Outlaws Motorcycle Club facts for kids
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| Abbreviation | A.O.A. |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1935 |
| Founder | John Davis |
| Founded at | McCook, Illinois, United States |
| Type | Outlaw motorcycle club |
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
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Region
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Worldwide (441 chapters in 43 countries) |
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Membership
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3,000 |
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International President
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John "Tommy O" Erwin |
The Outlaws Motorcycle Club, incorporated as the American Outlaws Association or its acronym, A.O.A., is an international outlaw motorcycle club. Founded in McCook, Illinois in 1935, the Outlaws MC is the oldest outlaw biker club in the world. With 441 chapters located in 43 countries, and a membership of over 3,000, the club is also the third-largest in the world, behind the Hells Angels and the Bandidos. Outlaws members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
The club is designated an organized crime syndicate by numerous law enforcement and international intelligence agencies, including the United States Department of Justice, the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada, and Europol.
Contents
History
Originating as the McCook Outlaws MC, the club was founded by Electro-Motive Company employees at Matilda's bar on Route 66 in the southwestern Chicago suburb of McCook, Illinois in 1935. John Davis was reportedly the founder of the club.
Insignia
The Outlaws' original insignia consisted of a head-on view of a motorcycle in a winged circle, which was hand-painted onto the back of members' jackets. In 1950, the club's logo was changed; a small skull replaced the winged motorcycle, and Old English-style letters were adopted. This design was embroidered on a black shirt or hand-painted onto leather jackets. Influenced by the fictional Black Rebel Motorcycle Club depicted in the film The Wild One, the Outlaws added crossed pistons affixed to the original small skull in 1954, a design embroidered on a black western-style shirt with white piping. The skull and crossed pistons logo, known as "Charlie", was redesigned in 1959, making it larger and with more detail. The club's "Charlie" insignia is a registered trademark. In 1963, the Outlaws began wearing a diamond-shaped "1%er" patch, becoming the first club east of the Mississippi River to do so.
In 1969, the club adopted the motto "God forgives, Outlaws don't" ("GFOD").
Membership
To be eligible for Outlaws membership, applicants must be White men over the age of 21 and also be in possession of an American-made motorcycle of at least 750cc. Outlaws in the United States and Canada are essentially limited to riding Indian, Victory and Harley-Davidson motorcycles, which are most common in the club. Outside of North America, however, this rule has been relaxed, allowing members to ride motorcycles manufactured in any country, provided they are in the chopper style.
The following five criteria are considered when evaluating an aspiring Outlaws member:
- Owns and rides a Harley-Davidson
- Is competent in the mechanics of motorcycles
- Lives a lifestyle congruent with biker subculture and "treats other righteous bikers as bros"
- Is viewed by society as masculine in "outlook, behavior, and sexual orientation"
- Does not conform to "worldly values" but instead conforms to the lifestyle of the club
Members are required to pay dues of $1,200 per year and to attend local, regional and national events.
After a year of membership in the club, Outlaws are eligible to sport a tattoo of the club's emblem as well as club slogans, such as "God forgives, Outlaws don't", or "GFOD". After five years, club members may have replicas of their "colors" tattooed on their backs. Additional tattoos may reflect membership information.
Members can leave the club in either "bad standing", "good standing", in retirement or when deceased.
Organization
Outlaws chapters are governed by an elected officer corps consisting of a president, vice president, treasurer, and sergeant-at-arms, or "enforcer". Chapters follow guidelines that dictate election procedures, gatherings, and action against members who have violated the club's bylaws. According to law enforcement, the Outlaws' internal enforcer squad is known as the "S.S.". The club has 441 chapters located in 43 countries, in Asia, Europe and North America.
See also
- List of outlaw motorcycle clubs
- The Bikeriders
