Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
The Worland AH P.E.O. chapter met June 10 in the Washakie County Library. The group is celebrating its 60th year as an organization. Pictured are (front row, l-r): Donna Harrington, Kay Fritzler, Carolyn Gentzler, Connie Bowers, Marilyn Bostrom and Charlen Hamilton; (back) Carol Sheaff, Rene Lee, Dora Fink, Margaret Lungren, Lorie Frandson, Nancy Heiser, Cheryl Reichelt, Becky Dooley and Susan Pennington. Not presentwere Lisa Beamer, Gail Carver, Rachael Carver, Sheri DeCroo, Shealee Donahue, Ranee Gonsalez, Janna Branger, Phyllis Hampton, Kamme Jeffries, Reba Neumann, Kelly Reisig and Eloise Shaw.
P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization) is not just a social club. Members fundraise to offer scholarships for women, according to a release from the chapter.
The chapter's symbol is a star and refers to "women helping women reach for the stars," by helping women achieve higher education with college scholarships, according to member Charleen Hamilton.
"We offer local and state scholarships, and loans at the current interest rate of 2%. There is the International Peace Scholarship and the Program for Continuing Education for women who wish to return to school. And we support Cottey College, a nationally ranked, fully accredited, independent, liberal arts and sciences college for women located in Nevada, Missouri," Hamilton said.
P.E.O. was founded more than 150 years ago as a college society. Fellowship and philanthropic service are of great importance to its members. Since membership in P.E.O. is by invitation, it offers potential members the opportunity to learn about the significance of these key attributes of the organization.
P.E.O. members refer to each other as sisters, emphasizing the importance placed upon fellowship throughout the organization. Members of P.E.O. affirm their belief in God and work together for the general improvement of themselves and society.
"We do not discriminate against any woman based on ethnicity, religion or education. Our Sisterhood is
based on friendship and mutual respect. P.E.O. is not political nor is it a political action group. Individually, each member may work for causes of her choice outside of P.E.O. As members, we respect one another's political and religious views and activities. We meet to support each other, for fellowship, and for the common and uniting purpose of assisting women in reach their educational goals," Hamilton said.
P.E.O. is a source of encouragement and support for women, both for members in chapter life and for women who benefit from philanthropic assistance as they strive for educational advancement, she added.
Persons interested in the scholarships may contact any current Chapter AH member.
The Worland Chapter AH hosted the annual statewide convention in 2019.
Chapter names are based on the alphabet, starting with A and going through Z and then they start over with double letters. The AH chapter meets at noon, twice a month on Mondays.
Two statewide facts reported in 2019 were:
•A P.E.O member, during the 1924 state convention in Cody helped name one of the mountains in Yellowstone. According to the Sisterhood history book, Supreme Chapter President Vina Ives Bowden was given a tour up Highway 20, west of Cody and during the tour she inquired about names of the mountains. They came upon an unidentified mountain and receiving permission to name it, she christened it "Mount Pleasant." Mount Pleasant is the official mountain of the P.E.O. Sisterhood.
•A Wyoming P.E.O. member, Verna Keays-Keyes also designed the flag for Wyoming that was adopted in 1917 by the 14th Wyoming State
Legislature.
