You have reached the Homepage of the which is the oldest men's club in the World. The Club was founded during the War of the Roses by the British riding team of Bombay and sanctioned by Queen Mary, Queen of Scots, whose brother King James I knighted the founders as Knights of the Realm and honored them with the Chaucer Estate in Ireland--which became its prestigious headquarters until moved to the United States. Early directors of the Bombay Bicycle Club include Benjamin Franklin, George Washington and Alexander Hamilton.
Although many directors and members of the club have had connections to the Masons and Knights Templar, these organizations have never been associated with the Bombay Bicycle Club. Many of the Bombay Bicycle Club's members have admittedly had strong economic and political influence over the centuries and, therefore, they generally are prominent financiers and others, similar to those who participated in the Masonic Movement, such as George Washington, and the Knights Templar. The Knights Templar is an organization which was based in Malta during the Crusades and got their name from occupying the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. St. Louis, the King of France, took issue with their influence and power and forced them underground.
There was then and still is much controversy over the Temple Mount of Jerusalem. In spite of this we hope to conduct our Spring Meeting on the Temple Mount in the spirit of bringing forth reconciliation there through the example of how our various chapters have reconciled to one another. We have scheduled Pope John Paul II to appear at the Bombay Bicycle Club tent, where we will share our meal on the Temple Mount.
We of the Bombay Bicycle Club have never operated underground and are widely accepted and known among aficionados--in particular the food and wine circles--of the world. We don't publish a magazine and avoid publicity as a whole, since our directors and members enjoy the privacy of their monthly meetings without the press hovering over them. Paul Newman would not enjoy being pressed by the press at our monthly dinners, and neither would other celebrities, as well as senators and officials of the French Government who enjoy fine cuisine and wine and a time where they can get together with others who share their interests.
Our meetings are on the second Thursday of each month, excepting holidays, in which case we move the schedule and our itinerary to the fourth Thursday of the month. Some nations have holidays on the fourth Thursday, such as Thanksgiving, in which case the meeting is posted for vote by the membership, as to whether or not the meeting is feasible.
Our new museum has been approved! As you know the flood of 2000 in France did considerable devastation to several chateaus owned by the Bombay Bicycle Club, and water damage to part of our collection has forced us to rent several warehouses. The Board of Directors has approved the construction of our new museum. We are all terribly excited about this new masterpiece which will be a design improvement of an existing historic building (see photo).
Because the selection of the site and interior design plans for our many exhibits have not been completed I will be active in that decision-making process and will not have time to update you through this site until the year 2008, when we expect to have our Grand Opening. Neither will I be able to respond to your e-mail. The Board of Directors has decided to break with tradition and open the museum to the public (for the first time since 1108 A.D. when there was a small showing in the town of Tours). During the Grand Opening we will auction off some of the inventory. It will be a Silent Auction and we are currently evaluating whether Southby's or Butterfield & Butterfield will receive the rights to conduct the auction. To view a brief list of the collection the Bombay Bicycle Club has acquired over the centuries, click on the Museum button.
Much of our collection came from members; and it is probably the greatest collection, in terms of diversity, age and preservation in the world.
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Our new museum will look something like this, but we will make some design improvements allowing for the placement of statues or special tiles commemorating Bombay Bicycle Club Board of Directors over the past centuries. The tiles will carry the names of our Islamic and Jewish Directors. Also the building decor will carry our shields, some of which can be seen on the island of Rhodes. Over the main entrance will be a statue of Joseph of Arimathaea. |
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As to the location of our new Museum, many sites have been recommended. We are looking into Istanbul, Paris, a remote area outside of Alexandria, Egypt and others. Bombay, of course, is a site dear to our hearts as well as Jerusalem. One of the Director's has even suggested a site in Marin County, California which is located about 15 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge. This site, owned by a wealthy entrepreneur, has great potential according to those who have seen it. We are seriously looking into Marin County.
Be sure to visit the Women's Chapter of the Bombay Bicycle Club!
Be sure to visit the Women's Chapter of the Bombay Bicycle Club!
Be sure to visit the Women's Chapter of the Bombay Bicycle Club!
Be sure to visit the Women's Chapter of the Bombay Bicycle Club!
As always we are looking for volunteers, for all the missions we conduct, but at this time we desperately need volunteers to help sort, catelogue and crate the museum artifacts for distribution to their assigned rooms in our new Bombay Bicycle Club museum.
