Bandidos Motorcycle Club facts for kids
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| Abbreviation |
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|---|---|
| Founded | March 4, 1966 |
| Founder | Donald Chambers |
| Founded at | San Leon, Texas, United States |
| Type | Outlaw motorcycle club |
| Headquarters | Houston, Texas, United States |
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Region
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Worldwide (303 chapters in 22 countries) |
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Membership
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2,000–2,500 |
| Website | www.bandidosmc.com |
The Bandidos Motorcycle Club, also known as the Bandido Nation, is a large motorcycle club with members all over the world. It was started in San Leon, Texas, in 1966. The Bandidos MC is thought to have between 2,000 and 2,500 members. They have 303 groups, called chapters, in 22 different countries. This makes them one of the biggest motorcycle clubs globally, second only to the Hells Angels.
Some police and international groups consider the Bandidos to be involved in organized activities.
Contents
History of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club
The Bandidos Motorcycle Club was founded by a 36-year-old dockworker named Donald Eugene Chambers. He started the club on March 4, 1966, in San Leon, Texas. Chambers named the club after Mexican bandits who lived by their own rules. He found members from biker bars in cities like Houston, Corpus Christi, Galveston, and San Antonio.
Like some other motorcycle clubs, they call themselves "one percenters." This term came from a past president of the American Motorcyclist Association. He once said that 99 percent of motorcyclists followed the rules, and 1 percent were "outlaws." By the early 1970s, the club had over 100 members, including many who had served in the Vietnam War.
Leadership and Global Growth
Ronald Jerome Hodge took over as the Bandidos' president in 1972. He was known as "Mr. Prospect" because he became a member very quickly. Later, he was called "Step Mother." Under Hodge's leadership, the Bandidos became a global club. The first group outside the United States was started in Sydney, Australia, in 1983. This Australian branch was founded by Anthony Mark Spencer. He had met Bandidos members during a visit to the United States.
In 1989, the club expanded into Europe. A chapter was formed in Marseille, France. More growth into Nordic countries in the 1990s led to some serious disagreements with the Hells Angels. George Wegers, who was the international president from 1998 to 2005, later faced legal issues.
The Bandidos tried to establish themselves in Canada by joining with the Montreal-based Rock Machine Motorcycle Club in 2000. However, the Bandidos later gave up their presence in Quebec to the Hells Angels after major conflicts in 2003. By 2007, the Bandidos' Canadian chapters closed down due to internal issues.
According to the club's website, the Bandidos chapters in the Western Hemisphere became separate from the international chapters in Europe and Australia on July 17, 2007. The American chapters started using a new patch design in 2011.
Bandidos Insignia and Symbols
The Bandidos' main symbol is called the "Fat Mexican." It shows a cartoon of a Mexican bandit wearing a sombrero. He holds a sword in one hand and a pistol in the other. The club's founder, Donald Chambers, is credited with creating this design. The "Fat Mexican" looks a bit like the Frito Bandito, a cartoon character for Fritos corn chips. Some stories say Chambers got the club's name and logo from this character. However, the Frito Bandito was created in 1967, a year after the Bandidos started.
Besides the "Fat Mexican" and the diamond-shaped "1%er" symbols, club members also wear other patches. These are usually on leather or denim vests, known as "colors." The patches have red letters on a gold background. This color scheme was inspired by the United States Marine Corps. Chambers, who was a Marine Corps veteran, chose these colors.
Members wear patches that show their rank and which chapter they belong to. There are also other patches with special meanings. While the exact meaning of every patch is not publicly known, some law enforcement agencies believe certain patches are related to specific activities. For example, the "Expect No Mercy" patch and the "CDG" ("Coup de Grâce") patch are thought to represent serious actions taken for the club. The "TCB" ("Taking Care of Business") patch is worn by club officers and nomads.
Club Mottos
The Bandidos have several mottos, including:
- "Cut one, we all bleed"
- "God forgives, Bandidos don't"
- "Our colors don't run"
- "We are the people our parents warned us about"
Another common saying is "Bandidos forever, forever Bandidos" ("BFFB").
