Walking sticks have been a necessary tool ever since shepherds began tending sheep and needed a way to protect against thieves and keep the animals in line.

Eventually, the walking stick became a symbol of authority and prestige, and crafters began ornately carving and decorating them.

The craft of cane making is still thriving today, and what is believed to be the only cane club in the United States is based right here in Lancaster County.

And now, with 67 members from across the nation, the American National Cane Club is reaching out to veterans and presenting them with canes as a "thank you" for their service.

ANCC member and project chairman George Basehore said the idea stemmed from an Oklahoma woodcarvers association, which began sending canes to veterans suffering from foot, leg or hip injuries suffered during the Gulf War.

ANCC started its "Canes for Vets" program by shipping canes to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, which distributed them as it saw fit.

But ANCC later decided to send the canes to vets closer to Lancaster County — at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Lebanon.

Each cane is topped with an eagle and dated, but the cane itself varies with the ANCC member who carves it, Basehore said.

"Everyone's is a little different," Basehore said. "The last one was actually a walking stick rather than a cane."

Basehore said each veteran's cane is personalized, bearing their branch of service, the dates of their service and the name of the unit or units with which they served.

"It's our way of showing appreciation to our vets," Basehore said.

The biggest problem is getting information about which veterans need a cane, he said.

Since beginning the project about a year ago, the club has given canes to three World War II veterans, two Vietnam veterans and four Gulf War veterans.

Only one woman, Frieda Shenk, has received a cane from ANCC, Basehore said. Shenk, an adjutant for the Disabled American Veterans, was a U.S. Navy corpsman who was injured in Vietnam.

"The requests have come in slowly because we were only using people in the hospital," Basehore said.

So now ANCC is opening its program to benefit ambulatory outpatient veterans, too, Basehore said.

ANCC was founded in 1988 by New Providence resident Phil Owen, who had made a cane for his nephew's 40th birthday as a joke that he was "going downhill."

Along with the birthday greetings, Owen jokingly appointed his nephew president of the "American National Cane Collectors." However, one thing led to another, and the tongue-in-cheek group — the name was later changed to American National Cane Club to include makers and not just collectors — became real.

"There's been nothing but a good response since," Basehore said.

Since its beginnings, 179 people across the United States and Puerto Rico have held membership in the club. Most members are retired and had previously carved as a hobby, he said.

Each member of the American National Cane Club has his own unique way of crafting and carving walking sticks and canes. In order to inform and aid one another, members meet on the last Tuesday of each month in Manheim.

During the meetings members show each other their latest cane or stick and share a skill or technique, such as leather braiding, pneumatic sanding and putting copper tips on the canes.

Besides sharing information, the meetings usually involve a good bit of humor and camaraderie, he said.

In addition to its meetings, ANCC members also display and demonstrate their work at several craft shows throughout the year.

Making canes is "a lot of fun," Basehore said. Carving is one of the few hobbies where you can "go ahead and make a mess," he said.

Anyone knowing a veteran in need of a cane may contact Basehore at 944-2915 for an application form. For more information on ANCC, go to its Web site at www.caneclub.org.

E-mail: lvaningen@lnpnews.com