This article explains how your BMW club can become and remain chartered, and describes the benefits of doing so.

If you are interested in obtaining a BMW club charter, an application form can be obtained on this web site.

Requirements for a BMW club charter.

The requirements for a BMW charter are simple:

• Your club must be a BMW motorcycle club whose members are interested in furthering the purposes of the BMW MOA
• Your club must include 10 members of the BMW MOA
• Your club completes and submit an application form along with a charter fee of $15

For the application to be accepted, the applying club must clearly identify itself as meeting the requirements required in the BMWMOA ByLaws. Which are as follows:

Article II section 3.

"A BMW motorcycle club whose members are interested in furthering the purposes of BMW MOA may affiliate with BMW MOA and obtain a club charter. To be eligible to obtain a charter, such a club must have at least 10 members who are individual members of BMW MOA and pay a charter fee as determined by the board of directors."

In any situation where it is not clear that your club meets these requirements your charter will be reviewed by the board of directors. More information may be requested.

The charter is an 8.5 X 11 inch certificate that is issued annually.

Charter BMW clubs are generally geographically oriented to a local area or region, however some BMW clubs are national or international in scope or only meet online. If your BMW club fits this criteria, it must be registered as a "virtual or non-geographic" club.

A "virtual club" is defined as a BMW club whose membership is not from a specific geographical area, whose meetings occur only once or twice a year, or who communicate primarily via newsletter or computer.

Charter Renewal

Your BMW club charter remains effective until June 30 of each year. Toward the end of each year your BMW club will be asked to complete and submit a charter renewal form, along with the annual $15 fee. The information and form for renewal are sent to the designated club contact in April. We rely on concerned individual members to insure that their club officers take care of the annual renewal.

Club Club Liaison

To act as a focal point for Chartered Club matters, a Chartered Club Liaison is appointed by the BMW MOA President. Administrative duties (status inquiries, data changes, new club and renewal forms, Local Rally Manual requests, etc.) are handled by Becky Weber at the BMW MOA headquarters.

Robert “Koop” Cooper,
Chartered Club Liaison
824 East Hunt Rd.
Alcoa, TN 37701
865-680-7433

Becky Weber
Chartered Club Administrative Coordinator
PO Box 3982
Ballwin, MO 63022
636-394-7277

Charter Benefits

A chartered BMW club enjoys a number of benefits.

1. Listing in the Anonymous Book

Each chartered BMW club is listed in the Anonymous Book - name, address, officers, time and place of meetings, major yearly events. Information for these listings comes from the annual charter renewal form. Every member of BMW MOA receives a copy of the Anonymous Book. For information about the book itself, contact any BMW MOA member.

2. Access to the Club News column in the BMW Owners News.

Club News is composed by the Club Coordinator on the basis of information sent by chartered BMW clubs. Lists of newly elected officers and new Chartered BMW Clubs are the most common type of information. Clubs often find new and innovative ways of carrying on their activities and serving their members, and this kind of information is especially relevant to the purpose of Club News Column. Information may also be mailed directly to the Chartered BMW Club instead of being published in the MOA Owners News.

3. Inclusion of Club Rallies and other major events in the When and Where pages of the News.

A map and calendar published in the Owners News describes the activity, time and place of major events sponsored by BMW clubs. Your event can be included in those pages. See the Owners News for examples. Information about your event should be submitted directly to the editor of the Owners News, at least six weeks in advance, i.e. May 15th - in order for the event to appear in the July issue.

4. $1.00 discount on BMW MOA membership dues.

Each member of a chartered BMW club is entitled to a $1.00 discount on their annual BMW MOA membership dues. (The discount applies to MOA full members only, not family members.) To receive the discount, MOA membership renewal must be done through your local BMW club. Once each year, at a time of your choosing, you may send a list of names of members of your BMW club who would like to renew their BMW MOA memberships, along with the corresponding amount of discounted dues, to the BMW MOA office.

The membership of each person on the list will be extended one year from the renewal date of that person. Regardless of the time of renewal via your BMW club, no MOA membership time is lost by this process, and the annual dues cost is a dollar less. Many clubs have a combined renewal process that includes the local club dues and an MOA option for those wishing to take advantage of the discount.

5. Medallion

Once a year; either by marking the request on the annual renewal form, or upon written request from a current officer of your BMW club, the Club Coordinator will arrange for you to receive a handsome, solid bronze, BMW MOA medallion. The medallion can be used as a distinguished award for a deserving club member or similar purpose as determined by the club.

The BMW MOA Medallion
is awarded to all Chartered BMW Clubs

6. BMW MOA ON advertising

To advertise their sponsored rallies, each chartered BMW club is entitled to 10 column inches of free display advertising in the Owners News each year. Camera-ready artwork must be provided by the club at least 45 days prior to the month in which the ad is to appear. For more information contact:

Ted Moyer
Advertising Director, BMW MOA Owners News
5350 Grantswood Rd.
Birmingham, AL 35210
Phone: 866-865-1055
Fax: 205-951-2663
Email: advertising@bmwmoa.org

7. Rally Disaster Relief Fund.

The Rally Disaster Relief Fund provides Chartered BMW Clubs economic assistance if unforecasted bad weather hurts their rally attendance.

8. Address labels for special mailings to other BMW clubs.

Once a year, by written request to the Club Coordinator, you may receive a set of mailing labels for all currently chartered BMW clubs. These labels may be used for a special mailing such as announcement of a rally or other similar purpose.

9. Eligibility for club awards at BMW MOA rallies. At the annual international rallies sponsored by BMW MOA, there are three awards for chartered BMW club participation.

• Largest local club in attendance (club with the most members present at the rally).
• Most member miles by a local club (the number of club members at the rally multiplied by the distance of the club from the rally).
• Furthest local club with five or more members present at the rally.

There are of course, other less tangible but nevertheless important benefits. Many people find the sense of belonging and participation to be satisfying in itself. Meeting with other BMW clubs, exchanging ideas for activities and learning new ways of doing things by and for members, all of these enhance the BMW experience. There is also the Annual Chartered BMW Club President's meeting at each year's National Rally. This provides new and old elected officers a forum to ask about new programs and meet the BMW MOA Board directly.

If members of your BMW club want to be a part of the largest international group of BMW motorcycle enthusiasts in the world, please accept our invitation to become a BMW MOA chartered BMW club.