To outsiders it looks like you just got patched into a MC and you just became one of the “Brothers”. But that is far from the truth.
I’ve seen many hang-arounds and prospects come and go. Some making it and some not. I do my best to give them the information that they need to move forward if I think that they have it in them to make it.
There is one huge misconception that these beer-running hopefuls have. They all want to get patched so that they can be a Brother. Well, that is not how it works.
Becoming a Brother is a very long and drawn out process for a reason. You are going to work, work, work. You are going to get pushed to your limit just so we can see where your limit is.
In the MC world we take calling someone “Brother” very seriously. It is usually only used to address another full-patched member of one’s own club. This is true with very few exceptions, for example some individuals who have supported a club in a very meaningful way over a long period of time may be called Brother. If that is the case then he has definitely earned it in his own exceptional way.
Like me, many if not most come to seek membership in an MC to fill that place inside of them that yearns for real Brotherhood. And, for those men who seek it one must remember that the road is a long, arduous and even dangerous one for a reason.
YOU must prove yourself worth of the title. You must have the right attitude. You must have the quality of character so that if you become a Brother you can represent the entire Brotherhood everywhere you go, whether you are wearing the patch or not.
But more importantly remember this, you don’t get patched and become a Brother. You become a Brother and THEN you get patched.
Brotherhood is not built over night, or over a month or two. It takes as long as it takes. It takes doing things and going through some shit together! During that time you earn the Brotherhood you seek. You earn it by being of the right character. By being strong enough, loyal enough, and basically connecting enough with the brothers in the club so that they want to call you Brother.
As a hang-around or as a prospect you don’t have to get everything right all the time. You will be given jobs to do. Do them the best you can. But know that you WILL fuck up! How you handle those situations can be more important than if you stocked the bar correctly, or even how well you ride your bike in the pack. Those kinds of things can be learned and improved on, but who you are as a person, and how you treat those you would like to someday call “Brother” is far more important.
