Good Day! Summer 2020 [V4I2]

Vol. 4, Issue 2 l Summer 2020

™

A quarterly publication of the National Grange

Good DAY!

Women’s Suffrage at 100

The Grange’s founding principle of gender equality helped set the stage in a variety of ways for enfranchisement of women, but the story behind the organization’s support of the 19th Amendment, and even our own inclusivity and opportunities in the Order for ‘the fairer sex’ has been complicated.

PAPER REVOLUTION Over 68% of paper and paper-based packaging is recycled into new products, the highest recycling rate of any material in the U.S!

Discover the story of paper www.lovepaperna.org Sources: American Forest and Paper Association, 2019; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2017

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J

JUNIOR GRANGE

91

GRASSROOTS

34

Y

GRANGE YOUTH

98

F

FOUNDATION

53

H

HOBBIES & LIFESTYLE

103

M

MEMBERSHIP NEWS & RECOGNITION

56

R

FOOD & RECIPES

109

L

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS

65

L W

LAST WORD

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NATIONAL NEWS & VIEWS

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PERSPECTIVE: Women’s Suffrage & A Look at the Grange’s Empowerment of Women

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Cover Photo

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Heather Druckenmiller, a finance committee member of Valley Grange #1360, Pennsylvania, shows off her “I Voted Today” sticker after participating in the primary election this June.

Druckenmiller and her husband, Matthew, are expecting their first child in October.

She said she is proud to know their child will be exposed to ideas of gender equality and be part of an organization that has made such a positive difference in major causes like women’s suffrage.

“It’s not just a woman’s issue,” she said. “Being part of an organization and a nation that allows us all to vote makes us better by ensuring our values and issues of importance aren’t ignored or forgotten.”

Photo credit: Matthew Druckenmiller, member, Valley Grange #1360, PA Good Day! Magazine is a quarterly publication of the National Grange. located at 1616 H St. NW, Washington, DC 20006.

ISSN: 2688-6030. | All comments and questions can be directed to communications@nationalgrange.org Reproduction or distribution of any part of this magazine is prohibited by anyone otherr than a Grange member or a chartered Grange without written permission from the National Grange Communications Department.

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Staff

WHAT’S THE GRANGE? The National Grange was founded as a fraternal organization for farm families in 1867 – opening its doors to men and women equally from the start.

From rural free delivery of mail to the direct election of U.S. Senators by the people, Grange has influenced many aspects of American life and culture.

Today we continue to advocate for rural Americans and those interested in all areas of agriculture – including those who just like to eat – and our local Granges provide millions of dollars and hours of service to their neighbors annually.

Each Grange operates as a grassroots unit, taking on projects most appropriate for their communities and advocating based on their members’ beliefs.

®

Officers

Betsy E. Huber, PA, President betsy@nationalgrange.org F. Philip Prelli, CT, Vice President Executive Committee Chair philip.prelli@snet.net Susan Noah, OR,

Executive Committee Secretary master@orgrange.org Leroy Watson, NH, Executive Committee Member & Grange Advocacy Board Chair leroyawatson@nationalgrange.org Lynette Schaeffer, IL,

Executive Committee Member schaeffr@att.net Stephen Coye, NY,

Executive Committee Member steve@nygrange.org Chris Hamp, WA,

National Lecturer lecturer@nationalgrange.org

Betsy E. Huber, Publisher National Grange President & President, Grange Foundation betsy@nationalgrange.org Amanda Leigh Brozana Rios, Editor Communications & Development Director & Grange Foundation Associate communications@nationalgrange.org Loretta Washington, Subscription Manager Sales, Benefits, Programs & Membership Recognition Director lwashington@nationalgrange.org Stephanie Wilkins, Subscriptions Assistant IT Director swilkins@nationalgrange.org

Learn more at www.nationalgrange.org.

OUR

OUR

Samantha Wilkins Operations Manager & National Junior Grange Director samantha@nationalgrange.org Burton Eller Legislative Director beller@nationalgrange.org

William “Chip” Narvel, DE, National Steward John Plank, IN, National Assistant Steward

Joe Stefenoni Membership & Leadership Development Director membership@nationalgrange.org

Karen Overstreet, TX, National Lady Assistant Steward

Mandy Bostwick Youth Development Director youth@nationalgrange.org

Barbara Borderieux, FL, National Chaplain

Pete Pompper Community Service Director communityservice@nationalgrange.org

Sherry Harriman, ME, National Treasurer Judy Sherrod, TN, National Secretary

Heather Simon, Johanna Huber, Sean O’Neil and Kennedy Gwin Interns

Christopher Johnston, MI, National Gatekeeper

Mujo Mrkonjic Building Engineer

Cindy Greer, CO, National Ceres Kay Stiles, MD, National Pomona Welina Shufeldt, OK, National Flora

REMINDER As of November 2019, the National Grange has discontinued its toll-free number. Please direct all calls to our office at (202) 628-3507.

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Betsy E. Huber

I’ve attended a couple of professional women’s

discussion

panels

My Grange involvement since the

and

age of 5 (and earlier) has ingrained in

symposiums over the past few years

me the belief that women and men are

in Washington, D.C., and always the

equal; that women are just as capable

topic is the glass ceiling and unequal

of holding leadership positions in the

advancement in their careers because of

Grange and in society as men are.

their gender. It makes me sad that these

My farm upbringing is a part of this

women did not have the opportunities

belief, too. On the farm, the husband

in the Grange at a young age like I

and wife, father and mother, have equal

did. I wonder what their lives would be

responsibility for seeing that the work is

like if they had been affirmed in their

done when the seeds must be planted,

capabilities or mentored and stretched

when the harvest is ripe, when the storm

condition of citizenship.” But it took until

as a youth to reach their highest potential

is coming and the hay must be baled. Of

1915 for the National Grange delegates

through membership in an organization

course the women in my family cooked,

to go squarely on the record in favor of

like the Grange.

cleaned, sewed and preserved, but they

an equal suffrage amendment to the

In my lifetime I have experienced

also plowed, planted, milked cows, and

many firsts—first female President of

loaded hay. A family farm is a partnership

my Subordinate Grange, first female

between man and woman, and this is

Supervisor in my township, first female

engrained in my DNA from birth.

Constitution. It was reaffirmed in 1916 and 1917.

In the Grange’s first 80 years, only four women held the office of State Presidentr,

State President in Pennsylvania, first

In addition, both my parents and

female Penn State Ag Trustee, and finally

grandparents were always active in the

first female National Grange President.

community and volunteered for civic

Montana (1938), and North Carolina

While these were all enormous honors

responsibilities, from school board to

(1946).

and I appreciated them very much, it was

township supervisor, Extension board,

served as Lecturers and Secretaries in

not the “first female” fact that meant the

4-H leader, and milk co-op director to

many State Granges. And of course we

most to me.

name a few. I grew up believing that an

recognize that most National Presidents

I believe this is because of my

expected part of life was volunteering for

served with their “right hand” First

upbringing in the Grange and on the

civic duties and working to improve my

Ladies by their sides even through the

farm. As we all know, the Grange has

community.

20th century.

treated women equally since 1867 when

Women’s suffrage was a topic of

it was founded, thanks in large part to

debate in National Grange sessions

founder Kelley’s niece Caroline Hall.

for many years before the delegates

in Minnesota (1895), Wyoming (1920), However,

numerous

women

At this 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment, let’s celebrate our Grange history of women’s equality and be sure

“The equality of opportunity offered

were convinced to express support

to women in the Grange made it not

for the idea. In 1885, a resolution was

only the first farm organization, but the

adopted recognizing the equality of

first American association of any general

the two sexes, and hailing “with delight

worth. I am very thankful for my Grange

sort, to emblazon equality and justice for

any advancement in the legal status of

upbringing that has shaped my character

women upon its banner.” [The Grange—

woman which may give to her the full

and enabled me to serve in so many

Friend of the Farmer.]

right of the ballot-box, and an equal

governmental and civic capacities.

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to remind the world that we were the first organization to recognize her full

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ADVERTISE WITH US Our quarterly publication welcomes advertisers. Up to a 20% discount may be offered to Grange members on their ad purchases. All rates shown are for pre-designed content submitted at least 2 weeks in advance of press date for an issue. You may request rates for ads to be designed by our staff.

GOOD DAY!™ PRESS DATES 2020-21 Issue Due Date Hits Mailboxes Fall

August 15

September 15

Spring

February 1

April 1, 2021

Winter

November 1

Summer

May 1

January 1, 2021 June 1, 2021

Classified ads are also welcomed at $0.50 per word up to 25 words, $1 thereafter; $2.50 per website, email, or other link regardless of word count; $5 per photo (will appear no larger than 1.5”x1”). Special requests (bold design, font increase) available for extra charge. All copy should be submitted no later than 10 days prior to the due date.

National Grange assumes no responsibility for that which is advertised in Good Day!™ and reserves the right to reject ads deemed offensive or irrelevant.

Please contact Amanda Brozana Rios at communications@nationalgrange.org or by phone at (301) 943-1090 for details.

WRITE FOR US This is your chance! This is your magazine.

Submissions may be made by any Grange member in good standing, especially including Junior and Youth members and must be your own original work.

For Juniors, you may get your parent, guardian or another mentor or adult’s assistance to write or draw the piece, but we expect all those who assist to adhere to high ethical standards and allow the Junior’s work to be reflected without influence by the adult/ older assistant.

All work must be in good taste and appropriate for our audience. The National Grange reserves the right to reject any submissions.

