Farmers provide for pets was the theme of Polk County Women for Ag’s table display in the Ag First tent at the Polk County Fair in August. People passed through the tent to enter the Fair so it was great exposure. We had pet treat recipes, and a drawing for a bucket of pet items we purchased or received as donations. The drawing entry ticket included a box to ‘Check if you want more information on Polk Co. Women for Agriculture’ which had a great response and we’ll soon reach out to those interested.
At the PC Fair Youth Livestock Auction we purchased two animals with funds that were donated to the pool we manage for community members who want to support the youth, but not purchase an animal.
Next we continued the pet theme with the OWA State Fair booth, which was well received. Check out the photos of our great volunteers.
Two first-place winners were chosen for the fourth annual PCWA Constitutional Essay Contest. Sascha Hull and Naomi Morgan, both home-schooled students from Dallas will each receive a $125 award. Second place went to Jeremiah Morgan and third to Saarah Johnson. In addition to cash prizes, the winners receive two books on the Constitution and the Federalist Papers written by Mary E. Webster donated by the Western Institute for Nature, Resources, Education and Policy (WINREP).
The 2014 essay question for the students was to write the Declaration of Independence in their own words. Here are the beginning paragraphs of our first place winners. Sascha said,
“All the 13 States of America agree with these statements
If an oppressed nation requires its own freedom, equality, and power from the oppressing nation, they ought to assure the world that they possess reasons for their actions and state them.
Believing this is obvious, we declare that God created men equal to each other with certain privileges including the rights to be born, live and die, with free choices leading to their eventual joy.
In these interests, mankind founds governments that operate only as long as the public allows and, if one of these governments restricts rather than defends these privileges, the public of the nation may change or exchange that government for one based on true virtues and organized in a way that that will keep them safe and happy.”
Naomi wrote,
“When a portion of men find sufficient cause to separate from their former government, and to set up a new government according to their view of liberty and justice, it is reasonable that they set down the causes for their separation.
We know these truths to be universal: that all men are created equal; that God has given men certain unchangeable rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Governments ought to preserve these rights, but when they do not, the people are justified in abolishing them and creating new government which will protect their rights.”