A2B-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 18,1987
Guernsey Breeders
BY MARTHA J. GEHRINGER
MERTZTOWN Dairymen
from across the nation will con
verge on Pittsburgh for Memorial
Day weekend. The draw will not be
Fireworks or other Memorial Day
festivities, instead they will be
attending the national convention
of the American Guernsey Cattle
Club.
In the thick of the convention
preparations is an unassuming
Berks County Guernsey breeder.
William Zollers, Mertztown, has
been serving as the general
chairman for the event. “I’m
happy I can do this for the
Association,” he said. Quick to
credit others, he added, “There
are a lot of people in the state
association who have chipped in. ”
Pittsburgh, “city with a smile,”
is the host city for the convention
which runs from May 22 to 25. The
Sheraton at Station Square will be
the host hotel for the convention.
The theme for the convention is
“Guernsey heaven in ’87,” Zollers
noted. Highlights of the convention
include educational seminars, the
business meeting, the Cow and
National Heifer Sale, the National
Guernsey Queen Contest, and the
first national youth convention.
The seminars will run four
American Guernsey Cattle Club
Convention Pre-Registration
May 22-25,1987 • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
City State
Other members of family attending
Please make the following reservations;
Event Number Individual Early Registration Total
Price Price
@sl2
@ $3O
Friday Luncheon
Friday Cruise/Bul
Saturday Luncheon
Saturday Wme/Cheese
Sunday Tours/BBQ
Monday Luncheon
Monday @ $9 50
If you plan to attend all the events, this four-day package sells for
$97.50 plus each conventioneer will receive a commerative ceramic
convention milk pitcher. Reservations must be made by May 7.1987 to
qualify.
TOTAL $ _
Junior Convention Pre-Registration
Please make the following reservations:
Event Number Individual Early Registration
Prices Price
@sl2
@s3o
Friday Cruise/Buffet
Saturday Kennywood
Saturday Pizza Party
Sunday Tours/BBQ
Sunday Banquet
Monday Breakfast
Monday Luncheon
If you plan to attend all the events, this four-day package sells for $90...
a savings of $7.50. AND, each conventioneer will receive a commerative
ceramic convention milk pitcher. Reservations must be made by May 7,
1987 to qualify.
TOTAL $
YES. I would like to share housing with other junior members for $l5
per night Check nights needing room Friday Saturday
Sunday
Please return this form by Friday, May 7,1987 making checks payable to
the Pennsylvania Guernsey Breeders' Association. Send to Jean
Celestme, RD 2, Box 125 Scenery Hill, Pennsylvania 15360 After May 7,
all tickets will be sold at the individual prices
To receive a 35 percent discount on full coach air fare or five percent off
any applicable discount fare, contact US Air at 1-800-428-4322 This
discount offer is effective for flights from May 19 through May 25,
originating on US Air's domestic system with Pittsburgh as the
destination city Must use designator code ACSIOE when placing
reservation
I I
times, twice on Friday and twice
on Saturday, Zollers explained,
“so everyone has a chance to hit all
of them.”
One of the seminars will feature
a discussion on Johnes Disease by
Dr. Robert H. Whitlock of the New
Bolton Clnter, Kennett Square.
The New Bolton Center has been
conducting extensive research on
Johnes for the past several years.
Doug Wilson of 21st Century
Genetics will talk about promoting
the breed inwardly and outwardly.
Zollers noted, this seminar will
offer tips for selling Guernseys to
fellow breeders and those who
raise other breeds.
The third seminar will focus on
handwriting analysis and will be
presented by Louis P. Ciancio,
Pittsburgh. Ciancio is a certified
handwriting analyst who will talk
about and demonstrate this
analysis by taking writing samples
from the group.
Beginning on Friday, May 22, the
convention begins with the con
tinental breakfast at 8 a.m. and
registration opens at 8 a.m. A
continental breakfast opens each
day, Zollers noted.
