812-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 23, 2002
Betsy Huber Is First Woman To Head Pa. State Grange
DEANN CARDARELLA
Grange Specialist
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) Betsy Huber of Lincoln
University has been elected presi
dent of the Pennsylvania State
Grange. Huber, a member of Go
shen Grange # 121 in Chester
County, is the first woman to
serve in the top position in the
130-year history of the state or
ganization.
Huber was elected during the
130th State Session of the Penn
sylvania State Grange that met in
Washington in October.
Huber has been a longtime
standing member of the Pennsyl
vania State Grange with approxi
mately 40 years of membership.
As a young child, home was a
dairy farm in Westtown, Chester
County. Huber’s father, Ed Zug
Jr., served as master for Goshen
Grange # 121 following her birth.
Her grandfather, Chester Sup
plee, was treasurer of Goshen
Grange and Chester County Po
mona Grange for many years.
“We had an active Junior
Grange,” Huber said. “I am
thankful for the experience and
training I received there.
“As a child, we always attend
ed the Grange as a family. Then
when my children were bom, the
tradition continued. We always
had them with us at meetings.
Growing up in the Grange and
then as a mother myself, I have
always appreciated the opportu
nity for family togetherness in an
organization that truly works for
Anything Goes (In Fashion) At York County
Society Of Farm Women Convention
MICHELLE KUNJAPPU
Lancaster Fanning Staff
YORK (York Co.) Approxi
mately 180 ladies, many of them
decked out in colorful hats for
the occasion, participated in the
63rd annual convention of the
York County Society of Farm
Women recently at the York
Expo Center.
The theme, “Anything Goes, —
In Fashion,” reflected guest
speaker Kelly Miller McKeown’s
life’s work as a fashion designer.
McKeown, York, who has de
signed Olympic outfits for several
countries, brought samples and
pictures of her designs to show
the audience.
The day also included a busi
ness session, with reports from
county officers, and a program
with not only McKeown but also
Eighty-year-old Farm Women Society members recognised at the convention in
cluded, from left, Ermil Neiman, Maomi Bupp, Martha Cunningham, Josephine Martin,
Athena Beshore, and Mary Lantz.
Betsy Huber
the betterment of our community
on a local, state and national
level.”
Upon accepting the top state
position, Huber resigned as legis
lative aide to Representative Art
Hershey, a position she held for
10 years. While serving the 13th
District, Huber was involved with
many of the legislative activities
of Rep. Hershey including the
House of Representatives’ Agri
cultural Committee and Environ
mental Resource Committee.
“Legislatively, the Pennsylva
nia State Grange represents its
members as well as the rural
community on the state level,”
state dairy princess Raechel Kil
gore, Airville, and a poem read
by Lois Manifold.
Keith Weire, son of a Farm
Women Society member, was the
soloist for the afternoon.
Weire was followed by Thomas
Gibbs, Shiloh, a historian who
shared several humorous and
sentimental stories about the con
tribution of women many of
them farm women during the
Civil War. Women replaced men
in the teaching and nursing pro
fession during the war, a change
that has remained in place today,
he said.
Recipients of the food gather
ing effort was the York County
“Food Bank and the Food Pantry
Clearing House.
The ways and means commit
tee gave a check to Access York,
an organization dedicated to
Huber said. “Throughout my ca
reer with Rep. Hershey, I was
grateful to have that Harrisburg
connection on a day-to-day basis.
My professional experience has
helped prepare me to take the
reigns for our organization.”
Throughout her years at the
Grange, Huber has served in
many capacities. Early on, the
Hubers were the Grange Young
Couple. She is secretary of Go
shen Grange and a member of
the executive committee of her
Pomona Grange. In 1978, she
was elected the first female mas
ter of Goshen Grange and was
Pomona Master from 1994-96.
Prior to State Master, Huber
was State Overseer for six years.
Previously, she served six years
as State Pomona. From
1989-1992, she worked in the
Harrisburg state office as office
manager for past master William
Ringler.
