Like you said, it's not wise to go around pissing off the real deal. I find the clubs in general have a bit of hypocrisy. Here they are being nonconformist....anti-establishment and all, but they live by a fairly strict set of rules.
I don't know why the clubs would have an issue, but anytime a patch says "club" on the back, you should make sure it's okay...even if it says NO before the club.
And I wouldn't say "funny" about their colors, I'd say serious....dead serious. You were right to tell that member of the board it wouldn't be wise to go around sporting HAMC patches(as if he could even find one). If he's mistaken for a member, he could end up seriously hurt for impersonating one. And if I was a part of that group you're in, I would've told him how it wasn't a smart thing to call it a "biker hells angels theme". Biker theme is okay, but leave the HA out of it. It's probably too late now, but your board should've read
this site before they came up with that theme.
"And for that matter what business of theirs would it be what a private citizen wears on his jacket as long as it is not affiliated with them?"
Trust me on this one, even if you're just starting a riding club, if you're going to wear a patch it's best to get it cleared with the local 3 patch clubs. You don't want the kind of trouble they can bring down on you. That's just how things are in the real world. It's about showing respect, which is what they're all about.
I don't have anything against clubs. If that's what you want to be a part of, go ahead. It's just not for me. I like to ride what I want, when I want, and how I want. IME, and from what other people said, regular riding clubs and other kinds of clubs, discourage displays of personal freedom. They want you to conform to their way of thinking and their way of riding. That's just not for me.
