Early days of OSA from journal of James. B. McQueen

         "The first school I can recall was the one room frame building on the George Chapman farm about two miles north of Preston. It was called the "Yellow Jacket," as it had rustic outside and was painted a bright yellow. I attended school for four seasons. For my fish year, my father asked that I be admitted to the Oneida Academy.

         “...classes had been held in the basement rooms for four seasons while construction went on above them.  The building was finished in 1894.

         “I entered the academy in 1901 on probation. This school was intended to become a Normal School to train teachers for the elementary schools. District schools were being set up in the area and subjects were being set up on a schedule of graders, but qualified teachers were not found in adequate numbers. The one-teacher grade schools were not filling the need of the community. 

         “At first, the academy included all the elementary grades from one to eight. As time went on the public schools improved and the Academy discontinued the lower grades and extended its curriculum to include the upper grades.

         “The year I entered the Academy from the Yellow Jacket the grades form one to five had been eliminated form the Academy and the 9th and 10th grades included. As I had had only four seasons in a one-room school they were reluctant to admit me to the sixth grade. I was finally admitted on probation. The next year the sixth grade was eliminated and the third year of high school was added. Some how I sneaked y the tests and returned for the balance of the school years, graduating at the head of my class in 1908.

         “For three years I was the smallest boy in the school and was nicknamed “The Runt.” When the academy set up a school band under the direction of Professor Henry Otte in the fall of 1908, I tried to get an alto horn as it was supposed to e he easiest instrument to learn. But Professor Otte was sure I was too small to handle a horn – so he gave me the Bass Drum.

         “My class finished the prescribed course of study for graduation from the Normal course in may 1908. This was the year of the big soak. There had been so much rainfall and freezing weather that no fieldwork had been done on any farms. Loose animals had been mired in the fields and even on the highways. My classmates told me that it was my privilege to meet the speaker for the graduation program at Dayton.

         “I put two plow horses on the little buggy that took father to and from his shop and took off for Dayton at sunrise. The surface of the ground was frozen hard enough that the wheels of the gig stayed on top, but the horses’ feet went through the ice to a depth of ten to 14 inches.

         “I reached Dayton depot about noon, unhitched the team and gave them a drink of water and feed of oats. I could see the smoke from the train several miles down the track, so I hitched up. And then it started to rain. The ice was all melted and the buggy axles dragged the mud most of the way back to Preston, where we arrived about six o-clock. I did not dare try to take the team out to the farm, but put them in a livery barn in town for the night.

         It was a trip I shall never forget, for I had spent five hours with David O. McKay, who later became President of the Church.

         I washed the mud off as best I could in the horse trough at the livery stable, telephoned the folks at home on the farm and asked them to bring y suit and clean shirt with them as they come to the graduation program. They came. We went to the program and I sat next to brother McKay on the stand, and I delivered the valedictory on the program with the future president of the Church.”

Glenn Beck to conduct fund-raiser for OSA restoration

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"If These Walls Could Talk"

Clear your calendar August 8 or 9! 

You are invited to the premier of the Oneida Stake Academy Foundation's new, original musical: 

"If These Walls Could Talk."

         When a grandfather trying to connect to his digitally-minded grandson, a father hoping to inspire his rambunctious young family and a young man in love trying to share a meaningful secret with his sweetheart, unexpectedly meet in the Oneida Stake Academy building, they discover that sometimes walls can talk.

            The Oneida Stake Academy Cultural Center debuts its first ever musical pageant on August 8 & 9, at 8:30 p.m.

            “If These Walls Could Talk” is a clever musical written by local writer, Cecelie Costley. Director Dani Dunn, of Franklin, brings together professional music written by renowned composer, Tyler Castleton, snappy dancing choreographed by Paula Lemmon, Taessia King, and Autumn Coats, local voices under the direction of chorister Karla Gundersen, colorful costumes assembled by Pat Moses and Glenda Swainston, Joe Ward’s horses and antique cars gathered by Doug West for a wonderful evening of song, dance and storytelling the whole family will enjoy.

            The elegant 124-year-old Oneida Stake Academy building itself will star in the show, as the pageant will be held in the intersection in front of the OSA, at 8:30 p.m. both nights.

            The production involves dozens and dozens of local actors, dancers, costume directors, prop and scenery builders, musicians, staging, light and sound experts, singers, make-up artists, and committee members.