Guidelines & The Fine Print Entries may include: photo essay (at least three photos that together tell a story with captions identifying the people in the photo if applicable and what is happening in the scene); short story (max. 1,500 words); poem; essay/article (maximum 1,500 words and must include at least two relevant photographs with captions); skit (no more than six speaking characters; should not take more than 10 minutes to perform and should not require an elaborate set); D-I-Y (do-it-yourself) project with supply list, step-by-step instructions and photos of each step; or open category (examples include but are not limited to a coloring book page related to Grange or agriculture; comic strip or box; recipes, etc.).

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Each entry must be submitted digitally and include name, address, phone number, email (if applicable) and Grange details (name, number and state of Subordinate Grange and office held). Junior 1+ members can list the Subordinate or State Grange they are affiliated with. E-members can list National Grange E-member.

Submission

is

acknowledgment

that

publication is authorized. In the case of Junior submissions, this is acknowledgment of right to publish by both Junior and their parent/ guardian.

All submissions must be made via email to communications@nationalgrange.org.

From the desk of the AMANDA LEIGH BROZANA RIOS

Editor

I’m the daughter of a police officer.

arrested for picketing the White House

cultivation of the mind which destroys

While he’s retired, he will always be

in 1917 were beaten and force fed in

error and keeps our thoughts quickened

“Chief” to me.

their cells, actions that helped finally

and ready to receive and apply new

push President Wilson to the cause of

facts as they appear, thus promoting the

enfranchisement of “the fairer sex.”

growth of knowledge and wisdom.”

I’m also a woman who proudly has the First Amendment tattooed on my back.

These two things are part of my identity, but over the past many weeks

We also have built into our structure a

We can make sure our Lecturer’s

time at every Grange meeting to expand

programming, our outreach and our

our minds and our worldviews.

associated outings take us or at least

it feels as if my respect for both law

I strongly believe that in order to

our minds to new places. Even when we

enforcement and the five freedoms

have a civil society, respecting all those

cannot meet in person, we can use this

afforded us by the First Amendment

like and all those unlike ourselves, we

time to encourage our members to read

should be at odds with one another.

must have exposure to new ideas and

about new subjects, from new authors

information.

with new viewpoints.

Instead, I believe the two support one another, so long as we commit to

Reading this issue’s feature piece by

When we return to our halls, or if

civility, listening, learning and loving our

Carolyn Ostrander, I learned new details

your Grange is holding virtual meetings

neighbors.

about our history and the women’s

where guests are welcomed to provide

There will always be bad actors in the

movement in the 19th and 20th centuries

insights, we can make sure our experts are

world, and law enforcement has the duty

– so many things that I did not learn in

from a wide swath of backgrounds and

to protect the citizens within parameters

school or college.

experiences, our readings are from diverse

of good conduct and legal action. When

But I know that there is still so much

writers and speakers, and our activities are

this is ignored, it is our duty and our

of the history of our nation and our world

ones that place us in the path of people

right to call for change. But that right is

that impacts the way we live today that I

whose lives do not look like ours.

restricted by this one word: peaceably.

do not know.

In the Grange, we close the gates

Our right to assemble and call on our

Some say it’s because it’s unknowable

and come together to do our work as a

government to enact change hinges on

and lost to time. However, we have so

body, “for promoting the welfare of our

our ability to do so peaceably.

many examples of recorded history of

country and of mankind.” What better

However, we know that when pleas

people, actions and events that are just

place – where we feel comfortable as

are too long ignored, there are two

not included in our school curriculum or

family and have all agreed to respect

options – to become apathetic and

in accounts in our mainstream media.

one another and work for the betterment

disengaged, or to yell louder and move

Certainly lack of time is a key factor, but

of mankind – than the Grange to allow

with more force to be recognized.

the choices made mean we are provided

ourselves a bit of discomfort in order to

an incomplete and often inaccurate view

cultivate personal growth.

Today we are seeing both in our streets and in our homes.

So how then does this relate to a “third place,” a social setting like the Grange?

of what life is like for many others who

This does not mean we have to

have personal connection to what is

commit to a completely different lifestyle

overlooked.

or viewpoint. Discomfort can come just

This is where the Grange can make

by learning how much you do not know

In the Grange we have a proud

a difference and honor the progressive

or hearing about a life parallel to ours

history of giving voice to those who are

leaders who established our Order - and

but lived differently.

oppressed – think about what we learn

now is the time; the season of the Second

In Granges, we can express our views

in our main feature here about the fight

Degree where learning and growth and

then sit with those whose views are

for women’s suffrage. It was not always

hope combine for us to realize a brighter

different than ours for a meal.

clean or neat or without horror. Women

future. “The Hoe... is emblematic of that

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I can close my eyes and imagine that

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this happened frequently in the early years of the Grange as

fear because we are surrounded by others who also wish to

men and women stood to speak for and against suffrage. It can

become better and grow into “a higher and better manhood

happen today as we talk about the issues of importance and

and womanhood.”

acknowledge inequities that still exist.

Together we can open our hearts and minds in order to

Further, we cannot say about some issues “it happened so far in the past so it doesn’t matter now” and turn, offended, when something honoring a past we have some feeling of lineage to is disrespected.

In our Granges and in our lives, we have committed as Patrons that “in our dealings with our fellow men, … be just...”

Being just means being fair and equitable, but that does not always come easily, hence the command continues by telling us to “fear not.”

grow.

That growth will bring us closer and make us truly worthy Brothers and Sisters of our Order. It will also help be a salve on our communities and our world by providing a space where different voices may be heard, which can be a giant step forward toward that peaceable action called for by our nation’s founding fathers to enact change.

This, I do believe, the Grange can do and has a noble calling to do for our members, our communities and our world.

Fear not.

Fear not what you will learn you do not know. Fear not what

Just as much as I believe in the Constitutional rights, so too do I believe in the power of the Grange, which is also

you will feel that is not comfortable.

If we use our Granges as homes to expose us to new ideas, new histories and new cultures, there is no need to

permanently part of me in ink on my forearm and in spirit in my heart.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORT Decisions made on upcoming events keep safety of all in mind

By Stephen Coye National Grange Executive Committee Member Unprecedented.

A word that doesn’t usually occupy front and center attention to the average person’s mind – until this year.

Describing what is happening in relation to COVID-19, how to deal with it, both now and in the future, is unprecedented.

It is much akin to asking a small child to describe a zebra when one has never been seen.

As nearly 100% of our ability to deal with situations depends on our accumulated knowledge and experience, both of which are sorely missing in this case, moving ahead with carefully contemplated strategies can amount to little more than a gamble, and one which the odds makers probably wouldn’t touch.

No part of the Grange structure has been untouched by COVID, leaving leadership personnel especially on the

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State and National levels scrambling to find reliable information to make the proper decisions to operate in the here and now, as well as into the immediate and long range future.

As the work of our entire organization is tied to “gatherings” of one size or another it makes it especially difficult to ascertain the proper path to take.

The decision to reshape the 154th Session of the National Grange was not an easy one, as a decision in any direction other than the established normal operation and focus resulted in a plethora of unwanted fallouts in every other direction. There was no precedent to help us out.

The present plan that has been articulated focuses on just two things, doing only what we absolutely need to do to fulfill our corporate responsibilities, and do it with as few people as possible onsite, relying on technology to help us to a greater extent than we ever imagined it could.

Are we disappointed with the path

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we felt that we needed to take?

In a word, Yes. However, again as there is no precedent as to how the entire COVID situation is going to play out over time, it behooved us to act on the side of extreme caution.

We value the safety of our staff, officers and delegates, and members who might wish to attend. I think it is important for all of us to remember that governmental restrictions are unprecedented as well.

Their decisions, just like ours, are based on limited knowledge, but with the overarching responsibility to keep citizens as protected as possible.

We are trusting that by around the first of the year enough knowledge will have been developed to aid us in planning for future, minus all the guess work. In the mean time we will be continuing to adjust to the situation at hand, as the situations dictate.

In spite of all the adversity, the Grange spirit lives on, and our goal is to enhance it. Esto Perpetua!

2020 National Convention limited to delegates, officers only

By Philip J. Vonada National Grange Communication Fellow During the “Cultivating Connections” broadcast on Facebook Live on June 1, National Grange President Betsy Huber made the official announcement that the 154th Annual Session of the National Grange will be scaled down to just two days in Valley Forge, with only National Grange Officers and State Delegates invited to attend.

“I am really disappointed the way things have turned out,” Huber said, “I was looking forward to welcoming you to my home state, but our members’ safety is our first concern.” Huber later said she would still love to see the annual convention in Pennsylvania soon.

The shortening of November’s session is just one of many cancellations, postponements, reschedulings, or contingency shifts due to the coronavirus COVID-19 epidemic that has affected the United States over the past five months.

The session in Valley Forge will be held November 17 and 18.

The Grange will still open in the Seventh Degree, but the convention will be limited to action on resolutions, limited to Delegates and National Officers.

There will be no visitors or guests, Huber said, “and that is one thing we know is firm.

We don’t really know what the situation will be like in November, but we know this was the best thing to do.”

The session will also include the annual Memorial Service, led by Chaplain Barbara Borderieux, the election of two members of the Executive Committee, and announcement of a variety of awards and program winners.

Huber stressed that committee work on resolutions will be done via teleconferencing ahead of the convention, as some committees have done over the past few years. This will allow a “smoother session,” she says, if only the final presentation of resolutions ready for action are done on the floor.

Huber mentioned that the National

Grange is fortunate that the hotel is allowing the contract to be revisited.

With concerns over how the coronavirus is affecting older members of society, Communications Director Amanda BrozanaRios mentioned that the National Grange staff and Board are discussing whether there will be the option to live-stream or have virtual Delegates to session if State Presidents are unable to attend.

