Mesa History

The Mesa Chapter was established on October 18, 1997.

Mesa is a city in what's known as the East Valley in the greater Phoenix area of Arizona (Also know as the 480 for the area code ).

The Mesa Charter is active in the motorcycle community and holds multiple annual runs and parties that are open to the public (See events tab for the latest information). Mesa's best known event is the annual Toy Run that is held each December to collect toys for children in need.

Below is more information about the history of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. (Below content is from the HAMC worldwide website).

The beginning of Hells Angels Motorcycle Club

On March the 17th. 1948 the first Hells Angels Motorcycle Club was founded in the Fontana/San Bernardino area in the United States of America. About the same time other clubs were formed in various places in the state of California, but none of these clubs were associated neither with Hells Angels nor with each other, and most of them do not exist today. The San Bernardino charter (also called "Berdoo") still exists, although most of its original members at one time moved northwards to Oakland. This removal is probably the reason why many outsiders wrongly describe Oakland as the Mother Charter of Hells Angels MC World.

During the fifties more Hells Angels Charters came into existence. In the beginning the charters had nothing to do with each other, but after some years they united and regular criteria of admission were laid down. From having been exclusively a Californian phenomenon, the club developed internationally in 1961. It happened when the first charter outside California was adopted - strangely enough as far away as Auckland, New Zealand. During the sixties Hells Angels spread out to the East Coast of the USA and later to the Midwest.

On July the 30th. 1969 the first European Hells Angels charter was accepted in London, England and today there are more than 125 charters in Europe alone. In the end of the seventies Australian clubs were admitted and in 1984, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil became the first South American charter. In 1993 Hells Angels came to the African continent with a charter in Johannesburg, South Africa. Eastern Europe got its own Hells Angels charter in the new millennium and since then many more countries have been granted the now famous winged death head.

The admission of clubs all over the globe caused changes in the structure of Hells Angels. The small motorcycle club from Berdoo was now mother charter of the world´s biggest motorcycle brotherhood Hells Angels Motorcycle Club World. Today Hells Angels MC World has charters in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bohemia (Czech Republic), Brazil, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Italy, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, South Africa, Sweden, United States and Wales. Clubs from new countries seeking admission are to be found in Iceland, Japan, Lithuania and Latvia.

(For more detailed history or Hells Angels Lineage information, visit www.hells-angels.com and click on "history")

Here are the answers to some FAQ:

Q: What does 81 mean?

A: 81 is a metonym and stands for the 8th letter of the alphabet "H" and the 1st letter of the alphabet "A" HA = Hells Angels.

Q: What does the M.C. stand for?

A: The MC stands for Motorcycle Club. The fact of the matter is, it's a Motorcycle Club, not a gang.

Q: What does Red & White stand for?

A: Another metonym, Red & White are the Club's colors. Red letters on a White background.

Q: How do I join the Hells Angels ?

A: As the saying goes, If you have to ask the question, you probably won't understand the answer. The key words are Motorcycle Club, which means they are true motorcycle enthusiasts and their motorcycle is their primary means of transportation. On the average a club member will ride 20,000 mile plus a year, and this means rain, snow, or sunshine. Each Charter varies in their requirement, but if you're really interested you should talk to a member in your area. And if you have to ask where the nearest Charter is to you....you aren't ready to join a Motorcycle Club!

(For a more detailed list of FAQ, visit www.hells-angels.com and click on "FAQ" )

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