Family Activities

Ginny Mangel
Director
111 Little Stone Ln.
Butler, PA 16002
(724) 285-3324
rvlm1968@zoominternet.net

Greetings from Ginny to all of PA. Hope that you have had time to get ready for Thanksgiving and begin preparations for Christmas. This kind of sounds like I am rushing the season, but it will be here before you know it. Then come the big bad winds and snows of winter. This is the off season for most of us. However, it is time to get out all of your patterns, yarn, thread, recipes, and whatever you have in mind to enter the 2008 contests. This is the time to do it, then as the grass begins to green up again, you can say that you are all done and ready to move on into the summer.
Last Grange year was a busy, yet fun-filled year. That year concluded with the success of another State Session. As you read along through this article, you will see the results of a busy year for many. You will read of the winners in our contests on the state level.

Of all the entries, 257 in all, 3 articles were selected from the FA Dept. and one from the Lecturer's Dept. These articles were on display at the annual National Convention in Nevada. The articles were: a pieced quilt from Ruth Wallis in Lycoming County, a crocheted doilie from Gloria Hahn in Lawrence County and a wooden shelf/towel holder from Donald Kauffman in Berks County. I thank each of your for allowing us to send these articles so the rest of the states can see the quality of workmanship we have in our contests. They will be returned to me after the National Session and then I will make sure they get to you. Please be patient since I do not know when they will be returned.

One special award that we give out at the State Session is our People’s Choice Award. This award is voted on by those who stroll through the displays and take a minute to select their favorite. This year that award went to Helen Sweeley for her beautiful counted cross stitch angel picture. Congratulations Helen.

At State Session this year as always, we give out Subordinate and Pomona Family Activities Directors of the Year. This year the award for Subordinate Director went to Joanne Heim from Lehigh County. The Pomona Director of the year was Ruth Marshall from Lawrence County. These awards were for their FA Annual Reports. After reading through all of the reports I received, I found that many of the reports had some great ideas for use as fund raisers for the Family Activities and for the community.

Here are just a few of those ideas. Perhaps you can take them and use them in your Grange, Subordinate or Pomona. Over the past years many of you have used ideas that others have tried and they have proven to be successful for you.

• Sponsor 4-H awards and dinners

• Hold community yard sales, craft shows, barn dances, flea markets

• Assist seniors with transportation where needed (contact local Agency on Aging to help)

• Let local organizations use your halls for meetings, blood drives, or fund raisers.

• Serve refreshments while others use the hall and serve luncheon or refreshments which can be donated to local groups. (Works out great for local auctioneers to serve refreshments and luncheons for local auctions.)

• Contact local radio stations and speak on what your Grange has planned for its community awareness project.

• Hold a Community Thanksgiving Dinner

• Hold dinners and fun activities where you can invite the community in.

• Make ABC quilts for the local Children's Hospitals. This is always a need.

A great idea for a community awareness project has come to our attention. This is a very worthwhile project that we hope many of you will pick up and try. It is a Breast Cancer Treatment Shirt. At some point in our lives, we have been touched by the life of a woman whose life has been interrupted by breast cancer. This idea came to us from Elaine Nilon in Beaver County. She is working to get the pattern for us so we can get it into your hands in hopes that you will make these. It is a short version of that airy hospital gown but made to fit women who face the horrible treatment of breast cancer. One of the hospitals in Pittsburgh is asking for help in getting these made for patients. It gives the patient a little more dignity and comfort while they are receiving their treatment. I am sure that there are other treatment centers in your area that could or would use the same shirt. As soon as I get the pattern, a notice will be posted on the Grange Family Activities web site. Please send me a self addressed stamped envelope and I will gladly send you the pattern.

2008 Contests: A few changes have taken place and 2 new contests have been added. If you picked up the flier at State Session for the 2008 contests, you did see where the VEST CONTEST has been cancelled. So to fill in the gaps, we have added 2 new contests. They are Decorated Sweatshirts and Raisin Filled Cookies. Details and information that you need will be in the January Advocate, and the new information will be in the FA packets for 2008 which will be mailed out to you in February 2008. Be sure to watch for it.