Seven years is not a long time, as we learned in the Crusades. So there is much to be done and very little time to do it. Our Board of Directors will not be accessible during the time of our selection and construction process, since they will be operating out of temporary facilities. Continue to contact them through your local chapters as you have been doing. Thanks for your patience during this great move!
Because we will be somewhat silent for the next seven years and many of you may forget our regular agenda, I have left the last posting of our meetings on this site.
There will be no more international meetings for the next seven years. Those of you who wish to carry on your local meetings please keep us advised.
Our last meeting was for the Bombay Bicycle Club Annual Drake's Award Preview Dinner. The Odd Fellow's Temple in San Francisco was selected for the dinner. There are changes to the following but I don't have time to register them, so I am leaving them as they were. Please, I just don't have any more time. I have museum artifacts to review, the monthly newsletter, architectural plans and so much paperwork. I just don't have any more time to keep up this site. See you in seven years. Thanks for your patience.
Past Events--Reflections
Register now since there is limited seating. David Letterman has been nominated to receive the next Bombay Bicycle Club Annual Drake's Award. For a preview of the award to Mr. Letterman click on the Annual Award's Button. This award's ceremony was quite joyful and went off without a hitch. Mr. Letterman was given his award in absentia.
David Letterman was nominated by the November International Bombay Bicycle Club Meeting to receive the Bombay Bicycle Club's Annual Drake Century Award!"This is a huge honor" said an undisclosed source...details to follow... |
Minutes from last month's meeting:
November Meeting Minutes: David Letterman was nominated to receive the next Bombay Bicycle Club's Annual Drake Award. The loacation of the preview dinner for the award's ceremony was unanimously nominated to be held at the Odd Fellow's Club in San Francico.
October Meeting Minutes: There was a great controversy around the table over the admission of Bill Gates to our humble Bombay Bicycle Club. Having tabulated the vote it was concluded that Gates should have to wait to be admitted pending the law suits in motion against Microsoft. Our policy is to suspend any member or any application of any member to the Bombay Bicycle Club pending any major lawsuit against them. For this reason other applicants may be advised that we are known for our impartial views and benevolent vocations. Our forbearers have been known for their great generosity in supporting charitable causes and thus we do have to maintain a certain decorum and are quite strict on our admission policies.
In our charter there is a provision that we cannot solicit funds, and through our joint effort we support others .
Anyone interested in this long tradition may contact their local Bombay Bicycle Club.
The Meeting Minutes will as usual be disseminated to the membership, and we will post the summation of the minutes on the web.
Our Annual Holiday Meeting:
We are quite excited over the location chosen for our world conference. It will be at 18 Rue Francouer, 16th floor, Paris, France. Contact the local chapter of the Bombay Bicycle Club for specific instructions on how to get there. For the Paris Metro Map click here. Thank you for your patience. The following is the schedule which will be on the Third Thursday of December: Note on the Holiday Meeting. It was quite successful, attended by many chapters from around the world. Our new Board of Directors express their best wishes to all in our 2001 odyssey.
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6:00 P.M. |
Register for the meeting no later than December 7, 2000. |
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Entertainment: |
The special appearance by Janice Joplin is now up in the air. Britney Spears was not able to be reached for our last meeting so we are moving her up to this one. Comments from our membership are solicited, whether to schedule Britney Spears or Janice Joplin.
A charity drive will be part of the dinner. |
Memos
Special Memo and reminder concerning set-up of individual chapter dining tables and chambers.
Special Memo concerning the complaint from the Singapor Chapter.
We regret that we do not have contact email addresses. Don't contact the webmaster except in matters concerning a request to link to this page. World wide chapters have permission to place a mirror site of this page providing they abide by the Bombay Bicycle Club Charter and Policies. If Bombaby Bicycle Club chapters decide to add chat rooms to their site, they must install guides who can mediate discussions and mitigate conflict. All variances to the Bombay Bicycle Club Homepage Design must be approved by the Board of Directors before being launched.
Peace and thank you for visiting the and please continue to support your local communities. "To do good you aquire more good to yourself and your community and the world," Quote from Dr. Ibn Khaldun, an early director of the Bombay Bicycle Club.
After all, this is what we are all about......
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