At the 11:30 luncheon Friday, the
Mayor of Pittsburgh, the Penn
sylvania Secretary of Agriculture,
Phone (,
Zip Code
Friday® $32
@ $2O
@$ 7
Saturday @ $2l
@ $24
@ $2O
Sunday® $35
@sl2 50
@s97 50
Friday @ $27
@sls
@$ 5
Saturday @ $2O
@s24
@s2o
Sunday @ $35
@ss 50
@sl2 50
Monday© $l5
@s9o
Complete Plans For Convention
and the Sheraton Hotel Manager
will welcome convention-goers to
the Pittsburgh, the state, and the
hotel, Zollers explained.
Saturday’s lunch will feature
speaker Pat Leimbach. She is a
farm wife humorist from the
Midwest. Leimbach has written
two books A Thread of Blue
Denim and All My Meadows. She is
a very enthusiastic speaker who
can relate to everyone in the
audience, Zollers said.
In the afternoon an open forum is
slated.
Following a craft auction which
will feature antique milk bottles,
the Cow and National Heifer Sale is
scheduled for !• p.m. Saturday
evening.
Sunday, after a short church
service in the hotel, buses will
leave for tours of three Washington
County Guernsey farms Co-Hill
Farms, Elsview Farm and Twin
Brook Farm. At the last stop, John
Marchezak’s Twin Brook Farm,
the group will have a barbecue
lunch.
Zollers said the committee plans
to have a relaxing day on Sunday.
The evening will feature the youth
banquet and the crowning of the
new National Guernsey Queen.
Monday morning begins with the
annual business meeting. The
membership will receive the
results of the vote on by-law
changes and a name change from
the American Guernsey Cattle
Club to the American Guernsey
Association. Two area directors
and one director at-large will be
elected at the annual meeting. At
the noontime luncheon following
the annual meeting, awards will be
presented.
Youth Convention
A totally independent youth
convention is planned to coincide
with the regular national con
vention. “We want to try and get as
many youths as possible in
volved,” Zollers said. “We have a
good, strong youth •division in
Pennsylvania and we thought this
would be the place to start the
youth convention,” he added.
Friday afternoon the youth
convention begins with the dairy
bowl competition. The convention
chairman anticipates good
representation from across the
country.
Two suites of rooms have been
reserved for the youths. For $l5
per night, youths may bring their
sleeping bags and stay in these
suites.
Saturday morning Dennis Wolff
of Pen-Col Farms, Millville, will
tell the group about getting in
volved, the benefits and how to go
about it.
Total
In the afternoon the group will
travel to Kennywood, the roller
coaster capital of the world. A pool
and pizza party is planned for the
evening hours.
Sunday when the farm tours
conclude at Twin Brooks, the
youths will participate in Ag
Olympics. These Olympics will
their skills in such favorites as
hay throwing, tug-of-war, and,
Zollers noted, cow chip tossing is
also a possibility.
In the evening they will hold
their youth banquet. Here the
National Guernsey Queen will be
crowned.
Monday morning the group will
attend the youth annual business
meeting. Zollers said that one topic
to be considered will be forming a
national youth organization.
In addition to the event on
Sunday, the committees have
planned other relaxing items on
the agenda.
The Gateway Clipper sails
Friday night at 7. Convention
goers will have an night of dinner
and dancing on the Clipper as it
threads its way up the river next to
the Sheraton at Station Square.
Saturday evening a square
dance is planned for everyone.
Zollers explained the finance
commitee attempted to minimize
Convention Chairman William Zollers checks his notes on
the upcoming national Guernsey convention slated for Pitt
sburgh, May 22 to 25.
convention costs by selling
exhibitor space, having meal
sponsors, selling ads in the con
vention program, having youth
sponsors, contributions for
distribution of company literature,
and outright contributions.
Because of die response to these
items, Zollers noted, “We can have
a reasonably priced convention.”
Evolution of a Chairman
The convention program was the
original vehicle which drew Zollers
into planning for the convention in
January 1985. At the Farm Show
that year the first organizational
meeting for the 1987 convention
was held. He volunteered to chair
die displays and souvenir booklet
committee, Zollers explained.
