I am seriously think about joining the local chapter and I would like to hear what you folks that belong think the pro's and con's might be to joining.....
Thanks in advance for the advice.........

My wife and I were very active member of our local HOG Chapter for years...I was a Road Captain, Newsletter Editor & of course the Webmaster. The chapter was a great place to meet other local riders, some of our best friends today are people we met in the chapter. When we got our first Harley, it was great to have a group to ride with every weekend. Although I am still a National HOG member, I no longer participate in the local chapter. It just seemed that after a while I had enough of my own riding buddies, and the HOG chapter and their rides were a little to structured and controlled for me (just my opinion). And now I have more fun just riding when and where I want with my friends.

I have many friends in many different chapters across the country. And it seems like each chapter is completely different. Some are simply about the love of riding, and others are about having very controlling "clicks" within the chapter leadership.

If you are already a National HOG member (which you should be just for the roadside assistance if nothing else), I say go ahead and join your local chapter and see how you like the group. I am sure you will at least make some good friends who ride.

Yea Lucky...they do look a bit over structured for my type of riding also.....I spend about 75% of my time riding solo (which I really enjoy) BUT there is the 25% of the time that I am looking for some folks to go riding with.
It is tough to always find someone to ride with so I thought this might be a good place to find some new people to ride with!

It would be the Lancaster Chapter!

My husband,best riding buddy Nancy & I decided to check out our local HOG meeting. It was only 50 that night but we were the only ones who rode to the meeting. Alot of people looked our way but not a single 1 gave any type of welcome or acknowlegement we were even in the room. After the meeting we got on our bikes & decided they weren't the group for us. We frequent the dealership where they meet. We even went on a charity ride one time with them but it was down the worst possible road in this area, potholes,narrow lanes & the most boring scenery. Our necks hurt for days afterward. We decided we'd rather ride with friends & those who out there riding we have yet to meet.

I agree with Lucky in that every HOG Chapter is completely different. I joined the closest local chapter and had about the same experience as springstergal (congrats on the bike of the month BTW). It seemed like if you weren't a part of the god ol' boys and girls who had been there forever, they just ignored you. Even on the rides, when you stop for lucnh, no one invited me to sit at their table, or even join them at the same eatery for that matter.

Last year I visited the HOG chapter for the next closest dealer, and they were great! As soon as I walked in the New Member Officer greeted me, took me around and introduced me, and everyone seemed to be glad I showed up. What a difference. I have to get on the road 45 minutes earlier to get to the ride start spot on time, but this is a great group.

Hey Lucky, this may be a good topic for a poll!

When I bought my harley, the sales guy said I get a complimentry 1 year membership in HOG. 3 months later I called him and asked if anyone would call or what I could expect. he assured me he would take care of it and I would hear from HOG soon. 2 months later, I filled out a card at the dlr for those that "may be interested in joining HOG". No reply. I called a phone number for the local HOG, talked to a gal and she suggested coming to a mtg at the local dlr, so I did. No one said hello, no one came over to introduce them selves, so I walked up and introed my self to several, some asked what bike I had, told em a sporty, and then the mentality started coming out. Sat thru the mtg, did not like the atmosphere, and left. Have not rode with anyone like them since. Still have the sporty, the buell, and the Mastiff. Glad I did not join that group as I have stepped up to a better class of Riders. The type of riders who do not care WHAT you ride, it's THAT you ride. No judging what ppl ride, lets just ride. Now, I have worked with several who belong to HOG, and we get along great, but when they tell me about their group rides, they seemed to enjoy them.
I will ride with most anyone, but the HOG thing is not for me. They plan stops here, there, and everywhere. Too structured.

Could be, my dealership sucks, as Lucky pointed out with his experience. I prefer to go it alone.

I am a life time member of HOG and am a memeber of The Celtic Thunder Chapter out of the Waterford city Dealership here in Ireland. I don't really take much of an active part in the chapter as I live about a hundred and fifty miles away and also I echo some of the thoughts before me in that I tend to ride solo or at least with the people I know and trust and that would be in our local club.
Hog does do alot for harley riders in my country but being able to trust the people you ride with is imperitive.

