On Wednesday, September 10, Hoosick Grange met at the Grange Hall with Master David Cornell. The fair committee presented the blue ribbon and the fair check to the Master. The Master thanked the fair committee for their work. The fair committee thanked all those who provided the wood and the stove and pipe and all those signs so beautifully done. They also thanked the helpers who helped to set the booth up.
The Lecturer discussed the planning meeting for the year. It was decided to have the meeting on our next regular meeting, September 24. It was also decided that we would do shoe boxes again this year and would give them to the Hoosick Falls Food Closet to be given to the children who needed them, at Christmas.
Elsie Marpe was in charge of the program for the evening. She told us about harvest time and elderberries. The elderberries are very high in vitamin C and second only to black currants. Dyes can be made from the berries and the blossoms. Some people make wine and pies from the berries. Young elderberries can be scalded in boiling water and eaten in salads. Elsie told us many other uses of the berries.
Elsie told us two jokes – one about the Mother Superior of an Irish Convent and one about Katie O’Neal, who dreamed of being a dancer. She was especially good at acrobatic dancing and became well known for her dancing in America. She became lonesome for Ireland so she returned for a visit. She went straight to the church and into the confessional. After that, the old priest gave her a light penance and said, “Aren’t you Katie O’Neal?” She said, “Yes.” So he asked her what she had been doing. She told him she lived in America and she was an acrobatic dancer and danced on stage. He thought that was wonderful, but he didn’t know what an acrobatic dancer does. She said, “Let me show you, Father,” and with that she leapt out of the confessional, skipped down the aisle, did 3 somersaults, 3 twirls, 3 handsprings and finished with a split landing on the floor in front of two astonished village matrons. “My gracious,” one woman said, “look at the penance Father is handing out today,” and the other said, “And me forgetting to put on my bloomers.” After that joke and when everyone stopped laughing, Elsie proceeded to tell us about Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines and finished with another joke.
The Lecturer thanked Elsie and told about the next meeting being on September 24. It will be a planning meeting. Helen Filkins will be in charge of refreshments. Refreshments for the evening were provided by Edna and Allen Cornell.