Palmer, Alaska Dorothy M. Dell, Editor—^8T^ar|ney
Published every week at Palmer, Alaska, for the Jlatanuslca Valley Farmers' Cooperating
Association for the purpose of giving news of the Associations ’’’ork, Problems and
Accomplishments, and the dissemination of news of a public character.
SUBSCRIPTION RATF $1.75 per year Single Cony 10d
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 07 7 :.7.F.C. A.
February 23', 1043
J
Please accent siy rgs'igjation from the board of Directors of the 11.7.7. d.A,; and I urg6
you to appoint in ny stead a dairyman who is wholeheartedly interested in our Co-op,
and who believes as I do that .it ite( absolutely essential to the -welfares of oil the
people in the Valley.
In this letter I hone to make it clear why I an takin : this action. ^Iy-,’first reason"
is that T do not believe that our Co-op can succeed without the 'coopei’ation of every
one of its members. In this connection I do not believe that a member of the board
can suceessfuly conduct the business of our Co-op without tho-cooperat ion .and backing
of the members. A man who is elected to the board of Directors .after nearly half the
membership walks out of a meeting certainly.does not have that backing.
I have nevor believed our Co-op could be operated by a cliqvic, .. I did not attend our
meeting today as a member of any clique. Recently I have been connect'd with a croup
of farmers who are trying to organise’to enable then to best market the produce they
raise and to secure Array Contracts which •"ould benefit every one in the Valley. Hoy
were made-to-appear as a clique because they --ere stubbornly opposed, by a group of
dairymen wiioj it jeer.s, are concerned solely with their own interests, I intend to
continue-to work - -ith, this^ group .of farmers because I feel the purpose of tho'jr organ
ization is vital to our future in the Valley. I -believe that a prove of this nature
can also benefit the Co-op. One reason is that t] . y can settle tin ir roblcns among
thorasolvos and present their arguments at board and; woriborshi - r.. otin 3 in 'an orderly
fashion, thereby savin ’ the confusion and bally-hoo that is characteristic of oar meet
ings, and wastes so much of-our tine -."hen somethin ; constructive mi lit 1 done.
There have boor, times when I "ould have likod.to.be 3 member of the loard 'of Directors
because I felt I could-do sene good; but I feel that it --ould nov.be. wasting our time.
Surely there are older, wiser head’s better<able -to settle our diffcrorcos, .These dif
ferences are all that keep our Co-or fror : being a success today. The biggest mistake'
over .ado in our Co-or "as when we failed to settle those differences among Ourselves.
Kowovor, I believe there? is .still time to save our Co-op, T! at. is.
I have asked
you to arvoint a dairyman in my pleco. I fool the dairymen arc entitled''to hotter re
present at-ion and that their help is needed to keep our Co-op .going.- A roup of dairy
men cannot run our Co-op nor jar. a group, of Produce nerv. ' e must' all help, and I wish
every'one was as convinced as I am that ve. need’our Co-Op. If we force the ruin of,our
Co-op. only then will we realize what wo rave lost and how rauyh it .oorit to us to ho
nl»lo {u vn our o—n b”sir.css.
. r . Sincerely,'
Harold Sjenhan
On vage 11 of
eludes all regular '-scheduled mootings
Settler readers this service so, that
or mooting may- knot; what evenings aj’e
. 7!q have tried to make a point of giving 'alley
any grow who dartres to schedule a special event
open. *’~hbn v;e. are notified of.any special meet
ing or change no pass on the information to our readers. In suite' of this ..we arc hav
ing too many conflicts.
?or one -hole month the Val-loy. 7iro -Association •••advertised--a 3-inroi gamo for Saturday
7c reary 14. Two -dan-cos were later scheduled for that saris- eve-pin.".
The Valley Hospital Association schedulfed; their Annual meeting- for-l'onday evening,
Hobruary 23, and two other meetings tfero hold the sane ni ht. The Hospital meeting
was "•ell advertised and in view of the'fact that' thisvis d s.ost' important meeting,
residents of the Valley should have made every effort to attend. In fact ■, noth,the
ahove cited cases should have received the whole hearted support of the•community.
It appears that it is : ot only the'Go-op (hTFCA) that lacks cooperation, hut the entire
-cormvnity. Until wo get behind these civic projects wo will have nothin; . ~A fcV~ *
people cannot do it all.