I had every intention this morning to reminisce about the history of DixieBelle(My toew truck) But overnight the Knytes over a conference call had some issues and it be my part of the club to renew some effort to and for that. Being the case a historical foundation needs to be brought forth and how the hell, I got involved and why I stay involved and devote most of my none working waking hours to the Knytes.
So here goes;
Back in 1978 or so , I met a wild and crazy guy named Jimmy Macdonald. He built hand crafted, hot rods, I built hand crafted custom trucks and road bikes. We met at that years Early Iron Club’s Rod and custom show in Twin Falls. We both agreed that instead of competing against each other living in the small town of Hagerman-aka Hazzard Idaho, that we would combine forces. So we opened in the spring of 1980 , Pat & Jim’s Speed and Custom Shop. LexiBelle(before the name change ,of my toew truck) had a foundation but it was weak. Thought was, who the hell is going to come to Hagerman to get a hot rod built? So I packed up my shit that fall and decided to hit the road in my old Chevy to Salt Lake City. Got as far as Burley , a snow storm to beat all snow storms hit and no could go. Stayed overnight at the Burley Ramada Inn , (now the Burley Best Western Motel) and what parked next to me? Yep the old General itself. Found the kid that had built it, told him if he decided to sell the car to call me. The following year in the works of taking a rig to the show, searching for props for the display, saw out of my eye, ye ole General with a FOR SALE sign. $1,500.00 and ye ole General was on his way to Hagerman, that soon after became Hazzard. With the popularity of our home brewed custom, Jimmy and I sat down and said that for business to bloom, we had to get the local crop of gearheads together. There was a popular movie going on then called the Hollywood Knights. Down in Pocatello was a gearhead group called the Squires, hmmm , here we had a royal atmosphere. Dukes, Squires, bring on the Knights. So in the fall of 1982 a gathering of rural grassroots, anti establishment gearheads got together and The Hazzard County Knights was born, although a year after we reworked the word Knight as Knyte. But I found out from both Mom & Dad, that my Confederate Southern roots and ancestors went well beyond a love for a TV show on which the club was built on. 4 Southern states was where the majority of my kin folk on Dad’s side were both born and raised in the deep south. Mom herself was born in Texas, My Grandma on Mom’s side was born in Alabama, in fact although some dispute this, but Montgomery the township and County of Alabama is from my ancestral roots as well. But I really did not pay much attention to all that, after all, I was in Yankee country, in Idaho. It wasn’t until 2004 through some rumblings from within the Knytes that I got and as such the Knytes got involved with the Confederate States of America and Sons of Confederate Veterans movement. The Hazzard Knytes , established a working partnership with both the SOCV as well as the CSA/CNP. Through a guy named Stephen Monk(StoneWall) . Over three following years , I learned alot about my roots, as well as what it truly meant to be part of the modern Confederacy. During the 2006 elections , I went to Mountain West rallies of and for the CSA/CNP, and only by a slim margin did the CNP candidate then loose to a Republican, go figure, its Utah. But the Knytes said we are going to keep fighting, for the love of Dixie in the northern states. By the time I had migrated back to western Idaho, the core membership of the Knytes had either died, moved away, or were GOA. So what to do? In early 2008, the idea of reworking the club, all the way back to its trucking roots, had begun. However we really did not want to loose the fellowship of the CSA/CNP, as well as completely abandon the Hazzard roots that built the organization. But what to call it? So it was discovered a hit TV show had hit the FX cable network, that mirrored the ideals of our group. But instead we wanted to retain our connection to all things Hazzard and vintage old skool OTR trucks, trucking and toewing(towing). That TV show is of course the Sons of Anarchy, but with us it was about trucks not bikes. So a rework of titles and all, and in the fall as the elections were heating up, the Knytes-of-Anarchy was reborn, and so it goes.
That all being said, there has came the fact that while we have not lost membership, or should I say, paid membership, we have not gained any either. While there is a new Capo at the helm of the AyreWolvez our sibling organization, the Knytes’ current Prezz is not getting things done in a progressive manner. With Clay’s tenure about to expire in 2012 the time for a fresh capo is required. But even so, there needs to be established a real HQ for the club, not just a back room in who ever is Prezz ’s house. Of all places centrally located to set up Knytes HQ is the mini Cassia area of Idaho. Close to Utah to help our sibling group the AyreWolvez when needed, big enuff to stage group events, that all from our Mountain West region can attend, and where meetings etc can be attended by more than just those who live in Idaho. So with that said, over the next two weeks, yours truly will be offline and out of touch establishing the headquarters for the Knytes-of-Anarchy, that includes the Mountain West chapter of the SOCV-UCSA/CNP.
So why do I nearly kill myself to stay involved? Simply because I gave life to the organization, the organization helped establish Dixie Toewing/Southern-Eagle Xpress, Hazzard County Choppers(my company) because the UCSA has the only plan to save this nation and because I love Dixie, and want and dedicate myself to those ideals of the fight the system, affection of the Modern Confederacy.
So until February 9th 2011, keep it tween the ditches.
I’ll be back then, after the 9th of February.
L8R Confederates,
Quote of the day:
Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction. - E. F. Schumacher
| Galatians 6:7-8“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) . All Rights Reserved. |
