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B-K HISTORY
RIDE
CALENDAR
CRUISINGS
MEMBERS ONLY
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S.R. CONFERENCE
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FL-BK CHAPTERS
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WEATHER RADAR |
In the Spring of 1974, Ed
Gallant from the Bangor, Maine P.D., Wayne LeBree, and Chuck Shuman from the Brewer,
Maine P.D. met with other officers from the area and formed a small,
local motorcycle club. The rest, as they say, is history.
Soon, Blue Knight chapters
were being formed in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and beyond. With
the addition of Canada, and later Australia, the Blue Knights became an
international organization.
As of November
2005, we have 565 chapters and over 19,000
members in 28 countries! Our purposes and goals are
to:
- Provide for the mutual
assistance, enjoyment, entertainment, education, physical, mental and
social benefit of its members and the general public.
- To promote and advance
the sport of motorcycling and the safety of motorcycling.
- To serve the interests of
motorcycle owners and users.
- To promote by example and
any other acceptable means, safe use, operation and enjoyment of
motorcycles.
- To develop a fraternal
spirit between law enforcement personnel and the general public.
Florida Chapter XVII -
History
There were 16 members of FL
II (St. Petersburg chapter) living in Hillsborough County who decided to
start their own chapter in Tampa. In September 1990, the
group began meeting on Friday nights at the Steak 'n Shake on Gandy
Blvd. in Tampa for fellowship and to establish a new Blue Knight chapter.
They received a starter kit from International and a supportive letter
of endorsement from FL II (not opposing another chapter within a 50 mile
radius). The chapter was founded and received its charter in
January, 1991 with its first sixteen "founding members"..
Founding Members
This group of FL II
members formed FL XVII in 1991:
Bruce
Beausoleil
Ferrell
"Little Bear" Beck
(Heaven 1 - 1996)
Gordon
Brainerd
Mitch
Burney
Mary Coakley
Pat Coakley
Eddie Kurtzeborn
Dave
McCoy
(Heaven 1 - 1993)
Joe
McFadden
Albert
McPherson
Jeff
Peterman
Neal Ribeiro
David
"Doc" Riley
Gary Roo
Larry VanDyke
Curt White
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