Holstein
(Continued from Page ASS)
lection and assembly.
“In over 37 years, about $35
million has been put back into the
Pennsylvania economy through
the sale of cattle,” said Johnson.
During brief farewell comments
to the business meeting assembly,
retiring PHA executive director
Nichol noted that he had worked
with 18 different state Holstein
presidents and had the opportunity
to do nuuiy interesting things. He
reminded memben of what he sees
as tremendous marketing oppor
tunities for cattle opening up in
countries that formerly relied on
European suppliers, due to linger
ing concerns around the world
over the disease BSE.
Nichol also noted that he hopes
to remain active in the dairy indus
try and plans ff> write a book about
his experiences with the registered
Holstein business.
“I sec an ever-changing dairy in
dustry and a need to develop new
programs as it downsizes,” pre
dicted Ken Raney in his interim
executive director report “We’re
asking for your input and your
ideas.”
He attributed the success of
PHA to the commitment and en
thusiasm of thousands of volun
teers over the years and to the work
of a dedicated staff that helped lead
the state organization to national
and international leadership.
Raney said he hopes to continue
thePHA’s involvement in both do
mestic and international sales of
Club Membership Goal Awards: L-R, Myron Bonzo,
Beaver/Lawrence Counties; Paul Hartie, Activities Commit
tee Chairman; Laszlo Moses, Mercer County.
•• A v
Progress /e Jtry Aw! mon: jny
Thomas Kelly and Ed Brake; Rear, Clarence Stauffer, Holstein Field , Ken Umb e,
Donald Selpt, John Howard, Warren Sutton, Lewis Berkley and Thomas Dum, Hols
tein Field Rep.
Annual Meeting Salutes Nichol, Promotes Raney
cattle, noting a current sale selec
tion and assembly of cattle for de
livery to Saudia Arabia. The new
executive director also shared his
hopes of revitalizing the Spring
Showcase and Eastcrnal National
sales, both offering opportunities
for PHA members to merchandise
from their breeding programs.
“By working together, our best
opportunities lay ahead,” Raney
predicted.
Two members of the executive
board were elected during meet
ings of two of PHA’s six member
ship regions. Creedin Comman.
Carlisle, was re-elected from the
Southcentral region. Doug Seipt,
Easton, was elected to represent
the Southeast region, replacing re
tiring member Dean Hartman,
Sinking Spring. Hartman also
served as convention chair for the
Reading annual meeting.
Resolutions supported at the an
nual meeting included one that re
flected Pennsylvania Holstein
members’ dissatisfaction with cur
rent beef prices. That resolution
called for a change in the beef
checkoff program, in which no
promotion funds would be de
ducted for any animal selling for
less than $lOO. That resolution is
to be forwarded to the National
Beef Board and, if rejected, a refer
endum on the national beef promo
tion checkoff program would be
called for.
Other resolutions unanimously
supported by the PHA assembly
included farm vehicle exemptions
for trailers and semi-trailers for
Awards; L-R, Jay Houser,
Centre County; Rick Allen,
Fayette County.
farm use, support for the Right to
Farm Act, keeping food safety is
sues under the jurisdiction of the
state Department of Agriculture,
tax-valuing farm residence land
the same as agriculture land when
under Clean and Green jurisdic
tion, and the appointment of a
committee be made to study ethics
issues as related to the dairy cattle
industry and reporting its findings
back to the PHA board and mem
bership.
PHA further supported a resolu
tion to support Obie Snider, Imler,
to be reappointed to the Penn State
Board of Trustees.
WINTER FORUM
In a departure from prior years,
a state Winter Forum session was
held during the Thursday after
noon session of the annual meet
ing. Winter Forums, conducted by
representatives of national Hol
stein, have traditionally been held
at several locations across the
state. Their purpose is to inform
and gather grassroots input from
the membership and delegates to
the national convention, on policy
proposals being offered for con
sideration by the national organi
zation at each annual meeting.
Leading the discussion at the
Winter Forum were national presi
dent and Pennsylvanian John
Cope, Grantham, Pennsylvania’s
national directors Ron Wood,
Mansfield, and John Howard, Wil
low Street, and national Holstein
OMaatr
PA Junior Holstein Calf Raffle Winner: L-R, Robert &
Doris Schaffer, Ellzabethville, PA. Ticket sold by Heidi Mill
er, Stephanie Anderson at the halter with State Dairy Prin
cess Angela Werley.
PA Holstein Past Presidents with Bill Nichol: Kneeling,
Samuel Minor, William Nichol and Obie Snider; Standing,
William Conyngham, Laszlo Moses, Lewis Berkley, Wayne
Harpster, John Cope, George Bridenbaugh, Elvin Hess, Jr.,
Jay Landis, Russell Jones and Donald Seipt.
Hall of Fame Winner: Seated, Jenny Lee Shue and
Robert Gltt; Standing, Steve Wood, Chris Wood, Mike Gitt,
Linda Gitt, Doug Gitt and Tina Gitt.
chief executive officer Steve Kerr.
Two key issues which generated
lengthy debate were a proposal to
raise registry fees and a proposal to
make changes to an open hard
book pf Holstein registry. The pro
posals will likely go to delegate de
bate and voting at the 1997 nation
al convention.
In outlining the proposal for a
registry fee increase, national pre
sident John Cope reviewed the
Holstein Association’s financial
history of the past several years.
During the 1980 s decade, Holstein
operated profitably five of the 10
years. No year in the 1990 s had
National Holstein finances oper
ated in the black, until 1996, when
a robust last quarter pushed
finances into slight profit margin
for the fiscal year. While the Asso
ciation is basically debt-free, the
annual income is not covering the
cost of operating the organization.
The registry fee increase pro
posal as presented would raise the
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