            “I am thrilled about storyline and music,” said Oneida Stake Academy Foundation board member, Necia Seamons, who has been dreaming about the idea of a pageant since the OSAF was formed a decade ago. “Cecelie, Tyler and Dani have captured the essence of the academy’s story to be able to share it in an entertaining and uplifting manner.  We are thrilled to share the production with the descendants and beneficiaries of the people who built the magnificent Oneida Stake Academy building 124 years ago.”

            On the evenings of the performance, the public is invited to bring a donation to help with the building’s restoration as a cultural center/museum of local history. Bleachers erected in the intersection of Oneida and First East will be open for seating at 7:30 p.m. People may also bring blankets for seating to the sides of the bleachers.

            Parking will be available at the South Stake Center and the alley behind the business district in Preston. First East and Oneida will be closed to through-traffic for about one block in each direction from their intersection from 6 p.m. to about 10:30 p.m. both nights.

            Sponsors of the event are the Preston School District, Franklin County, Preston City, Mary Heers and the F. M., Anne G., and Beverly B. Bistline Foundation. 

(The Oneida Stake Academy is the alma mater of Ezra Taft Benson and Harold B. Lee, both presidents of the world-wide Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Other alum of note are LDS general authorities, Richard Edgley, Joe J. Christensen, and Spencer J. Condie, first agent inducted into the FBI Hall of Fame, Samuel Cowley, and Utah State University president, E.G. Petersen. Of almost 40 academies built by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the end of the 19th Century, the OSA is one of just five that are still standing. It is in Preston, Idaho, and is being restored for public use by the Oneida Stake Academy Foundation.)

Drone captures majesty of OSA building

OSA from above

Click on the link above to see TJ Burbank's video of the academy from his drone's viewpoint. It's beautiful!

Donation matching

Recently, the OSAF received a donation from Monsanto which was a match to a gift made by one of their employees to the OSAF. This tool may help you see how to leverage your ability to make a difference in the OSA building's restoration. 

Companies That Match Employee Donations
There are many companies that match employee donations to non-profit organizations like the Oneida Stake Academy Foundation. If your company is not listed, you can find out from your human resources office if your employer offers a matching gift program. If you are eligible for an employer matching gift, we hope that you will request an application from your human resources office! Matching gifts often double and sometimes, even triple your donation to the academy's restoration. (Some local business are listed in blue.)

20th Century Insurance

3COM Corporation

3M Foundation                             

Abbott Laboratories             

Access Group

ACCO Brands, Inc.

ACE USA Group                   

Adobe Systems, Inc.

ADP                             

Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.

Advanced Micro Devices

AES Cilco Energy Delivery Unit

AES Intricity, Inc. Aetna Foundation, Inc.

AETNA                             

Aetna Life and Casualty Foundation

Agribank Aid Association for Lutherans

AIG (American Intl Group)         

Air Products and Chemicals   

Albemare Allegheny Technologies

Albertsons                         

Alcoa                             

Allegheny-Teledyne, Inc.

Alliance Capital Management L.P.

Alliant Techsystems

Allied Signal Foundation, Inc.

Allstate                             

Altria Group, Inc.

ALZA Corporation

Ambac Financial Group, Inc.

AMD/Adv. Micro Devices       

Ameren Corporation             

American Airlines

American Electric Power       

American Express             

American Express Financial Advisors, Inc.

American International Group, Inc.

American President Companies, Inc.

American Society of Association Executives

American Standard Foundation

American States Foundation

Ameritech

Amgen Foundation

AMSOUTH

AMSTED Industries, Inc.

Amvesters Financials Foundation

Andrews McMeel Universal Foundation

Anheuser-Busch Companies

AON Companies

AON Corporation                   

Apache Corporation

Apple Matching Gift Program

APS                             

ARAMARK

Archer-Daniels Midland Company

ARCO Chemical Co.

ARCO Corporation

ARCO Foundation

Argonaut Group                 

Arizona Republic/Gannett       

Arthur J. Gallagher Foundation

Astra Merck Autodesk, Inc.

AT&T

ATMI                           

Auto Nation                       

Auto Owners Insurance             

Automatic Data Processing, Inc.

Aventis Pharmaceuticals

Avon Products                   

AXA Financial                   

Bancorporation Foundation

Bank of America

Bank of America Foundation Matching Gifts

Bank of Boston Corporation

Bank One                       

Barclay’s Global Investors

Bard Medical                       

Barnes Group                 

Batus, Inc.

BAX Global

Baxter Healthcare                   

Bay Networks, Inc.

Beckman Instruments, Inc.

Becton Dickinson & Company

Belden Wire & Cable Company

Bellemeade Development Corporation

BellSouth Corporation

Benjamin Moore & Co.

