C"\ "'■'lf .■> r i m-st'inf > 42—Lancaster Farming, Saturday. March 19, 1977 Students form poultry By JOANNE SPAHR MANHEIM, Pa. - The Manheim Central High School vocational agriculture department has come up with a first for Lancaster County. Realizing a need for a large scale servicing operation in the booming poultry business in the area, the ag department has formed a corporation known as “MAPS.” “MAPS” stands for Manheim Agriculture Poultry Service and is made up of 35 paying members and 40 non-paying members. While there are other poultry serving groups in the county, commonly referred to as A revolutionary, patented* handling and application system for American Agriculture... (figS) Cold-flo Ammonia ... more efficient... and .more economical than ever before... is being made available exclusively through USS Agri-Chemicals Dealers. Proving again that “Service is always in season”" at... 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Although the organization is legally a nonprofit cor poration, Jess Erway and Glenn Spangler, vo-ag teachers and members of the legal board of the cor poration, contend that it is run like an incorporated cooperative. “With this set-up, the members learn what it feels like to run a business from both the manager’s as well as the worker’s stand points,” says Erway. “They know that if they fool around in this type of business, they are hurting themselves as well as their co-workers, instead of just the em ployer.” The cooperative was formed to develop interest in agricultural careers by locating work experience for 14 - 21-year-olds; to provide money for agricultural projects; and to help aspiring young farmers start stockpiling funds. “Let’s face it, if they want to get a start in farming, they have to eajm money in anyway they can,” says Spangler. Part of the rules governing the organization state that a student may belong to the cooperative until he is out of school three years and no longer. And, girls, as well as boys are welcome as members. The governing head is made up of two boards of directors. Because the majority of the members are under 18, and not legally able to run the business, a legal board was formed to oversee all transactions. That board is comprised of Earl Geib, president; Glenn Spangler, vice president; and Jess Erway, secretary-treasurer. A second board, made up of students, and responsible for most of the business carried on by the group, is the managing board. Heading that is Dennis Kulp, manager; Larry Hershey, secretary; Dean Ziegler, Jay Gainer, and Stephen Her shey. Kulp, in the position of manager, has the respon sibility, among other things, of rating the workers after a job is completed. “We have our own rating system, and if a worker isn’t capable, he goes to the bottom of the list,” explains Kulp. The organization has approximately 100 -' 125 employees at all times, and for one job can send out up to 50 students. Because of the size of the crew, they are set up to handle large scale jobs in the range of 60,000 birds. And, almost all of the catching TRY A CLASSIFIED AD! POL*BAM Financing Or Leasing Available Quonset Pol-Barn (with 18" wing units) servicing corporation crew is experienced, which Erway sees as a plus for the organization. “They’ve done work in almost any type of housing operation, and they know from experience how to handle the birds,” he states. Novices are worked in one at a time and watched carefully to assess their abilities* The group also has an honor code and sanitation rules they follow as a matter of course. “We are really hoping that people will assess these individuals as mature enough to go into a house and work without adult super vision,” remarked Spangler. To clarify his statement he said, “Many times people feel 16 and 17 year olds aren’t mature, but these people are running a business, and I’d trust them on any job.” Dennis Kulp and Larry Hershey. agree. They say they’ve already done a few jobs on their own and everything went well. They are looking forward to more work and to getting their corporation rolling. ATTENTION FARMERS! A unique new service is being in troduced in this area. Hillside Equip ment Service will come to your farm and steam clean, sand blast (if necessary) and repaint your farm equipment or implements. We will also perform minor body repair! HLLSIDE EQUIPMENT SERVICE Uiionset. Li Members of the managing and legal boards oTtK Manheim Agriculture Poultry Association look ovei the books. Seated are Dennis Kulp, manager, (left) and Larry Herhsey, secretary of the managii board. Standing is Glenn Spangler, vocation] agriculture teacher and vice president of the leg] board of the corporation. Everything Done On Your Farm. Free Estimates. You call us, we come to you. Delta, Pa. 717-456-5493 All new STEEL "pole bam" - economical, strong, versatile, attractive. VERNON E. MYE Steel Buildings And Grain Storage R.D 4, Lebanon, PA 17042 Phone: (717) 867-4139 -■IB*
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