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Greetings from Susquehanna County.
I think everyone will agree we had a great time in Williamsport this year. With the Session behind us, I hope everyone has looked over the contests for next year. There are some changes. Each year our committee meets in January to discuss the next year's projects. If you have an idea for something please let your regional director know. We are always open to suggestions.

With the holidays approaching I thought I’d share a few quick dip recipes, for the Holiday parties.

May each and everyone have a blessed holiday season.

Cathy Oakley
Region D

FRUIT DIP
1 jar marshmallow cream
1 small pkg. cream cheese, softened
Mix the marshmallow cream with the cream cheese. Use as a dip for cut up fresh fruits... Strawberries...Bananas... Pineapple. Excellent dip...fast and easy!

Cucumber Dill Dip
1 cucumber
2 cups sour cream, reduced fat is fine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dried dill weed or 3 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
Peel cucumber; halve lengthwise, remove seeds, and grate. Squeeze excess liquid from grated cucumber. Combine with remaining ingredients. Chill cucumber dip thoroughly before serving. Serve with assorted crackers or veggie dippers. Makes about 2 1/4 cups of cucumber dip.

Shrimp Dip
1 small package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 envelope Italian Dressing Mix (Good Seasons)
1 can (4 ounces) shrimp, drained and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Blend all ingredients in a bowl. Chill 1 to 2 hours before serving. Serve with chips or assorted crackers.

Crab Dip
½ cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
½ cup dairy sour cream
1 cup cooked crabmeat or one 61/2 ounce can crabmeat drained, flaked, and cartilage removed.
2 tablespoons finely chopped red or green onion
1 tablespoon snipped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon or lime peel
1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
Several dashes bottled hot pepper sauce
Dash ground red pepper (optional)
Assorted crackers and/or vegetable dippers
In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, 2/3 crabmeat, onion, dill, lemon peel, lemon juice, hot pepper sauce, and desired red pepper. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Transfer to serving dish; sprinkle with remaining crab meat. Cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours. Serve with crackers.

Quilt Block Pillow:
Class 30 Any design – pieced
1st: Nettie Kauffman, Berks
2nd: Annis Davis, Beaver
3rd: Naomi Lauchnor, Lehigh

Class 31 Any design - applique
No entries

Quilts:
Div. A:
Class 35 - Quilts by hand by an individual
1st: Carol O’Dell, Lycoming
2nd: Mary Riddle, Venango
3rd: Ruth Paul, Somerset
Class 36 - Entirely Hand Quilted by a Group
1st: Ruth Wallis, Lycoming
2nd: Barbara Warden, Venango

Div. B:
Class 37 - Baby Quilt/Wall Hanging Hand Quilted
1st: Leslie Kitelinger, Venango
2nd: Annis Davis, Beaver
3rd: Ruth Paul, Somerset
Class 38 - Baby Quilt/Wall Hanging Machine Quilted
1st: Shirley Wailelich, Berks
2nd: Barbara Warden, Venango
3rd: Barbara Gross, Venango

Baking/Cooking:
Class 39 - Dessert Breads - Blueberry
1st: Alda Scheib, Chester
2nd: Cindy Shaffer, Cumberland
3rd: Helen Coughanour, Westmoreland
Class 40 - Sugar Cookies
1st: Robert Burris, Warren
2nd: Helen Coughanour, Westmoreland
3rd: Anna Freehling, Butler
Class 41 - Fudge (chocolate or peanut butter)
1st: Peggy Sherbon, Butler
2nd: Libby Green, Northumberland/Montour/Union
3rd: Gloria Hahn, Lawrence

Door Decoration:
Class 42 - Christmas
1st: Joanne Heim, Lehigh
2nd: Laura Wike, Berks
3rd: Douglas Warren, Chester
Class 43 - Patriotic
1st: Grace Lepperd, Blair
2nd: Sally Holets, Washington
3rd: Joanne Heim, Lehigh

