PABERKS-L Archives

From: "Diane Klopp" <>
Subject: P.O.S. of A (members)
Date: Thu, 6 May 2004 09:06:58 -0400

From pages 289-294 of the Centreport Centennial 1884-1984 by Milton K. and
Luella E. Blatt:

The P.O.S. of A.
Washington Camp, No. 446

William W. HAAG, local cabinet maker and undertaker, built a three-story
structure on the Main Street of Centreport. On the third floor were
facilities for a lodge hall in order to accommodate a local P.O.S. of A.
Camp.

Washington Camp, No. 446, P.O.S. of A. was instituted on February 25, 1893
with 41 Charter Members. William W. HAAG became the first Treasurer and
remained in that office until his death in January 1900.

The Camp participated in a parade in the City of Reading in 1898. They wore
dark hats and the regalias. On August 22, 1898 the Camp hosted a District
Parade; Camp 133 of Bernville was led by the Bernville Band, and Camp 446 of
Centreport hosted the Centreport Band. Company E, 4th Regiment, P.N.G. of
Hamburg, Pennsylvania, under the command of Sgt. William BAGENSTOSE led the
Parade.

This Camp made a steady increase in members until a high of 297 was
attained. In 1915 the Camp participated in the State Convention Parade in
Reading, Pennsylvania. Here they wore uniforms consisting of blue trousers,
white shirts, with flowing ties, and white hats with red, white, and blue
ribbons. The Centreport Band played for the parade. A picture of the Camp
with the Band, was taken at the old Reading Post Office.

The Camp had a total of twenty-six men in the Armed Forces during 1917 and
1918.

In 1921 the Camp built a hall complete with living quarters for the
custodian. The first floor for entertainment, the second floor for lodge
purposes. Other organizations meeting in the hall were: Shepherds of
Bethlehem, Star of Welcome Lodge No. 60, P.O.of A. Camp No. 247, the
Centreport Grange No. 1600, Henry J. STAGER Commandery, No. 35, L.S. of A.

The lower hall was used for all public functions of the town and the
surrounding area.

Band rehearsal, Civil Defense, First Aid, Boy Scout meetings, local one-room
school entertainments, Eight Grade Commencements, Christmas Festivals of the
Centreport Union Sunday School were held in the hall-without the payment for
its use.

What Camp 446 has done for the community cannot be expressed in words. When
the hall was built, every member gave a contribution of $5.00 or two days
labor, whichever suited best.

From the first years, the Camp held Memorial Day Services at Belleman's
Church, with a picnic, held in Emanuel ERNST's Grove. It was a beautiful
place.

Some years Camp 133 of Shartlesville, Camp 339 of Scull Hill, participated
in the parade to the church. The Mt. Pleasant Band furnished the music until
the organization of the Centreport Band in 1905. The Camp continued these
Decoration Day exercises until the Aid Society of Belleman's Church took
over the affair.

When the depression of the early thirties came along, the membership began
to drop rapidly and it was found impossible to get them back. The Camp had
sixteen deaths in 1948. In 1973 the Camp sold the hall to the Centreport
Grange No. 1600.

Probably the fraternal organization originally met in some unknown place.
Today it is the oldest Patriotic Order in America. On organization night the
following are listed present and signed to join the order: William W. HAAG,
James D. LENGEL, Morris KLINE, Calvin BUCKS, John M. KLINE, Howard M.
WEBBER, Joseph D. NAFTZINGER, Charles K. MILLER, John D. KLINE, John E.
PAUTSCH, Charles C. YODER, James BERGER, William P. RISHEL, B.K. LUDWIG,
John F. LUTZ, William S. KLINE, William F. LUTZ, Calvin W. BLATT, Mahlon
V.B. MOLL, Henry STOYER, Morgan F. MOGEL, James KLINE, Howard ZERBY,
Llewellyn LOOSE, Jacob L. GRAEFF, Elmer J. BAGENSTOSE, and Frank S. HEFFNER.

At the same meeting a committee was appointed to see the owner of the
"Colonial Hall" on Main Street of Centreport concerning a regular meeting
place. The committee approached William W. HAAG for the use of the third
floor of his three-story building which housed a furniture store and Mr.
HAAG's funeral business.

Additional names were later added at a meeting to bring the total Charter
Members to 41. The first officers being: Past President, Frank S. HEFFNER;
President, John E. PAUTSCH; Vice President, James D. LENGEL; Master of
Forms, James KLINE; Recording Secretary, William P. RISHEL; Treasurer,
William W. HAAG; Financial Secretary, James M. BERGER; Trustees, Henry
STOYER, John E. PAUTSCH, and Charles K. MILLER; Conductor, Joseph D.
NAFTZINGER; Chaplain, Calvin W. BUCKS; Inspector, Morris M. KLINE; Guard,
Morgan F. MOGEL; Sentinels, Howard M. ZERBY, Calvin M. BLATT, Llewellyn
LOOSE, and John S. KLINE.

The Camp met every Thursday evening in which was now called Cabinet Hall
until January 1, 1900 when Joseph D. NAFTZINGER took over the furniture and
undertaking business due to the death of Mr. HAAG. They continued here until
1922 when the Camp built its own quarters on Main Street. This remained as
the Centreport P.O.S. of A. Hall until its disposal to the Grange in 1973,
when the Lodge felt it could no longer maintain ownership.

There are no remaining Charter Members at the time of this writing. At one
time membership reached a peak of about 300 and in its early days nearly
every male in the town and community over sixteen years of age joined the
group. Officers have been elected on a yearly basis and at times going back
the competition for offices was so strong that heated campaigns were waged
to gain first place for going through the chairs.

This information of history of the P.O.S. of A. comes from a few individual
sources and may be repeated here in a few instances.

The present officers are: President, Merritt M. BALTHASER; Vice President,
Arthur J. MILLER; Recording Secretary, Norman W. WERLEY; Financial
Secretary, John L. KREIDER; Treasurer, Norman H. KLINE; Conductor, Kenneth
BORKEY, Master of Forms, Ray BAGENSTOSE; Inspector, Thomas WERLEY; Guard,
Donald BORKEY; Trustees, Arthur MILLER, John L. KREIDER, and Norman H.
KLINE.

Photographs: The P.O.S. of A. Hall, Main Street, 1913 entertainment program,
P.O.S. of A. members in the 1950's, 1984, group photo in front of the old
Reading Post Office about 1918.

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