Adirondack Lake George Chapter - Leathernecks MC
We meet with Lynn Stanton (President) and John Muhl (Treasurer) of the Adirondack Lake George Chapter of Leathernecks MC and learn what it means to be a Marine and a Leatherneck.
Semper Fi (Always Faithful) is the motto of the ultimate brotherhood, The United States Marine Corp and it underscores the core principle of being a U. S. Marine. Marines are known for never leaving a brother marine on the battlefield and each would willingly make the ultimate sacrifice if it meant saving a fellow Marines life.
So it is not to be unexpected that these traditions carry on when a Marine leaves the Corp. In late 2008 a group of Marines who were members of Detachment 2 of the Marine Corp League located in Hudson Falls New York decided to form the Adirondack Lake George Chapter of Leathernecks M.C.
After contacting the National organization, they were associated with the Hudson Valley Chapter as prospects until they had sufficent members to become their own chapter. As with all prospect chapters, they had to prove to the National organization that they were sincere in their desire to form a chapter and were able to meet all of the membership requirements set forth by the National organization. They became a patched Chapter in late 2008. Their very first event as a club was a run in support of the "Toys For Tots" campaign which is organized by Detachment 2 of the Marine Corp League.
Membership in the Adirondack Lake George Chapter is open to all marines that are members of a Marine Corp League organization. For the first three months, new members are considered "Hang Arounds". During this period there is no real commitment to the Chapter but active participation in the Chapter is highly recommended if one desires to move forward in the membership process. After the three month period, the members of the Chapter will evaluate the individuals' dedication, performance and attitude to determine if the individual should be allowed to join the Chapter as a Prospect. Individuals are evaluated as Prospects for a period of six months to determine if they have the commitment and desire to become a patched Leatherneck M.C. member. As is common in most brotherhood clubs, the prospect status of an individual can be extended if the membership does not believe that the individual has yet earned the right to be patched.
Like most of the brotherhood clubs in the area, this club has some sort of activity every weekend during the riding season. Each month the club attempts to have a club ride and on the weekends when they are not riding as a club, members are attending other events as representatives of the Chapter. This April the Chapter attended the 1st Annual Leatherneck M.C. National Convention which was held in Philadelphia PA. The Chapter has high hopes of being able to host the National Convention in the Lake George region in 2012.
Each year in September (September 18th this year) the Chapter hosts its annual run in support of the "Toys For Tots" program which is organized by Detachment 2 of the Marine Corp League. Marines are known for their dedication to children and this Chapter is no different. The proceeds from the run are used to provide Christmas gifts for children who would otherwise go without during the Holiday season. For details on this event please go to the Schedule of Events on the magazines' web site.
On Saturday, July 24th the Chapter will host their premier event, "The 2nd Annual Ride for Marine Sgt. Eddie Ryan". Sgt. Ryan was hit twice in the head while on duty in Iraq and it is a miracle that he survived. I would like to tell his story here but I could not do it justice. Instead, I encourage you to go to http://www.helpeddieryan.com and read the stories as told by his mom and dad. I then would encourage you to find it in your heart to make the time on July 24th to attend this benefit charity ride in support of his recovery efforts and also to honor this wounded warrior. The details for this ride are also on the Schedule of Events on the magazines' web site. When you do attend, look us up because we will be there.
If you are a Marine, love to ride and miss the feeling of brotherhood you had when active in the Corp, then I suggest that you contact the Adirondack Lake George Chapter of Leathernecks M.C. (www.leathernecksmcadklgc.com) and petition them for membership. I think it would be hard to find a better bunch of people to ride with than those that are still your brother Marines.
Photos courtesy of Adirondack Lake George Chapter Leathernecks MC