Even though most local community and church picnics have fallen by the wayside, the Impartial Order of Odd Fellows, aka IOOF, Kingwood Picnic celebrates 100 many years on Saturday at the Kingwood Grove.
The 100th annual picnic will feature classic favorites with a midday supper rooster barbecue, pies, hamburgers, sizzling pet dogs, incredibly hot coffee, ice cream, sodas, french fries, pizza and funnel cakes. Enjoyment and foods, even though materials last, is to continue all day.
The officers are: Mark Millin, president of picnic association, Everett Sechler, co-treasurer, with his son, Josh Sechler, Doug Near, Allan Burnsworth, Dave Tannehill and Charlie Groff.
“Our poster claims, ‘Come see old pals and make new kinds,'” Everett Sechler reported. “It is a standard function exactly where there is some thing for everyone.”
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Heritage
Everett Sechler first arrived to the picnic when he was 9 several years old and helped make and serve ice cream in 1959. He reported his grandmother, the late Susan Sechler, described to him that absolutely everyone brought blankets and their have foods and the Odd Fellows marketed soda pop and coffee throughout the very first few yrs of the picnic that started in 1921.
In accordance to Everett Sechler, there were only a few situations in its background that the Kingwood Picnic was canceled: very last year and two years during Earth War II when gas rationing was in position.
A gentleman who lived in Kingwood in the early years named Squire Keel would provide the Civil War veterans from Somerset to the picnic for the initially several many years, he said.
Shut stated that the a lot of buildings and pavilion on the Kingwood grounds were, in aspect, created from wooden from the Markleton Sanatorium, which was weakened by fireplace in March 1918 and was afterwards closed and dismantled. All those structures however stand and are managed nowadays with added structures, these kinds of as a new pavilion, manufactured in current a long time.
The close by Markleton Sanatorium was a large composition that housed the mentally ill, tuberculosis people and veterans.
Picnic grounds
There are 12 properties on the grounds, such as the stands for toys, raffles, hen barbecue, espresso, chuck-a-luck gaming, two stands for hamburgers and incredibly hot canine, a offer station, ice cream and pizza, refrigeration, bingo and three picnic shelters.
The newest pavilion was constructed in 1980 and cemented 3 years back.
“The entertainment and parking are cost-free, and the foods is some of the very best everywhere for a Saturday prior to Labor Day,” Tannehill said. “It’s value the journey because couple of functions are continuing after a 100 years.”
Enjoyment involves Somerset County Group Band at 11:30 a.m., Reality Band from 1 to 2:15 p.m., 3rd Avenue from 2:30 to 3:45 p.m., Country Specific from 4 to 5:15 p.m., Reality Band from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m., 3rd Avenue from 7 to 8:15 p.m. and Country Categorical from 8:30 to closing at 11:30 p.m.
There’s also to be regional artisans and craft-makers demonstrating their talents, significant bingo online games, rooster dinners, specific novelty stands with toys, trinkets, gadgets and gift products.
The Kingwood Picnic is a longstanding tradition of the Kingwood IOOF No. 1010, a lodge that started in 1891. In the 1920s the Odd Fellows that commenced internationally in England had a 50 % million members in Pennsylvania by yourself, Close stated. Currently there are approximately 6,000 customers in the condition.
The very first lodge in the U.S., Lodge No. 1, was recognized in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1819.
In the background of IOOF, President Ulysses Grant, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Wyatt Earp were being associates. Domestically, Col. Cummins, who served in the 142nd Regiment and was killed the very first working day of Gettysburg, was a member of the Odd Fellows. The late Prince Phillip, spouse of Queen Elizabeth II, was a member. Dr. Gary Compton, a chiropractor from the Confluence region, serves as noble grand in Kingwood.
Everett Sechler said that his grandfather walked from nearby Bidwell on the railroad tracks two miles every Friday to the Kingwood Lodge. In 18 yrs, even walking in winter season weather, he only missed two times simply because that was his social time with pals.
Locally, there were being quite a few lodges throughout Somerset County, but now only two stay: Kingwood and Somerset. At one particular time there have been 3 lodges in the Turkeyfoot Valley Area School District by yourself: Addison, Ursina and Confluence. The very last to close was Confluence in 2000.
Thriving exertion
Kingwood Lodge carries on to thrive, involving young persons and introducing social media to consider to keep things heading.
There are 45 customers who fulfill at the Kingwood Lodge that was created 1893 in the village of Kingwood. Nathan Enos is the youngest member. He’s in his mid-20s.
Millin, 41, serves as the president. He laughed about how the Kingwood Picnic has a distinctive spot in his heart due to the fact he satisfied his spouse, the former Angie Sechler, there.
Shut, who serves as vice grand for the lodge, retains the Facebook website page at Kingwood IOOF Lodge 1010 up to date with functions and photos. He believes that is a superior way to access out to the local community. In addition to the Kingwood Picnic, he posts pursuits these as the Easter egg hunt, donating Xmas food stuff baskets, test donations soon after a hearth, T-ball sponsorship, a veterans breakfast, ringing bells for the Salvation Army, and a annually scholarship fund for a college student from Rockwood and Turkeyfoot.
“It is really a great organization that offers back again to the community on a frequent basis and the members try out to stay involved as considerably as doable in get to make a variation locally,” Close mentioned. “The Kingwood Picnic serves as a regular party that is significantly far more than a fundraiser. It is a day to occur together as a neighborhood just about every yr.”