For those attending session, registration will now occur through the National Grange office. Transportation will still be provided from the Philadelphia International Airport, as coordinated by the region’s host committee and the National office.

Many of the things that attendees at session have come to know and appreciate will be unavailable this year - tours, large banquets, the hospitality room, the conferral of the Seventh Degree, Evening of Excellence, and more, including the invaluable social time and Grange networking.

Also on the Cultivating Connections stream were most of the National Grange department directors - Loretta Washington (Sales, Benefits, and Programming), Amanda Brozana-Rios (Communications), Chris Hamp (National Grange Lecturer), Pete Pompper (Community Service), Samantha Wilkins (Juniors), and Mandy Bostwick (Youth).

Each director spoke about changes to their Departments because of the changes to convention, but stressed that information will be available in writing in future issues of the Patron’s Chain and Good Day!™, will be found on the National Grange website and social media over the coming weeks, and will be shared with State Grange Presidents and Communication Directors for distribution to members.

Although Patrons across the country seem to understand the concerns of the National Grange, and also appreciate the work the staff and Board of Directors have done to ensure delegate safety, there are many who are disappointed.

Among them, Gene Zvarick, who has served as the Convention Chairperson for the Eastern Region over the past two years, said the decision was hard to swallow but understandable.

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“This was going to be our year to shine… it’s heartbreaking.”

- Gene Zvarick, 2020 National Convention Regional Coordinator “As we entered 2020, I became more and more excited for National Session,” he said, “In March, after COVID-19 hit and Grange events slowly canceled, I was honestly concerned for the annual convention. I kept telling myself that November is a long time away and this will clear up by then, but more and more events were canceled.” He said he grew sad, knowing that a large portion of his Grange family from across the nation would likely be unable to come.

Zvarick said he “kept moving along… not wanting to believe the inevitable.”

There was plenty of work to be done, and he really wanted to show off Pennsylvania hospitality and the Valley Forge region.

“Valley Forge means a lot to me and I have been looking forward to showing it off for two years. There were tours to historic Philadelphia and local historic sites,” Zvarick said, including some where he has volunteered and enjoyed downtime over the years. “Just to have the National Grange, an organization I hold very near to my heart and is a major part of my life, come to my hometown is a dream come true.”

Zvarick invites any Grange member who would like to visit Valley Forge another time to contact him for private tours and visits.

“This was going to be our year to shine… it’s heartbreaking.”

Zvarick did show a note of hope, however.

“The work of our Order will still take place. We must persevere and know the most basic purpose of our Order (grassroots legislation) will still take pace,” Zvarick said.

“This is something we can all be proud of.”

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Departments announce changes for 2020 contests, programs Due to the changing format of the 154th National Grange Convention and limitations related to Grange work and activities for 2020, the National Grange directors in charge of various contests and programs have issued guidance for this year’s events. Please note changes to these activities, which include some cancellations of contests and some changed submission requirements.

From this information, your state may issue guidance related to changes in statelevel programming, such as receiving and judging community service books, talent entries, ambassador candidate preparation and more. If you are a state-director and wish to learn more about how you may change your programming to conform to the new guidance please contact the national director for your department. If you are a Subordinate or Pomona director, please contact the State Director where state-level entries are required or the national director for direct submission contests and programs such as Junior contests, Distinguished Grange and more.

PROGRAMS • Distinguished Grange – Program will continue as noted and deadline of August 1 still applies. Fill out the form to the best of your ability. Entries will be considered with COVID cancelations and restrictions in mind. If you feel you are a Distinguished Grange, please apply.

• Grange In Action Recognition Program – Granges are highly encouraged to apply. Granges continuing outreach during the COVID crisis should qualify.

Deadline of September 25 and all other program rules still apply. If your Grange applies for Distinguished Grange, you may not apply for Grange in Action.

• Grange Legacy Family Recognition Program – Families may still apply by the deadline of August 3 with information to be included in our list of Legacy Families.

Certificates will be mailed directly to the recipients and will be recognized at the 2021 National Grange Convention in a fashion to be determined.

For clarification on these programs, contact Loretta Washington at lwashington@ nationalgrange.org.

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LECTURER • Evening of Excellence – All states are encouraged to conduct state contests and submit their Best of Show winner to the National Lecturer. All State Grange Best of Show winners will be invited to perform on a special National Grange Virtual Evening of Excellence later this fall.

• Photography Showcase – The Photography Showcase of the Best of Show winners from each State Grange at National Convention has been canceled. In its place will be a Virtual Photography Contest – open to ALL members and non-members, regardless of age. Members may submit up to three digital photos. All entries must be received electronically as a single (1) file no larger than 100MB via Google Forms at https://bit.ly/grange20photo by October 31, 2020.

• Publicity Item Contest – The 2020 Publicity Item Contest is a go with no changes. Deadline for entries is October 31. All details can be found at https://www. nationalgrange.org/lecturers-programming/ • Best of the States Showcase (Eastern Region) – There will be no Best of the States/ Best of the Region display this year.

• Quilt Block Contest – The 2020 Quilt Block Contest is still a go with no changes.

• Quilts of Valor Presentation – The Wednesday evening QOV presentation will not occur at the National Convention this year. State and local Granges are encouraged to find a way to make these presentations. Please send photos and write-ups of your QOV presentations to National Lecturer Chris Hamp at lecturer@ nationalgrange.org.

For additional information or clarification on these programs, contact Chris Hamp at lecturer@nationalgrange.org.

FOUNDATION • Grange Mercantile – There will be no physical 2020 Grange Foundation Mercantile at the National Convention. Items already collected will be auctioned online throughout the summer or fall with more details coming. Please continue to make and prepare for future donation your highquality handicrafts and contact National Lecturer Chris Hamp about donations by email at lecturer@nationalgrange.org

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• Live Auction - No live auction will take place at convention. Please save items for auction at the 2021 Convention or contact National President Betsy Huber to discuss donations.

• $20 for ’20 Youth Donations – Will be recognized at the 2021 session in a way TBD. COMMUNITY SERVICE • “Of the Year” Awards (Teacher, Law Enforcement Officer, Firefighter) – No changes. Forms available on the nationalgrange.org website and deadline remains Nov. 1.

• Community Service Notebooks Notebooks will not come to convention as they will not be judged at session.

State winning notebooks should be sent electronically • A brief training will be held later in the summer to discuss how you can scan and upload these large files to services like Google Drive or Dropbox. Granges who wish to submit the materials by USB drive may send the drive directly to Pete Pompper at his home address.

• Community Service Project - There will be no on-site collection for the annual National Community Service Project, directed by the host region. Instead, you are encouraged to keep track of any service done by your members or Grange during this year and complete the community service form and submit to Pete Pompper by mail or email.

For clarification on these programs, contact Pete Pompper at communityservice@nationalgrange.org.

JUNIORS • Contests - As always, Junior contest entries may come directly to the director and need not go through a state-level contest in order to compete or be judged.

These contests include: September 1 deadline: o Junior Historian Award o Ag Awareness o Cape of Honor o Jr Ambassador Applications October 1 deadline: o digital talent show o creative art o creative writing

o mini-scrapbook o photography o handy-craft o membership • JUNIOR AT HEART SUBMISSIONS (14+ to support the Junior Program) Remain due by October 31 with $5 tax-deductible entry fee made to Grange Foundation, MEMO LINE: Junior • Junior community service book - Must be digitally scanned and sent to National Junior or Community Service Director.

October 31 deadline • Junior quilt blocks to Chris Hamp by October 31 deadline.

• State/Local directors reports – remains due to National Junior Director by October 1.

• Grange Baseball will be turned into a trivia night for Juniors- sign-ups will be in August and Contest (just for fun) will be in September. This will be done via Zoom in the same layout that the current trivia nights are being held.

• Junior Passports - new passports are being published on a regular basis, check back regularly to the Junior website or create your own to submit.

• Ambassador - States are encouraged to submit candidates for 2021 National Junior Ambassador. Deadline of September 1 still applies. Interviews will be done via a Zoom platform in October.

Current Ambassadors Bryce Danko and Brianna Gervais will serve as mentors to the new team in 2021.

For clarification on these programs,

contact Samantha Wilkins at nationalgrange.org.

junior@

YOUTH • Parliamentary Procedure contest will not be held this year.

• Code Reading/Grange Ritual will not be held, and will be transitioning to a regional contest in 2021. Details will come out in the 2021 Youth Program and Handbook.

• Youth Officer Team and John Trimble Legislative Youth Experience - No applications will be accepted • Pillars - Notification of entry is still due September 1 and entries will need to be scanned and received by the National Grange Youth Director by November 1.

• Ambassador/Young Patron - States are encouraged to submit candidates for 2021 Youth Ambassadors and Outstanding Young Patrons. State Ambassador/ Young Patron candidates are required to participate in regional public speaking contest; deadline has passed for signups (June 15). The deadline for all other requirements of September 1 still applies.

Interviews will be held in October (TBA) and the announcement of 2021 National Grange Youth Leadership Team will be announced in November. Notebooks will need to be scanned and digitally submitted for judges to review. Notebooks will need to be received one week before the interview date (TBA) • Distinguished Youth Grange - The program will continue as noted and the deadline of September 1 still applies. Fill out

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the form to the best of your ability. Entries will be considered with COVID cancelations and restrictions in mind. If you feel you are a Distinguished Youth Grange who meets basic minimum criteria, please apply.

• Junior Mentor Award/Wib and June Justi Youth Community Service Award – September 1 deadline still applies • Youth Membership Award September 1 deadline still applies • Grange Baseball contest will be held in September. More details to come.

• GROW Club Raffle - More details will be coming about the GROW Club’s annual scholarship raffle this summer. Please check back in the Patron’s Chain newsletter to learn more.

