficult stating what makes the Blue Knights so special. Perhaps the following
will help explain the kinds of feelings that flow when a bunch of motorcycle-riding police officers get together.
Knighthood is:
- Enjoying the company of different people who share not only the common bond of a career
in law enforcement, but also a love of motorcycles.
- Being able to visit your friends in any of our member countries and be treated like
family.
- Receiving get-well cards from people you've never met. (There are no strangers in the
Blue Knights, only friends you haven't met.)
- Riding with the Ladies of the Knights and Little Knights who give that added family
touch.
- Going to handicapped children's camps, giving the kids rides and seeing the smiles on
their faces.
- Various fund-raising activities for those less fortunate...
|
 |
|
|
2. ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
All Associate members must be persons who are employed on a part time
basis (less than 32 hours per week, minimum 10 hours per year) by a governmental law enforcement agency or department and
receiving monetary compensation for such employment. All Associate members must have arrest authority. Any Associate
member on May 24, 1983 shall have the right to continue as an Associate member if he meets all other requirements.
Persons who have been employed on a part time basis (less than 32 hours per week, minimum 10 hours per year) by a governmental
law enforcement agency or department for fifteen (15) years or more and have been a Blue Knight for five (5) years or more
who have taken an honourable separation from his/her law enforcement agency or department (reasons - health, retirement, age,
or injury) are eligible for Associate membership although they may not be employed by any law enforcement agency or department,
and are not receiving retirement compensation. They must provide letters of proof of honorable separation.
A person may also qualify for Associate membership as per Section 1, paragraph 4.
Each Associate member must be properly licensed to drive a motorcycle by the State or Province in which he resides and must
own a motorcycle, excepting however, that persons who otherwise qualify as Associate members, but do not own motorcycles,
may become members if they have plans to own a motorcycle and do in fact acquire ownership rights in a motorcycle within six
(6) months of their acceptance as a member.
Any Associate member who
because of an injury or medical or physical condition is unable to continue riding a motorcycle, may retain his/her membership
as an Associate member.
3. HONOURARY MEMBERS
Honourary members must be persons who have substantially contributed to
the promotion of the Corporation and to the purposes for which the corporation is organized. Honourary membership in
any given chapter may not exceed more than ten percent (10%) of the previous year's membership of Regular, Associate and Life
members.
4. LIFE MEMBERS
Life members are restricted to the Founding Fathers of the International
and Past international Presidents in good standing. Life members are not obligated to be a member of a chapter.
5. SPECIAL HONOURARY MEMBERS
Special honourary membership may be granted to an ordained member of a
recognized religious order for the position of chapter Chaplain. This is limited to one (1) per chapter and will not
effect the chapter's ten percent (10%) honourary limit.
If you feel that you qualify and would like more information or an application to become a member
of the world's largest and best motorcycle club for law enforcement officers contact a chapter near you or our International Headquarters.
An application for membership may be downloaded at ftp://blueknights.org/bkapp02.pdf
Correctional Officers with statutory arrest powers are invited to join our great organization.
For the men
and women having no powers of arrest, but employed in the Corrections field we
would like to recommend the PRIDE Motorcycle Club.
Being a Blue Knight is all this and much, much more.
NIGHTS FOR KNIGHTS
Maine VII is pleased to announce the creation of a new website for the exclusive use by Blue Knights who are traveling
and would like to save money on motel fare by staying with fellow Blue Knights.
The website is appropriately called
"Nights For Knights" and is located at http://community.webtv.net/NightsForKnights/home.
For additional information, please visit Nights.htm
Now, there are some monetary rewards, with more to come.
Our International Officers are busy trying to locate companies that are willing to
offer a discount to our 13,000+ members.*
|
|
|
|
|
