2016 Country School Association of America Convention
From June 19-22, 2016, CSAA is heading to Fredericksburg, Texas, in the Lone Star State, to the Texas Hill Country, and you are invited! We, the Friends of the Gillespie County Country Schools, are rolling out the red carpet for participants in Fredericksburg, Texas.
This national conference is open to anyone interested in promotion of country schools, study, preservation, and use.
Event Details
Location: Pioneer Museum, 325 W. Main, Fredericksburg, Texas 78624
Date: June 19-22, 2016
PLEASE NOTE: You have a choice of registering online or with a mail in paper form as seen below. You also have a choice of paying via check or credit card. Online registration allows both forms of payment (credit card or check) while the mail in form allows check only.
Online Registration Form: Click on this link to register online for CSAA 2016.
Mail-In Registration: Click on this link to register by mail for CSAA 2016.
Program Schedule: Click here for to print the schedule in PDF format.
Open Houses June 19 from 12:30-4:30 p.m.: Cherry Mountain School, Grapetown School, Lower South Grape School, Luckenbach School, Meusebach Creek School, Nebgen School, Rheingold School, Vereins Kirche, White Oak School, Wrede School (Click here to print the Self-Driving Tour PDF for complete information and school addresses.)
Raffle Drawing & Prize Details: Purchase your raffle tickets ($2 each or 6 for $10) from one of the Friends representatives. The drawing will be held at the culmination of the CSAA meeting on Tuesday night, June 21. The Chalkboard Quilt is on display at One Quilt Place in Fredericksburg, along with tickets. Other items are on display at Pioneer Museum, along with the Schoolgirl Sampler Exhibit through July 30. Prizes: (1) One Chalkboard School Quilt, made and donated by Queen Bees of the Vereins Quilt Guild of Fredericksburg; (2) One Dick & Jane School Quilt, hand-quilted and donated by Ada Wilke, Dick & Jane Reader accompanies this Quilt; (3) Three Schoolgirls Samplers, stitched and donated by Kirsten Moss; (4) One Antique Schoolgirls Sampler, stitched in 1830, donated by Peggy Cox; (5) One Hand-hooked School with alphabet Chair/Table Rug by Mary Ruelle
Theme
On the Land, Learning at Hand presents all country school topics.
Goal
- To revisit old ways of teaching.
- Its connection to education and today's research.
- Increasing country schools use and contributions.
Keynote speaker:
Vickie Jennett
Vickie will be presenting the Schoolgirls Sampler as an early education tool with the Sampler collection included. Vickie is a nationally known needlewoman, author, and publisher. She is loaning one of her antique Schoolgirls Samplers for the collection.
2016 CSAA Bookmark
Print your copy of the CSAA bookmark by click on the image.
Power Point Presentation
Mary Pressler, CSAA 2016 committee member, made a Power Point Presentation for the CSAA 2016 Conference. Click on the image below to download and view the presentation. (If you don't have the Microsoft Power Point app on your computer, you can download a free viewer here.)

Schoolgirls Sampler Exhibit
The Schoolgirls Sampler Exhibit is being held at the Pioneer Museum in conjunction with the Country School Association of America National Conference now through July 30, 2016, by extending the story of the schoolgirls.
Sampler in rural education with the theme On the Land, Learning at Hand.
Over 40 locally-owned samplers join the Museum’s samplers collection in telling the story. We currently have over 40 antique and contemporary samplers committed to the Exhibit which has been developed by Evelyn Weinheimer of the Pioneer Museum. Many of the samples were made from 1854 to the turn of the century and were made by Fredericksburg girls. Texas-made samplers are considered rare and very much desired, so watch this story unfold. Sometimes it is hard to stay in your chair! Perhaps there are more samplers from Fredericksburg in our community.
Click on the photo below to read an article on the school girls samplers from the Fredericksburg Standard.

The schoolgirls sampler below was completed by Rosalie Ahrens in 1856. It is usually called a marking sampler. It was used primarily to teach young girls, however evidence of boys making them is often found. The goal was: "learn the alphabet, learn the numbers, and learn to work cross-stitch". Cross-stitch is said to be the oldest embroidery stitch known to mankind, with the result of being able to write, read, and mark your clothing and linens with your monogram or name. We forget clothing and linens were expensive and even included in a person's will or home inventory. Marking was important. Being able to hand sew was important to maintaining your household and perhaps assist you in making a living. Hope you enjoy seeing this Ahrens Schoolgirl Sampler.

Underwriters
LBJ National and State Historic Park
Dalton Fromme, Graphic Artist
Fischer & Wieser Specialty Foods, Inc.
City of Fredericksburg
Texas Hill Country Wineries
Texas Historical Commission - Honoring Pecan Creek School
Texas Hill Country Trails Region
Renita and Gordon Feller
Needle Work Press, Vickie Jennett