Becoming a Bandidos Member
To become a Bandidos member, a person must be male and own at least one Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Sometimes, other American-made motorcycles are also allowed. New members go through a three-step process. First, they are a "hangaround," then a "prospect," and finally, they are on "probation." The time it takes for this process is decided by each chapter president. It ends when all members of the chapter vote to let the probationary member join the club. The club also checks people carefully to make sure they are not undercover law enforcement. When someone joins the Bandidos, they must sign over their motorcycle to the club.
Club Structure and Rules
Each club chapter has a clear structure with a president, vice-president, sergeant-at-arms, road captain, and secretary/treasurer. Members must follow various rules. For example, they cannot wear the club patch while riding in a car or truck. They also have to attend meetings, called "Church," four times a month. These rules also say that any member who misses required group motorcycle rides will be fined. They also have to give up the title to their motorcycle.
Another rule is that Bandidos must believe "All members are your brothers and your family." They are also expected to "not fear authority and have a general disdain for the rules of society." Members are expected to be loyal to the club. All Bandidos items, including tattoos, are considered club property. Members pay fees, which help cover club costs like funeral expenses and a legal defense fund.
The Bandidos have an estimated 2,000 to 2,500 members worldwide. In the United States, most members are white and Hispanic males.
How the Bandidos Club is Organized
The Bandidos Motorcycle Club is organized into local chapters. There are also state and regional officers. A national chapter exists, made up of four regional vice-presidents and a national president. The club's top leader is an international president, known as "El Presidente." This person has authority over all club chapters.
The club also has Nomad chapters. These members are not tied to a specific location. They are responsible for security, gathering information, and keeping order within the club. The Bandidos' main chapter, called the "mother chapter," is in Houston, Texas.
The club has 303 chapters around the world. They are located in twenty-two countries in North America, Oceania, Europe, and Asia.
Bandidos in North America
The United States has 93 Bandidos chapters in sixteen states. The club is strongest in Texas but also has chapters in Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Washington, and Oklahoma. The Bandidos officially registered as a non-profit organization in Texas in 1978. They have also registered in other states, like Washington and Alabama.
The Bandidos expanded into Canada after joining with the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club in Quebec in 2000. They later started more chapters in Ontario, Alberta, and Manitoba. However, the club's activities in Canada stopped in November 2007. This was due to internal disagreements, police efforts, and decisions from the club's American leaders.
In 2004, the Bandidos formed a chapter in Costa Rica.
Bandidos in Oceania
The first Australian chapter was formed in 1983 in Sydney. It was started by former members of the Comanchero Motorcycle Club. Since then, the club has grown a lot in Australia. There are now forty-five Bandidos chapters across the country.
The Bandidos also have a small but growing presence in New Zealand. They started there in 2012. They say they have more than a dozen patched members and prospects in the Christchurch area.
Bandidos in Europe
There are about ninety Bandidos chapters in Europe. The first European chapter opened in Marseille, France, in 1989. After that, they expanded into Nordic countries. Branches were set up in Denmark in 1993, Sweden in 1994, and Finland and Norway in 1995.
The German part of the Bandidos was officially started in 2000. Chapters were then founded in Italy in 2001 and on the Channel Islands in 2003.
The Bandidos formed their first chapter in the Netherlands in 2014. However, the club was later banned in that country in 2017.
In recent years, the club has also grown a lot in Spain, Belgium, Estonia, Greece, England, and Ireland. There are also reports that they are looking to start groups in Russia and Eastern Europe.
Bandidos in Asia
In 2001, the Bandidos were established in Thailand. This happened through a merger with the Diablos Motorcycle Club in Pattaya. The club further expanded to Malaysia and Singapore in 2006.
Support Clubs
Like other big motorcycle clubs, the Bandidos also have several "support" clubs. These groups usually wear colors that are the opposite of the Bandidos' colors. For example, they might have a gold border with a red background, instead of the Bandidos' red border and gold background. They also often wear a special patch called the "Heart Patch." This is a round patch in Bandidos colors worn on the front upper left of their vest. Most of these support clubs are regional, meaning they are active in specific areas.
See also
- List of outlaw motorcycle clubs
