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Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Ford to head state Rebekahs
A Ringgold county resident will soon be president of the Rebekah Assembly of Iowa. Amy FORD of Mount Ayr will be
installed as the state leader of the philanthropic organization on Friday, Oct. 10, at the end of a week-long convention
in Des Moines. As president of the state group, she will lead the women from 44 Rebekah lodges from 33 districts across
the state totaling some 500 people. To be eligible to have a state office, a member works their way through the chairs
on the local level and then is chosen as a state delegate. A slate of officers is nominated from the state delegates and
leaders then serve as for three years in other offices before becoming president of the state group. Part of FORD'S
responsibilities will be visitng all 33 district conventions around the state during her year as president, which means she
will be on the road almost every Saturday between February and the end of July. Each president is entitled to name a
special project for their year in office and FORD has asked that the state group work on a quilt together. FORD has been
a member of the Benton Rebekah Lodge since 1987 and is a third generation Rebekah. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows
was formed in the 18th century in England and in North America in 1819. The order is dedicated to achieved civic and
philanthropic goals locally, nationally and internationally with 10,000 lodges in 25 countries. Odd Fellows and Rebekahs
originated the concept of homes for the aged and orphans and still maintain over 150 facilities around the world.
The Odd Fellows and Rebekahs sponsor and administer an educational foundation which provides scholarships, an SOS
Children's Village for orphaned Cambodian children, a program that focuses on planting trees and shrubs enhancing the
environment, the Arthritis Foundation for research, a Visual Research Foundation which supports vision care and
research, a United Nations pilgrimage for youth which sends high school students to the UN and a float in the Rose
Parade on New Year's Day every year.
Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, June of 2012
To submit your Ringgold County items, contact
The County Coordinator.
Please include the word "Ringgold" in the subject line. Thank you.
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