Ulysses East Rand

Ulysses East Rand (UER)

Ulysses East Rand (our first church meeting of 2018)

Photo of our first church meeting of 2018

About Us

The sole purpose of the Ulysses SA East Rand is to Operate a family orientated bike fraternity, (basically a family styled bike club) for riders older than 40. Based on the principle that family comes first, work second and the chapter third.

Riders wishing to join us who are younger than 40 years of age will be accommodated within our Achilles Chapter. They will receive all of the normal patches with the exception of the “Ugly Bugger”. Instead they will receive the Achilles patch as depicted below.

This enables us to accommodate:-

  1. Potential members under 40 looking for a ‘bike’ experience, not wishing to be caught up in lengthy extensive initiations.
  2. Spouses of existing or potential members.
  3. Children of existing members.

For all intents and purposes Achilles members operate within the same boundaries of the Ulysses SA East Rand Constitution and are expected to abide by the Ulysses SA National Constitution as a matter of course.

We support and promote the National Constitution of Ulysses SA in terms of the Objectives (section 4 of the Constitution): –

  1. To provide a forum for like-minded motorcycling enthusiasts, aged forty years and over.
  2. To encourage Ulysses-ians to continue motorcycling as they get older. And where possible extend this to include younger members of their family.
  3. To stimulate interest in motorcycling and associated activities among motorcycle riders, enthusiasts and general public
  4. To represent the interests of its members.
  5. To promote friendship and camaraderie amongst its members.
  6. To promote relationships and activities with club members from other chapters.
  7. To promote international contact and co-operation with similar Ulysses motorcycling bodies.

What Ulysses SA East Rand do not expect:-

  1. You to ride every week. (We realise that you have a life outside of biking and probably Children, Grandchildren and maybe even play golf!).
  2. You to undergo some form of initiation process for months on end before becoming a full member. If you are a good fit in our group we will patch you into our little family at the regular club meetings.
  3. You to become the “Property of…….” We recognise equality (and we know the boss normally wears a skirt!).

What Ulysses SA East Rand do expect:-

  1. That once patched (awarded colours and completed the necessary forms and fees etc.), you wear our colours with pride whenever you are out on your bike.
  2. That you behave responsibly while wearing our patch and do not bring us into disrepute.
  3. III. You try and attend club meetings, mainly because this is where we make decisions by consensus. Majority rules.

The Ulysses SA East Rand members subscribe to the National Constitution of Ulysses SA available here, matters relating directly to the Chapter are catered for in the formally agreed Ulysses SA East Rand Constitution, revised 1 Jan 2018, available here.

Ulysses SA East Rand members meet at Bimbos Northmead each Sunday leaving at 08h30 – members are encouraged to arrive earlier (07h30 onwards) to allow for members interactions and briefing on the proposed breakfast destination(s) and routes(s).

A traditional monthly short run is tabled on the first Sunday of the month to a suitable venue and continuing to the Classic Bike Club of SA, Germiston (old Eskom sports club site).

Generally longer ride(s) are planned towards the end of the month i.e. third Sunday. Ulysses SA East Rand currently meets for formal outcomes by arrangement, meetings are held at the Club House in Benoni every 4 weeks dependant on the needs of the club members.

Regular communication within the members is encouraged and a WhatsApp Bikers Social page is maintained to facilitate this. A second Ulyssess Logistics channel is maintained for discussion and agreement of ride destinations.

Ulysses East rand have a specific Face Book page onto which photos and details of each week’s ride is posted.

Fees and Patching

Potential new members need to ride with us at least once before requesting membership. Membership is confirmed at the first Club meeting through the awarding of prospect patches.

Ulysses East Rand has a joining fee of R100,00 which will be levied at the first Club meeting you attend if you indicate that you wish to join us permanently. This covers the cost of your Prospect badges; Small ugly bugger, East Rand Scroll and Prospect badge.

Once you have been patched as a Prospect the duration for full patching is really down to the individual. If you ride every week and attend all outings Dayjols etc. you could be patched in full by the next club meeting. The norm would be 2 months after first patch if you are riding casually. (You may also be patched at the discretion of the Chapter President, this is dependent on circumstance i.e. have you been a full patched member of another bike club etc., have you moved from another Ulysses Chapter?).

Once fully patched you will be liable for the R200,00 once-off joining fee to Ulysses Nationally. Annual Membership thereafter is set at R200-00 p.a. This is payable by end of March each year.

UER have set an additional annual Fee of R200,00 per member to pay for food at Chapter meetings during the year. So Total cost for joining is R600,00 less your initial R100,00 and R400,00 p.a. thereafter. All necessary forms are collected at this point.

Last but not least we are a two patch Bike Club who make use of the Top rocker to assign each Club member a Biker “Nickname”. We encourage to use of the nicknames when we are out together to distinguish our comradery and brother/sisterhood. We would like to ringfence our relationship in this way. A nickname may be in existence or will be assigned by the Chapter President. The name will be derived in the prospect period based on a notable incident of trait you exhibit. This is a fun aspect and normally creates some interesting chat.

Officers

Ulysses East Rand have Admin Officers and a Road Squad. The Admin team run the Chapters affairs and maintain the books. The Road team look after Sunday mornings and all things to with outrides. If you feel you have qualities or skills which could benefit us please chat to the President about how these could be adopted within the Chapter.

[Updated 6 February 2018] UER logos

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