Local resident honored at P.E.O. Sisterhood convention

Anne Moyer, of the Chapter CY of the P.E.O. Sisterhood, recently attended the P.E.O. Sisterhood's 117th annual convention at St. Louis, Mo. This year's theme was "Share with P.E.O."

Moyer, who has been involved with the P.E.O. Sisterhood for 40 years, said she enjoys giving her time to the organization.

" I've been a member for 40 years and I feel like it is a worthwhile organization and I enjoy giving my time to it," Moyer said.

This year's annual convention was presided over by Jeanne Lehr, of Chapter CK in St. Louis, and Patti Wooten, of Chapter LT in Kirkwood, Mo., served as general chairman.

During the event, Charlotte Jacobs, of Chapter NG in Lee's Summit, Mo., was installed as the new president of the Missouri State Chapter.

At the convention, more than 330 P.E.O. Representatives, including Moyer and Meghan Scherer, of Chapter HU of Kennett, met and discussed several educational and philanthropic topics and projects.

"[P.E.O. Sisterhood] is an international organization," Moyer said. "It has been in existence since [the late 1800's]. We had a state meeting and I was the delegate from one of the chapters here in Kennett.

"There are two chapters in Kennett. We are a philanthropic and educational organization promoting women, primarily with grants and loans and scholarships. We have some really fantastic opportunities that will help a variety of women, and has helped a variety of women, as they try to better themselves.

"We have a new scholarship called the Star Scholarship. Meredith Combs was one of the four Missouri recipients this year. It is for highly qualified graduating seniors. This is probably the third year for that program so it was a real perk to Kennett to have that young woman selected and she is a quite capable person."

The purposes of P.E.O. are educational and philanthropic, and are accomplished through projects on the local, state, and international levels. The six international projects include the P.E.O. Educational Loan Fund, a revolving loan fund at low interest; the P.E.O. Peace Scholarship Fund, graduate study grants for foreign women; Cottey College, Nevada, Mo., two-year liberal arts college for women; the P.E.O. Program for Continuing Education, grant assistance for women to resume educational studies; the P.E.O. Scholar Awards, grants for women of the U.S. and Canada who are pursuing advanced degrees or are engaged in advanced study and research; and the P.E.O. STAR Scholarship, scholarships for high school seniors to attend college. In addition, Missouri chapters provide scholarships for women to attend Cottey College and fund the Missouri P.E.O. Outreach Fund, a state project to assist those in need.