BIG-Uncuster Farming, Saturday, January 18,1986 Farm Women elect Lois Hughes, Dorothy Caskey to state board of directors BY SALLY BAIR Staff Correspondent HARRISBURG Delegates to the 67th annual state convention of the Society of Farm Women of Pennsylvania elected Lois Hughes state treasurer, and Dorothy Caskey as director on Tuesday. Two hundred and forty one voting delegates representing the state’s 3829 Farm Women mem bers met at the Farm Show Building for their business session. Lois Hughes, Portage, represents Cambria County where she has served as county secretary. She has been a member of Farm Women since 1956. A member of the South Ebensburg United Church of Christ, Lois also serves on the Family Living Ad visory Board for the Cooperative Extension Service in that county. The mother of six children, Lois and her husband operate a beef cattle operation. Dorothy Caskey has been in jpp ~cepv plaque from Greene County Agricultural Agent Roger Smith for the Farm Women support of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents' national convention held in Pennsylvania in 1985. Children's Aid director addresses Farm Women at annual convention Featured speaker at the Farm Women banquet was Theresa Eshbaugh, director of the Childrens Aid Society of the Church of the Brethren. Farm Women for 17 years in Adams County where she and her husband live near Aspers. She has served as county president and in other county offices there. She said she was “quite surprised” to be selected to the post of director. Active in the Memorial Baptist Church in Gettysburg, Mrs. Caskey serves as coordinator of the senior adult program and sings in the choir. She is employed by the Rice Fruit Company. Both women will serve a three year term on the state board. State President Naomi Bupp accepted a certificate of appreciation from Green County Agricultural Agent Roger Smith for the financial contribution given by Farm Women to the convention of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents which was held in Pennsylvania last fall. Bupp expressed concern for the slowly diminishing numbers of Farm Women across the state, and Naomi Bupp, left, state president of the Society of Farm Women, congratulates Dorothy Caskey, center, and Lois Hughes as new members of the state board. Mrs. Caskey will serve as a director and Mrs. Hughes will be treasurer, both serving three year terms. urged Society members to add new members as old ones are lost through death and other causes. She said, “It would be nice to expand. Although the potential for farmers is less and less, the part for farm-related people is growing. That’s what we need to work on.” She said she would be glad to help organize Societies in counties where there presently are none if women are interested. President Bupp reported that 13 90-year-old members have been reported, in addition to the four 100-year-old members. Those four are Mrs. Grace Whorley, Green County; Mrs. Ida Heistand and Mrs. Barbara Moore, Lancaster County; and Mrs. Carrie Custer, Somerset County. In committee reports, legislative BY SUZANNE KEENE HARRISBURG Pennsylvania Farm Women gathered at the Penn Harris Motor Inn in Harrisburg, Monday evening for a night of good food, fun and fellowship. Part of the 67th annual State Farm Women Convention, the banquet brought together mem bers of Farm Women societies from across the state. Featured speaker for the evening was Theresa Eshbaugh, director of the Children’s Aid Society of the Brethren Church, South District. Mrs. Eshbaugh shared some case histories of the troubled youngsters she works with and encouraged the Farm Women to feel good about themselves and to encourage others. “I see many youngsters who are most unhappy,” Mrs. Eshbaugh said. For example, there’s eight year-old Ray Ann, who is at the top her third-grade class. Born with a brain tumor that has since been removed, Ray Ann lives inside a body whose members grow at different rates. One side of her body grows more quickly than the other. Tumors continue to Appear on R&yAnn’s body, and because she can’t tolerate the drugs needed to put her to sleep for surgery, Ray Ann must suffer through operations with only local anesthetics. “She is a gifted and very determined young person,” Mrs. Eshbaugh said, adding, “She is going to bloom into all that she can be.” Mrs. Eshbaugh continued with more case histories of troubled youth children who have been chairman Gladys Becker en couraged the members to get to know their state and national legislators. Important legislative issues on the state level which should concern them include the bottle law and unisex insurance rates. Nationally she encouraged them to support a balanced budget and the drive to cut waste and the deficit. She asked each county to have a legislative chairman to work with her. Joan Hershey, chairman of the farm and home safety committee, said women should be concerned about safety on the farm, in the home and on the highway. She told them to support the safe use of three wheelers, the proper han dling of spray materials and an alertness with power tools. In the home she told the women to Farm Women attending the banquet were treated to a concert by the Handbell Choir of the Codorus Church of the Brethren. sexually or physically molested, children who have only one parent or who live in fear that one day they will come home from school and their parents will not be there. “These are the kinds of children in our world who don’t know and are struggling to find the meaning of happiness,” Mrs. Eshbaugh said. It is these children who Childrens Aid Society aims to help through caring and counseling. The Society counselors target their efforts on the children, who know their feelings better than anyone else including their parents, Mrs. Eshbaugh said. By developing a trusting relationship with their young clients, the counselors try to help the children face up to and cope with their problems. Mrs. Eshbaugh said the society sponsors Parents Anonymous in Vork Countv, a self-help group for discard outdated medicines, date food as it is preserved and make sure wiring is adequate. When driving she cautioned women to be aware of joggers and bikers who may be using headsets and not hear traffic. It was announced that ap plications are now being accepted for the four $5OO college scholar ships awarded annually by the state association. Dorothy Pyle reported that 1994 recipes have been received as part of the state project which will be the creation of a cookbook. The committee has begun work on the project, which includes recipes from both adults and children. President Bupp said one of the purposes of the cookbook is to help promote Pennsylvania com modities. parents who are cnna aousers. Many of these parents, she said, have been victims of child abuse themselves. “That’s what they learned,” she said. “When it comes to a crisis situation...the tapes of the past come back.” The Childrens Aid Society aims -to help kids learn other ways of dealing with stress. “We can respond to these children in need,” Mrs. Eshbaugh said. She urged the Farm Women to assess the needs of their com munities and to look for ways to help children. Children are tomorrow’s leaders, Mrs. Eshbaugh said, “but they’re also a very important part of today’s world.” Mrs. Eshbaugh’s presentation was followed by a concert by the Handbell Choir of the Codorus Church of the Brethren.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers