Administration


Mr. Schock deeded trusteeship of the park originally to the Donegal (then Mount Joy) School District, who in later years, before effectively abandoning it in 1997, regarded it largely as a financial resource and authorized some rather crude clear-cut logging. (Incidentally, one of the last such efforts rendered the large clearing immediately to the east of the tower.) This was seen as a sign of egregious mismanagement and amongst other things then PA Sen. David 'Chip' Brightbill sought from the District Lebanon County taxes owing from the sale of the timber. This precipitated a change in management.

In 1998 a different administration, one that fulfilled the terms in the deed of being a nearby school district or local government authority, took control. The joint trustees are the Lebanon County Commissioners and the Sico Foundation (primarily an educational scholarship fund established, like Governor Dick, by Sico's founder, Mr. Schock). The Sico Foundation has historically because of this association been a mainstay of support for the park. Each of the organizations have three representatives on the board:
  • Sico:
  • Lebanon County:
    •  The board meets ordinarily at about 7 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at 'Possum Lodge', the supposed educational center building, at the southernmost part of the park off Pinch Road, but this can change with little or no warning. The meetings can be quite informative and are a means of expressing concerns to the board, once one has come to terms with the unusual and arbitrary strictures on public comment. They accept mail as:

    Clarence Schock Memorial Park at Governor Dick
    PO Box 161, Mt. Gretna, PA 17064

    The 'street address' is:
    3283 Pinch Rd., Mt. Gretna, PA 17064

    Directions to the meetings

    From 'downtown' Mount Gretna (which may be reached on Rte. 117 from Rte. 72), take Pinch Road south for approximately 1.5 miles. The 'Possum Lodge' entrance is on the left, almost directly opposite the Governor Nicolas Biddle Trail parking lot on the State gamelands.

    Shiver outside for three-quarters-of-an-hour until they deign to let you in to their meeting (it's happened).

    Their parent organizations are:

    Lebanon County Commissioners
    Room 207, Municipal Building
    400 S. 8th. St.
    Lebanon, PA 17042
    Sico Foundation
    P.O. Box 302
    Mount Joy, PA 17552


    © Friends Of Governor Dick, 2002,3,5