Berwind Corporation

Bestfoods

BF Goodrich Aerospace

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Black & Decker

Blout Foundation, Inc.

Blue Bell Foundation

BMC Foundation

BOC Group

Boeing Borden Foundation, Inc.

Borg-Warner Foundation

Boston Foundation/Polaroid Foundation

BP America BP/Amoco Foundation

BP Exploration & 011, Inc.

BP Foundation

BP Oil Brock Associates

Bridgestone/Firestone

Bundy Corporation

Burlington Northern Santa Fe

Cable One

Cadence

Callaway Bank

CAN (Insurance & Financial)

Capital Group Associates

Cargill North American Corn Milling

Carter-Wallace, Inc.

CBS Foundation, Inc

CDW Computer Centers. Inc.

Celestica Corporation

Cendant Corp

Central Realty

Centura Bank

Centura Batiks, Inc.

Certain Teed Foundation

Champion International Corporation

Charles Schwab Corp.

Chase Manhattan Foundation

Cheeseborough-Ponds Foundation

Chemical Bank

Chevron/Texaco

Chicago Tribune

Choice Hotels

Chubb-Federal Insurance Co.

Cimarron Foundation

Cincinnati Bell Foundation

Circuit City

Cisco Systems, Inc.

CITGO

CITGO Petroleum Corporation

CitiGroup

Citigroup Foundation Matching Gifts Program

Clariant

Coca-Cola Company

Collins & Aikman Corporation

Cologne Life Reinsurance

Columbus Foundation

Community Funds, Inc.

Companies/Industries & Subsidiaries

Compaq Computer Company

Compaq Matching Gifts Program

Computer Associates International, Inc.

ConocoPhillips


Costco

Consumers Health Care

Cooper Industries

Countrywide Financial

CPC International, Inc.

Cray Research Foundation

Crestar Financial Corporation

CRT Capital Group, LLC

CSX Corporation

Dana Corporation Foundation

Dell Delta Faucet

Delta Air Lines

Densi Manufacturing of Michigan, Inc.

DeYoung Communities

Dial Corp

DirectTV

DST Systems, Inc.

Duetsche Bank/Alex Brown

Dunn & Bradstreet

Dupont

Eastern Bank and Trust Company

Eastern Enterprises

Echo

Edison International

EDSA, Inc.

Electric Company

Eli Lily & Company

Emerson

Enterprise Rent Car

EOG Resources, Inc.

Equifax

Equistar Chemicals

Equitable Corporation

Equitable Life Assurance Society

Equitable Real Estate

Equiva Services

Essex Group Extended Systems, Inc.

Experian

Exxon Mobil Foundation

Factory Mutual Engineering

Fannie Mae

Farmers Group (Insurance)

FedEx

Fidelity Investments Gift Fund

Financial Services, Inc.

FINOVA Group, Inc.

First Data Corporation

First Data Resources

First Interstate Bank

First State Bank

Fleet Matching Gifts Program

Fleet/Boston Financial Foundation

FM Global Foundation

Follett Corporation

Foothill Freddie Mac Foundation

Ford Foundation

Fort James Foundation

Fortune Brands

Freddie Mae

Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc.

Freeport-McMoran, Inc.

Frito Lay Corporation

Gannett

Gannett Foundation

Gap Stores

Gardner Denver

Gartner Group Charitable Fund

Gas Transmission Texas Industries

Gateway Foundation

Geico

Gemini Computer

General Dynamics

General Electric

General Mills

General Motors

General Public Utilities

General Re Corporation

General Re Gift Program

General-Pacific Corporation

Gillett Company

Glaxo SmithKline

Glaxo Wellcome, Inc.

Glaxo, Inc. GlaxoSmithKline Foundation

Glenmede Trust Company GMAC-RFC (Investments)

Goldman, Sachs & Company

Goodyear Gould, Inc. Foundation

Green Tree Financial Foundation

GreenPoint Bank

Guaranty National

Harcourt

Harris Bank Foundation

Harris Trust

Helene Curtis

Heublein Foundation, Inc.

Hewitt Associates LLC

Hewlett Packard

Hoechst Celanese

Home Depot

Honeywell Hometown Solutions

Honeywell International

Honeywell International Foundation, Inc.

Hormel Foods Corporation

Household International

Hughes Electronics

IBM

IBM Matching Gifts Program

IKON Office Solutions

Illinois Tool Works Foundation

In-N-Out Burger

Industrial Risk Insurers Insurance Company

ING Foundation

Inland Container Corporation

Integrated Systems Consulting Group, Inc.

