Tulpehocken Rifle and Pistol Club

“When government takes away citizens’ right to bear arms it becomes citizens’ duty to take away government’s right to govern.”- George Washington

The purpose of this club is to promote interest in the shooting sports; to lawfully secure and use arms and ammunition for practice; to hold competitive shoots; to promote the safe handling of firearms; to protect and defend the second amendment to the Constitution of the United States; to cooperate with all lawfully constituted organizations for the promotion and preservation of the shooting sports; to provide and maintain suitable facilities.

The mission of the Tulpehocken Rifle & Pistol Club is to foster the development of all shooting sports by providing our club members with safe facility in which to engage the shooting activities, as well as a safe environment for youth training in firearms safety and use. The club offers organized shooting competitions, and desires to promote fellowship, good sportsmanship and wholesome family activities. The safe and lawful use of firearms by the youth, club members and the general public through education, training, competitions and camaraderie is our foremost goal.

“Tulpehocken” is an American Indian word meaning “Land where the turtle sang”. Also, the name of a creek in Eastern Berks County, Pennsylvania. The Swatara Creek, at tributary of the Susquehanna River, flowed into the Tulpehocken Creek, which fed into Lancaster County, PA.

When the German immigrants, known as “The Palatines”, who resided in New York, became weary of their treatment by the British, one of their number, a man by the name of Conrad Weiser, along with his son of the same name, began to look for better places to settle. It is thought that William Penn’s family had offered them land in the Western part of Pennsylvania, seemingly, for the express purpose to provide Penn with a Western buffer against the Indians.

The Pennsylvania Authorities were far more lenient and did not impose as many restrictions on the German settlers as did the British in New York, who allowed only 10 acres of land per family, which was not sufficient for adequate farming.

Conrad Weiser knew about the Tulpehocken area of Berks County via numerous contacts with the Indians of that area, and trips made to the region. The decision was made to move to the Tulpehocken area. A