For clarification on these programs, contact Mandy Bostwick at youth@ nationalgrange.org.

COMMUNICATIONS • Communication Fellows Program Applications for the 2020-21 Communication Fellows Program will be posted on the National Grange website in early July. The program will begin with remote instruction in fall 2020 and run through 2021. Participants who complete the remote instruction will be sponsored to attend the 2021 National Grange Convention to complete the capstone hands-on training and receive further instruction across a variety of areas of Grange leadership, membership, programming and more.

For clarification on these programs, contact Amanda Brozana Rios at communications@nationalgrange.org.

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Grange issues statement on racism, inequality; highlights organization’s objective of inclusion The National Grange unequivocally opposes racism. The voices of Grange members across our country join those who cry out in sorrow for the lives lost to racist actions, for the divisions racism has cleaved between us and for the inequality that racism has spawned across our beloved nation.

Since our founding in 1867, we have lived by our motto, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” We have always welcomed and invited people of all races, creeds, religions and nationalities into our membership. We have asked none to join us who cannot see good in their fellow beings, who are willing to put to work their generous hearts and open hands to raise all their neighbors and communities.

Our Grange founders provided us a Declaration of Purposes for our organization that addressed a need for unity and civil discourse: “We shall constantly strive to secure harmony, good will, and brotherhood… We shall earnestly endeavor to suppress personal, local, sectional, and national prejudices…

We desire a proper equality, and fairness; protection for the weak; restraint upon the strong; in short, justly distributed power.” These words still guide us today.

One does not merely join the Grange, but lives by the principles of faith, hope, charity and fidelity and loving their neighbor as themselves.

We have a deep commitment to the freedoms of speech, expression and peaceful protest enshrined in our Constitution for all people. The Grange’s Declaration of Purposes also teaches us that “…difference of opinion is no crime. Progress toward truth is made by differences of opinion, while the fault lies in the bitterness of the controversy.”

Therefore we urge everyone to exercise their individual rights of expression in a civil and respectful manner. Each day, law enforcement officers must uphold the law equally while exercising good judgment and compassion.

Just as we do in each of our meetings, we must meet the peaceful expressions of various opinions with open ears and open hearts.

In this time of social unrest and

anxiety, Grange members renew our pledge to combat prejudice and racism and will continue to strive to do better.

We continue our 153-year-old tradition of welcoming all to our membership, building an inclusive family fraternity and providing our communities with a place for civil discussion and proactive, positive change.

History of titles addressed; transition to modern language encouraged The origin of Grange officer titles was never racist and has no connection to, or promotion of, the ante bellum southern plantation management system. Nor are any of the Grange officer titles reflective of any Biblical examples, such as when in the Gospels, Jesus is addressed by his followers as “Master.”

All of the names of the Grange officers were borrowed from the traditional titles of the offices on British farm estates.

These estates were basically self-contained, collective, village enterprises with duties and responsibilities assigned to the various workers based on their experience and educational attainment.

The title of Master was for the individual who was the overall direct manager for the estate, in charge of major decisions such as where to invest capital for productivity improvement, what crops to plant to gain the best return in rotation, where to assign workers for best use of the human resources on the estate, etc.

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The Master was supposed to be the most experienced and educated individual on the estate.

The office of Grange Master is therefore directly analogous to titles awarded to other professions in our society as an achievement for educational and practical professional achievement, such as a master’s degree awarded by a college or university or a master tradesman such as a master plumber or electrician.

In the installation ceremony for every Grange Master since the 1870’s, the critical importance of leadership is especially emphasized: “To you all connected with your Grange will look for example; and not these only, but those outside the Gate will diligently scrutinize each act….You may encounter difficulties. Overcome them, remembering that difficulties are but opportunities to test our abilities…A judicious Master will use due care that no time is lost in useless labor…Your laborers

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may not at first comprehend the value of this; but it is your duty to instruct them.”

The Overseer was essentially the HR manager for the British estate.

Again, education and experience were critical for a successful Overseer.

The Overseer was as much a motivator as he was a manager. Again the installation ceremony for every Grange Overseer makes clear the scope of duties as the personnel manager for the Grange.

“The Laborers come to you for instruction in their work, and you are brought in contact with them. Your influence is direct; exert that influence with due care. Of all the sweeteners of human toil, of all the motive powers

that give alacrity to the hand or foot, readiness to the will, and intelligence to mind and purpose, the quickest and most enduring in results is the kind word spoken in season.”

At no point in time was the sanctioned use physical force or violence to obtain compliance with the direction of the estate management that became associated with the southern plantation system ever part of Grange teachings.

Grange laborers (members) have always voluntarily contributed their time and talent to the good of the organization and elected qualified officers from among their own ranks to lead them, working their way from lower offices

to higher as education and experience increased on their Grange journey.

Today we have a clear understanding that these terms, while never borrowed from the heinous time of American slavery, still evoke valid emotions and thoughts of racial inequity and hate.

We have actively transitioned to the words President and Vice President.

While the original terms are still sometimes used out of habit, and are still found in some of our documents that date back to our founding, we seek to make comfortable in Granges all persons of good character seeking to join us, and urge our members to transition with us to more modern titles.

Grange Headquarters sustains minor damage during protests

By Amanda Brozana Rios National Grange Communications and Development Director During the evening of Saturday, May 30, the third night of protests in Washington D.C., the National Grange Headquarters sustained minor damage.

A rock was thrown through one of the front windows, breaking a pane and scattering glass inside. The rock landed more than 20 feet inside the building.

A red graffiti tag was painted on the front edifice that was shortly removed thanks to the White House Historical Association, whose next door building was heavily spray painted with many messages.

On Monday, June 1, building engineer Mujo Mrkonjik fixed cardboard over all the first-floor windows to reduce the possibility of further damage. Secret Service also removed some of the landscaping items outside the building they were concerned could become projectiles or be damaged.

“Today we paid the price of having a building in the heart of Washington, D.C.,” National President Betsy Huber said of the damage on a Monday evening Cultivating Connections episode, reminding members that the building is located just a half a block from the open park in front of the White House. She encouraged all members to pray for peace in the nation and our neighborhood during this time.

Streets around the building were barricaded starting the afternoon of Monday, June 1, and for most of the week, reducing traffic in the area.

No further damage was reported.

Huber thanked all members who have given in the past to the National Grange Building Fund and those who gave in recent days.

“Our building is a treasured asset and just as we would pitch in to maintain and preserve a family home we had a stake in, members are encouraged to help where they can to keep our organization’s home in good shape,” Huber said.

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Photo by Mujo Mrkonik ABOVE: The windows on the first floor of the National Grange Headquarters building in Washington, D.C. were covered after weekend protests to reduce the potential for additional damage.

A small graffiti tag appears in red on the left. LEFT: One first floor window pane was broken when a rock was thrown through it during protests.

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Washington member comes aboard as post-graduate intern Kennedy Gwin, a recent graduate of Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) will be joining the National Grange in July to intern with Communications and Development Director Amanda Brozana-Rios and Legislative Director Burton Eller.

Gwin graduated with a two degrees, B.A.’s in political science and global studies with an emphasis in development.

Gwin is originally from Humptulips, Washington, a small town near the Olympic National Forest.

Growing up, she spent her childhood in the Grange, learning about rural advocacy through the many meetings and conventions that were held annually in her state. Gwin has been involved in many Grange community service projects and is an active resolution writer in her local Grange.

In 2016-17, she served as the National Grange Youth Ambassador.

KENNEDY GWIN In 2017, Gwin interned for a month with the National Grange. Following her time in Washington, D.C., she was accepted into the University of Oxford and spent the semester studying NGO (non-

governmental organizations) ethics and refugee studies.

While in college she participated in student government and eventually served as president of the student body.

Through Kennedy’s experience in the Grange as well as in various leadership positions on campus she was able to learn about the bureaucracy of passing policy both within the university setting as well as within a Grange setting. While serving as student body president, Gwin managed a team of 15 senators and worked to keep university budgets balanced.

As a recent graduate, she looks forward to expanding her tech skills and continuing to write engaging articles that inform and educate.

Gwin is excited to spend the summer continuing to learn about the Farm Bill as well as continue her passion of rural education advocacy.

National Grange welcomes accomplished student as intern Sean O’Neil, a rising senior studying political science and economics at The George Washington University (GW), joined the National Grange in June as a summer intern working with Legislative Director Burton Eller.

O’Neil is originally from Lansing, New York, a small town in the finger lakes region.

Growing up, O’Neil learned about agriculture from his grandfather, who had been a farmer, and spent much of his free time working in his family’s garden and helping care for his neighbor’s chickens. He also learned about the outdoors and community service as a Boy Scout, ultimately achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.

Since beginning his studies at GW, O’Neil has worked for the office of Congressman Erik Paulsen, the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia, the Embassy of France to the United States, the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association, and most recently the Military Commissions Defense Organization in the Department of Defense.

Through these many positions, O’Neil has directly contributed to advocacy on many issues, ranging from renewable energy to the law of war, and learned about advocacy in Congress and the bureaucracy.

“The variety of work Sean has done will bring an invaluable perspective to his efforts with the Grange,” National Grange President Betsy Huber said. “We are excited to have him on board and benefit from his efforts.”

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O’Neil is currently the President of The George Washington University Debate and Literary Society, an extracurricular organization that seeks to promote debate and dialogue as a means of engaging with complex political and cultural issues.

As a member of the Society, O’Neil has organized debate events across four continents and participated in numerous competitive SEAN O’NEIL debate events, where he has learned public speaking and advocacy skills as well as won two national debate championships.

