BfrLanctster firming, Saturday, September 14,1996
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Fanning Staff
CLARION (Clarion Co.)
Over-the-hill birthday parties are
in vogue for people who turn 40.
But it will not be a time to mourn
the passing of better years when
the Pennsylvania Dairy Princess
and Promotion Services, Inc. cele
brates its 40th anniversary on Sept.
21.
Instead, the upcoming celebra
tion, slated for die Sheraton Inn-
East in Harrisburg, will show how
much the program has changed for
the better and how much it has
accomplished since its inception.
•From its small beginnings in
1956 when the Miss Milk Maid
contest was initiated by the Pen
nsylvania Association of Milk
Dealers until the present with 31
county dairy princesses, the pur
pose of the program is to sell more
milk products.
This grass-roots organization
concentrates on the personal touch
by using county dairy princesses,
alternates, ambassadors, and dairy
darlings to hand out samples,
recipes, and information to indivi
duals at fairs and special events.
According to Jan Harding,
director of PPDPS, these dairy
spokespeople contacted 953,418
people last year. It’s no easy feat
for Harding to keep track of so
many spokespeople for the indus
try, but keeping detailed records is
a must for each person involved in
the program.
After the individual numbers
were tallied, the totals for the past
year showed that 1,369 school pre
sentations had been held, 533
promotional newspaper articles
had been written and published,
652 television and radio appear
ances made, 709 store and mall
promotions held, 372 non-farm
presentations made, 247 farm
meetings attended, and 498 special
events held.
At the milk punch reception and
banquet on Sept. 21, all the former
state dairy princesses are invited to
participate. The former royalty,
starting with Susan Coskery Tay
lor, who reigned as the state milk
maid in 1956, to the current Pa.
Dairy Princess Rhonda Joy Kiek
lak, will wear their banners and
crowns and introduce themselves
and tell what they are now doing.
During its earliest years, from
one to 14 counties were covered by
each milk maid who then com
peted for the state title, followed
by competition for the national
crown. The national competition
was discontinued in 1972.
Because of changes in sponsor
ship of the program, no contest
was held in 1967. But the follow
ing year, the Pennsylvania Hols
tein Association assumed sponsor
ship and each county was encour
aged to have a dairy princess, who
later competed for the state title at
the pageant held in Harrisburg.
To increase promotional activi
ties at the county level, district
coordinators were appointed in
1975. Three years later, incentive
awards were initiated to encourage
county dairy princesses to partici
pate in a wider variety of promo
tional activities. The incentive
program offers monetary awards
to those who successfully com
plete a required number of
activities.
Homestead
Notes
Join PDPPS For
Sponsorship changed again in
1979. For five years, Atlantic
Dairy Association served as coor
dinator of the princess program by
working with six district coordina
tors and the county promotional
committees. To provide a more
uniform program, the district coor
dinators established the present
PPDPS, and hired Jan Harding as
program director.
Harding continues in this capac
ity. This year, Arlene Wilbur of
Bradford County was named assis
tant program director.
The dairy princess program is
supported and funded by Pennsyl
vania dairy farmers through die
American Dairy Association and
Dairy Council, Inc., Middle Atlan
tic Milk Marketing Association,
American Dairy Association &
Dairy Council, Mid East/
Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion
Program, Allied Milk Producers,
and independent contributors.
“Much more is expected of the
girls than in the program’s earlier
years,” said Charlene Rohrer
Ranck, PDPPS secretary.
Ranck, herself, was a state dairy
princess in 1981. For her and many
other dairy princesses, dairy prom
otion does not cease when the
crown is relinquished.
Since then, Ranck has tirelessly
promoted milk with the Chester
County committee and, in addition
to being secretary of the PPDPS
board, is the southeast district
coordinator.
She said, “Over the past years,
the dairy princess program has
gained strength, and solidly stands
as the only dairy promotion orga
nization that covers the entire
state. By giving support and direc
tion to the county committees, the
effects of a grass roots promotion
is well established.”
Although the 40th anniversary
will celebrate the past, the high
light of the occasion will be the
pageant, where 31 county dairy
princesses will compete for the
state title.
Those who attend the pageant
will see all county dairy princesses
on stage. From these, seven will be
named as finalists after being
selected from two days of rigorous
judging from individual inter
views, presentations, speeches,
scrapbooks, and informal meet
ings. The top two speeches and
presentations will be given before
the banquet audience. In addition,
each of the finalists will be
required to answer an impromptu
question.
In addition to the coronation of a
state dairy princess, two state alter
nates will be selected and the Miss
Congeniality Award given.
To support the dairy princess
program, Winross trucks with the
PDPPS logo will be available for
purchase at the banquet
Tickets are $2O for the milk
punch and cheese reception that
begins at 5:30 p.m. followed by
dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the
pageant
Reservations should be made by
Sept. 18, by sending a check or
money order to Pa. Dairy Princess
& Promotion Services, Inc. 214 S.
St, Box 640, Clarion, PA 16214.
Tickets will be held for pick up
at the banquet.
Any questions? Call Jan Hard
ing at (814) 226-7470.
r .»
40-Year Anniversa r » Bash
jrmer. , p». jesses attei -ig . anniversary, from left, are Debra Miller
Brubaker, 1974; Diane Gillespie Wallen, 1962; Ann Nlesley Black, 1968; Rose Winkel
bauer Hoffman, 1972; Rosa Lee Morse Smith, 1964; Peggy Staub Morehart, 1976; Lin
da Forba Lucy, 1965; Carol Virtue Braund, 1958; Marilyn Krantz Sejas, 1970; Beverly
Robinson Minor, 1959; Marcia Gnagey, 1973; and Charlene Maust Courtney, 1975.
At the 25th anniversary held in 1981, these former state dairy princesses attended.
Front row from left, Lisa Miller Hamilton, 1978; Eileen Shull Mitchell, 1979; Charlene
Rohrer Ranch, 1981; Cindy Neely Weimer, 1980; and Sandy Miller Fryer, 1977. Back
row from left, Rosa Lee Morse Smith, 1964; Peggy Staub Morehart, 1976; Marcia Gna
-1973; Bev Robison Minor, 1959; Carol Virtue Braund, 1958; and Debra Miller Bru
During the 35th anniversary held in 1991, these former state dairy princesses
attended. Back row from left, Charlene Rohrer Ranck, 1981; Sandy Miller Fryer, 1977;
Kimberly Bonzo Mayhue, 1988; Tamara Cree Christopher, 1983; Robin Wilbur Huizin
ga, 1991; Rosa Lee Morse Smith, 1964; Susan Coskery Taylor, 1956; Pamela Klndlg,
1986; and Beth Heald Moore, 1985. Front Row from left, Carol Virtue Braund, 1958; Bev
Robinson Minor, 1959; Charlene Maust Courtney, 1975; Kristin Metzker Russell, 1990;
Rebecca Sonnen Bube, 1987; and Lynette Loper Pletkiewicz.
%%