By SHERRY HALBROOK

PEF Region 12 showed its spirit and flexed its muscles in October at the 21st Annual Convention in Rochester, taking top honors in the race to see which region could post the greatest gains in COPE contributors.

"In the last year, Region 12 has had a 61 percent increase in the number of its members contributing to COPE (Committee on Political Education)," PEF Vice President Ken Brynien announced as he presented the award to Region 12 Coordinator Ruth Gaines at the convention.

Brynien, who chairs PEF's Political Action Committee and heads the COPE program, also presented an award to PEF Division 385 at the state Department of Environmental Conservation in Region 12.

Division 385 Council Leader George Stadnik received the award which the division earned by raising COPE participation among its members by 25 percent.

"They have gone from just four to 36 contributors in the last year," Brynien told the convention delegates as he presented this award.

Gaines and Stadnik said they were very gratified by the enthusiastic response their members are showing to the COPE program which provides support to candidates for national political office.

"We also owe a big thanks to our Region 12 Political Action Committee and its chair, Jonathan Gittens," Gaines said.

Brynien also commended the convention delegates for their COPE support. "More than 150 of you have joined COPE at this convention," he said.

"Sometimes members wonder why we don't just use the money set aside from their dues in PEF's Political Action Fund," Brynien said. "But federal law precludes us from using dues money to contribute to national political campaigns. That can only be done through an independent COPE fund supported entirely by voluntary contributions."

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