Sean is excited to assist the Grange so that he can expand his knowledge of agricultural and rural-focused policy, saying, “I am very excited to be working on the Grange’s advocacy team this summer because I have always been interested in policy affecting rural people such as my family and myself, and working for the Grange will not only give me the opportunity to learn about rural policy, but also to actively contribute to advocacy on behalf of rural people”

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As biopharmaceutical researchers keep searching for breakthrough cures they don’t have to look far for inspiration.

In this new era of medicine, where breakthroughs are transforming prevention and treatment options, PhRMA is committed to fixing America’s health care system the right way.

Researcher’s work sheds Grange in new light as health org

By Kim Stefanick Member, Grandview Grange #124, NJ Who knew the Grange could be categorized as a Public Health Organization?

For Lilly Anderson, an Oregon State University master’s in public health graduate, the correlation was a no brainer.

“Why don’t we use the Grange?” Anderson, who is not a Grange member, questioned when beginning research for an Oregon State University peer reviewed study she co-authored that was recently published in the Journal of Community Health. She had driven past a Grange building in Oregon every morning and took her curiosity about the organization and turned it into the topic of her study.

The study reviewed scientific literature that mentioned the Grange, in both medical and agricultural publications.

Researchers also pored over the Grange’s own materials to assess the organization’s key messages for the past two decades. The result of the research found a strong case to be made for the Grange to play an active role in the health and quality of life of those who live in Grange communities.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Public health refers to all organized measures (whether public or private) to prevent disease, promote health, and prolong life among the population as a whole.”

The basis of the study consisted of using five categories that the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) defined as vital to health in their Healthy People 2020 initiative and finding examples throughout the last 20 years where the Grange ran programs to help their communities in these areas. The five categories are classified as healthcare and access to healthcare services, social and community contact, education, economic stability, and neighborhood and the built environment.

The data found was overwhelmingly supportive of the positive impact the Grange has had on the general health of their members and communities. Now more than ever, public health is incredibly relevant to Grange members according to Oregon State president Susan Noah and co-author of the paper.

“Everyone is becoming more and more conscious of what it means to be a healthy society, especially as it relates to food and agriculture,” she said.

While individual Granges have different areas of focus, many have physical buildings equipped with kitchens and classroom space, which has allowed them to partner on several health initiatives, including blood drives, mental health awareness classes and Alzheimer’s caretaker education programs. In Philomath, the Marys River Grange has hosted a low-cost medical clinic for farm workers.

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Photo by Gene Zvarick Granges around the nation hold health-related events that specifically assist their communities in improving health, like the annual blood drive held by Keystone Grange #2 in Pennsylvania.

Now, researchers and Grange leaders hope the new findings will spur greater collaboration with health care providers, especially as communities start to reopen from COVID-19 shutdowns.

“These days when we look at public health it is not just referring to immunizations and things like that,” Anderson said. “We are looking at what we call the social determinants of health.”

From local Granges running diabetes information classes, teaching people to make masks to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, working with local food banks, planting trees, creating and refurbishing playgrounds, and clearing walking trails, the direct impact the Grange has on their community is great.

On the national level, policy work including anti-bullying advocacy, lobbying and advocacy for the Lifeline program and telehealth, campaigns to create programs to reduce social isolation, and pollinator programs have had nationwide impact.

“We saw a very strong presence in all five categories, both state and national,” Anderson said. “We are looking at a more holistic, whole person view of health than we might have thought in previous years when we were only concerned with your doctor’s checkup and your weight.”

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As with most fraternal organizations, the Grange’s membership is aging, but it is working to adapt and bring in new people, Noah said. While members are not required to be actively involved in agriculture, many Granges are now focusing on sustainable practices, growing food and eating local. Some have even begun offering yoga and jazzercise classes.

“It’s this overlooked source that’s been there this whole time. They’ve been in the community for more than a hundred years,” said Veronica Irvin, assistant professor in OSU’s College of Public Health and Human Sciences and one of the authors of the paper. “They have community support, they have physical space, they have similar missions to public health — it’s this natural partner that we’ve just not met up with.”

Moving forward, the question remains, where does the Grange go from here?

“It’s a great way for Granges to talk about their relevance,” said Amanda Brozana-Rios, National Grange Communication and Development Director, when referring to the events and activities the Grange puts on.

As the disparity between rural health access compared to more urban areas grows, now more than ever, the Grange could make even more of a plausible impact. That impact, though, is contingent on the members of the organization.

“It is just a matter of getting our Granges to recognize that they can be a real force in the community for healthcare purposes in such a variety of ways,” Noah said.

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Marketing and community engagement, both locally and nationally, will also play a key role moving forward.

“Granges are so unique to their own geographical areas,” Anderson said. “If we can take the different programs that are already in practice at the Granges and let everybody know about them, we can see them start to blossom out.”

Regardless of the challenges that may arise as the Grange steps into this new chapter, the core of the organization will remain the same.

“So much of what we do is just reaching out to people,” Noah said. “It’s just part of the ingrained awareness of rural life: being a benefit to each other and to trying to help each other.

That is so much of what the Grange has always been about that you don’t think of the fact that it can contribute to a healthy way of life.”

Labelled as the “best kept secret” by Anderson, the study concluded that the Grange, even though it is unknown in many areas of the country, holds the potential to make lasting positive changes on overall public health of both members and their local communities.

“The Grange has been contributing towards rural health for over 150 years, but despite this predisposition to the mission of public health, the Grange remains an underused community resource capable of improving rural health and addressing a variety of rural public health issues,” the study read.

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Community is the cure for loneliness, addiction

By Mark O’Brien Springlake Solutions Every American wants safe, healthy communities where young people can thrive and grow into the leaders of tomorrow. But we are facing an unprecedented crisis of opioid and other addiction that is harming many of our adolescents and young adults.

In 2018, over six million Americans aged 12-25 had a substance use disorder, and 400,000 were addicted to opioids. In the same year, 67,376 Americans died from drug and alcohol overdose.

Every one of the deaths is somebody’s daughter or son, an empty seat at someone’s dinner table.

Rural communities have been hard hit by the opioid crisis. According to the Pew Charitable Trusts, “Between 1999 and 2015, overdose deaths increased 325 percent in rural counties. In 2015, they surpassed the death rate in urban areas.”

Rural youth have historically used substances at rates slightly higher than their urban counterparts. Treatment is often more difficult to access in rural communities, and the services that are available may be more limited.

But there are practical steps that every community can take to address addiction.

There are two big ways that we can address addiction, and we must do both to really tackle this problem.

One is to get more people who are already addicted into stable recovery from their substance use disorder.

The other is to prevent people, especially young people, from becoming addicted in the first place. Social connection is a critical piece of both.

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Rural youth have historically used substances at rates slightly higher than their urban counterparts.

Unfortunately, because of fraying social connections, we have a lot of work to do to re-engage people for a healthier future.

The need for connection Addiction is a chronic disorder of the brain. Unlike diseases like strep throat, Lyme disease, or HIV, there is no single infection or cause that we can point to for addiction. It’s a complicated disorder with multiple factors contributing to its development and progression.

But we do know that certain risk factors make it more likely that a person will develop an addiction. These include things like using substances at an early age, genetic predisposition, having easy access to drugs and alcohol, and community norms that promote substance use.

There are also protective factors that make development of an addiction less likely.

Besides delaying the first time a young person uses substances, one of the most important things we can do to reduce their risk of developing an addiction is to get them engaged and involved in their community.

Opportunities for positive social involvement with the community and to be recognized for their contributions are important ways to protect adolescents and young adults.

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Strong attachment to institutions in one’s community like school, church, civic organizations, and other community settings gives young people a place to belong and observe the way responsible adults behave and interact.

Research has found that rural youth who are involved in formal activities like sports, clubs, organizations, and church, either in school or out of school, are less likely to use drugs. Social connection and community are drug prevention programs.

Social Distancing Our national response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been a critical effort to reduce the spread of infections and prevent deaths.

So many of us have made drastic changes and huge sacrifices to protect public health. By now, we are all familiar with social distancing as an important tool in this fight.

While necessary to reduce the spread of infection, that tool has also been devastating for our ability to stay and feel connected.

A Zoom meeting just isn’t the same as a handshake or a hug.

Addiction experts are worried that being distant from a community of support is making it harder for people to find and stay in recovery. It’s been said that “addiction is a disease of isolation, and recovery is about connection.” Regular mutual support is a huge part of how many people remain in recovery.

Being forced to separate, even for a good reason that is protecting one’s own physical health as well as that of family members and friends, makes relapse more likely, especially at a time that is so full of uncertainty and stress.

Social distancing is also hard on those who have not ever experienced addiction, putting us all at higher risk of problem substance use and mental health disorders.

Many experts are concerned that our response to the pandemic will lead to a wave of depression, substance use, posttraumatic stress disorder, and suicide.

Fraying Public Trust and Community Engagement Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans were already feeling less connected to each other and less engaged in their communities. Globally, trust in institutions like government, media, business, and NGOs was on the decline. Americans are also starting to trust each other less.

We are less likely to live with family members than in the past, less likely to be involved in religion, and spending less time with our neighbors.

Going back to Robert Putnam’s 1995 article, “Bowling Alone,” which identified and lamented American’s declining

engagement in all sorts of communal activities, from political parties and unions to churches and sports leagues, academics have worried about this fraying in our social fabric.

What can Granges do?

Granges have a great opportunity to be a part of the solution.

If one of the biggest things we can do to keep the young people in our community safer from addiction is to get them more involved, we have to create more opportunities for them to get involved. And then we have to invite them, over and over if that’s what it takes.

We need more youth-led committees, activities for youth, opportunities for young people to interact with leaders from their communities.

