Challenge

Coins

Recipients

The Challenge Coin

     A challenge coin is a small coin or medallion, bearing an organization’s insignia or emblem and carried by the organization’s members.   They are given to prove membership when challenged and to enhance morale.

Origins of the Challenge Coin in USA
     While many organizations and services claim to have been the originators of the challenge coin, the most commonly held view is that the tradition began in the United States Army Air Service.

     Air warfare was a new phenomenon during World War I. When the army created flying squadrons they were manned with volunteer pilots from every walk of  civilian life. While some of the early pilots came from working class or rural backgrounds, many were wealthy college students who withdrew from classes in the middle of the year, drawn by the adventure and romance of the new form of warfare.

     As the legend goes, one such student, a wealthy lieutenant, ordered small, solid-bronze medallions struck, which he then presented to the other pilots in his squadron as mementos of their service together. One of the pilots in the squadron, who had never owned anything like the coin, placed it in a leather pouch he wore around his neck for safekeeping.
A short while later, this pilot’s aircraft was heavily damaged by ground fire, forcing him to land behind enemy lines and allowing him to be captured by the Germans. The Germans confiscated the personal belongings, but missed the leather pouch around his neck. On his way to a prisoner of war facility, he managed to escape.

     The pilot avoided German patrols by donning civilian attire, but since all of his identification had been confiscated, he had no way to prove his identity. He crept across no-man’s land and made contact with a French patrol. Unfortunately for him, the French had been on the lookout
for German saboteurs dressed as civilians. The French mistook the American pilot for a German saboteur and immediately prepared to execute him.

     Desperate to prove his allegiance and without any identification, the pilot pulled out the coin from his leather pouch and showed it to his French captors.  One of the Frenchmen recognized the unit insignia on the coin and delayed the execution long enough to confirm the pilot's identity.

     Once the pilot safely returned to his squadron, it became a tradition for all members to carry their coin at all times. To ensure compliance, the pilots would challenge each other to produce the coin. If the challenged couldn’t produce the coin, he was required to buy a drink of choice for the challenger; if the challenged could produce the coin, the challenger would purchase the drink.

     This tradition spread to other military units in all branches of service and even to non military organizations. Today, challenge coins are given to members upon joining an organization, as an award to improve morale.

 

Challenging and The Rules

-  The tradition of a challenge is the most common way to ensure that members are carrying the chapter's coin.
 

-  Chapter members who have earned a coin should carry the coin both on and off their bike.
The challenge only applies to those members that have been given a coin formally by their chapter.
 

-  The challenge can be made at any time.
 

-  Slapping, placing, or continuously rapping the coin on a surface generally initiates the challenge.
 

-  A challenge can be initiated to a single individual or a group, and must me defined at the time of challenge.
 

-  Accidentally dropping a challenge coin is considered to be a deliberate challenge to all present.
 

-  Everyone being challenged must within a reasonable time (usually less than a minute) produce the coin for their organization.
 

- Failure to produce the coin must buy a drink for the challenger and everyone else who has their challenge coin.
 

-  Should everyone challenged be able to produce their coin, the challenger must buy a round of drinks for the group.
 

-  The "step and reach" clause will be invoked for situations where it is impossible to produce the coin (e.g. In the shower.)  This allows the member to properly address the situation in a timely manner (get out of shower, dry off, dress, etc.)
 

-  If you are able to steal a challenge coin, everyone in the group must buy you a drink.
 

-  Stolen coins should be turned in to the Ride Captain for "fine" enforcement.
 

-  Coins may not be defaced or altered at all other than through normal wear and tear.
 

-  Defacing the coin as well as attaching to a belt buckle, key ring, or any other permanent location no longer qualifies it as a challenge coin and must be replaced.
 

-  If a coin is lost or stolen and unable to be retrieved, the individual will be responsible for paying a "fine" to recover the coin, or to have a new one issued.
 

-  All rule interpretations and disputes will be resolved by the Ride Captains of the Chapter suspending the challenge until a ruling is made.

-  Any rules not written down are open to interpretation by the Chapter Ride Captains.
 

-  All rulings by the Chapter Ride Captains are final.