No, we’re not talking doggie style positions here – this is about the different ranks or duties that are found in most Motorcycle Clubs. As with all things MC related, there are no hard and fast rules and positions and responsibilities will vary from Club to Club.
In most Clubs, officers are voted on by patch holders and elected for one or two year terms. In a few Clubs, especially smaller, local, or new Clubs, the Officers may simply be the founders of the Club. In some Clubs only the President is voted on and he then chooses the other officers, in other Clubs each position is voted on. In a few Clubs, local Officers are chosen by the National leadership, especially when starting a new Chapter. National and Local Officers are usually elected differently as well. National Officers are seldom elected by the entire nation of patch holders. Usually they are either elected by the Officers of all the Chapters- in other words all the Chapter Presidents might vote for the National President. Another way is that the Founding Chapter of the Club will control the National Officers positions, choosing one or all of them. All of these are generalities and can vary from Club to Club and even Chapter to Chapter in a larger Club.
How a specific Club elects their Officers is no ones business but theirs, don’t ever ask. Don’t ask details about their Officers or their jobs within the Club. If they want you to know, they will tell you. But the following general information will give you a quick overview of the positions in a Motorcycle Club.
President
The President is the de facto leader of the Club or Chapter. He is usually the most public face of the Club, the main representative, the one working the hardest to build the Club, to establish or maintain relations with other Clubs and outside organizations, and so on. The President usually calls and runs the Clubs meetings (though he may or may not be allowed to vote on motions depending on the clubs particular parliamentary procedures). The President is often the one who makes decisions that are outside the Clubs normal bylaws or can’t be voted on for what ever reason. Contrary to the crap you see on TV, Presidents are almost never dictators who can run roughshod over everyone in the Club while making arbitrary decisions. In most Clubs being President simply means being the first among equals, a full patch respected by other patches as a leader.
Vice-President
The VP fills in for the President when He is unable to attend meetings or events. Depending on the club, he might be responsible for organizing events and any internal club committees. The VP often acts as a sort of ‘intermediary’ between other club members and the President, he may especially act as a buffer between Prospects and Hang-Arounds who want to waste the Presidents time.
Sergeant-At-Arms
The Sergeant-At-Arms is probably the most misunderstood job in a Motorcycle Club. Often portrayed as the violent member who is responsible for keeping people in line hence the image of the SAA as the biggest meanest member of the Club. In point of fact, nothing could be further from the truth. The SAA, at least a good one, is probably the most intelligent and political member of the Club. It is the SAA who maintains order, but he is also responsible for the Clubs safety, for insuring that the Club doesn’t violate any protocols. One of the most important jobs of the SAA is to insure that every member of the club (as well as prospects and hang-arounds) are following the clubs bylaws and usually has the authority to override any decision of the club that violates those bylaws. The SAA is sort of the clubs internal sheriff and it can be a thankless job, but seriously, a good SAA can make a club.
Secretary
The secretary is responsible for maintaining the clubs records, especially the records of all members and their contact info. In most clubs the secretary is usually responsible for calling everyone about meetings or notifying them about information they may have missed. It is the secretary that keeps meeting minutes and notes and copies of all documentation for the club.
Treasurer
The treasurer is the clubs financial person. Responsible for maintaining the clubs money, dues, income and for insuring that it is all accounted for and distributed or used properly. He has to be able to maintain meticulous records and report those to the club on a regular basis. In some clubs (especially smaller ones) the secretary and treasurer may be combined into one job.
Road Captain
Here is the most thankless and overlooked job in the club. It is also, in our opinion, one of the most important jobs and should never be handed out to someone who lacks the high degree of responsibility that the job requires. The Road Captain is responsible for the clubs runs. He maps the rides and insures everyone is getting to where they are going. More importantly though, he is responsible for insuring that everyone riding is doing so in as safe a manner as possible. That means he isn’t letting people ride on bald tires, or on a bike that’s about to fall apart. He is responsible for working with the SAA or secretary to coordinate travel with other clubs. And it is usually the Road Captain that keeps everyone on time during runs, insuring food and gas stops are organized and everyone leaves together. A bad road captain can seriously ruin the fun of an otherwise good run.
Tail-Gunner
Tail-Gunner is a position that just isn’t used enough in Clubs. However, in some clubs the SAA will act as the Tail-Gunner. The Tail-Gunner is often the clubs best rider and follows behind everyone else on the run, insuring that no one falls behind, that people are riding in the pack properly. A good Tail-Gunner will often be seen working with new and less-experienced riders helping them learn to fit seamlessly into the clubs riding and by pulling people out of a pack when they pose an immanent danger to the men around them. The Tail-Gunner will also work with the Road Captain when coordinating traffic control is necessary.
Less Common Positions in Clubs
Ma or Mother – A Ma is an experienced club member from a different, well-established, club chapter who has been around the club for a long period of time and acts much like a sponsor to a new chapter. Usually everyone from the President down to the newest Prospect (sometimes even Hang-Arounds) are responsible for talking to their Ma on a regular basis and the Ma helps them learn to be good club members and a good club charter. Once the chapter is well-established and has a good reputation then the need for a Ma usually ceases.
Sponsor – A sponsor is a club member who is willing to take on the responsibility of growing, training and educating a prospect into a club member. The sponsor is responsible for all of a prospects actions, good or bad. A sponsor can take a prospects patch if necessary and is also the one to bring them up for a membership vote when they feel the man is ready. Some clubs will require a sponsor to have been a full member for one to two years before they are allowed to sponsor a prospect. Also, some clubs will not allow a member to sponsor a prospect who is family.
Chaplain – This is one of those positions you see most often in Christian clubs, though also in military and veteran clubs as well. It’s fairly unusual outside of that though I know of at least one 1% club with a legit Chaplain position. The Chaplain job is usually someone who is leading prayers, doing marriages, but may also be someone you can talk to about personal issues and conflict problems without fear of judgement or repercussion.
There are some positions that we don’t really talk about publicly, like Enforcer, those are strictly internal jobs and are no one’s business. There are also some totally BS positions in a few Clubs- like public affairs officer or social media officer, and I’ve heard some Clubs even have a party officer. To each their own.