We need them to feel like they have a place where they belong and a group

who cares about their future and values their contributions.

Granges can be that place.

We just can’t be shy about asking what they need to get engaged and then following through on our commitment to the youth in our communities.

It will pay huge dividends for the sustainability of our organizations and for the health of the communities we live in.

Mark O’Brien has over a decade of experience as a leader on criminal justice and addiction policy and practice. He is the founder of Springlake Solutions in Lutherville, Maryland, where he supports local communities and nonprofit organizations to improve safety and health. He previously served as Executive Vice President of Addiction Policy Forum and the Director of Overdose Prevention in Baltimore City.

Virtual meeting reminds leader of early days in Grange, mentors that Grange’s leadership for making sure they were given the

By Pete Pompper

opportunity to help in some way. They were not afraid to speak

National Grange Community Service Director

up and be heard and give feedback and occasionally make a

I recently had an opportunity to take part in a virtual meeting of Stanford Grange (NY). It was the first time I have attended an actual Grange meeting using the official opening, meeting format and closing as such. I feel that

This is what got me thinking about those members who in my early years of membership gave me the same opportunities and showed me the importance of community service. They taught me one of the important lessons of being a Grange

what was an idea four years ago is now

member. It was that we give back to our communities not for

an opportunity I feel more Granges

the accolades but because that is what a Granger does. They

should take advantage of.

showed me through their actions and deeds that no matter

What really got me thinking and

how busy you are you can always find time to help even in the

then reflecting on my personal Grange

smallest of ways.

experience was something mentioned during the memorial service.

suggestion or ask a question.

The funny thing is they did not realize they were showing a

Their

new young member the tools he would use all these years later

Overseer, Jan, said that the young members, even though they might not have known the members they were honoring, felt the same sorrow the other members did. It did not matter the age but they were all members of the Grange and were Brothers and Sisters of the

on a national level. I could never thank them enough for that.

I see this not only happening in Stanford Grange but in Granges all over, especially this year. The giving back that you are showing our Youth and Junior members will impact them more than you will ever know. Please keep it up so they will be

Order. You could physically see how that statement affected

able to pass it on so the next group can learn what it means to

them in a real way.

be a Granger.

Then when they were discussing the numerous community

To Dot, Charles, Ester, Walter, Georgianna, Marian, Clarence,

service projects their Grange does throughout the year, each

Edna Mae, Rose, Norman, Ruth and countless others, thank

of the Youth were engaged in one way or another. I applaud

you for instilling this in me.

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Tools available to defeat addiction in rural America

By Anne Hazlett

NEW, ENHANCED RESOURCES AVAILABLE

White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Senior Advisor for Rural Affairs Last year, I had an opportunity to meet with members of the Grange during their annual legislative fly-in.

Additionally, my service first at the Department of Agriculture and now at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy has allowed me to travel across the country to engage with Grange members where they live.

Through these invaluable experiences, I have seen firsthand what many of you see each day: addiction has taken a significant toll on rural America.

In my travels, I met a young woman in West Virginia who was only a few months into her recovery journey and already knew that she would never be able to return to the rural county where she had grown up.

Despite wanting to be back home with family and friends, she would not be able to sustain her recovery there because her community did not have a single recovery meeting in the entire county, let alone other critical supports such as recovery housing and mental healthcare services.

This is a tragic but not uncommon occurrence.

Overcoming the disease of addiction seems daunting, but, under President Trump’s leadership, meeting the needs of rural communities has become a key priority.

While there are significant gaps in critical assets for building and sustaining strong, healthy, and drug-free communities, we will continue to put forward a relentless effort to combat addiction in rural America.

We have developed a number of tools for local leaders to use in constructing an effective local response.

We have worked to increase access to treatment centers, mental and behavioral health counselors, support groups, and transportation, but we know the most effective solutions to solving the addiction crisis start at a local level and not in Washington.

Many rural communities need assistance with data and information to even begin.

To help rural communities get started, we first have put together a community assessment tool. This web-based tool provides county level data to help local leaders see the scope of the problem and identify the underlying causes.

The tool provides data about drug-related deaths and overlays it with information about socio-economic factors, such as education levels, disability rates and unemployment, which might contribute to local trends.

Data is presented in a very simple, clean format that is meant to enable discussion about where to focus resources.

We recently released an update to the tool to include additional

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The federal government has many resources available specifically directed at rural communities to reduce drug use and to help those struggling with addiction.

Granges may find the guides useful and can make their communities aware of the resources during events or through Lecturer’s programming.

COMMUNITY ASSESSEMENT TOOL Provides county-level data to allow local leaders to see the scope of the issue in their area and make data-driven decisions and policies. Visit: opioidmisusetool.norc.org RURAL COMMUNITY ACTION GUIDE This guide includes best practices gleaned from discussions with community leaders from around the nation and looks at a variety of avenues to stem addiction and the opioid crisis in small towns and rural areas. Visit: www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ruralcommunity-action-guide.pdf FEDERAL RURAL RESOURCE GUIDE This site draws together information about the variety of funding opportunities available for rural areas to combat the drug crisis. Visit: www.rd.usda.gov/files/ RuralResourceGuide.pdf RURAL COMMUNITY TOOLBOX Combines previously provided funding information with tips and technical assistance for rural communities from 16 federal agencies. Visit: ruralcommunitytoolbox.org FIND TREATMENT A listing of resources and treatment options available in your area is provided by this site. Visit: findtreatment.gov WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY Learn more about the work of the ONDCP and its initiatives. Visit: whitehouse.gov/ondcp

data points that are important to wellbeing such as broadband availability, access to transportation, treatment providers, and health care professional shortage areas.

We also added a rural prosperity index to help rural leaders think about the resiliency or vulnerability to addiction.

As local leaders better understand the scope of the problem in their county, the next question is what to do about it.

In January of this year, we joined hands with a wide range of rural stakeholder partners to release a Rural Community Action Guide.

The Guide is based on lessons learned from over a dozen rural

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roundtable discussions held across the country and includes recommended next steps and promising practices, ranging from telemedicine to transportation to recovery housing.

Finally, once a community knows the scope of the problem and what they want to do to address it, local leaders need to know how to pay for the solutions.

While there are many Federal programs to help rural areas, rural communities often find it overwhelming to try to access these funds, particularly if the town does not have a grant writer or personnel to navigate all that is available.

To meet this need, we built a Federal rural resource guide to give a comprehensive

overview of the many Federal funds available to help rural communities respond to addiction.

The guide empowers local leaders to review various programs that offer assistance and get them connected with the funding agency to begin an application.

In late June, we released a significant update to the guide and transition to an online, interactive clearinghouse called the Rural Community Toolbox.

The Rural Community Toolbox includes funding, technical assistance and other information from 16 Federal departments and agencies to support local action in rural America.

Beyond assisting community leaders,

we are helping people get help for themselves or a loved one with resources like findtreatment.gov, a website that offers information about treatment options in your area, including opioid treatment programs.

By working with partners like the Grange and its network of members, we can close the gaps in rural America around prevention, treatment, and recovery.

We can enhance the quality of life in small towns.

Together, we can protect rural families from the tragic consequences of addiction and create an environment for rural prosperity now and for generations to come.

Turning to 5 watchwords of the Grange during historic momment

By Barton Snedaker New York State Grange Membership Director As the story goes Mohammed couldn’t go to the mountain so he brought the mountain to him.

COVID 19 is changing the way we do many things. So if we can’t meet in person I am bringing you this virtual Lecturer’s Program the same way we are doing much of our connections these days - on line by email.

If you have ever wondered about what makes history you must certainly be aware that you are living through it at this very moment. Because this history making episode is so unsettled, so not normal and so scary we need to remember the five watchwords of the Grange. You know them, we say four of them at least twice in every meeting during the salutation. Faith, Hope, Charity and Fidelity. The fifth one comes from Pomona - Perseverance. I think at this time (of absolutely nothing being normal) they are particularly important words to have in our vocabulary and keep in the forefront of our thinking.

We have Faith that we will come through this time of worldwide trouble. We have Faith that our families will be kept safe. There is Faith that testing will provide answers we do not yet know. It is Faith that sustains us and keeps us from being overwhelmed

by the stress of the pandemic.

Faith can not be quarantined.

We have Hope that somehow good will come out of it - somehow.

Increased knowledge of disease, improved medical treatments, more recognition of the connectedness of our planet, the importance of family and other people. We have Hope that a vaccine will be developed. Hope is to be nurtured and can not be placed in isolation.

Our sense of Charity has been heightened. The concern for others especially the paramedics, doctors and nurses and other first responders and medical personnel on the absolute frontlines of the pandemic. Making masks, providing food or money to food banks (that are helping many, many more families than before), praying for the ill and their caregivers, and the unemployed. The list for dispensing Charity is very close to endless. Charity can not be socially distanced.

Fidelity is what has kept the pandemic - as much as possible - in check. Following the guidelines set for social distancing has shown many times over to be a reasonable, sensible way to limit the spread of infection.

If I may be political - the people who have chosen to protest the shutting down of our

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schools and non-essential businesses, and social distance and masking guidelines, by deciding to gather in public - without masks and social distancing and with their children - are putting themselves and the rest of us at risk and into danger of continued or further spread of the virus. Protesting is their right but we are being warned by scientists and medical professionals that a second wave of the pandemic could possibly be more protracted and dangerous than the first.

Fidelity can not be scorned and should not be taken lightly. I am off my soapbox.

If you think about it there can be a bright side to this. What is the one thing that virtually everyone wishes they had more of?

Time. Time to read more, quilt or sew, bake, spend with family, sleep (?), garden, (binge) watch TV, knit or crochet, go for a ride or a walk, clean house, play music, bird watch, pet the cat (or dog), exercise, day dream, _________, add your own because this list is endless, etc.

