State Lecturer
Sharon Kimmel
State Lecturer
1036 Lindenhurst Road
Yardley, PA 19067
(215) 968-3348
(215) 860-6162
cell: (215) 801-6843
Click HERE for a printable registration form for the upcoming Mid-Atlantic Lecturers' ConferenceGreetings from Yardley, PA!
Well, does everyone know what time it is? As “Tim the tool-man Taylor” would say: “it’s tool time!” (OK you avid television viewers of “old shows,” does anyone know what TV show this opening line comes from?) I know many people will be thinking that it is “spring time!” Well it will be by the time everyone reads this article. It is time to put our winter tools away. Goodbye snow plow and blower, shovel, ice melt material, hat, heavy coat, scarf and ear muffs. (Does anyone wear them anymore?) With warmer weather fast approaching we can “dig out” our summer tools and begin preparing the soil for our crops, garden vegetables and flowers. Of course we can’t forget that this time of year means that we will begin our weekly vigil of mowing the lawn (“ouch” another reason not to be fond of the rising gas prices!) Those of us with herd animals must spend a good bit of time topping the pastures that were over-seeded in February (or should have been) and complete the fence repairs so that the animals are safe in a secured enclosure before turning them out to graze. (It sure is not much fun chasing animals down the street should they escape through a broken fence.) Remember to introduce your animals slowly to the lush grass to prevent sickness or crippling diseases. This time of year sure keeps an equine veterinarian busy with “colicky” and foundered horses or those suffering with laminitis all of which in many cases can be time consuming and quite costly to treat, or be fatal. Unfortunately many new horse owners are not aware of the problems that can be caused by lush grass and must learn the hard way at the animals’ expense. Other animals are affected as well so I beg owners to be responsible and familiarize yourselves with your animal species and what is harmful to them.
Worthy Lecturers (and anyone else who wishes to attend), the 2008 Mid Atlantic Lecturers’ Conference (MALC) will be hosted by Virginia and Tennessee. This event will be held May 16th, 17th and 18th at the Holiday Inn, 1017 Millwood Pike, Winchester, VA 22602. The phone number of the hotel is 540-667-3300. If you have any questions or wish to send in a reservation please direct them to Sandra Walker (804) 748-9554. She is the VA State Lecturer and the “lady in charge.” Her address is 12500 Nash Rd., Chesterfield, VA 23838 and her email address is beachyfeet26@comcast.net Please come join us for the interesting programs, discussions and crafts and be prepared to enjoy the fun, food and fellowship. Please complete and send in the reservation form found on this page. The theme this year is “Mardi Gras” so come join the lecturers, program directors and all Grangers and be prepared to “swing in style!” (If you are familiar with the energy that both Sandra Walker and Judy Sherrod (our National Grange Lecturer from Tennessee) have, then you know that you will have a “wild time.”
My committee and I would also like to make changes and improve the 2009 Guide to Contests and Programs. Please notify me or my committee members of any ideas you may have or what you would like to see changed, added or deleted. If you have something to offer us please do so before July 10th, 2008.
Don’t forget to attend the fun- filled Grange Family Festival at the beautiful Centre County Grange Fairgrounds in Centre Hall, PA (near State College.) Mark your calendars for Thursday July 17th to Sunday July 20th and come join the fun! The theme for this year's Festival is "The Civil War" complete with re-enactors that will be camping with us the entire weekend in full costume and ready to answer questions and give us "a taste" of what it was like to live during that era. So, come one, come all and join us at “The Battle of Centre Hall.” Which will you portray the “Blue or the Gray?” I am sure that Patrick Swayze (from the Mini Series many years ago “North and South)” will not be attending this event but none the less we will have a fun time. Trivia: do you know that it took our fighting men 2 ½ minutes to load their muskets?
To attend this “Civil War family get-together” simply complete the reservation form found on page 10 in this Advocate and mail to Faye Heckman. Please help Faye by completing one form per person.
Don’t forget to pack your costumes and materials to decorate your camper, trailer or tent. We will continue to hold our contests: Best Civil War Costume, Best Civil War Decorated Camper/Trailer and Best Civil War Decorated Tent. These contests will be judged Friday evening after the Campfire dinner and the winners will be announced during the Bingo Game.
For additional information and the schedule of events, programs and discussions etc., please refer to page 11 in this Advocate. Don’t forget that hotel rooms are available for those that do not relish the idea of living in a tent or do not have a motor home or camping trailer.
Please come join us and have fun with your Grange family! We will look forward to seeing you!
Fraternally
Sharon
PS: Thank you Kathryn Fleeger from Kane, PA for your wonderful note concerning my article on “Shingles.” I am so glad that you found my article to be so informative. I would like to thank you for sending me additional information that I should have included in my article. Sister Fleeger, who is the Secretary/Treasurer of Mountain Grange #1307 in McKean County, wrote me and reminded me that there is a Shingles Vaccine now available. It will not keep a person from getting Shingles but may lower the severity of the disease. She adds that she received her shot in January and had no side effects of any kind. For more information on this please call (800) 232-4634 (800-CDC-INFO) or use the CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov/nip Thank you again Kathryn for this valuable information!Remind members to start practicing for the talent contest eliminations in your district on September 20, 2008.
Contest locations will be announced as soon as they have been finalized. Remind all competitors that the eliminations may not be within their own region and they may need to travel into the next region to compete.
District 1-Region A & E, District 2-Region B & F, District 3-Region C & G, District 4-Region D & H.