The founding members of Chapter IX are comprised of officers and civilians from Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, who formed a contingency group and rode with Chapter 1. Since 2005, when the first officer from Delaware Rode with Chapter 1, the group has grown steadily in numbers. In 2011 the group was joined by a large contingency from Howard County Police Department in Maryland, bringing the
group's total members to 51. Chapter 9's formation is the product of many factors, the most important being it's members love and respect for what the Tour does and what it represents. We have witnessed the exponential growth of the Tour, which is a good thing! More members means we can be better at accomplishing our Mission Statement. However, growth can also have a downside. Every year officers had to be declined participation due to the limited slots available on the four existing Tour Routes. Realizing that the Tour could not continue to grow without the formation of a new route, and wanting to give back to an organization which had given us so much, our group decided to "step up to the plate" and take on the task of forming and managing another route. The founder of the Tour, Pat Montuore, and the CEO, Harry Phillips, seeing our group's dedication to the Tour and what it stands for, allowed our group to seek Chapter status. Chapter Status is an Honor and a responsibility not to be taken lightly. It is something that is rarely granted. In 2012 we became an official Chapter and had an incredible Inaugural ride thanks to our many dedicated returning members and our awesome new members. In 2013 we added around 40 new members and again had a successful journey. We continue to receive positive feedback and we are excited about our years to come.
