A brief history of the North Texas Chapter
In 1975, Pat Farish, Robert Gabhart, along with Jim and Pat Underwood, met with Harry Pickup, Jr. in regards to chartering the Florida College Booster Club of North Texas. Ever since then, these individuals along with countless others, have donated time and resources to providing young people in our area opportunities to spend time with each other, while promoting FC and also awarding scholarships for Texas students to attend FC.
The primary annual events are the Junior and Senior Florida College Texas Camps – large enough to divide into two groups in the late 80’s – held every July. This camp was originally held in Oklahoma, then moved to Thorp Springs, then to St Jo. For 30+ years, these camps were held at Camp Hensel. Beginning in July 2023, camps will be held at Arrowhead Camp (between Cleburne and Glen Rose). In addition to the summer camps, there is also a Senior Winter Camp held every December at Camp Grady Spruce, topping off with a New Year’s Eve party.
For many years, softball teams have gathered from around (and out of!) the state to battle for the tournament championship. Other events, such as a teen lock-in, golf tournament, basketball tournament, etc, are planned throughout the year to provide more opportunities to promote FC, connect, and cultivate relationships. Our chapter also helps send Texas high school juniors and seniors and their parents to Falcon Days in the fall and spring, where students can experience a taste of FC’s campus and academic life and its unique spiritual environment.
In 2017, the booster club transitioned into a local chapter of the Hutchinson Bell. The Hutchinson Bell exists to serve alumni and friends and allow them to connect with valuable resources, continue to communicate with Florida College after graduation and cultivate meaningful relationships with one another and the college that brought them together.
The local booster club and now local Bell chapter has had several presidents – Pat Farish (who served 3 different times in this capacity), Dan Vess, Jeff Wilson, Josh Johnson, George Davis, and Alyssa Johnson. Its newest president is Tom Pledger. All of the presidents are Florida College alum, and the chapter is always looking for ways to promote Florida College to all students and their parents, and always welcomes more volunteers to help support our worthy mission!
To learn more about the Hutchinson Bell, visit the main site!