Dues for this year (if not already paid) and 1998 may be paid at this time. Single membership is $2.50, married couples $4.00. A lifetime membership is available for $35.00 per person. We are now approaching 200 life members, a goal set by Cheryl.

We are happy to report that the flagpole and its granite base from the old Parker Rural High School property has been obtained and has been placed between two of the museum buildings. We want to thank Garry Nickell, owner of the old high school property for donating the flagpale, digging it up, and delivering it to our site. James Wilson, John Riggs, Kenneth Magers, Glenn Merrill, Dale Keitel, and Bob Matney put the flagpole in the ground and placed it on the granite base. We wrote to Kansas Senator Robert Tyson to see if we could obtain a Kansas Flag through his office. Senator Tyson not only obtained a flag for us, but he personally delivered it at our meeting on October 2lst. The local media and many others were personally invited to attend this meeting. Senator Tyson and his wife Linda along with 21 other guests and members were served refreshments following the meeting. We also wrote to United States Senator Sam Brownback for a U. S. flag but as yet have not heard from his office. We will be flying both flags on all special occasions. We are proud of our local senators Tyson and Brownback.

We want to acknowledge the loan of many one room grade school articles from the Mound Creek community. These articles came from the Mound Creek one room school and included many student desks of differant sizes, a teachers desk, a student bench, a cabinet filled with books, fold out and roll down maps, a wall dictionary holder, two nice pictures, and a United States Flag with its accompanying certificate. We take this method to send our thanks to that entire community and to send special thanks to Jean Nickell and Harry Cavinee for their help. We now hope to have the school room ready for viewing in 1998. More work, however, is needed on the house and also on the old Skinner blacksmith shop. That old shop does not appear to be structurally sound and we are uncertain at this time on what can be done with it.

The museum participated in the city wide garage sale with items that were donated for that purpose. We also held a bake sale and served tea and coffee during the day. We send special thanks to Annabelle Ringey, Fred and Arlene Harvey, and Marilyn Rhodes for their help and donations for the bake sale. Also to everyone else who donated articles and helped to make the day a success. Approxmately $280 was raised from this event.

Parker day was helped also by the horseshoe tournament held on the museum grounds. Bill and Larry Page donated material and labor for two new concrete pitching courts that everyone enjoyed. Glenn Merrill was in charge of the tournament which attracted eighteen participants from eight different towns. Thanks to the museum board for allowing the courts to be constructed on their property and the annual tournament to be held there.

The following donations to the museum were made since our last newsletter. They include a 50th anniversary booklet and cash by the PRHS class of 1947. Special thanks to Mary Goudie Caylor and the enfire class far the booklet and money. Other donations in addition to the flagpole and school furniture and materials were a dictionary stand with its old dictionary used in grade schools, copies of rules and regulations for teachers and students in various years of history, a loan of a painting of John Browns Fort at the Marais desCygne Massacre State Park, pictures of various sights in Parker in 1910. Current pictures of the area around the old elevator and property next to our old school house, an 1867 cornerstone from the northeast part of Parker (Sam Rookstool) property, a 20 year certificate of work with the Civil Service presented to Walter "Dutch" Dysart, former postmaster in Parker, eight books of almanacs, an antique desk, record player and tape player with records and tapes, a grade school desk and chair, World war II ration books and tokens, PRHS alumni invitation cards, and many other pictures and articles of historical interest. These articles were generally in very good condition and we thank all of you for them. We apologize for any donations we may have missed.

Happy Holidays to all of you from us at PCHS!!