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History of the |
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In April of 1981, 25 Correction Officers for Woodbourne and Eastern Correctional Facilities located in upstate New York, got together with Bernie Ronk, then a member of N.Y. III, a retired State Trooper acquaintance of Paul Denman and Paul Borko. Together they expanded on the idea of a local Blue Knight Chapter and from those meetings was born the Catskill Mountains Blue Knights -- New York XI. |
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Paul Denman |
William N. Jones |
Ralph Hornbeck |
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Fifteen members of New York XI attended the Tri-State Conference Picnic at Ronkonkoma, Long Island in June of 1982. We won Best Rep Club and we were the only ones to show up with 5 motorcycles and a van loaded with people. On a cold and rainy miserable day such as that, they also wanted to give us the Dummy award for riding bikes in that weather but, someone forgot to bring it!! New York XI hosted it’s 1st annual Catskill Mountain Poker Run in September 1983, with a turnout of 108 motorcycles with 146 persons participating in the festivities. A modest amount of money was donated to the local Volunteer Fire Department. The 2nd annual Catskill Mountain Poker Run was held on September 8th, 1984. The final tally showed that we played host to 286 persons who rode in on 195 motorcycles. $500.00 was donated to the Albany Burn Center, $500.00 was donated to the Joslin Diabetes Clinic in Massachusetts, and $100.00 was presented to the Blue Knight Special Fund. And from there on through the years...the New York XI Blue Knights have kept busy supporting other chapters from many other states, enjoying that certain camaraderie that has developed in such an ever-growing manner since the Blue Knights originated back in 1974. Aside from our many “adventures”, New York XI has been involved with local community affairs, supporting the community activities by bringing them that certain “flair” that only a motorcycle with flags flying and engines roaring can bring not only to a crowd, but especially to “children” of all ages. Here we are now...with a lot of new faces in the Club, the “adventures” are still going on. We have given a new outlook to our profession in the New York State Department of Correctional Services. As we travel around meeting other Law Enforcement “people”, we share the motto “RIDE WITH PRIDE”!! Hank Ramirez |
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History of The Blue Knights |
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The BLUE KNIGHTS® is a non-profit fraternal organization consisting of active and retired law enforcement men & women who enjoy riding motorcycles. In the Spring of 1974, Ed Gallant from the Bangor, Maine P.D. and Chuck Shuman from the Brewer, Maine P.D. met with five other
officers from the area and formed a small, local motorcycle club. The rest, as they say, is history. As of 1 October 2001 we have 14,043 members in 427 chapters in 17 countries! According to the By-Laws, our purposes and goals are to: 1. Provide for the mutual assistance, enjoyment, entertainment, education, physical, mental and social benefit of its
members and the general public. Many Blue Knights work long and hard to raise money for various charities. Especially near to our hearts is helping children. Make-a-Wish Foundation, Toys for Tots, D.A.R.E., and Concerns of Police Survivors are some examples of our favorites. From September 1, 1991 to July 1, 2001 Blue Knights have donated to 1624 charities; contributing time in the amount of 134,082.5 hours, goods with an estimated value of $432,081.91 and $3,018,971.51 in cash (USD). We're the good guys! The Blue Knights is a family fraternity. Spouses and children often accompany our members to the various rides and functions. When traveling, local members can provide assistance, directions and sometimes a place to stay. We are truly a family. |
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For membership qualifications and information |
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