Our fifth watchword - Perseverance - is the very embodiment of the phrase we have all seen and heard “We will get through this.” It is Perseverance that keeps us looking forward. It is Perseverance that lets us get by with determining what we can live without. It is Perseverance that will bring us to an eventual new normal. It is Perseverance that should constantly remind us of the importance and value of keeping Faith, Hope, Charity and Fidelity alive in our hearts and minds.

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Summer heartbreak: When the county fair is canceled

By Debbie Gegare Vine Wisconsin State Grange President Summer is my favorite season of the year.

I love the smell of grass being cut, sitting by the campfire, working in the garden and going to a county fair.

Unfortunately, this summer is looking a little bit different for going to a county fair.

I happen to know a few things about county fairs, especially here in Wisconsin.

Besides being the President of the Wisconsin State Grange, I work at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection as the County Fairs Coordinator.

I typically travel the summer to about half of our 75 county and district fairs.

These fairs receive state aid from a general revenue fund administered by the Department and that is where I come in. I am the one making sure they are following the rules and getting the proper amount of state aid for the year.

My job puts me in contact with fair boards and managers, over two thousand fair judges, more than 48,000 exhibitors and thousands of fair-goers.

More than 3 million people attended our 75 county and district fairs in Wisconsin during 2019.

As current and future generations become ever more distant from the farm, there is a serious need to increase agricultural awareness and education to consumers.

State, county and district fairs do an exceptional job in filling this need by offering both an educational and entertaining experience for fairgoers through hundreds of exhibits, educational events, and entertainment.

Fairs originally began years ago as a

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Photo Submitted by Debbie Gegare Vine County fairs help connect individuals with agriculture, but also allow children to build skills in business, professionalism and many other areas. Since most county fairs are canceled in 2020, supporting new ways to help children gain these skills is necessary. way for people to display their agricultural

done in such a way to be enjoyed by all

goods through competition. Through

ages.

the years fairs have become the bridge

Serving as a showplace for the

connecting the consumer with agricultural

community,

education through youth organizations,

exhibits, big name entertainment at low

like 4-H, FFA and the Grange, through

prices, free stage entertainment, and the

open

opportunity for youth and adults to work

class

exhibits

and

agriculture

adventure displays.

fairs

offer

informational

together.

Today, fairs and festivals are spending

Throughout the years, county fairs have

more time to develop fun and educational

not only adjusted their focus to changes in

agricultural displays where volunteers

agriculture and technology, but have also

interact with fairgoers of all ages.

assumed a role of leadership in helping

The first objective of every fair is to present a teaching/learning experience,

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these changes fit the needs of their community.

Fairs bring producers and consumers together and unite rural and urban people in an educational and entertaining community activity.

An essential part of this process is highlighting thousands of exhibits by youth and adults. The major emphasis continues to be on youth and educational exhibits.

Fairs are significant for our economies and communities and cancellations this summer will have a wide impact we will feel for a long time.

It takes many pieces to make up a fair. The carnival, entertainment, exhibitors (junior, open and senior), vendors (food and trinket), sponsors, volunteers, judges, educators, agriculturists, fair staff and the patrons.

All are affected by the fair’s cancellation.

These decisions to cancel due to COVID are not taken lightly.

Fair board members across the country are thinking out of the box in order to make adjustments to what the fair traditionally offers.

Many people depend on summer income from the fair to pay their bills and feed their families. From the carnival folks to the entertainers to vendors and your college neighbor who needed a summer job, they are all feeling a loss. Communities across the nation are feeling the pinch of not having a fair this summer.

The economic impact of the Wisconsin State Fair being canceled this year is over $200 million including money spent at local hotels, retailers and tourist attractions, which is a huge blow to not only the city of Milwaukee, but to our entire state. The impact in your state will vary - but it will still be a large number with many zeroes.

Fair cancellations are also affecting people emotionally and socially.

Fairs are the social gathering of the summer in many communities.

Like a big family reunion, people see friends, family and neighbors that they may not normally see all while sharing a common event, the fair.

That is not going to happen this year.

Many of us in the fair industry and probably many youth exhibitors are feeling emotional or even depressed at the cancellation of the fair. There have been countless hours spent in planning and preparing for the event.

County and state fairs are often the crowning moment of the summer.

Many youth spend the spring attending livestock shows with their animals and the fair is the culmination of all that hard work they have done learning about how to raise animals.

They put a lot of time and effort and money into their projects with the result to compete at the fair.

Without a fair to show their animals at, it also makes it more difficult to get those animals sold.

Leaders are trying to make up for the losses by hosting online livestock shows where youth can submit photos or videos of them showing their animal and pointing out the positive features of

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Photo Submitted by Debbie Gegare Vine Caring for animals, work ethic and self esteem are all part of the portfolio of skills developed by youth participating in county fair agriculture programs. the animal, which then a judge must try to evaluate through a computer screen.

Virtual shows are not a perfect replacement, but at least the exhibitors can get some reward for their hard work.

This becomes the perfect opportunity for Grange members across the nation to concentrate our efforts in agriculture education.

Think of the fair-goers that have no idea where their food comes from that will not be learning that at a fair this year. The youth that does not get to talk face to face with an industry professional judge on the marketability of their animal, or the young child who doesn’t get to meet a cow for the first time.

We need to bridge the loss of agriculture education that our communities will be facing this summer.

I urge you. I implore you. Hold a gardening or food preservation workshop. You could host a virtual tour of your farm.

Please, show your support to youth fair exhibitors by purchasing their animal.

Get out there and share your knowledge and love of agriculture with someone else.

So, with that said, what is your summer plan?

Debbie Gegare Vine is the Director of Market Orders, County Fairs and the Alice in Dairyland program at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. She also serves as the President of the Wisconsin State Grange.

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org

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Grange Revival site offers new resources for event-goers

By Chris Hamp National Grange Lecturer Grange Revival 2021 in Sturgis, South Dakota is quickly becoming the talked about and looked-forward-to event on the upcoming Grange calendar.

The 2020 coronavirus pandemic and all the associated risks, stay at home orders, closures, cancelations and modifications have given us the need to find something on the horizon to focus on, to count on and to look forward to attending.

The week of July 20-25, 2021, at the Days End Campground in Sturgis, is setting up to be an epic gathering of Grange members and friends from across the country. That’s right - you need not be a Grange member to attend, but we think by the end of the week those who came in as friends will leave as part of the Grange family!

This beautiful facility has sites for tent camping and for RVs as well as glamping tents and cabins for those not bringing their own roof. Additionally, there are three hotels within a short distance of the campground – so literally, there is something for everyone.

To get hooked up with all the information you need to register and reserve your spot, as well as getting the latest and greatest information and communication between now and then, go to our website, GrangeRevival.com as well as “like” the Grange Revival Facebook page. The latest and greatest information can be found in these online locations, and includes reminders for registration; information on meals, group activities and workshops; as well as a forum for folks looking for traveling companions.

If you or some of your members you feel may be intersted in the event are not online, request hard-copies of the information to be mailed to you or copies for you to distribute to your friends and fellow members. Just contact National Grange Communications Director Amanda Brozana Rios at (301) 943-1090. You may even find a fun surprise included in the mailing!

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Monthly blog posts with downloadable PDFs showing great roadtrip sites and providing Dutch Oven recipes are now available on GrangeRevival.com to get those interested in attending the July 2021 event excited for the journey and the destination.

Speaking of traveling, the Grange Revival website has a blog where my husband, Duane, and I are writing and posting two separate monthly features from April of this year through Revival.

The first is called Dutch Oven Delights where we are sharing our love for Dutch oven cooking, including recipes, photos, pro tips, useful tools and how-to information. Some of the recipes will be tried-and-true favorites and others will be first-time experiments – all are guaranteed to whet your appetite for Dutch oven cooking and the laid-back pace that goes with the process.

The second monthly post is called Detour Destinations and highlights a specific site with information to include its address, location on the map in relation to Sturgis, hours of operation, cost, website address, why stop (One of a Kind, Photo Op, History, American Classic, Agriculturally Significant) as well as a brief background.

So far we have highlighted the Mitchell Corn Palace, Devil’s Tower National Monument and the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site – each of the highlighted sites are “in the vicinity” (with vicinity being a

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relative term) of Sturgis, South Dakota and may or may not be on your route, but all are definitely worth a detour. By the time next July flips open on the calendar there will be 16 Detour Destinations for you to consider while on your journey to Grange Revival.

Each monthly post includes a link to a .pdf document that can be easily downloaded and or printed for your use. Consider printing a few extra and giving them to friends who may be interested in tagging along for the experience!

So what do we do once we get to Sturgis, you ask?

Anything you want, everything and nothing are all valid answers.

There will be many options for you to choose from each day (workshops, day excursions, Olympics to name a few) kind of like a cruise ship, with no expectations that you do all or any. There will be plenty of time to sit and visit. There will be great food and fellowship. There will be great memories made and plenty of laughs. There will also be lots of stuff that we haven’t even considered yet.

Join the fun in Sturgis at Grange Revival 2021!

History safeguarded in forgotten South Dakota Grange Hall

By Linda Hasselstrom, Lilah Pengra and Candice Leigh Hermosa Arts and History Association It starts with a story. Someone recalls a memory and passes it on to another and

the

historical

record

begins.

Legends being to grow, and unless someone writes down the original truth, the legend may take over. Graphic and oral records deserve preservation; and that takes work and commitment.

