Blue Knights Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club, local Chapter IN VII, was formed in the fall of 1996.  Jeffrey Buskirk and Dennis Nail learned of the Blue Knights thru the Internet and soon met Joe Todd, President of Connersville Chapter IN IV and the State Representative of Indiana for Blue Knights International.  Thru Joe Todd's guidance, IN VII was born.  Those first Charter Members were Jeffrey Buskirk, Dennis Nail, Lee Kehl, Robert Bauer, Lester Gray, Bill Jennings, John Winter,  Daniel Riffel, David Chatten, and Jack Like.  Rev. Russ Cockrum was the Chaplain and Special Member while Dr. Mike Phelps was the first Honorary Member.

 

The chapter continued to grow a little at a time and became very active in the International and Great Lake Regional Conferences, having at least one, and as many as four members and spouses traveling to the International Conferences from Spokane, Washington to Vail, Colorado to Louisville Kentucky  to Las Vegas, Nevada  to Norfolk, Virginia and attending many of the regional conferences held twice a year. 

 

All nine Indiana Chapters hosted the International Conference in French Lick, Indiana in 2002.  This was a tremendously successful conference with a record attendance of over 1400 Blue Knights visiting the small southern town.  In addition, this gave the Blue Knights a public recognition which assisted the local chapter to gain in membership to a high of 38 members in 2003.  Also in 2003, the Chapter was recognized in Norfolk, Va. for having 100% renewal of it's members.   

 

Blue Knights are a very generous organization.  It's 17000+ members have donated $4,063,150.53 in cash and $500,413.38 in man-hours, for a total of $4,563,563.91 in the past few years.   Indiana VII, in keeping with the generous tradition,  started having it's annual Fall Foliage Festival Ride in 1997, a fund raiser for the club and local charities.  This ride has grown from just 3 bikes to 132 bikes and over 180 people in 2003.  The club has since been asked to assist in 2 additional poker runs for the local Veterans Memorial dedication in November 2003 and Cancer Victims in May of 2004. 

 

The local Blue Knights have supported C.O.P.S. of Indiana, Martinsville Little League, and in the past two years, their designated charity has been the Morgan County Fallen Officers Memorial Garden Fund, which will honor the 3 Morgan County Officers which have made the ultimate sacrifice.  The local Blue Knights have donated $2375 in two years to this fund and are the single largest contributor to it.  Since the Federal Government is matching our donation, we are responsible for $4750 being contributed to the memorial.   They also assist other youth programs as the need arises and funds are available.

 

Blue Knights IN VII is one of the most active clubs in Indiana.  They ride each Thursday night, weather permitting, have one monthly ride on a weekend, attend two GLRC conferences and one International Conference, have 11 monthly meetings, host at least one Poker Run and have a yearly Christmas Party.   In keeping with motto that "there are no strangers, only friends we have not met", the club invites any biker who enjoys good, clean, family fun to come ride with them weekly, monthly or just on one of their poker runs.