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North River Pachyderm
Home
Who We are
History
Membership
Events
Resources
  • Sponsorships
  • Local Elections & Voting
  • Local Republican links
  • Local SAR and DAR Groups
  • Research / Policy Links
  • Club Manual / Application
  • Pachyderm Foundation
More
  • Home
  • Who We are
  • History
  • Membership
  • Events
  • Resources
    • Sponsorships
    • Local Elections & Voting
    • Local Republican links
    • Local SAR and DAR Groups
    • Research / Policy Links
    • Club Manual / Application
    • Pachyderm Foundation
North River Pachyderm
  • Home
  • Who We are
  • History
  • Membership
  • Events
  • Resources
    • Sponsorships
    • Local Elections & Voting
    • Local Republican links
    • Local SAR and DAR Groups
    • Research / Policy Links
    • Club Manual / Application
    • Pachyderm Foundation

About Us

The Mission, Motto and Prayer

  

  • Pachyderm Club Mission: Promote active citizen involvement and education in government and politics through the formation and support of grassroots, Republican Clubs across America.

 

  • Pachyderm Club Motto: Free Government Requires Active Citizens.


  • Pachyderm Prayer:  "God of all goodness, through the breaking of bread together, you strengthen the bonds that unite us. May our lips praise you, and our lives proclaim your goodness. Our work gives you honor, and our voice celebrate you forever. Amen"

History of Pachyderm clubs

Our History

  

Founded in 1967 in Columbia, Missouri, the Pachyderm Club started as an informal gathering of citizens with their State Representative George Parker (pictured right). Parker, the first Republican elected from Boone County since reconstruction, had a strong desire to keep in contact with his constituents. Parker invited his constituents to join him for lunch every Friday to create a consistent forum for the exchange of ideas. The gathering, held weekly at the Daniel Boone Hotel eventually earned the name “Noon at the Boone” group. In 1968, the members decided to incorporate and, after holding a naming contest, chose the “Grand Order of Pachyderm Clubs” as a play on the initials GOP.

In 1969, the second Pachyderm club was formed by US Senator Christopher “Kit” Bond, in his hometown of Mexico, Missouri. Over the next few years, Pachyderm Clubs spread throughout Missouri and in 1974 the National Federation of the Grand Order of Pachyderm Clubs was born. Expansion continued into additional states as members of the Missouri clubs took up residence in other areas of the nation. In 1992, after the Pachyderm movement had expanded into California, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Montana, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, the National Federation of Pachyderm Clubs was granted official auxiliary status by the Republican National Committee.


George Parker died in 2009 at the age of 86 but his legacy, the Pachyderm movement, lives on. President Ronald Reagan once said, “Our freedoms are not safe unless we as citizens interest ourselves in government, inform ourselves about it, and involve ourselves in it. That is precisely what Pachyderms are doing.” Now more than ever, growing populations of Conservatives believe in President Reagan’s words as well as George Parker’s words, which are the Pachyderm motto “Free Government Requires Active Citizens.”

Local Pachyderm History

“The Pachyderm Club was introduced by Dr. David Turner, now deceased. He became acquainted with it on a business trip, I believe to Missouri. He came back to Chattanooga and recruited Tony Mines and me to go with him to Kansas City to a Pachyderm national convention. It was in its early developmental stage.


We returned to Chattanooga and contacted a small group of Republican leaders for a lunch meeting at the downtown YMCA, we three along with Harold Coker, Bill Bennett and one or two others left and began the Pachyderm as a weekly noon meeting at the YMCA. Sandwiches were served and the meeting grew from there. Tony Mines was the first President.”


- Bobby Wood

Past TN State Executive Committeeman, District 11 (2008-2020)

Past TN State Representative, District 26 (1976-2004)

Hamilton County Pachyderm Club’s first President

Tony Mines (1979-1980) pictured left

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