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2011 ISFA Queen
Allie Beckman
Jasper Strassenfest
ISFA Queen's Responsibilities
The reigning ISFA Queen is obligated to attend the ISFA Fall Convention. ISFA agrees to provide a room for the Queen Friday and Saturday night during the convention. The reigning Queen will provide a monthly update of her appearances and activities related to ISFA approved business. All current ISFA members who have a queen pageant and meet the guidelines are eligible to enter their reigning queen in the ISFA Scholarship Pageant held annually during the ISFA Fall Convention. If you would like to enter your queen, please contact Chris Benson or complete the application and return it to:
Chris Benson, Pageant Chairman
1540 Branch St.
Wabash, IN 46992
Hosting the ISFA Queen
The current reigning Indiana State Festivals Association (ISFA) Queen is available for appearances at your festival or event. If you would like to host the queen and have her attend your festival, you are required to meet the following guidelines established by ISFA.
The host festival agrees to pay for and provide the queen and her escort:
- Meals during her stay
- Overnight lodging if applicable
All queen requests must be approved prior to her appearance, please contact Chris Benson, ISFA Queen Coordinator at 260.569.9391 or by email at ckbenson51@frontier.com . The Queen will make appearances as her schedule permits. ISFA agrees to pay the reigning queen mileage expenses of $0.40 per mile to all approved festivals and events representing ISFA.
Scholarship pageant coordinator is Chris Benson from the Wabash Herb Festival.
This year's queen, Allie Beckman, will be busy representing the ISFA in the coming year attending festivals, parades and pageants. If you would like Allie to visit your event, contact Chris at ckbenson51@frontier.com or 260-569-9391. Allie will make appearances as her schedule permits.
The ISFA Queen is available upon request to appear at your festival, parade or pageant.
Information about hosting the current queen
Ann Retseck Memorial Grant
Ann Gettinger Retseck was the oldest of six children. She grew up in Sullivan County, Indiana, in the small town of Merom. She graduated from Sullivan High School in 1975 and the fall of the same year enrolled at Indiana State University Terre Haute, Indiana graduating in 1979 with a degree in Social Science Education. She was one of four ISU Outstanding Graduating Seniors. Ann married in 1979 and moved back to Merom, where the union was blessed with seven children.
For years Ann was very busy donating her time and expertise in community affairs. Among the many organizations she was involved with, the Merom Bluff Chautauqua was one of the most important to her. Ann was the President of the Merom Improvement Association for over ten years, which sponsors the Chautauqua. With years of dedicated hard work and Ann leading the way, the Chautauqua grew from a small event to a significant festival, with proceeds making improvements to the town.
Ann lost her life in the summer of 1994 as a result of an automobile accident. The community was devastated for the loss of a dear friend. Ann was a community leader and an organizer. Ann enjoyed networking and was always soliciting new ideas and information from everyone on how to improve the Chautauqua.
This memorial grant is dedicated to Ann for all the time and effort she put into her community. ISFA is proud to recognize Ann Retseck for her outstanding achievements. The purpose of the Ann Retseck Memorial Grant is to make attendance to the Fall Convention possible for ISFA Members who need assistance in paying their representatives costs. The grant is a reimbursement for all or part of registration and/or hotel accommodations for the Annual Fall ISFA Convention. The Board of Directors of the Indiana State Festivals Association is the Grantor. Applications are open to any member of the Indiana State Festivals Association whose dues are current.
Who may be awarded an Ann Retseck Memorial Grant? Any ISFA Festival member that has not been awarded the Ann Retseck Memorial Grant for the past three (3) conventions. This was adopted by the ISA Board in 2009.
How much is Awarded: The ISFA Board of Directors will award up to a maximum of $500.00. The Ann Retseck Memorial Grant is usually between $100 and $250 per ISFA Festival member.
When is the Ann Retseck Memorial Grant paid out? The Ann Retseck Memorial Grant is used to reimburse ISFA Festival Members for sending their members to the ISFA Convention. The Grant winner must attend the conference, pay in full and then will be sent a check for the amount of the Ann Retseck Memorial Grant on the Sunday morning meeting of the ISFA Board of Director Meeting during the Convention weekend.
Who selects the Ann Retseck Memorial Grant winners? The ISFA Retseck Grant committee of Doug Weisheit of the Newport Antique Auto Hill Climb accepts the grant applications and then meets with Nancy Alldredge of the Greenfield Riley Festival. They recommend the winners to the ISFA Board of Directors and the ISFA Board formally votes on what Festival(s) are selected.
How do I find out if we were selected for the Ann Retseck Memorial Grant? Doug Weisheit of the Newport Antique Auto Hill Climb will send out an e-mail to all the applicants as to who was awarded the Ann Retseck Memorial Grant and how much was awarded by the ISFA Board of Directors.
When will the Ann Retseck Memorial Grants be announced? The Ann Retseck Grant deadline is October 1st each year and the winners will be notified on or before October 5th each year by e-mail.
What is the Ann Retseck Memorial Grant Committee and the ISFA Board of Directors looking for? Preference is given to new ISFA members, ISFA members that have not had representatives at the ISFA Convention, smaller ISFA Festivals, ISFA Festivals that may bring more than 1 representative to the ISFA Convention, applicant applications that are neat and applicant applications that complete the entire grant application.
