The board of the PA Chapter recently held the election of officers with Hob Kroesen being elected president; Tom Elling, VP; Joe Stabilito, secretary; and Lloyd Rhoades, treasurer. Longtime president Ann Peery Ritter retired from the committee. Anyone who knows Ann realizes her value to our chapter but also to wrestling across the nation. 

Realizing that our board are all getting near that retirement stage, we have developed a ‘mentor/adviser’ program wherein we are soliciting qualified younger wrestling devotees to learn the proverbial ropes of committee duties and responsibilities. Those accepted will be a non-voting part of future board meetings.

Some of our future projects will be our annual Clay Shoot to be held October 8 at the Wing Points Club in Hamburg, PA. Shooters and sponsors are invited to be a part of this event. Contact John Thomas by phone at 610-256-3775 or Lloyd Rhoades by email at lar2psu@gmail.com.

Our Honors Banquet is scheduled for May 1 at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center. It is always a thrill to see such deserving wrestling contributors recognized and to hear some of their stories. We’ll have more details in a later newsletter. Attendance is generally 300 or better. We always welcome members from other state chapters and we make it a point to include any and all past honorees into our parade to begin each celebration.

Pennsylvania has recently welcomed the thirty-fourth high school to adopt a girls’ program. Our state organization - the PA Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) requires one hundred to institute a state championship. 

Distinguished Member Gray Simons was recently honored by his Alma Mater Lock Haven University at an appreciation of his wrestling and coaching career.