It’s Over
With mixed emotions, the D&CS Dept. has decided that there will be no Sign-A-Song contest at State Session this year.

The contest seems to have run it’s course. There haven’t been new contestants in a number of years and the costs involved with getting judges and an interpreter are on the rise. It just doesn’t make sense to continue.

What we will do is offer anyone (professional or novice) the chance to show their stuff the Sunday afternoon of Session and they will be given a small stipend to help cover the cost of gas.

Let us know if you are interested in signing a song.

The contest has been a great draw in years past. It’s just time to give it a rest for a bit.

The Deaf part of our Department will continue to donate funds and support working with the deaf and hard of hearing communities with their agendas. That part won’t change.

The Magic Number is 1000
That’s how many canned and non-perishable food items we want to collect at State Session this year.

Do you think we can do it? We’re counting on you to make it happen.

We even have a backup plan. If you would rather not put one more item in your car, just donate a few dollars and we’ll make a ‘food run’ to the local grocery store and stock up.
Do we have a deal?

What Else?
At Session we will also continue with our book, tape and video re-sale.

The profits are not huge but, every dollar counts so, keep us in mind as you Spring Clean and come across those books and tapes that someone else is looking for.
UPC codes from Campbells products and soda pop tabs can also be turned in at State Session.

Shoebox Continues
This is our Family Festival big event. Grangers have really taken this project to heart and our military service people have come to depend on the Grange’s support.

There will be an updated list from Dino (who runs the program) soon. He and I talked the other day and reviewed what the most needed and requested items are:

• Twin sheet sets, pillows (regular bed pillows or the square kind that the Junior Granges have made in the past);

• Individual powder drink mixes;

• Single-serving food items;

• Magazines - especially hunting, fishing and sports;

• Black ink pens (for writing reports - no blue ink pens);

• Energy bars, and;

• White socks...

just to give you a few ideas.

And add Silly String to your list. It’s used to spray over an area to check for trip wires when they have to clear an area.

Remember: no glass, no oatmeal, no chocolate.

What can you get your community to donate? Think what you would miss so far from home and send it along.

Here is a letter that the PA State Grange recently received:

Dear PA State Grange,

Hello there. My name is SSG Colleen Distel and I lead a squad of soldiers here at FOB Warhorse in Baquobah, Iraq. I am originally from N.Y. but I have been living in LockHaven, PA the last two years. So, Dino Campanis has graciously added my squad to Operation Shoebox. He also told me that your organization is one of his best supporters. I have to tell you how much that you all do for the soldiers over here. We pickup mail every Tuesday and Thursday. These are some of the best days here. Every time we open packages from Dino, it feels like we are little children at Christmas.

As I close please know that your efforts are not unnoticed. I really Richard Lyter #2048 appreciate the support that everyone back home is providing.
Thank you from all of us at FOB Warhorse.

SSG Colleen Distel

Dino also sent a letter along with SSG Distel's asking us to include a blog in The Advocate from PFC Amos Matsick. His writings are very informative and project images that are unlike those one would see on CNN or Fox Networks. His blog is: http://amosiniraq.blogspot.com
You are welcome to post comments on Amos' blog.

Family Festival
We’ll have another Chinese Auction at Festival. Come see what tempts you and we might be calling you as a winner.

Please Share
What web sites have you been to that provide resources, assistance or information that is worth sharing? Send them along and we can publish them in a future column.

That’s it from my desk.

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A Home Away From Home
As many of you know, Brother Jim Steele has been out in Colorado at the Center for the Blind receiving training and skills beyond just learning how to use a white cane to travel.

I put him on a plane the end of May. That seems such a long time ago. We weren’t sure how long he would be staying.

He was provided an apartment, a ‘buddy’ to mentor his first few days and sleep shades to wear everyday during class 8 am to 4:30 pm. Since Jim still has 5% vision in his right eye he was required to use the shades so he’d learn without depending on the little sight he still had.

After one month of evaluation, his training team put their heads together and developed a plan that most suited his needs. Every student goes through the same classes but the level and type of training depends on the students’ current skills and abilities.

I traveled out to Littleton, CO over the Thanksgiving holiday and he was home for two weeks at Christmas.

Following his class schedule was interesting. We started off in Braille class and there were no lights on in the room. No wonder, I was the only sighted person, nobody else needed lights. They let him play with power tools in shop and cook his heart out in the kitchen. He’s learned computer skills with a program called ‘Jaws’ that talks and you don’t use a monitor.

I wondered how much he would miss home. What would make it feel like home all the way in Colorado?

We contacted the CO State Grange and they put him in touch with Grandview Grange #151. The members were as excited to have him join them as he was to continue to be a member of a Grange.

Grandview meets the 3rd Saturday of the month and when the meeting is over they all go out to lunch together (paying for your own meal).

There was a surprise in store for Jim from the members of Grandwiew and a surprise for Grandview as well.

The members decided to make a donation to the CO Center for the Blind in Jim’s honor. They held an Open House and invited the community, CO State Grangers, and some of the local politicians. The Director of the Center, Julie Deeden, attended with Jim and accepted a check for $200.

In the meantime, Jim called back home and asked Kennett Grange #19, his local Grange, if they wanted to follow Grandview’s example of community service and make a donation, too. Kennett sent a check for $100 to present at the Open House.

When Jim’s Pomona Grange heard the story they decided that Grandview was on to something good.

When I flew to CO in November I had a check for $500 for the Center. I also got to attend one of Grandview’s Saturday meetings.

It just goes to show you that the Grange is the Grange no matter where you live, even if it is only for 10 months.

That one small gesture to welcome someone far from home inspired a warm friendship across the many miles.

Jim was even invited to attend CO State Session by the State Master. School scheduling created a conflict or he would have been there.

I head back to CO to bring Jim home the end of March. He will have passed all the challenges the Center gave to him and at his graduation dinner he will receive his “Bell of Freedom”.

He has been white water rafting, skiing, attended the National Federation of the Blind annual convention, been one of a hand full of students sent to Washington, DC for legislative training, threaded a needle and been ‘dropped off’ in Denver (an hour from Littleton) and had to find his way back, cooked and hosted a dinner party for over 45 people (including Brailling invitations, let’s be proper here). All done in sleep shade darkness.

He’s learned that a person without sight is capable of doing lots and lots of things when your mind has the vision to believe you can do it.

I’m pretty sure one of these things he will miss the most though is the community of Grangers that so readily accepted him and made him feel so welcome in his home away from home.