Every fall our Kansas Chapters of AHSGR get together for a Round Up of Chapters. This year our Golden Wheat Chapter, the one I'm a member of, hosted. I posted our program HERE. The morning begins with registration...
The morning schedule is filled with the business meeting and is well attended by all registered.
During breaks of scheduled activities everyone is encouraged to visit and browse the tables of items for sale as fund raisers for the Round Up.
After lunch is the bingo fund raiser hosted by the Sunflower Chapter...
The first speaker on the program is Kevin Rupp who informed us about Village Coordinators and how to find out more about our heritage. Leona was asked to come forward to give us the history on the immigrant statues at headquarters.
Tables were also set up with exhibits of items belonging to speakers for the the afternoon program. Below are the items that Leonard brought to show, just a small portion of his many collections...
Quilts are always present at our meetings, a big part of our heritage. Our member brought her quilt that she had shared with us at our previous chapter meeting (see HERE). The other quilts were part of Leonard's collection.
The quilts below were made made as teaching/learning aides for Germans from Russia Heritage.
One of our few members that immigrated in later years and was actually born in Russia gave a talk of her memories from Russia as young girl.
Then the final event of the day was our banquet. The centerpieces consisted of miniature threshing stones and Kansas wheat.
It was during this time that the drawing was held for main fund raiser. Donations were taken for tickets from several months prior clear up until that day and it wasn't necessary to be present to win.
Leonard handed over Presidency of the Round Up to Kevin...
...and certificates of Appreciation were bestowed, one posthumously to the family of Carol Riffel.
Or banquet program was presented by Harold Popp who currently teaches at Wichita State University. He presented us a history of songs in German and English that we or our ancestors might have been familiar with, then challenged us to join in singing. He told me later that he was impressed by how many of us attempted to sing songs that were unfamiliar us.
Harold is a professional trombonist and accompanied us on a song making for a wonderful end to a great day.
Another great Round Up!
2 comments:
That must have been a great time. I loved seeing the rolling pins. I've always wanted one of those cobalt glass ones. That Leonard must be quite that guy!
Alice - you should have seen him holding up the HUGE rolling pin (on back of table in pictures). Leonard isn't a small man and the rolling pin still looked big compared to him. He got it from a bakery. His talk was wonderful, full of anecdotes and personal history. He IS quite a guy and it seems like he has family connections everywhere. He has been a major organizer in many of our events over the years and it seems like he finds a new "cousin" every time he turns around while he's soliciting help or arraigning locations. :)
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