Applicants sought for rural electric youth tour

BROWN COUNTY — High school sophomores and juniors whose parents or guardians are Brown County REA members are eligible to be selected for the Rural Electric Youth Tour to the nation’s capital.

The tour gives students a chance to visit the nation’s capital for one week, get an up close look at our nation’s rich history and visit with Minnesota’s senators and congressional representatives. The cost of the trip is free to those selected.

Minnesota’s electric cooperatives share a strong commitment to the communities and member-consumers they serve, and sponsoring students for this trip is just one way of investing in youth.

The week-long Youth Tour of Washington, D.C. is packed with sightseeing, and history comes to life. While touring, students will visit many of the major monuments and memorials, including the Smithsonian museums, Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson and various war memorials, the Holocaust Museum and Mount Vernon.

Students will also visit Capitol Hill, where they will meet with Minnesota senators and members of Congress. Many past participants were so inspired by this experience that they later served as interns on the Hill, and many have pursued a career in politics.

The Youth Tour is much more than sightseeing. Students spend every waking minute together for a solid week, and it’s not uncommon for lasting friendships to form.

The 2017 Rural Electric Youth Tour will take place June 10-15. Interested youth are asked to write a 300 word essay on an energy-related topic, complete an application form and submit by Friday, March 3.

For more information contact the Brown County REA at 800-658-2368 or visit the website at www.browncountyrea.coop.

Ancestry Database Class at Library

NEW ULM — New Ulm Public Library will offer an introduction to Ancestry Library Edition on Saturday, February 18 at 8:30 a.m. This one-hour, hands-on session is for people new to the Ancestry Library Edition genealogy database. Basic computer skills are necessary. Call 507-359-8331 to register.

Ben and Verna

Carson Scholarship

FAIRFAX — The Wealth Management & Trust Department of Frandsen Bank & Trust, 100 North Minnesota Street, New Ulm, Minnesota, is presently accepting applications for the Ben and Verna Carson Scholarship.

Applicants must be graduates or residents of the Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop (GFW) School District. Students must enroll in a post-secondary institution. The course of study shall be in the area of teaching, but may be awarded to other fields of post-secondary study. Last year’s recipients of the Ben and Verna Carson Scholarship may also re-apply.

Verna Carson established the scholarship fund through her Last Will & Testament. Carson graduated from Fairfax in 1923 and pursued a lifetime career in teaching. She was also involved in counseling and held supervisory roles in several Midwest universities. During the past year, a total of $20,000 in scholarships was awarded.

Students interested in applying for this scholarship can contact Jo Gatton of the Career Center Office at GFW High School, or an application form can be requested from the Wealth Management & Trust Department of Frandsen Bank & Trust, P.O. Box 189, New Ulm, Minnesota 56073-0189. The final deadline for receipt of applications is April 3, 2017.

February Civil War Round Table: One Family’s Story

NEW ULM — Often Civil War history seems to be distant facts, names, places, events that most of us have no real connection with. Round Table member Wayne Feder has those personal connections through relatives that served their country in that war. Join us at the February 21 Minnesota Valley Civil War Round Table meeting where Mr. Feder will tell about his three Great Uncles who served in the Indian and Civil Wars, and his adventures in researching and discovering their stories. Along the way Feder discovered the story of a young man who lived in the house he now lives in. Wayne Feder grew up in Madelia and now lives in Blue Earth. For most of his career he was a high school biology teacher. Join us Tuesday February 21 at 6:30PM at the New Ulm Public Library. All Round Table meetings are free and open to all.

Bill Harris 507-304-3750

Historian Stephen Osman: “Minnesota and the Great War:

The Military

Experience” at BCHS

NEW ULM — The public is invited to attend “Minnesota and the Great War: The Military Experience” a special presentation by historian Steve Osman. Set for Thursday, February 16, 2017 at noon at the Brown County Historical Society Annex (2 North Broadway, New Ulm), the presentation is part of BCHS’s Lunch and a Bite of History program. “We bring the history, you bring your lunch.” The presentation is free and open to the public.

 Stephen Osman is a graduate of St. Olaf College who recently retired as senior historian with the Minnesota Historical Society.  He managed Historic Fort Snelling for over three decades, and actively researches, speaks and writes about Minnesota’s role in the Civil War and the Dakota War.  He served with the US Army Reserve in Psychological Operations at Fort Snelling, is an elected fellow of the Company of Military Historians, and serves on the boards of the Minnesota Military Museum, the Friends of Fort Snelling and the scholarly journal, Minnesota’s Heritage.

“Minnesota and the Great War: The Military Experience” is the second of seven presentations in a speaker series to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the United States’ involvement in World War I. The series features a host of speakers at noon and in the evening through July and is sponsored by BCHS, the New Ulm Public Library, Friends of the Library and Park and Recreation Department. This series is funded in part by the Traverse des Sioux Library Cooperative with funding from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

BCHS will also unveil an exhibit of World War I “Loyalty and Dissent: Brown County and World War I” in April. Visit www.browncountyhistorymn.org for details.

Brown County Historical Society 2 North Broadway, New Ulm, MN 56073

www.BrownCountyHistoryMN.org E-Mail: BCHS@BrownCountyHistoryMNUSA.org

Springfield post prom party

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Post Prom Committee will be hosting the post prom party on April 29-30, 2017. Our goal is to provide a fun, safe and memorable event for our students. We can make this happen with the generosity and support of friends, family, local organizations and businesses like you.

We are seeking your donation which will be used to help support the entertainment, prizes, games, and food for this special event. We will be also suppling prizes to the students at the prom dinner prior to grand march to encourage the kids to stay in town. Together we can make it a night to remember.

Please help us make this night possible with a donation in the form of cash, giftcards, merchandise, or food. We ask that your donation be received on or before March 10,2017.

Mail all check donations made payable to Springfield Post Prom to the above address. Or you can drop your donation off to the above address as well.

If you prefer to have your donation picked up, please contact one of the followingpeople. Tammy Johnson 507-723-5372, Trisha Rummel 507-227-2791, Kirn Graff 507-828-3068, or Tanya Hovland 507-430-1231.

Your contribution is greatly appreciated by the students, parents, community, and especially the Post Prom Committee.