Why I ride – a members perspective.
Many years ago, at the tender age of 19 I passed my motorcycle test. Dreaming of that cool and rebel factor that, the inexperience of youth craves. I promptly went out and bought a bike far too big for me and scared myself silly. That was me done with bikes for almost 25 years.
Around 8 years after I had become a freemason, and was working my way through the offices, to the big seat I now reside in, a friend talked me into trying out a little 250cc ninja.
I was instantly hooked. No longer yearning for the cool factor but loving the sense of freedom and calm that came with being out, on the bike, taking in the vista our wonderful county has to offer.
The 250cc soon turned into a Honda CB650R as my skills progressed and comfort of being on the roads increased. During this stage of my riding, I started to attend bike nights. Our region has one of the biggest meetings on the country on a weekly basis, being Poole Quay Bike Night. Exploring more bike evenings to serve as a destination for my rides out, I bumped into a bunch of bikers, all clad in leather waistcoats and made all the usual connotations in my head that years of film and media have propagated. Then I stopped dead in my tracks. One of them had a square and compass on the waistcoat. As I paid more attention, I realised that all the group were sporting the mark of craft freemasonry.
Interested in this I wandered over and introduced myself and found myself talking to the Wiltshire Quarrymen. I was welcomed with the same warmth any mason is met with when he first meets another brother for the first time and soon made plans to attend one of their official nights. Little did I know that just a few months later I would find myself a founding member and officer for the Dorset Quarrymen.
With all that covered I often sit down and think about what drew me to being social, attending ride outs etc. on a motorbike and realised that it was the similarities that the motorcycle community has with the craft. Somehow all bikers are joined in a passion. Each nodding their head at total strangers as they pass on our carriageways. Much like when you realise someone you are talking to is a brother, the realisation that I am talking to someone who has a motorbike opens the door to friendship and camaraderie. Bikers often refer to each other as brothers and many have banded together to for small groups, not really clubs or gangs in the manner that film, television and media would portray us, but social groups. Quite often fundraising for assorted charities and supporting others around them.
The similarities in how the crafts ideals function and how members engage with each other seem to sit in parallel with each other. In fact, our association does. You must engage to join, be interviewed, albeit in a less formal approach to the craft, attend some events beforehand to make sure we are a good fit for you. Then, if you still wish to join you are approved by the membership. To become a full Widows Son, we also obtain a letter of good standing, just like if you join another lodge. Most of this should come as no surprise to anyone that is a freemason, nor should it be a surprise that an association comprising of mostly masons, has taken a lot of inspiration for how we operate, from the craft that we love so much.
Our meetings are also much like the festive board. With socialising, announcements and the usual charity collection.
As such being in an association that promotes the craft to other bikers but also promote riding a motorbike to masons seems to be the perfect fit.
I do not think I would have become so addicted to riding my bike everywhere I can, meeting new people at gatherings, or have made so many new friends and brothers if the similarities between motorcyclist attitudes and craft freemasonry were not been so in tune with each other.
