Thank YOU ! !

The D&CS Reports have arrived and are being judged. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making your Grange’s report. The volunteers who did the projects, the report compiler, the photographer and anyone else who worked on the report.

Overdue
Session is earlier this year so the reports were due earlier. If your Grange’s report didn’t make it before the deadline, please send in a report anyway. Your project ideas and efforts could be just what another Grange is looking for. Because Granges are big and small, struggling or thriving, we need all your ideas because one size project does not fit all.

When we display the reports, no one will know exactly when the Department got them except for whoever brings it and the Department person receiving it and we’re not telling.

Are We There Yet?
Well, it’s not quite time to ask if we have arrived at State Session but we sure hope you are making your final ‘To Do’ list and checking it twice.

Are you the designated driver for your Grange? Here’s what your members could be forwarding to you to drop off at the Deaf and Community Service Department area at Session:

• Your Grange’s D&CS donation check
• Bar codes from the Campbell’s products
• Soda pop tabs
• Community Service reports that weren’t completed by the earlier deadline this year - they still are worth noting and being displayed
• Canned and non-perishable foods (for our Annual Session Collection)
• Books, VHS tapes and DVDs for resale at Session

I know you’re thinking the car’s almost too full for the trip, but, think of the great ‘empty’ car ride home feeling!

Speaking of Session
Join us for the Sign-A-Song Exhibition. We look forward to having you there. Hey! Why not learn a song and show us what you can do? So many people at Session just enjoy watching the signing. I’ll give you a little encouraging hint - most folks won’t even know if you left out a sign or not. So think about it. Is this the year YOU join us on stage?

Make sure you bring your questions and suggestions when you visit us at Session. We never know if you like what we’re doing or not if you don’t tell us. That’s how important you are to our success.

And when you stop by, take a look and see if you are up-to-date with you favorite authors. The price is sure right for a new great read and you never know what you’ll find so bring a few dollars and splurge.

We Have Money
Where would you like to spend it? Check out your school, church, neighborhood and business communities and tell us where our annual appeal monies could do some good. The price tag might be big or small but bring us your suggestions. We’ll take it from there.

Save a Little Money
From the AARP magazine, here’s a helpful website for finding the generic equivalent of a brand-name medication: www.fda.gov/cder/ob or try www.drugstore.com then you type in the brand name and if there is a generic name it will appear, too.
That’s it from my desk.
Lois

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3rd Place Essay Contest
Jacob Gregory
Newport Elementary School
Sponsored by Perry Valley Grange #1804

"How Dogs Help the Blind"

History of the Guide Dog
After World War I, an American woman named Dorothy Eustis wrote about starting a guide dog program in the Saturday Evening Post. A blind man, Morris Frank, heard about this and asked Dorothy to train a dog for him. Mr. Frank started the first U.S. guide dog program and was the first person to use a guide dog.

Training of the Guide Dog
Guide dogs are all highly-skilled but a lot of people get guide dogs because they make great companions too. Dogs are bred to a blind person's needs by picking parent dogs with the traits that can help fill that need. Labradors, Golden Retreivers, and German Shepherds are the best suited for the job. There are 35 mental and physical traits that are considered before picking a dog for training.

When a puppy is 7-8 weeks old, it is sent to live with a puppy-raiser family for about 1.5 years. It is trained in basic commands and gets used to people. Then, the young dog goes to a trainer for 4 months where the dog learns to get used to a harness, to respond to basic verbal commands, and guiding skills. These skills include providing clearance for the blind person, navigating traffic, avoiding distractions, keeping safe distances from dangers, and being disobedient when a command could be dangerous for their people.

As you can see, these dogs are highly trained and skilled to help the blind. They are great companions and are invaluable to their owners. A guide dog can help the blind see when their eyes cannot.

 

 

3rd Place Poster Contest Winner
by
Cody Crockett
Greenwood Elementary School
Sponsored by Perry Valley Grange #1804