My advice try it, you will know if it is for you or not real quick, nothing ventured nothing gained so to speak.

I'm a member of an Iowa Hog Chapter and The Blackhawk Abate, I believe that when you belong to one of these organizations you have new found friends and you are also helping to educate people and help develop better riding laws for everyone.

I was a member of the same Chapter Lucky belonged to. I was a Road Captain for a few years there. Then an opportunity to be on the ground floor of a brand new Chapter opened up, so I went for it. Was a Charter Officer of the Chapter, which was very successful. Unfortunately, the dealership wasn't as successful as the Chapter and shut down. I rejoined the original Chapter I belonged to, but have not been very active.
Like Lucky recommended, I say go and join. You never know, you might just like it!

Well, just joined the A.B.A.T.E of PA!
So hopefully I meet some good folks there!

Congrats!

It all depends on the chapter. Just like all people in general. Some are great folks and others arent worth a plug nickel.

I belong to the local chapter here in Seaford Delaware and I also belong to my hometown Chapter in Morgantown West Virginia 350 miles away. I've heard more from my "Distant" chapter and done rides with them. I haven't heard anything from my local chapter or gone on any rides even though they're only 2 miles away.... Like was said, not all chapters are the same! Yeah, I'll travel 6-7 hours to ride with decent people that care about their members!

I am a member of the local HOG Chapter. I am not super active but I do go on maybe one ride a month and hit the meeting every couple of months. Like a few have said, it is a good place to meet other riders in the area, and we have made some very good friends. Our chapter isn't over structured or regulated like some I have heard of, so the rides are usually a good time.

I do maintain a HOG card for the benefits that one gets from having it but all three of the local chapters near my house are run by absloute control freaks and besides I'm just not that into riding in a big group who pokes along anyway.

I'm looking at the H.O.G. National membership when I get my bike but the local one seeing most of the chapters around my area are kind of snobish and they want it their way or not at all. But I also have friends that just ride, that I can ride with, but some are sport bikes and are not welcome to H.O.G. rides around here from what I'm told.

I've been in and out of groups over the years and I can tell you that you will learn a lot from every group you associate with. Great things come from groups like ABATE and HOG... like: Is this the group for me? You learn how things are put together as far as the whole organization process goes, you learn effective leadership skills and so forth and that can either make you or break you but after awhile you find your niche and it just works out, well it did for me anyway. I'm part of the Combat Vets Association, been with them for over 8 years now and couldn't imagine going anywhere else, before that it was HOG and a few other I won't mention here. If you haven't involved yourself with group before it will definitely give you some insight on people. :-)

Yeah I hate the whole exclusionary approach, that's just BS! What should it matter what kind of bike other ride, I suppose HOG is what it is, a Harley owners group and I get that but to tell others they're not invited to ride with them because somehow they're not good enough to be seen with? Stupid!
I ride with other Combat Vets and love the hell out of it, wouldn't join any other group!:-)

When I was working for South Coast Harley- Davidson, Chula Vista Ca. in 1985 I had the chance to join the newly formed H.O.G. but I declined for the same reasons mentioned by others on this post. For me it was way too political and phony. I have however met some pretty good folks who are members but to me they really seemed out of place with the H.O.G group.

 

Hey, I bought my first Road King at South Coast in Chula Vista back in 2001!!!

And your right, most of the local groups are pretty political and "clicky", but there are some real good people in most of them that just do not know any other way to find local riders to ride with. As I said in my first post I met some of my best friends in the local HOG chapter. I still go down to there new member rides and meetings occasionally just to meet new people. But as for riding with the group, I'm into a more casual style of riding with my friends!

By casual do you mean: Riding faster than grand-daddy HOG president? LOL

Lucky wrote 3 minutes ago, Modified 2 minutes ago
Hey, I bought my first Road King at South Coast in Chula Vista back in 2001!!!

Was Tom still the owner when you bought your bike?