UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 4
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
( ) Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16.
Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instructions 1(b).
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
Ratz, E. Wayne
Harleysville Group Inc.
355 Maple Avenue
Harleysville, PA 19438
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Harleysville Group Inc.
HGIC
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
4. Statement for Month/Year
12/31/00
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
( ) Director ( ) 10% Owner (X) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
(specify below)
Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
(X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1. Title of Security |2. |3. |4.Securities Acquired (A) |5.Amount of |6.Dir |7.Nature of Indirect |
| Transaction | or Disposed of (D) | Securities |ect | Beneficial Ownership |
| | | | Beneficially |(D)or | |
| | | | | A/| | Owned at |Indir | |
| Date |Code|V| Amount | D | Price | End of Month |ect(I)| |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
<S> <C> <C> <C><C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Common Stock |12/1/0|M | |10,614 |A |$17.9375 | | | |
|0 | | | | | | | | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Common Stock |12/1/0|S | |10,614 |D |$24.75 |3,423.0736 (1) |D | |
|0 | | | | | | | | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
<CAPTION>
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Table II -- Derivative Securitites Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1.Title of Derivative |2.Con- |3. |4. |5.Number of De |6.Date Exer|7.Title and Amount |8.Price|9.Number |10.|11.Nature of|
Security |version |Transaction | rivative Secu |cisable and| of Underlying |of Deri|of Deriva |Dir|Indirect |
|or Exer | | | rities Acqui |Expiration | Securities |vative |tive |ect|Beneficial |
|cise | | | red(A) or Dis |Date(Month/| |Secu |Securities |(D)|Ownership |
|Price of| | | posed of(D) |Day/Year) | |rity |Benefi |or | |
|Deriva- | | | |Date |Expir| | |ficially |Ind| |
|tive | | | | A/|Exer-|ation| Title and Number | |Owned at |ire| |
|Secu- | | | | | D |cisa-|Date | of Shares | |End of |ct | |
|rity |Date |Code|V| Amount | |ble | | | |Month |(I)| |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C><C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Employee Stock Option |$17.9375|12/1/|M | |10,614 |D |(2) |5/28/|Common Stock|10,614 |--- |31,842 |D | |
(Right-to-Buy) | |00 | | | | | |07 | | | | | | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
</TABLE>
Explanation of Responses:
(1) The total includes 639 shares acquired through 7/15/00 under the
Harleysville Group Inc. Employee Stock
Purchase
Plan.
(2) The option vested in two equal annual installments beginning May 28,
1998.
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
/s/ E. Wayne Ratz
DATE
1/8/01
