WOODSMEN CONVENTION STARTS TODAY; THREE-DAY EVENT DRAWS 65 DELEGATES

Wayne Graham of Omaha, Neb., executive vice president of Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society, headquartered at Omaha, Neb. and Willie Shaver, of Salisbury, N.C., a national trustee of the firm, will be keynote speakers during the company's Missouri-Kansas Jurisdictional Convention, to be held at Cape Girardeau Friday through Sunday morning.

More than 65 delegates and officers, representing 4,086 members in Missouri and Kansas, will gather for the opening session of the conference at 3 p.m. today, at the Holiday Inn.

Area delegates to the convention include Danny and Barbara Summerlott of East Prairie; Ike and Reba Pope, East Prairie; Ms. Edith Barker, Charleston; and Gary Hartlein, Sikeston.

Two of the Saturday highlights of the conference will be the audiovisual report on the Society's fraternal and life insurance progress by national president and chief executive officer John G. Bookout, and the presentation of the Jurisdictional donation to VIP Industries of Cape Girardeau.

The convention banquet will beheld at 7 p.m. Saturday. Sunday's final session will include a memorial service honoring deceased members and the election and installation of new officers.

Graham, who has served in his present position almost four years, since June 1, 1987, is a member of the First United Methodist Church in Omaha, a 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason and Rotarian. He is a graduate of WEst Virginia Wesleyan College, with a degree in economics.

Shaver was elected a national trustee on the Woodmen Board of Directors in April of 1990. He is owner and president of Salisbury Tractor Co. in Salisbury. He is a graduate of Catawba College, and joined the Woodmen of the World in 1950.

Woodmen of the World has more than 955,000 members in 3,000 local lodges across the U.S. Members participate in social activities and projects that benefit the communities in which they live. The Society has more than $24 billion of life insurance in force, and assets of $2.3 billion.