Valley Grange #1360 Supports the Community in New Ways

As part of York County's Valley Grange #1360's annual

Dues Paying Dinner Meeting on January 28, 2008
Past National Grange Master John Scott presented
his National Grange "Past Master" sash
to immediate Past National Master Bill Steel

Valley Grange #1360, York County, has shown its support for the local community over the years in many ways...bike safety derbies, donating an automated external defibrillator to a local fire company, opening its doors to Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and midget cheerleaders to name a few.

Now, on recommendation from their Deaf & Community Service Chairperson Tonya Traver, they have approved two new community service projects.

The first was the result of a letter from Linda Spahr of the York County Cooperative Extension office to Grange President Joyce Snyder. The letter stated in part:
"As you know, York County is still an agricultural County and each year we lose farmers and farm family members to accidents. Responders often say if they had known how to handle that particular situation they may have been able to make a difference.

In 2008 we plan to offer training to York County and surrounding Counties in the form of PAgricultural Rescue Courses being offered at the York County Fire School. The courses we are offering are the Introduction to Farm Emergencies, the Tractor Rollover module, the Farm Chemical Module, the Machinery Entrapment module and the Confined Space module that deals with Silo Fires, Grain Bins and Manure Storage Units.

I'm sure you know fire fighters and EMS personnel are required to take hundreds of hours of course work to do their jobs. Some of the courses are at the responder's expense but those courses that are well at tended offer the training for free or very inexpensively. The six modules we plan to offer will cost $75.00 per responder per course with the exception of the Introduction course which is $35.00 per student...

I would like to ask the Valley Grange to consider partnering with Penn State to financially support this training. We hope to have 30 responders take all six modules this year. The cost of training alone will be $12,300. We will also need to provide lunches for each course adding perhaps another $60.00 per responder for a total course cost of $14,100. I believe this training is necessary and if one farm family member is saved it is well worth the investment."

As a result of this request, Valley Grange #1360 members unanimously approved to donate $2,500.00 toward this important training at a recent meeting. This donation will pay for an entire course module for local emergency responders. Grangers agreed that "if one farm family member is saved it is well worth the investment."

The second new project was researched by Tonya after she heard that the local Red Land Little League teams were in need of sponsors. After checking out www.redlandlittleleague.com,  she presented information to the Grange on various sponsorship packages available.

After some discussion, the members voted to support the local Little League by paying for a "Spring/Fall Combo Team Sponsorship" which includes the Team Sponsor (the Grange name will be placed on the back of the team jerseys) for both the Spring and Fall seasons of 2008 as well as a billboard to be placed on the outfield fence and a full page ad in the Red Land Baseball Season Program.

Carl Meiss, Vice-President of Valley Grange #1360, designed various layouts for the billboard and the ad and presented these to the members at their February 11 meeting. The members were encouraged to cast their vote for their favorite design and the most popular one was then chosen.

So if you're in the Lewisberry, York County area this summer, stop by the Red Land Little League fields at the Newberry Elementary School just off the Rt. 83 Newberrytown exit and check out the Valley Grange's baseball team and billboard.