On a national level, she was
secretary to Mary Buffington
when she was National Grange
Director of Women’s Activities.
Other accomplishments out-
side the Grange include being
' - elected the first female supervisor
of Upper Oxford Township in
1992. She will complete her sec*
ond term in 2003. She is treasurer
of the Chester County Associa
tion of Township Officials and
was recently appointed to the
Resolutions-Legislative Commit
tee of the State Association
(PSATS).
Living in the rural end of
eliminating domestic violence,
and to the York County, 4-ll
Center. The 4-H Center is plan
ning to put the money towards
the construction of a building on
York Expo grounds where live
stock, dairy, and horse clinics
could be conducted.
The day also included a cell
phone visit from state president
Catherine Schott, Lebanon, who
was unable to attend the meeting.
The upcoming state conven
tion will be conducted January
13 at the Radisson Camp Hill.
Cost is $22 and registration be
gins at 9:30 a.m. Call Treva Stiles
at (717)235-1132 for more in
formation.
Group 12 won first place
award for attendance, followed
by Groups 15, 18, 31, and 34 in
second place and Group 21 in
third place.
Chester County with over 4,500
acres in the township Ag Security
Area, Huber was able to work to
change a zoning ordinance to
help preserve fertile farmland.
Huber also served on the Chester
County Water Resources Task
Force where she helped to devel
op the water resources compo
nent of the county comprehensive
plan approved in September
2002.
“I am very proud to represent
the members of the Pennsylvania
State Grange as the State Mas
ter,” said Huber. “But as I take
on my new capacity of service to
the Pennsylvania State Grange, I
must first acknowledge my grati
tude to William A. Steel, my
predecessor,” Huber said. “In his
six years of leadership and com
mitment to our organization, be
has made some wonderful
changes and introduced us to
new ideas including a presence
on the World Wide Web. He
wasn’t afraid to try new things
and make changes. Our organiza
tion is very grateful to the com
mitment he showed during his
six-year reign.”
Quality legislative representa
tion for Grange members and
rural Pennsylvania has always
been priority for fire organization.
In addition, Huber said she
would like to improve commu
nications between the State
Grange and local units. Member
ship is another priority.
“Of course I would like to in
crease membership especially
100-year-old Edna Baughman, Dover, Group 4, a long
time Farm Women Society member, waa honored at the
convention by Treva Stiles. She celebrated her 100th
birthday the end of September.
York County officers include, from left, Hester Hem
minger, Glen Rock, treasurer; Treva Stiles, Glen Rock,
president; Ellen Hampton, Dillsburg, second vice presi
dent; Doris Keeney, secretary, York; and Ha Strong, Mt.
Wolf, first vice president.
among the young-married-age
group and work to publicize our
activities more on a local and
state level,” she said. “The
Grange is a wonderful organiza
tion open to all ages. Whether it
is legislative interests, family fun
or community service, the
Grange has something for every
one. We need to continue to get
the word out so rural and urban
communities are open to join the
ranks of our membership.”
As the first woman to serve in
the top state leadership role for
the Pennsylvania State Grange,
Huber doesn’t necessarily feel she
has entered a new frontier.
“Since the 1800 s, v'omen have
always been well accepted in our
organization. To the best of my
knowledge, I was file first woman
to run in Pennsylvania. In fact,
many other states have women as
masters. Becoming the first
woman isn’t an issue for me;
however, doing my best for the
organization is what counts.”
Huber and her husband Henry
have been married for 36 years.
They are the parents of three
children: Ellen Marie, wife of
SSG David Wadsworth stationed
in Baumholder, Germany; Peter,
husband of Kim living in Mor
gantown, Berks County; and An
drew, husband of Jody, living in
West Chester. The Hubers have
seven grandchildren.
In addition to Grange-related
activities, Huber and her hus
band are very active at Avondale
Presbyterian Churchy where
Huber is a member of the choir.