Intel

INTEL Foundation

Inter-Regional Financial Group, Inc.

International Data Corporation

International Paper Company

ITT Industries, Inc.

ITW/Illinois Tool Works

J.C. Bradford and Company

J.C. Penney Company

Jefferies & Co., Inc.

Jefferies Group, Inc.

Jefferson-Pilot Foundation

Jockey International, Inc.

John Hancock Matching Gifts Program

John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Co.

John S. & James L. Knight

Johnson & Higgins of Missouri, Inc.

Johnson & Higgins of Tennessee, Inc.

Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies

Johnson Controls Foundation

Joseph E. Seagram & Sons, Inc.

JP Morgan Chase

K-Mart Corporation

Kaplan Educational Centers

Kawasaki Motors Corp. U.S.A.

Kemper Financial Services, Inc.

Kemper Insurance Companies

Kemper National Insurance

Key Foundation

KeyCorp Kimberly-Clark Foundation

Kinder Morgan, Inc.

Kirkland & Ellis Foundation

KLM Promotions

KRAFT Foods

Kresge Corporation

Kroger

L’eggs

Lamson and Sessions

Land America

Land America Foundation

LaSalle Partners

Lehman Brothers

Lend Lease Real Estate Investment

Leo Burnett Company, Inc.

Levi Strauss Foundation

Lilly Endowment

Llubrizol Foundation

Lockheed Martin

Lojack

Lotus Development Corporation

Lotus Philanthropy Program

Lowes Home Improvements

Lyondell Petrochemical Company

Macy’s Department Store

Macy’s West

Mallinckrodt Medical, Inc.

MAPCO Mass Mutual Massachusetts

March & McLennan

MassMutual Financial Insurance

MasterBrand Cabinets, Inc.

MasterCard International

Mattel Children’s Foundation

May Company

May Department Stores

May Foundation

Maytag

Mazda North America

MBNA

McCormick Company, Inc.

McDonald’s

McDonnell Douglas

McKesson-HBOC Foundation

Mead Corporation Foundation

Medtronic

Mellon Bank Foundation

Mercedes-Benz of North America

Meredith Corporation Foundation

Merrill Lynch

Mesquite Bank

Met Life

Metavante Corporation

Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft Matching Gift Corporation

Miller Brewing Co. Matching Gift Program

Minerals

Minute Maid Mobil Foundation, Inc.

Mitsubishi International

Mobil Oil Corporation

Mobil Retiree Program

Moen, Inc.

Monsanto

MONY Foundation

MONY Mutual of New York

Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley Dean Witter

Motorola

Mutual of America Life

MySmart Benefits

Nabisco

National Bureau of Property Administration

National Computer Systems

National Instruments Corp.

National Service Foundation

Nations Bank of Texas, N.A.

NEBS

Neiman Marcus

New England Business Service, Inc.

Newmont Mining Corporation

Nike, Inc.

Nissan North America Nokia, Inc.

Nokia

Nordson Corporation

Norfolk Southern Foundation

Northern Trust

Northrup/General Signal

Northwest Airlines

Northwest Building Foundation

Northwestern Mutual

Norton Company Foundation

Norvatis US Foundation

OCE Digital Document Service

Ohio Insurance Company

One TechnologyWay

Oppenheimer Funds

Oracle Corporation

Orlando Sentinel Communications

Outboard Marine Corporation

Owens Corning Foundation

Owens-Illinois Fund of Charities Foundation

Pacific Life

Palm, Inc.

Panduit Sales Corporation

Panhandle Eastern Matching Gifts

Parker Hannifin Corporation

Paul Federal Bank

PBG Foundation

Pearson NCS

Pepsi-Cola

PepsiCo Foundation

Perin Central Corporation

Pfizer

Phelps Dodge

Philadelphia Cheesesteak Company, Inc.

Philanthropic Services

Philip Morris Companies, Inc.

Pimco Foundation

Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.

Piper Jaffray

Pitney Bowes

PNC Bank Foundation

Polaroid Foundation PPG Industries

Power Vivendi

PQ Corporation

Premark International, Inc.

Procter & Gamble

Promus Hotel Corporation

Provident Life and Accident Matching

Prudential

Quantum Corporation

Qwest

R C Baker Foundation

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company

Radian International LLC

Radio Shack

Ragan MacKenzie, Inc.

Rain for Rent

Ralston Purina

Rauscher Foundation

Raytheon

Reader’s Digest Foundation

Reebok Reliable Life Insurance Company

Relocation Assistance, Inc.

