PA Junior Grange Royalty Named

PA State Grange

Press Release

Date: July 6, 2009

Contact: Carl Meiss

Public Relations Director

publicrelations@pagrange.org

Release: Immediate

RE: PA State Junior Grange Names Royalty

HOWARD, PA - The highlight of the annual PA State Junior Grange Camp is its Friday evening coronation of the new Junior Grange Princess and Prince.

For 2009-2010, the PA State Junior Grange Princess is Jennifer Reed and the Prince is Zech Houser.

Jennifer is the daughter of Jeff and Karen Reed and hails from Susquehanna County where she goes to Montrose Area Junior/Senior High School. Her school activities include soccer and concert band. She is a member of the PA State Junior Grange #1 and helps with activities at the Fairdale Grange #1157 outside of Montrose.

Zech's parents are Ronald and Janet Houser of Centre County. He attends Bellefonte Area High School where he is involved in the CPI program (which is anything to do with computers), as well as band and marching band. Zech belongs to Logan Junior Grange #182 in Pleasant Gap and has held numerous offices within the Junior Grange.

Runners-up this year were Lindsay Schroeder from Virginville Junior Grange #436 in Berks County and Daniel Pratt from PA State Junior Grange #1, who hails from Venango County.

The PA State Junior Grange Royalty is chosen every year at Junior Grange Camp, held again this year at Camp Sylvan Hills Christian Camp in Howard, PA, June 28 - July 4. All 13 and 14 year-old campers (as of January 1, 2009) are eligible to compete for the titles. The finalists are selected from the results of a "Grange Knowledge" test given at camp. The contestants are then evaluated on an individual interview before the judges, an impromptu question asked and answered in front of all the campers and staff and the judges' impressions of the campers.

The Junior Grange Princess and Prince's responsibilities are to promote the Grange and especially the Junior Grange around the Commonwealth. They will be required to attend Ag Progress Days in State College in August, 2009, the 2009 PA State Grange Session to be held in October in Johnstown, the 2010 PA State Farm Show in Harrisburg, the PA State Grange Planning Meeting in Spring, 2010, and next year's PA State Junior Grange Camp, as well as other functions, fairs and events throughout the Commonwealth.

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 Grangers (ages 5-14), Youth Members (ages 14-23), Young Adults (ages 23-35) and Regular Community (local) members (age 14 and up). The Grange represents approximately 13,000 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.