From there he was invited to a
finance committee meeting. The
committee members decided to
have Zoller chair the committee
which would determine how to
raise funds for the convention. A
contributing factor to this decision
was the idea that the booklet would
be a prime money raiser.
This move lead to an invitation in
September 1985 to sit in on a
steering committee meeting with
Ruth Ann Johns and Janet Harding
Ruslavage. Johns and Ruslavage
had already selected Pittsburgh as
the site for the convention at this
point. “The next thing they told me
was ‘you be the chairman and we’ll
assist you.’”
He noted that last year he at
tended the national convention in
Illinois. “There’s where we put
most of the program together,”
Zoller recalled.
“Everyone was involved. There
were a lot of great ideas that came
out too late,” he noted. “I almost
wish we could have another con
vention to use some of these great
ideas,” Zoller commented en
thusiastically.
“Everyone pitched in. Without
them it wouldn’t have come
together. Nothing is going to stop
us now,” he said.
Guernsey breeders from across
the state have contributed to the
planning of the convention. The
committee chairmen for the event
are;
President Elected
Of Pequea Valley Local
LEOLA Luke Ray Zim
merman of Ephrata was elected
president of the Pequea Valley
Local of Eastern Milk Producers
Cooperative at the Local’s recent
annual meeting here at the Leola
Family Restaurant, Eastern
Director Daniel W. Fox of Ephrata
announced.
Other officers, ales-sleeted to
one-year terms, are: Leroy M.
Transportation and tours, John
Marchezak Sr.; dairy
bar/hospitality, David Lash;
registration, Jean Celestine;
program and meals, Janet Har
ding Ruslavage; mall promotion,
Albert and Marian Hack; and
youth program, Patty McMurray.
Also Queen contest, Millie Linde
Widmann; decorations, Eileen
Moore; cattle sale, William
Cannon; sale ring decorations,
Elsie Wolff; ladies program, Lee
Ann Marchezak; craft auction,
Louise Witmer; history, Vaughn
Moore; and publicity, Alisa Fava.
Zollers anticipates over 400
adults and 150 youths will attend
the four-day convention.
Anyone interested in more in
formation on or attending the 110th
national Guernsey convention
should contact Zollers at
Longsdale Drive, Mertztown, Pa.,
19539, 215-682-7880, or the state
association in Waynesboro at 717-
762-3301.
Registrations are needed by May
7.
The complete schedule is as
follows;
Friday May 21
8 00 a m Continental breakfast
Registration opens
Exhibits open
8 30 a m AGCC Board of Directors meets
1000 am Seminars and Ladies Program
Youth activities
11 30 a m Welcome luncheon with Queen skits
3 00 p m Seminars
Sale cattle on display in
garage
parkmg
5 00 p m President s reception
6 00pm Registration closes
6 30pm Gateway Clipper Cruise
Saturday May 23
7 30 a m Continental breakfast
Exhibits open
8 30 a m Seminars
9 30 a m Milk break
10 00 a m Seminars
11 30 a m Luncheon Pat Leimbach speaker
2 00pm Open Forum
4 30 p m Wine and cheese party
Dinner on your own
6 00pm Craft auction
700 p m National Heifer and Convention
Sales, Grand Ballroom
10 00 pm Square dancing
Sunday May 24
7 00am Continental breakfast
8 00am Church service
9 00 a m Farm tours
12 30 p m Barbecue lunch at Marchers
Junior AgOlymipics
3 30 p m Buses return to hotel
6 00 p m Reception
7 00 p m Youth banquet
Monday, May 2$
7 00 a m Continental breakfast
8 00am AGCC annual meeting
Noon Closing luncheon and awards
Stoltzfus of Gap, vice president;
Amos T. Stoltzfus, also of Gap.
secretary, and Samuel G. Smucker
of New Holland, treasurer.
The Local also elected a
delegate, Issac S. Huyard of New
Holland, and an alternate
delegate, Luke Ray Zimmerman,
to represent local farmers at
cooperative business meetings.