Republic National Bank of NY

RJR Nabisco Foundation

RMIC Rockefeller Group

Robinson’s May

Royal Maccabees Life Insurance Company

Russell Corporation

Sabre Inc.

Safeco Corporation

SAFECO Insurance

Safeco Properties, Inc.

Sallie Mae

Salomon Smith Barney

San Antonio Foundation

Saner Sundstrand Company

Sara Lee Corporation

SBC Foundation Schiff, Hardin & Waite Foundation

Scientific-Atlantic, Inc.

Scitor

Scripps Howard Foundation

Sealy

Searle Servus Financial Corporation

Shaklee

Shearson Lehman Brothers, Inc.

Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc.

Shell Oil Company

Showa Denko Carbon, Inc.

Siemens Energy and Automation, Inc.

Simplex Grinnell Fire System

Skinner Foundation Smith International, Inc.

Sony Music Entertainment, Inc

Sony Pictures Entertainment

Southern California Gas Company

Southern Progress Corporation

Southwest Gas

Speer, Leeds & Kellogg Sprague

Sprint

SPX Foundation

Square D Foundation

SRP

Starbucks

Starwood Foundation

State Farm

Sterling Winthrop, Inc.

Stilwell Financial, Inc.

Storage Tek

Strawbridge & Clothier

Stream Corporation

Strong Financial Corporation

Student Loan Funding Resources

Suandoz Chemicals Corporations

Subaru of America

Sun Life of Canada

Sun Microsystems Foundation

Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Sun Trust Bank Sundstrand Corporation Foundation

SunLife Assurance Company of Canada

Susquehanna Partners

Sutro and Company, Inc.

T. Rowe Price

Technologies MMI Companies, Inc.

Technologies, Inc.

Tempe-Inland Foundation

Tempe-Inland, Inc.

Tenet Healthcare Foundation Texas

Texas Instruments

Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation

Textron, Inc.

TFC National Bank

The BEA Foundation Matching Gifts Program

The Boeing Company

The Cason Group

The Chubb Corporation Chubb & Son, Inc.

The Clorox Company

The Coca-Cola Company

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation

The Desert Suit

The Economist Group

The Equitable Foundation

The H. & M. Towsley Foundation

The Hartford Hatfield Quality Meats, Inc.

The HCA Foundation

The Home Depot Home Life Insurance Company

The J.M. Smucker Company

The John LaBatt Foundation, Inc.

The Millipore Foundation

The Ohio National Foundation

The Pfizer Foundation Pfizer, Inc.

The RBC Dain

The Salomon Foundation

The Schwab Fund for Charitable Giving

The St. Paul Companies, Inc.

The United Way Universal Leaf Tobacco

The UPS Foundation

Thomson Financial

Ticketmaster

TIG Specialty Tomkins Corporation Foundation

Time Warner

Towers Perrin

Toyota Motor Sales, USA Inc.

Toys R Us Foundation

Toys R Us/ Babies R Us

Trans Union

Transamerica Foundation

Traveler’s Express

Tricon Foundation, Inc.

Trilogy Employee Foundation

Trust Mark Foundation

TRW

Tull Charitable Foundation, Inc.

Turner Investment Partners, Inc.

TX Petrochemicals

Tyco International

U.S. Bancorp

U.S. Bank

U.S. West

UBS

Unilever United States, Inc.

Union Camp Corporation

Union Pacific Corporation

United Asset Management

United Defense United Technologies

United Space alliance

United Technologies

UnumProvident

Upjohn Company USA Funds

UPS - United Parcel Service

US Airways

US Bancorp

USAA

USF&G Foundation, Inc.

Valcro Energy Corporation

Vanguard Group

VERITAS Software

Verizon

Verizon Foundation

Viad

Virginia Power/North Carolina

Vulcan Materials Company

W.K. Kellogg Foundation

W.W. Grainger, Inc.

Wachovia Bank N.A.

Wachovia Corporation

Wal-Mart Washington Group Foundation, Inc.

Washington Group

Washington Mutual Foundation

Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo Bank Wells Fargo Foundation

West Marine, Inc.

Westar Energy

Westvaco Foundation

Weyerhaeuser Co. Foundation

Whirlpool

Wiley, Rein, and Fielding

Williams Communications

Williams Community Relations

Williams Companies, Incorporated

Williams Gas Pipelines/Transco Energy Co.

Wrigley Mg. Co.

Wyeth Corporation

Xerox Corporation

YAHOO!

Yancey Bros. Co.

Yum Brands

Zevenberger Capital

Zunich