Club History
It was in the early spring of 1999 that John Payne first became aware of the Southern Cruisers Riding Club. While browsing the internet he came across a link to a riding club called The Southern Cruisers Riding Club. John was immediately struck by their simple approach to what riding as a club was all about. The emphasis on riding and the lack of rules and regulations or the need for
meetings or commitments of any kind sounded like just the thing John was looking for. He was already a member of a club which had more than enough rules and regulations and felt it was definitely time for a change. There was and is a simple process to apply for membership online and as there were no dues or any other form of payment required, John figured he had nothing to lose. In about 3 days he received an email welcoming him to the Club and informing him that he was the first Canadian to have joined and was given a “Member at Large” ID number and with that, the Southern Cruisers Riding Club became established in Canada. John went on to establish a chapter in Burlington. It was at this point that the history of the SCRC in Canada began to grow and soon began to encompass the entire country. It was clear that the philosophy of the Club; no dues, no meetings and no commitments of any kind had struck a chord with bikers everywhere and our membership continued to grow to the point that it became necessary to form new chapters. As the number of chapters and members grew, John eventually took on the roll of Ontario Provincial Officer and then in 2004, Regional Officer of Eastern Canada
In the spring of 2006, after 7 years of commitment and dedication to the growth of the club in Canada, John felt it was time for a well deserved rest and announced his retirement at the annual Eastern Canada Officer’s meeting. John continues to this day as an active member of the chapter he formed in 1999.
