Elgin Echo

Elgin, Iowa

December 27, 1928

Illyria Items

W. L. Peters and family were callers Sunday afternoon at the home of Rob Ernst.

ELECTION OF FARM BUREAU

Bad roads cut down the attendance at the annual session of the Fayette County Farm Bureau held Monday Dec. 17, at Fayette, but the session was a highly satisfactory one.

G. E. Sauerbry of Jefferson township was elected president to succeed C. B. Holtzman. P. O. Stewart was elected vice-president, W. L. Peters, secretary, and H. R. Young, treasurer. For the women’s work, Mrs. W. H. Turner was elected project chairman, and Mrs. William King publicity chairman.

Township presidents, directors in the county bureau, have been reported as follows:  Eden, tom Burke; Auburn, Herman, Langreck; Dover, Phillip H. Wolfe; Clermont, M. C. Deering; Bethel, S. R. Pleggenkuhle; Windson, Albert Boess; Union, G. D. Grimes; Pleasant Valley, Edwin Kruger; Bank, L. A. Scharnweber; Center, A. J. Brown; Westfield, Henry Hettler; Illyria, Harold Strong; Fremont, L. H. Onstott; Harlan, Frank Cummings; Smithfield, Grant Kiel; Fairfield, Arnaldo Meiesgeir; Oran, Jesse e. Ford; Jefferson, Ray A. Bell; Scott, C. W. alehouse; Putnam, H. B. Esch.

“You need to get out of Fayette county to learn how good it is,” said Mrs. G. E. Sauerbry, in reporting the end of her two years’ work as county project leader, in which activity over 900 women in sixteen townships took part this year. She suggested that attention be paid to the social, moral, educational and physical side of life, in bureau work. She reiterated, “When better people are made Fayette county will have them,” and in urging work to increase the membership roll offered the slogan, “Say it with members.”

Mrs. Ray Rowland, county leader of girls’ clubs, has had seven townships working, with sixty-three members, of whom fifty-four finished the year’s program.

County Agent Lodwick bought a picture of the meeting of the American Farm Bureau Federation in Chicago, with some comment on its aims, progress, and the qualities of some of its leaders. The report on the year’s activity in Fayette county he was given leave to print in the Farm Bureau Exchange.

Ray Anderson brought briefly a message of high appreciation of Fayette county friends and the county’s farm activities. He introduced the main speaker of the day, Dr. A. L. Murray, editorial writer for the Cedar Rapids Gazette, who after what Mrs. Sauerbry and Mr. Anderson had said admitted that he had an inferiority complex, as “a mere Linn county man” addressing Fayette county people. He said, “We are tremendously grateful to Fayette county for digging Ray Anderson out of a hill somewhere and developing him and sending him down to us.”  He laid much stress on the recent 4-H boys’ gathering at Cedar Rapids, saying: “There is a new farmer arising. When you have bred up a generation of 4-H club members you will have more than 50 per cent of Fayette county farmers in the bureau; and the politicians won’t be able to jolly the farmers along for years.” Again, he said, “The 4-H club is to the farm bureau what the Sunday school is to the church-it is its future.” Among Dr. Murray’s suggestions were those of an organization embracing all the interests of each county, and the bid for a great industrial population to furnish a close-by market for the products of the Iowa farms. In humor, sentiment, and inspiration, Dr. Murray’s address is one to which no synopsis can do justice.

It was state by County Agent Lodwick that the present paid-up membership of the Fayette County Farm Bureau is about 1,150, being second only to Clayton county among the counties of Iowa.

The officers were directed to provide an all day meeting next year, with the business session in the forenoon and after a noon picnic dinner a program. To permit this, it was the suggestion of President Holtzman that the annual session of the directors be held about a week ahead of the members annual meeting day.