BUTTE COUNTY — You might have seen a group of men hanging out in Chico or Paradise wearing bright red shirts and black hats and not have any idea who they are.
These men are members of the organization E Clampus Vitus, also known as the Clampers.
“We take care of families,” said Clampers board of directors member John Mitchell. There is a plaque on the Skyway in Paradise dedicated to the group.
The Clampers say they are amateur historians and are soft-hearted at the core. They participate in a lot of charitable work for “widows and orphans.”
Bob Evenson serves as Grand Noble Humbug, or president, of the Butte County chapter and grew up in the area. Mitchell grew up in Burlingame in the Bay Area.
The Clampers have nonprofit monthly meetings and volunteer at events throughout the year, such as the Gold Nugget Days coming up in April which also consists of the Donkey Derby. Gold Nugget Days celebrates Paradise finding a 54-pound gold nugget in 1859.
The organization is a parody of Freemasonic, Oddfellow and other orders.
Mitchell said the Christmas charity work is the most rewarding. The Clampers raise money for children. The group hand delivers Christmas dinners for families in the area and works with Esplanade House which offers transitional housing.
“We are proud of our partnership,” said Mitchell.
The Clampers hand delivered dinners to 37 families last year. The dinners consisted of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy. The organization has been bringing dinners to families every Christmas for 20 years.
They have a fire memorial with 85 flags in Paradise. It lists all of the names of people who died in the Camp Fire.
We do it because we love it,” said Evenson.
The group accepts everyone regardless of race, color, creed or sexual orientation. We check politics at the door,” said Evenson.
There are 40 E Clampus Vitus chapters in California. Mitchell said potential members have to have an interest in history and community.
The organization started in West Virginia in 1845 and celebrates the history of the American West. The Butte County chapter began in 1966. The group is a social organization and are very close knit, but also does a lot of charity work for Butte County.
The organization members especially explore the history of the Mother Lode and gold mining regions of the area. There are no membership fees or dues to join the organization. Members are just required to be 21 years old and must be invited by a member to join.
