A plethora of purses will be part of the P.E.O. rummage sale on Saturday, Aug. 19, which starts at 8 a.m. at the Baker County Event Center, 2600 East St.

A rummage sale this weekend will help local women follow their educational dreams.

“It was first started by the original members of Chapter AX, over 30 years ago, always with the intent to raise funds for scholarships,” said Dorothy Mason, education committee chair for P.E.O. Chapter AX in Baker City.

P.E.O. stands for Philanthropic Educational Organization. Each year, Chapter AX awards three scholarships, open to graduates from high schools in Baker County and North Powder.

Rummage sale

The sale is set for Saturday, Aug. 19, at the Baker County Event Center 2600 East St., starting at 8 a.m.

Purchases are cash only.

Sale items, donated from members of P.E.O., include new and gently used quality items including furniture, collectables, estate sale items, clothing, kitchenware, children’s games and toys, bedding and bath, entertainment media, seasonal items and a boutique area.

All proceeds from the rummage sale will fund financial assistance to women pursuing post high school education.

Scholarships

Chapter AX awards two scholarships to graduating women that are named in honor of past P.E.O. members: the Gertrude Fortner-Rose Haskell Scholarship, and the Mildred F. Rogers Scholarships. Applications for these scholarships are due March 1.

Another award, the Pat Fessel Scholarship, is awarded to a woman who has completed two years of college. Applications are due April 1.

Information about these scholarships is available through Baker High School (go to bhs.bakersd.org and click on “Counseling”) or by emailing Mason at dbmason@eoni.com.

State, national scholarships and Cottey College

In addition to the local scholarships, the local P.E.O. chapter can host submissions to Oregon Chapter’s P.E.O. Sisterhood Charitable Trust and P.E.O. International Philanthropies. Mason is also the contact for information about these scholarships programs.

“Oregon has an exceptional level of P.E.O. scholarships,” Mason said.

One of the programs provides financial assistance through a master’s or PhD program for a woman who is attending an Oregon school.

“We just did that successfully with a veterinarian student from North Powder,” she said.

P.E.O. also runs Cottey College, an all-women college located in Nevada, Missouri. Virginia Alice Cottey founded the college in 1884 and bequeathed it to the P.E.O. Sisterhood in 1927, making it the only nonsectarian college owned and supported by women, according to cottey.edu.

“We have quite a few women in this community who have gone to Cottey College,” Mason said.

Contact her for more information about the school, including fully funded trips to visit the campus and financial assistance to attend the college.

About P.E.O.

P.E.O. was founded Jan. 21, 1869, by seven students at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Since its inception, P.E.O. has helped more than 122,000 women pursue educational goals by providing nearly $415 million in grants, scholarships, awards and loans.