The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1925-03-05
Progressive Farmers Club to ,
Celebrate Tenth Anniversary
of Organization Friday Eue.

| Club gathers for it's annual meet
ing March 9th, 1925 it can look
back for a period of 10 years, as
March 9th, 1915 according to the
minutes of the club, progressive
farmer M. P. Kennedy called the PEG,
pie to order who had gathered at
schoolhouse three miles southeast OF
Sank Centre for the purpose of get.
ting sentiment if a Club was wanted
by the farmers of the neighborhood
There was no question about what
value Club could be, and should be.
and in the constitutions first article
the object of the Club was stated as
follows: "The object of this club
shall be to improve ourselves, our
farms and our community !" The Club
set high standard for its ideals from
the first start.
It is interesting to note that
| many from Sank Centre assisted the
Club with it's first program; especial
ly was John McGibbon praised for
his song '"Tipperary.
The officers elected for the first
year were: M. P. Kennedy, president
Jake Key, vice president; l.. A. Mer-
rift, secretary; Mrs. Tn. Ingram,
treasurer and A. Sorenson, sergeant
at arms.
At the following meeting March
26th the name "The Progressive
Farmers Club" was selected. For this
meeting two ladies Mrs. TIL. Ingram
and Mrs. M. P. Kennedy volunteered
to furnish the evenings program, but
at this meeting the president appoint
ed the first program committee con-
sisting of Mesdames M. Mann, c.
Hutchinson and Geo. Grundman.
From that time it has been custom
airy for the president to appoint a
program committee and lunch COM
mittee for each meeting. This plan
was altered somewhat during 1924
when the program committee was
named for the entire year.
June 18th, 1915 the Club held it's
first picnic and the secretary record
ed the incident as follows: '"The pic
mic was big success and everyone
started for home smiling" Since then
the Club has held picnic every year.
The whole family takes the day of,
games are played and races are con-
tested for making the picnic interest
ing for young and old. A picnic din
ner is served at noon by the ladies
and although there are some big eat
ers there is always enough left for {
big supper too.
The first year of it's existence thu
Club felt strong enough to put up
club exhibition at the Stearns Coun
ty Fair. The first prize was captured
and ever since with exception of ont
year has the Club had one or tw'
booths at the County Fair. These ex
hibitions have demonstrated to tn
rest of the surrounding communit!
that the Progressive Farmers Clul
members were well trained and or
ganized to do big things.
At the Clubs July meeting TIL
Ingram was appointed to see tn
School Board with the view of leas
ing the school house to the Club a
that district was consolidated with tn
schools of the City of Sank Centre
It was the beginning of the effort t.
get a real home for the Club, which
in time developed and at present tn
Club owns a large and attractive
Club house with heating plant ant
stage. .-.-
In this Club as we'll as in all othel
organizations the need of money wa
felt, the dues and entrance fees onl!
taking care of the current expenses
and so with Jake Key as auctioneel
the first basket social was held Nov
10Th and the second Feb. 4th will
net proceeds of $500 and $59.40 re
spectively.
During the first year the old barr
was fixed up, making a comfortable
place for the teams during the winter
months.
The first annual report of the clul
is unusually interesting. The report o.
the secretary starts out as follows
''The object of our club was to i'm
prove ourselves, our farms and oul
community. The first and last OBJ
jects have been obtained to a degrees
proportionate to what could be ex
pected in our first year. The MAR
benefit to ourselves comes from the
social intercourse and the moral dis
cipline of having our ideas trimmed
down by popular opinions. The Fail
exhibit, the picnic and the building
of the barn have proved that there il
a community spirit in the neighbor
hood that did not exist year ago
Anything undertaken for the genera
good of the community has beer
brought to positive result.
The improvements of our farm'
have been neglected by the Club blu
Individually the progress of oul
community is better then any neigh
borhood in the township and I nigh
| The following are the officer