The Blue Knights is a
fraternal organization of active or retired Law Enforcement Officers
with powers of arrest who share a passion for motorcycle riding. The
parent organization,
Blue Knights
International,
was formed in 1974 by eight Law Enforcement Officers
from Bangor
& Brewer, Maine who rode motorcycles together. In addition to
hosting rides and runs for members and their families, the Blue Knights
are very active in fundraising to benefit charitable organizations.
In the past thirty plus years, the Club has grown into a
first
class, internationally recognized, world wide organization promoting
motorcycle safety, a positive motorcyclist image, and motorcycling as a
family recreation.
Blue Knights International is broken down into 11
regions, called Conferences. The Northeast Conference (NEC) is one of
these. The NEC covers a geographic area
including the States of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, Rhode Island & Vermont in the United States; as well
as
the Provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland &
Labrador, Nova
Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario (Eastern), Prince Edward Island
&
Quebec in Canada. The Conferences are divided into Chapters,
of
which we have 61. There are approximately 1,600 Blue Knights in
the NEC, which accounts for about 8% of the total membership.
Each year the NEC holds two weekend-long "rallies",
usually one in May and the other in September. The weekends are hosted
by a Chapter and include business meetings, tour rides, banquets, award
presentations, dancing, more motorcycle riding, and are always
a fun time. In addition to the two scheduled Conference meetings,
Chapters hold their own events throughout the year. The NEC
publishes a ride schedule,
with rides and events from all Chapters in the NEC, as well as others
who have requested to be included in our list. This is done
to
help you plan your riding schedule and vacation time.
As a member gets involved in Blue Knights, they soon
find that the
general bond of being Law Enforcement Officers is cemented by the extra
bond provided by our love of motorcycling. There are no membership
distinctions as to rank, type of law enforcement department, or type of
motorcycle. Our founding fathers were from seven different departments,
with their two common bonds being that they were Law Enforcement
Officers with powers of
arrest and motorcycle enthusiasts. The same holds true today,
and at the end of the day, we are
all just Blue Knights, enjoying the fraternal brotherhood that the Club
has to offer.
There
are no strangers in the Blue Knights, only friends you haven't
met.
9-11 / 2001 