Afghan:
Class 45 - Full Size
1st: Jean Hollabaugh, Warren
2nd: Helen Mausteller, Lycoming
3rd: Thomas Fenstermaker, Northampton
Class 46 - Baby Afghan
1st: Jean Hollabaugh, Warren
2nd: Nettie Martsolf, Butler
3rd: Doris McConnell, Cambria

Decorated Bird Houses:
Class 51 - Spring design
1st: Becky Little, Cambria
2nd: Pat Roncaglione, Crawford
3rd: George Kruise, Armstrong
Class 52 - Summer design
1st: Ralph Payne, Erie
2nd: Denise Kostelanski, Armstrong
3rd: Shirley Alrutz, Washington
Class 53 - Fall design
1st: Robert Fogle, Cambria
2nd: Florence Schaffer, Somerset
3rd: E. M. Hammond, Beaver
Class 54 - Winter design
1st: Dorothy Porter, Crawford
2nd: Drew Cramer, Butler
3rd: Georgette Mummert, Huntington

Embroidery, Crewel, Plastic Canvas:
Class 55 - Embroidery
1st: Harold Lambert, Somerset
2nd: Rodney Fleeger, Sutler
3rd: Ruth Wallis, Lycoming

Class 56 - Counted Cross Stitch
1st: Ruth Marshall, Lawrence
2nd: Helen Sweeley, Centre
3rd: Nettie Martsolf, Butler
Class 57 - Plastic Canvas Needlepoint
1st: Caroline Mantz, Lehigh
2nd: Lillian Schlegel, Berks
3rd: Nina Clawson, Westmoreland

Cotton Crochet Thread:
Class 59 - Dollies / Centerpieces
1st: Dee Johnson, Beaver
2nd: Gloria Hahn, Lawrence
3rd: Harold Lambert, Somerset
Class 60 - Table Runners
1st: Dee Johnson, Beaver
2nd: Nettie Martsolf, Butler
3rd: Ruth Brennman, Blair

Family Wood Craft:
Class 62 - Any Wooden Craft Article
1st: Robert Fogle, Cambria
2nd: Nettie Martsolf, Butler
3rd: Walter Patten, Lawrence
 

Vests:
Class 63 - Vest for Men or Women
1st: Shirley Waidelich, Berks
2nd: Caroline Reilly, Blair
3rd: Virginia Sheilds, Crawford

Snowman:
Class 64 - Fabric
1st: Nettie Martsolf, Butler
2nd: Eleanor Patton, Lawrence
3rd: Ellen Schaller, Northampton
Class 65 - Ceramic
1st: Dot Stoy, Cambria
2nd: Doris Lowell, Lehigh
3rd: Marcia Dietrich, Beaver
Class 66 - Wood (any finish)
1st: Douglas Warren, Chester
2nd: Annis Davis, Beaver
3rd: Sandra Hill, Berks

Quilt Blocks:
Class 67 - Pieced Churn Dasher
1st: Patty Lou Pardee, Crawford
2nd: Ruth Paul, Somerset
3rd: Nettie Kauffman, Berks
Class 68 - Applique – African Violet
1st: Janice Wetzel, Lehigh
2nd: Ruth Wallis, Lycoming
3rd: Leslie Kitelinger, Venango

Changes to 2008 Contests:

Vest Contest has been CANCELLED.
Baking/Cooking Contests - all classes
Recipes are no longer need submitted with your entries.

NEW CONTESTS FOR 2008
These were not included on the flier you picked up at the State Session, so watch for this information in the Family Activities packet mailing in February 2008.

DECORATED SWEATSHIRTS: childrens or adults
decorated with beads and/or sequins
1. no stencilled designs
2. no painting
3. all work must be done by hand
4. design and color scheme is to be of your choice
5. entries will be judged on originality, workmanship, and general appearance.

RAISIN FILLED COOKIES:
1. place 7 cookies on a paper plate
2. place plate inside a disposable ziploc plastic bag
3. all cookies must be made from a scratch recipe
4. entries will be judged on taste, texture, and uniformity