|
PHILOSOPHY/ HISTORY
 The Iron Warriors Motorcycle Club was reorganized in February 2001 from the original Wild Pigs Motorcycle Club which was founded in 1987 as an independent non-profit organization. The Iron Warriors Motorcycle Club was established to provide the opportunity for increased camaraderie between current and retired law enforcement and firefighters and to assist fallen members and their families. IWMC and chapter events are intended to promote safe activities that will appeal to the membership as a whole.
Ideas for events may be suggested by any member. The IWMC is designed to generate an increased level of enthusiasm for those who enjoy riding Harley-Davidson motorcycles or clones thereof; manufactured by a North American owned company, as approved by the appropriate regional board. The IWMC is not affiliated with, or sponsored by, Harley-Davidson Inc. or any other professional organization. These bylaws preclude any chapter or region from establishing any official policy/by-laws which discriminate from membership based on race, creed, or gender within the law enforcement or firefighter professions.
CHAPTER HISTORY
In August of 1997, a group of approximately thirty five law enforcement officers met at the Alabama Bureau of Investigation office in Montgomery. During this meeting that was called by Jerry Conners, the group discussed forming a law enforcement motorcycle club. During this meeting we all agreed on one thing, and that was the love of riding Harley Davidson Motorcycles.
Several weeks later Jerry (Gag Dog) Conners made contact with some members of the Wild Pigs Motorcycle Club out of Georgia. Jerry, Greg Beidleman, and Ernest Murray met with several of these members at a party that was held in Montgomery. It was obvious right off that this was a group that we wanted to be a part of. The brotherhood that we felt from these guys was unlike anything we had felt in a long time.
In November of that same year Jerry called another meeting. In that meeting it was decided and voted on by everyone present that the Wild Pigs Motorcycle Club organization was the way to go.
In January of 1998, The Central Alabama Chapter of the Wild Pigs Motorcycle Club was chartered. We joined the South Alabama Chapter in becoming the second chapter in the state. Within the next year this chapter split into two more chapters (Sweet Home and Birmingham). The Birmingham chapter was lost in 2000 due to internal strife.
The chapter that started with approximately thirty five charter members dropped to seven when the dust settled after all of the splits. Of those seven only three charter members remain in this chapter.
In 2001, 34 chapters in 18 states changed the name of this organization to the Iron Warriors Motorcycle Club. A national meeting was held in September of that same year in Memphis, Tennessee and was attended by Greg Beidleman, Ernest Murray, and Jim Alston. This was the first National Meeting of the Iron Warriors Motorcycle Club.
Since that time this chapter has grown to become one of strongest chapters in the organization. Along the way, we changed our name to the Seven Bridges Chapter. This name holds a two fold meaning: In Montgomery, Alabama, Woodley Road is also known as Seven Bridges Road. The Eagles recorded a hit song with the same name, and about the same road. Over the years, this name became associated with our chapter due to the many inebriated arrangements performed by our members in various bars and at parties.
THE HISTORY AND SYMBOLISM OF IRON WARRIOR COLORS
When the Iron Warriors Motorcycle Club began, the Idaho Chapter of the Western region submitted the logo center patch design that was eventually selected by a vote of the national membership to represent the Iron Warriors Motorcycle Club. The colors were designed to represent the history and heritage of the Iron Warriors Motorcycle Club, and to represent the spirit and heart of the membership. The logo symbol consists of a knight's helmet and winged breastplate behind a shield with crossed Scottish Claymore swords. On the shield is the Iron Warriors coat of arms, consisting of a wild boar's head emerging from the American flag. This coat of arms reflects the history of our original association with the Wild Pigs Motorcycle Club, and our common ancestry with those other public safety motorcycle clubs that emerged from the Wild Pigs. The emblems of knighthood and the colors in the logo symbolize honor, valor, and the warrior spirit.
The lettering on our upper and lower rockers is red and white. The red symbolizes the blood of warriors, current and passed, shed in public safety service. The white symbolizes the purity and sacred pledge of each member's common oath to serve others, even at one's own peril. Within the shield there is a red and blue cross. These colors represent the thin red and blue lines of fire and police holding firm against all threats. The cross represents our common Judea-Christian Heritage. Together these colors and symbols represent those few public safety members found worthy, and chosen to be known as Iron Warriors.
|
