1. Area of application
1.1 These statutes apply to all national and international groups within Holy Riders MC
1.2 These statutes are superior to national statutes, acts and practice.
1.3 These statutes are inferior to the Holy Bible as God’s living word.
1.4 The original language of these statutes is English. If a different understanding of the statutes occurs between the original language and a translation, the statutes as they must be understood in the original language take precedence.
2. Purpose
2.1 Holy Riders MC is a multidenominational, evangelical motorcycle club consisting of Christian motorcyclists and others who are interested. The purpose of the club is to work on spreading the gospel of the resurrected Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
2.2 Holy Riders MC sees its mission as working in the motorcycle community, among youth and adults in the perimeter of this community, and otherwise where needed. Holy Riders also wishes to engage actively in working for a drug free motorcycle community, and for traffic safe and considerate driving. This will be accomplished by members setting a good example.
2.3 In light of the Lord’s commandment to go and make all nations disciples, it is natural for members to take part in as many club activities as each individual sees possible, and that members also besides these activities are worthy representatives of Holy Riders MC and the ethical and moral view of life that the club represents.
3. Organizational structure and management
3.1 Holy Riders MC is divided into national areas. A national area consists of one or more countries or parts of countries
3.2 A national area is on a daily base managed by a national president together with a national board.
3.3 An international president and international board will come from and be inaugurated by the highest decisive authority in the national area Norway. These are superior to other national presidents and boards. The National president and national board for the national area Norway can coincide with the international president and board.
3.4 National presidents from all national areas will meet at president conventions at least twice a year. The international president is responsible for accomplishing this. Attendance to these conventions is mandatory for national presidents. The purpose of the conventions is to tie the club together internationally and coordinate international activity according to the club’s mission.
3.5 All presidents, board members and leaders on all levels must, within one year from taking on the position, go through the club’s current leadership training system. The president convention coordinates the leadership training system.
3.6 All authoritative bodies within the club must for their area of responsibility overlook that the club functions according to the club’s mission, international and national statutes, but first and foremost according to the words of the Holy Bible. Superior authorities may dismiss any authoritative body who fails to fulfill this responsibility.
4. National areas
4.1 When Holy Riders MC is initiated in a country or area outside existing national areas, its members will report directly under the international president and board during a trial period. The international president and board define guidelines for, and determine when there is a foundation for giving the country or area status as a national area.
4.2 The national areas maintain a directory of their members, and report their updated member directory to Norway twice a year. To be listed as a member, the national area’s current member fee must have been paid.
4.3 International president and board may decide to claim a fee from the national areas, to cover administrative expenses for the club’s international activities.
4.4 Prior to establishing a new national area, the members in the area must develop national statutes that describe the organization of the highest decision authority, election of the president and the board, decision processes in national matters, and how voting in international matters will be carried out. To be valid, these statutes must be ratified by the international president and the board .
4.5 International president and board may reject a new national president in other national areas than Norway.
4.6 A national area and all chapters within a national area must have a prayer network that calls upon God for protection, guidance and prosperity in the club’s activities and for the people in and around the club.
4.7 If a national area significantly strays from the club’s mission and statutes, no longer has a well functioning administration/leadership, loses the majority of its members or other difficult situations arise, the international president and board shall work together with the national area to find solutions to its problems. If this does not succeed, the international president and board may terminate the national area. In this case the national area will return to reporting directly under international administration as described in statute 4.1.
4.8 If a national area cease to exist, all belongings and funds of the national area will be surrendered to the international Holy Riders MC. If national area Norway is terminated, the president convention yields further operation of the club.
5. Receiving and wearing the backpatch
5.1 To receive and wear the backpatch, a personal confession of being a Christian is required.
5.2 To receive the backpatch, active membership in a local chapter is required if present. An international backpatch contract must be signed with Holy Riders MC in the home national area of the applicant. The backpatch contract must always be consistent with current statutes. The national president and board approve the backpatch application based on the request from the applicant’s local chapter board. A member that for special reasons wants to apply for a backpatch directly to his/her national president and board may do so.
5.3 To receive the backpatch, continuous membership of Holy Riders MC the last12 months is required. Minimum age is 19 years to receive the backpatch .
5.4 The backpatch handover shall be a public inauguration ceremony with intercession, to take place at events where a large number of members from all over the applicant’s national area participate. Every national area selects 1-2 annual events where the backpatch ceremony is to take place
5.5 Only one backpatch is valid in Holy Riders MC.
5.6 No alcohol or other drug may be used while wearing the backpatch.
5.7 One are encouraged not to smoke while wearing the backpatch, where this may have an unfortunate influence upon others.
5.8 The chapter board may under counsel with the national president and board withdraw the backpatch in the event of misuse of the backpatch. Unpaid membership fee is also regarded as misuse.
5.9 No other combination of patches or stripes may be worn than those mentioned in the international and the applicable national statutes.
6. Changes and additions to international statutes
6.1 At least 20% of the members from one national area, or at least 100 members from one national area if this is less than 20%, may propose changes and additions to international statutes to their national area’s highest decision authority. The national president and board may also make such proposals. The national area’s highest decision authority must, based on the proposal, consider whether to make the proposal internationally.
6.2 The international president and board have the right to propose changes and additions to international statutes internationally.
6.3 Each national area has one vote in cases regarding changes and additions to international statutes. At least 2/3 of the votes from the national areas are required to have the proposal accepted.
6.4 The international president and board may cast veto against changes and additions to international statutes. Use of the veto right must be reported to the highest decision authority in national area Norway, who may overrule the international president and board’s decision by simple majority
7. Exclusions
7.1 A member of Holy Riders MC may be excluded for one of the following reasons:
7.1.1 Repeated occasions of drug abuse together with club activities and no willingness for correction.
7.1.2 Conduct that damages the club’s reputation and complicates its work, with no willingness for correction.
7.2 Exclusion of a member can only be made by a majority of votes in the national board of the national area the member belongs to, in understanding with the chapter board where the member belongs. The exclusion itself is carried out by at least two from the national board, together with at least two from the chapter board. Before carrying out the exclusion, the chapter board must have had several talks with the member in question, and lastly a talk where two from the national board are present.
7.3 If anyone in the chapter board or national board has a close family relation to the member, is in a couple relationship with the member or is directly affected by the reason for the exclusion, then he or she can have no involvement in the exclusion. If the member does not belong to a chapter, or the member him/herself sits in the chapter board, the chapter can have no involvement in the exclusion.
7.4 The international president and board shall be informed of a pending exclusion and approve of it before the exclusion is made
8. Termination
8.1 If Holy Riders MC is terminated in Norway, then further operation of Holy Riders MC internationally is transferred to the president’s convention. If no other national areas exist, then the club is terminated internationally according to the national Norwegian statutes.
8.2 Upon termination of Holy Riders MC internationally, all assets shall go to Christian causes.