The joint convention of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia (AHSGR) and the Germans from Russia Heritage Society (GRHS) runs July 28 – August 3 at the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center.
The Youth Booth will be set up near the coat check area of the Parkway Plaza’s “Mallway.” It’ll be staffed at all times except during meals, opening ceremony, the symposium and any occasion when people are expected to be present at other functions. There’ll be plenty of literature available to those interested in sharing the good news about the Youth Essay Contest, according to Vera Hoff of Rapid City, South Dakota, who co-chairs the event with Leah Rennell of Gillette, Wyoming.
The Youth Booth has become a special place for people to gather during conventions. There’ll be items for sale from Ukraine, Germany, and elsewhere. All sale proceeds go toward the Youth Scholarship Fund. GRHS has been awarding $1000 in scholarships each year -- $750 to the highest scoring university undergraduate and $250 to the highest scoring high school senior. They’ll also be selling raffle tickets for the beautiful American Flag afghan made by Debbie Kilwien.
Youth activities not only contribute to a continued appreciation of our German-Russian heritage – they can help strengthen our organizations for years to come. Persons volunteering at the Youth Booth will be able to answer questions and encourage participation in the Youth Essay Contest. Please note that the essay contest is open to all…..so the story of the Germans from Russia is becoming known far and wide. Most of our 2008 entries told us that they were encouraged by parents and grandparents to enter the contest...and that some special family bonding took place as the essay was written!
The symposium will be moderated by Ken Koehler of Arvada, Colorado, Chairman of the AHSGR Folklore & Linguistics Committee, and Del Beck, a retired educator from Rapid City, South Dakota, a long-time and well-known song leader and emcee for GRHS events.
