Local Chapters

American Pilgrims is a national organization and is eager to encourage and support local or regional groups that wish to form Local Chapters. You can check the individual chapter pages linked below and the Local Events Calendar for event dates and information. If you are traveling to an area where there is a local chapter, check their page to see if you will be coinciding with an event there. 

There's a move afoot to form a Western Pennsylvania - Eastern Ohio Chapter and they have a second exploratory event planned. And there is a first exploratory meeting to scope out interest in a DelMarVa Chapter. (That's the DelMarVa Peninsula - the east shore of the Chesapeake Bay. But those of you who live there already knew that!) If you live in either of these general areas, check out the particulars down below.

If you would like information about starting a local chapter or presently scheduled chapter exploratory meetings, please see the information at the bottom of this page.

Link to chapter coordinator resources. Password protected. 

Local Chapters listed by state:

Note that some chapters may lap over into adjacent states for events.

Scheduled Exploratory Meetings

Much of the time there are chapter formation exploratory meetings scheduled in various places in the country.

Western Pennsylvania – Eastern Ohio: A second exploratory meeting to form a chapter in the Western Pennsylvania – Eastern Ohio area has been scheduled for Saturday, March 9, 2019. Whether you’re an experienced pilgrim, or are yet to experience your Camino, does the idea of bringing the spirit of the Camino to this area by getting together with fellow pilgrims during the year for outings, Camino presentations, tapas, and potlucks sound good to you?

This will be the second and most important meeting. There will be discussion of who the chapter coordinators will be, what the members are looking for from the chapter, a tentative schedule of activities, and much more!

This meeting will be held on Saturday, March 9, 2019 from 1:00 to 3:00 PM at Saint Barbara Church, 111 Raymaley Road, Harrison City, PA.

This will be a chance to meet, discuss chapter activities, eat, drink and talk. If you attended the December exploratory meeting we hope that you will be able to attend our March 9th meeting as well and to bring a friend or friends.

Please RSVP to [email protected] or on the Niños del Camino Facebook group page to let us know if you plan to attend and how many family or friends (if any) you're bringing with you. 

¡Buen Camino! and hope to see you there! 
Harry Clyde

DelMarVa Peninsula: I am writing to invite you to an exploratory meeting to determine if there is enough interest to create a DelMarVa Chapter of American Pilgrims. The mission of the chapter would be to provide support to past, present and future pilgrims through various activities, such as hikes, events, and information sharing. Check out the article in the Cape Gazette! The first step toward establishing a chapter is to have an exploratory meeting for all interested people. The particulars: 

Saturday, March 16, 2019, from 10:30 AM to noon
Lewes Public Library, 
111 Adams Avenue
Lewes, DE 19958 
in the Large Meeting Room West (left off the lobby). 
There is plenty of parking available in the library's parking lot.

Please RSVP to [email protected] to let me know if you plan to attend and how many family/friends, if any, you are bringing with you. I look forward to meeting you on March 16.

Buen Camino!
Ann Loar Brooks, Camino de Santiago Pilgrim

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Forming a Local Chapter of American Pilgrims on the Camino

After returning from the Camino, people often want to connect with others who have had a similar experience. If you are interested in exploring the possibility of starting a local chapter, American Pilgrims can guide you through the process and help you find other pilgrims in your area. Activities can be as simple as meeting for coffee, a potluck, a walk or visiting a  restaurant for tapas. Many groups have informational slide shows and meetings to help new pilgrims learn about and prepare for the Camino. 

If you already have a group that is meeting for Camino-related activities or if you would like to start a group in your area, consider becoming a formally recognized Local Chapter of American Pilgrims. Chapters are led by at least two coordinators (not a couple) who: 

• Are current members of American Pilgrims;
• Who are willing to share their enthusiasm for the Camino; and
• Who have the time and energy to organize events during the year. 

Benefits of being a Local Chapter:

• A presence on the American Pilgrims website so that people are aware of the existence of your Local Chapter;
• The possibility of communication with other chapter coordinators who can provide ideas and support;
• Space in La Concha, the American Pilgrims newsletter, so you can share chapter news;
• Use of the American Pilgrims logo;
• Liability insurance coverage from American Pilgrims for events, provided advance notice is made to the American Pilgrims Association Manager;
• An American Pilgrims' e-mail address for chapter communication;
• If you wish, a MailChimp account for mass communications with your chapter; and
• Financial assistance from the national organization to help defray some event and program expenses. 

If you think you and your area would qualify for forming a chapter, the first step is submitting the online Chapter Formation Application. Upon receipt of the application, an American Pilgrims Chapter Liaison will:

• Conduct a telephone interview to help assess the viability forming a chapter and to ensure that there are qualified and enthusiastic people to lead the new chapter; and
• Assist in identifying additional coordinator candidates if necessary. 

Upon completing a successful initial interview, the Chapter Liaison will guide the proposed new chapter coordinators through the formal establishment process. This will begin with identifying others in the area who might be interested and scheduling an exploratory meeting.  If the chapter is deemed viable, the chapter coordinators will sign the Memorandum of Understanding outlining chapter responsibilities, training requirements, conflict of interest requirements and the support that American Pilgrims will provide. Further steps will include establishing the chapter's website page, creating a chapter e-mail address and announcing the new chapter to the pilgrim community. 

If you think you qualify, we'd love to hear from you!

Rev 02/16/19