A beautifully tied bundle of oats stood symbolic of the common
interests and goals discussed by the large group of representatives
of the area shows who were invited to Kings, Illinois on the
evening of February 24th, by the North Central Illinois Steam Power
Show, Inc. The Harm Hayenga farm home, where the N.C.I.S.P.S.I.
meetings are held, was the site of the thresherman’s-style
dinner, cooked and served by the ladies of the Kings Show, with
Ethyl Svanda in charge. A delicious meal of roast beef, potatoes
& gravy, vegetables and home-made relishes and salads was
topped off by a dessert of rainbow sherbet and a large cake,
artistically decorated with a colorful steam engine.
About eighty people attended the dinner and meeting; most of
these were officers and their spouses, or other representatives, of
the following six shows:
Stephenson County Antique Engine Club, Freeport, Illinois
Northern Illinois Steam Power Club, DeKalb, Illinois
Rock River Thresheree Association, Janesville, Wisconsin
Will County Threshermen’s Association, New Lenox,
Illinois
Antique Engine and Tractor Association, Geneseo, Illinois
Rock River Threshing Association, Prophetstown, Illinois
Hosts for the evening, were the officers of the North Central
Illinois Steam Power Show: George Hedtke, President; Floyd King,
Vice-President; Emil Svanda, Treasurer and Jon Schwartz,
Secretary.
The Threshing Show Queens of the past shows were also on hand to
help represent the North Central Illinois Steam Power Show.
Also, as guests that evening, were Mr. & Mrs. Peter H.
Burno, of De Forest Wisconsin and Mr. & Mrs. Norman P. Radtke
of Mundelein, Illinois. An informal and interesting speech was
given by Mr. Burno, National President of the National Association
of Power Engineers, concerning the possibility of future license
requirements for operating engineers and the obtaining of a license
now under the ‘Grandfather’s Clause’, without
examination. Norman Radtke, Secretary of the Illinois Board of
Examining Engineers, of the same association, and Mr. Burno,
answered questions regarding this licensing. Applications for
licenses were filled out by many of the attending engineers.
A general open discussion was held concerning other matters of
interest about threshing shows.
Entertainment, furnished by Mr. Rhinehardt Luebbers, of Roselle,
Illinois, consisted of a beautiful slide presentation, ‘America
the Beautiful’. A narrated, color movie, made at the Kings
Show, told the story of harvesting of golden grain, from the days
of the grain cradle, through the steam and early gas tractor era,
up to the present era of modern combines. This movie also depicted
the typical operation of a threshing show.
It was a very friendly and lively event, all of the shows were
well represented, having the common goal of improving our shows in
the spirit of neighborly cooperation. We hope that get-togethers
like this one will become commonplace among neighboring shows in
the future.
