(Continued from Pago At)
bers from around Pennsylvania
will gather at the Scottish Rite
Cathedra] in Reading for the state
convention where new policies are
discussed and voted on by dele
gates. The session is being hosted
by the 12 Granges in Berks
County.
‘The Grange is a grass-roots
organization which gets its poli
cies from the local Granges in the
form of resolutions,” said Pennsyl
vania State Grange Master (presi
dent) Bill Steel
“Over the years the Grange has
successfully lobbied for such
issues as rural mail delivery, estab
lishment of rural electric coopera
tives and fairer prices for farmers.
All these policies started at a local
Grange and were then passed to the
state level.”
A special celebration is being
held between 1-3 p.m. Saturday
(Oct. 2S) to mark the 125th con
vention. An Olympic-style torch
that has been moving from county
to county the past year will kickoff
the anniversary celebration, which
includes a program to showcase
the many accomplishments of the
Pennsylvania State Grange. The
public is invited to attend this free
event at the Scottish Rite
Cathedral.
Another highlight of the five
day convention will be the State of
Agriculture Address from Secret
ary of Agriculture Samuel Hayes
Jr., set for Monday afternoon, as
well as the presentation of the vari
ous departmental awards on Tues
day evening.
Awards to be presented Tuesday
evening at the All-Granger ban
quet include: the State Master’s
Award for Excellence in Com
munity Service and Membership
Growth; Community Service
awards to the outstanding Subordi
nate (local) and Pomona (county)
Granges, Past Officer awards and
the Granger of the Year award, the
highest honor bestowed upon an
Pa. State Grange
individual for service to the
organization.
Youth members, ages 15-35,
will take center stage Sunday as
they compete in the Public Speak
ing, Sing-A-Song and Knowledge
Bowl competitions beginning at
2:30 p.m. at the Inn at Reading.
‘The competition in these
events is tough and the talent is
outstanding as Youth members
battle for state-wide honors and the
right to perform against their peers
from around the country at the
National Grange convention,”
Steel said. “These youths demons
trate skills and abilities that they
Grangers Demonstrate
Love With Their Hands
HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.)
- For the 21st consecutive year the
Women’s Activities Department
of the Pennsylvania State Grange
is sponsoring its stuffed toys con
test But this just isn’t any contest.
In fact, the stuffed toy contest'
has evolved into something more
than just another competition. It
isn’t about winning awards or
accolades from your peers. Or
even being the best
No, the only winners .in this
“Labor of Love” are the children
who receive these toys. When
nearly 1,000 Grangers from
around the state descend upon
Berks County fra- the 125th annual
Pa. State Grange convention,
they’ll bring with them nearly
9,000 toys to be judged and then
distributed to Ronald McDonald
Houses, ambulance services,
children hospitals and other needy
charities.
Most of the toys will be distri
buted to services located in the
region of the host county. The
stuffed toys program is sponsored
by Fairfield Processing.
“These Grangers are more
have learned as Grange members.
Many are leaders within their own
Granges and will one day be the
leaders of our nation.**
The Pennsylvania State Grange
is a 125-year-old family fraternity
representing 30,000 rural Pennsyl
vanians. The organizations offers
its members benefits such as insur
ance, a credit union, lobbying
efforts, community service, and
social activities. The Grange is
making Pennsylvania a better
place to live through its legislative
endeavors, community service
work and providing member
services.
interested in toys for loving than
toys for judging,” Becky Michal
ka, women’s activities director of
the State Grange, said. “There
were 8,723 toys made last year,
and, according to the repeats I’ve
been receiving, there will be many
submitted this year.”
The toys, however, won’t be the
only labor of love on display at the
Scottish Rite Cathedral in Read
ing. .Over 1,000 baby quilts for
HIV-positive and crack-addicted
babies will be stacked to the
ceiling.
“The ABC Quilts for AIDS
babies is designed to make their
lives a little more comfortable,”
Michalka said, “because many of
these babies won’t live to see their
second birthday.”
In addition to the toys and
quilts. Grangers make clothing
items for nursing homes, prepare
food that is donated to food banks,
cut soup labels for charitable
groups and develop kits contain
ing personal care produdets that
are distributed to abused women
shelters, to name a few.
(Turn to Pag* A 22)
Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, October 18, 1997-Al9
Pa. State Grange
125th Convention Schedule
Oct. 25-29, Reading, Pa.
Location Key: Scottish Rite Cathedral=SßC; Inn at Reading = lAR
OCT. 25
10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Exhibitors arrive and setup; for
Lecturer, Youth, Junior, Women’s
''Activities, and Deaf activity
groups SRC.
1 p.m.
Arrival of Torch (Finishes year
of passing torch between the
state’s subordinate
Granges.) SRC.
A celebration of history
pageant SRC.
3:30 p.m.-S pan.
More exhibits to arrive and
setup SRC.
7 pan.
Talent Festival SRC.
9:30 p.m.
Welcome Reception SRC
(lower level).
OCT. 26
9 a.m.
A time of worship, memorial
service SRC.
10:30 a.m.
Junior Grange Degree
Conferral lAR.
12 p.m.
Junior Luncheon lAR.
1 p.m.
Judging of exhibits.
2:30 p.m.
Sign-A-Song and public speak
ing contests lAR.
6 p.m.
Special session of the Pa. State
Grange.
Youth Corps Drill
Demonstration.
Adress by National Master.
Conferral of the Sixth
Degree SRC.
Weaver Elected Angus
OCT. 27
9 a.m.
Official opening of the 125th
Annual Session SRC.
10 a.m.
Convention Address by State
Master William A. Steel SRC.
12 p.m.
Youth/GROW Club
luncheon lAR.
4:30 p.m.
Closing of first day’s session,
youth officers SRC.
7:30 p.m.
Departmental Recognition
Night SRC.
OCT. 28
7 a.m.
Women’s Activities
breakfast lAR.
11:45 a.m.
Election of officers SRC.
6 p.m.
All Granger Banquet at the Lees
port Fanners Market, including
Granger of the Year Award pre
sentation and Community Service
Recognition.
OCT. 29
7 a.m.
Master’s Breakfast lAR.
9 a.m.
Opening of the third day’s
session SRC.
10 a.m.
Exhibitors released.
Installation of officers
11:30 a.m.
Session Closes.
Delegate
NEW HOLLAND
(Lancaster Co.) Bar
bara J. Weaver, New
Holland, has been
elected as a delegate to
the 114th annual meet
ing of the American
Angus Association,
Nov. 17 in Louisville,
Ky., reported Richard
Spader, executive vice
president of the Ameri
can Angus Association.
Weaver, a member of
the American Angus
Association with head
quarters in SL Joseph,
Mo., is one of 315
Angus breeders who
have been elected by
fellow members in their
state to serve as a statfc
representative at the
annual meeting. Repre
senting 45 states and
Canada, the delegates
will participate in the
business meeting and
elect a new president,
vice president and five
directors to the Ameri
can Angus Association
board.
The annual meeting
is held in conjunction
with the annual conven
tion and banquet, and
the Roll of Victory
Angus show, Nov.
16-18, during the North
American International
Livestock Exposition.