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        For information contact: Carl Meiss, Public Relations Director  Ph: (717)-737-8855 or (800)-552-3865

Email: publicrelations@pagrange.org

July 23, 2007

 

Centre Hall, PA - The PA State Grange held its 4th Annual PA State Grange Family Festival this past weekend at the Centre County Grange Fairgrounds in Centre Hall, PA.  For the second year, the PA State Grange Youth Camp joined up with the Family Festival, holding both events together at the fairgrounds.

 

Gail Switzer and Adam Waite, PA State Grange 2007-2008 Youth Ambassadors

 

Saturday evening was the culmination of Youth Camp with the announcement of the 2007-2008 PA State Grange Youth Ambassadors.  Martha Ebersole, Youth Director, announced that Gail Switzer of Berks County and Adam Waite of Juniata County had been selected as the new 2007-2008 Youth Ambassadors.

 

Gail is the daughter of Marie and Leonard Switzer of Womelsdorf, Berks County.  She attends Conrad Weiser High School and is a member of Marion Grange #1853 as well as the Berks County Pomona Grange #43.  Gail presently serves on the Grange Display Committee for the Berks County Fairs.  She is a past PA State Junior Grange Princess (2005-2006) and past Berks County Junior Grange Princess (2004-2005).  Gail has served in various offices in her Junior Grange.  Her hobbies are showing cows, reading and talking on the computer.  She enjoys watching "Last Comic Standing" with her sister, road trips and seeing friends and their babies.  Gail hopes to bring the Youth who know about the Grange but have drifted away, back into the Grange as active members.  She plans to attend college for Counseling or Agriculture Cooperative Extension Education.

 

Adam is from McAlisterville in Juniata County.  His parents are Melissa and Timothy Waite.  As a Runner-Up in last year's Youth Ambassador competition, he is a PA State Grange Youth Advocate.  He is a member of Walker Grange #786 in Juniata County.  He lists his hobbies as firefighting and being an E.M.T.  He enjoys going to races, working on his truck and road trips.  He plans to recruit more Youth members into the Grange through his new position as Youth Ambassador.  He hopes to become a professional firefighter/medic.

 

The PA State Grange Youth Ambassadors are selected through a competitive process that includes a Grange knowledge test, personal interview with the judges and answering an impromptu question before the Family Festival attendees.  They must be members of the PA State Grange for at least one year and if not 6th Degree members (State Grange) they must be willing to become 6th Degree members during their reign.  Candidates must be between 16 and 21 years of age, single (never married), and have no children.  They will represent the PA State Grange Youth not only throughout the Commonwealth at events such as PA Farm Show, Ag Progress Days and PA State Grange Session, but also at National Grange Convention.  They will also serve on the PA State Grange Youth Committee for one year.

 

This year's Runners-Up, named as Youth Advocates, were Heather Thielman of Big Knob Grange #2008 in Beaver County and Donald Cottrell of Gibson Grange #798 in Susquehanna County.  Each of them will be asked to assist in promoting the Youth Programs of the PA State Grange as well as being available to step in for the Ambassadors should one of them be unable to fulfill their obligations.

 

The Grange is a family fraternal organization dedicated to the betterment of the American quality of life through community service, education, legislation and fellowship.  The Grange includes members of all ages from their Junior Grange (ages 5-14), Youth Members (ages 14-23), Young Adults (ages 21-35) and Regular Community (local) members (age 14 and up).  The Grange represents approximately 15,000 Pennsylvanians across the Commonwealth.  It is the oldest agricultural and rural advocacy organization of its kind in the United States.  The National Grange (Patrons of Husbandry), representing about 150,000 members, began in 1867 and the PA State Grange was chartered in 1873.