The caption on this photograph, clipped and pasted in a Lucas County 4-H record book, reads: "Iowa 4-H girls in convention at Iowa State college, Ames, formed this design representing ear of corn, leaves and the 4-H sign."
It was taken during June of 1933, long before Stephen King would ruin it all for is --- these innocent celebrations of youth and corn. Shame on him for that 1977 short story, "Children of the Corn," and the movie that followed in 1984.
These were more innocent days, when a thousand young women from all across Iowa could gather on the campus of what then was Iowa State College for the state's annual girls' 4-H convention, form this elaborate design for a photographer, then with perfectly straight faces participate in a closing pageant entitled, "The Festival of the New Corn."
The "Joyful Entrance of Corn Bearers" on the evening of June 16 featured all the delegates, then the "Iowa Corn Sons" sang praise to the corn before the new state 4-H queen, selected from among 100 candidates, was crowned. The 4-H queens of former years, including Chariton's Martha Bonnett (1930), served as train-bearers.
When all was said and done and as those delegates were preparing to head for home, the ISU Carillon sounded across the campus --- "Evening Breezes Echo our Song." Here's the program, slipped inside the record book where the photograph was pasted, with "Iowa State College" pin still attached.
We have all of this thanks to the meticulous record keeping of Edna (Reynolds) Relph, one of the Benton Township delegates, whose carefully maintained book is now in the Lucas County Historical Society collection.
The Herald-Patriot of June 22, 1933, noted in a front-page headline that "Benton Girls Set Attendance Mark at State Parley." Every member of the Benton Township club and both leaders had attended the closing session.
The club members were Vera Hull, Edna Reynolds, Leta Reynolds, Mabel May, Argie Risbeck, Merna Risbeck, Ruth Schumann, Erville Threlkeld, Susie Relph, Hazel H. Hull, Thelma Gilbert, Leona Gilbert, Ruth Evelyne May and Velma Werts. The leaders were Mrs. Chester Shirer and Alta Johnson.
A total of 54 Lucas County girls as well as leaders were present for the closing ceremony; some had been in Ames since Wednesday, the opening day.
Velma Werts was Lucas County's 1933 4-H queen, but Lois Keeler, of Decatur County, was crowned state queen that year.
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