The

memories

shared

among

three friends in the small rural town of Hermosa, South Dakota, brought about laughs, sighs and sometimes tears. When the local historic 1889 schoolhouse turned Masonic lodge was threatened with destruction in 1999, the three committed not only to preserving the building but also to safeguarding the history of eastern Custer County, South Dakota.

The three storytellers formed the non-profit Hermosa Arts and History Association (HAHA) and invited others to help acquire the building and contribute their stories. HAHA became recognized on the National Register of Historic Places for the building and began the challenging task of renovation.

And thus, the story of Urban Grange #168 survived because HAHA preserved a building in which to archive Grange memories and artifacts.

In the winter of 2020, rumors emerged of an abandoned building south of Hermosa that served as the meeting place of the Urban Grange from 1920-70s.

Photos Submitted by Hermosa Arts and History Association ABOVE: Volunteers salvage pieces of the Urban Grange hall and its contents that would be repurposed and sold to help fund the Hermosa Arts and History Association, which is keeping the work of Urban Grange alive in the memories of visitors to their center and within their community. BELOW: Cars are parked outside Urban Grange during a meeting or event prior to its closing.

If you drive about five miles south of Hermosa and look west across an

Thanks to the foresight of someone

the boxes to begin accessioning their

open field, you might mistake a graying,

appreciative of stories and keepsakes,

contents and discovered a wonderful

dilapidated building for a pile of scrap.

a record of the Grange survived in

collection about the local Grange and

That scrap is the former Urban Grange

two bankers’ boxes donated to HAHA.

its mission.

#168 meeting hall.

A few years later, volunteers opened

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A

crumbling

building

combined

25

with a box of old documents piqued

community prepare to live next to two

the Congregational Church and the

local historians’ interest. What was this

potential wartime targets: Ellsworth Air

Lutheran Church.

organization and who were its members?

Base and a Nike Nuclear Missile Site.

The group promoted installation

A recruiting brochure found in one

Grange members gathered pertinent

of a metallic phone line to replace an

evidence

inadequate 70-mile line.

box states:

including

photographs

of

the

dangers like narrow highway, dust, blind

The Grange made itself visible

Order of Patrons of Husbandry is the

intersections, and bad curves to support

through participation in the Custer

oldest and largest farm organization in

highway improvement. This information,

County Fair and won second place for

America and the only Farm Fraternity in

presented

its float.

the World. The Grange is unique among

Dr. Manning, led to improvements to

The annual dairy dinner, held at the

the institutions which seek the benefit

Hermosa-Battle Creek-Red Shirt Road,

fraternity building, featured delectable

of the open country. It is a farmer’s

and is now Highway 79.

dishes that required “a great amount of

“The

National

Grange

of

and community building agency. It

State

Representative,

Grange members also volunteered

organization-a social, educational and economic force, plus a neighborly

to

to

assist

including

milk, butter and cheese.”

with

other

projects,

Ladies sponsored a sewing contest

building

two

churches:

and raised $106.35 in food sales for the

places emphasis on moral and spiritual idealism. It is a fraternity with a beautiful ritual. It builds, it helps, it defends, rural life. It is truly the farmer’s best friend.”

Our Yesterdays, a local history book, summarized the initial years of the Grange for the founders’ descendants still living in Eastern Custer County.

“Grange is a fraternity of farm families first organized in 1867 to work for agricultural and community betterment. In this community, Grange has existed since H. J. Hutchinson, State President of South Dakota Grange, brought his new bride to the Black Hills in July, 1924. He organized Urban Grange, five miles south of Hermosa, on August 1 with 26 charter members: Mr. and Mrs. Johnathan Sharp; Mr. and

Photos Submitted by Hermosa Arts and History Association

Mrs. John Lindsay; Mr. and Mrs. E. B. Clason; Mr. and Mrs. Nick White; Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Mateer; Mr. and Mrs.

ABOVE: Urban Grange members helped one another in a variety of ways. Here, members gather to assist in branding livestock.

Ralph Churchill; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kimball; Clarence and Dallas Pollard; Lee R. Wilson; Mary Burrell and Ralph West; William Snable; and Mrs. H. J. Hutchinson” An aged notebook prepared for

LEFT: Members of Urban Grange held blood drives like this one regularly in their hall.

the 1959 Community Service Contest documented

(at

length!)

members’

dedication to the Grange mission. The Grange sponsored a blood drive to support civilian defense to help the

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Cancer Fund Drive. A blind community resident received help from Grange members. An ailing neighbor, Harry Talich, received threshing and branding assistance. Booster Night and a Pot Luck Supper brought Grange members together for a social evening.

With permission from the current rancher-owner of the former Grange property, a team of curious HAHA members recently excavated the leaning ruins of the old Grange Hall.

They salvaged lumber and other items and applied imagination to repurpose them into useful items.

The Grange legacy is perpetuated in Photo Submitted by Hermosa Arts and History Association

hook racks crafted from siding and chair backs, perfect for jewelry, keys, flash

ABOVE: A drawer from the kitchen of Urban Grange is repurposed into a wall shelf.

drives, caps or cups. A drawer became a shadow box, a stud formed a quilt ladder, and a weathered timber became a welcome sign. HAHA remembered

RIGHT: A welcome sign is made of salvaged wood from Urban Grange.

gardeners by creating planters from ice box drawers and circular vents, but have not yet figured out what to do with the cast iron sink!

All

these

items

are

ready

for

adoption; they will be auctioned at the annual HAHA fund raiser or sold in a future museum gift shop.

Repurposed items pique curiosity and perpetuate the Grange legacy as well as raise needed money.

HAHA

programs,

community

outreach, accessioning and building renovation are possible because of

Custer

ensure

Add some lively text and Voila!—a

the continued existence and vitality of

County

Commission

wonderful story of Urban Grange #168

HAHA.

in Hermosa.

What does the future hold for Hermosa Arts and History Association?

The membership is just as tenacious as those who came before.

Despite a delay caused by the need to stabilize our ancient building, HAHA

In

hopes that by the summer of 2021 the

addition, grants from Foundation of the

museum gallery will again open to the

American Institute for Conservation of

public. Museum exhibits will emphasize

Historic and Artistic Works (FAIC), South

the many churches, lodges, clubs,

Dakota

South

schools, and civic organizations that

Dakota Arts, the Deadwood Fund,

contributed to the life and growth of

South

this small community.

volunteer

labor

and

Humanities Dakota

donations.

Council,

Historic

Preservation

Who could have predicted that curiosity about the history of the local Urban Grange would coincide with renewed

communication

between

HAHA and the National Grange in Washington, DC? They announced that Hermosa’s nearby neighbor, Sturgis, South Dakota, is the site of Grange Revival in July 2021. Attendees from every state are encouraged by HAHA to take a side trip to Hermosa and celebrate firsthand

exhibit:

the history of Urban Grange #168 in

Humanities, the Mary Chilton Daughters

recorded oral histories, music from ritual

bringing solidarity and joy to a local

of the American Revolution Foundation,

songbooks,

rural community.

Zonta of the Southern Hills, Larson

artifacts formerly used in Grange rituals,

Foundation, and most recently the

and photographs from archived albums.

Fund, National Endowment for the

Imagine

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the

Grange

cleaned

and

preserved

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Hope to see you in the summer of 2021.

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Livestream series connects members during crisis

By Maggie Swartzendruber National Grange Communication Fellow & Oregon State Grange Lady Assistant Steward When COVID-19 abruptly disrupted many lives and canceled Grange meetings all over the country, members were searching for a way to stay connected. This was the perfect time to put the 2020 theme – Cultivating Connections – to the test, virtually of course.

In mid-March, National Grange Communications Director Amanda Brozana Rios tentatively took to her iPhone and to Zoom and, using the National Grange Facebook Page and YouTube channel, launched a daily livestream series appropriately named “Cultivating Connections” that has continued for more than a dozen weeks at the time of this writing. The series has included training sessions, talk sessions, forums, talent shows and much more.

“I didn’t really think it fully through, I admit,” she said, noting that the idea came as she listened to National President Betsy Huber’s concerns that should Granges not be allowed to meet for several months, people may “get out of the habit” of “Granging” as she called it.

“It really struck a chord – the idea that you could get out of routine and potentially disconnect from the Grange because of something outside our control; it was sad. I just knew that a strong, steady stream of opportunities to connect could be very meaningful because people would feel like they had a place to go and Grange would always be part of the puzzle,” Brozana Rios said.

From the first episode – really pre-episode, she says – with National Grange Legislative Director Burton Eller, livestreamed from her iPhone in his office just before restrictions limited staffing in the National Headquarters to one employee per day, there was an audience.

“People were at home in front of their computers or devices anyway. They were scrolling through Facebook, and if they were anything like me, they were anxious – some seemed to be panicking about everything that was coming at them. We were friendly, familiar faces and it made sense to capitalize on that because it was ‘for the Good of the Order,’ for the good of our members.”

Brozana Rios said on the two-hour drive home from the D.C. Headquarters to her home office in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, that evening, she devised a plan to include a variety of programming that would allow people to get some news or information about what was happening from the Grange’s perspective – legislative updates and discussions with people in positions like USDA or other related advocacy groups – and in another episode get entertainment or learn more about the Grange.

“I wanted our news or policy stuff to still feel light. I mean, it was a scary time – and no one knew how big or complex or how many crises, especially in the rural sphere, were going to come at us at the time, but I just felt like the environment was going to feel so heavy.

So, it was important that I got good guests, kept Burton speaking about what Grangers cared about, and when we did the shows, we had some humor or some light approach to make people who were watching just feel a little better,” Brozana Rios said. “I didn’t want to

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bog it down with only hard-hitting stuff. I wanted to make sure that people felt like they could come every day and smile and laugh, even if we were in the midst of crisis.”

She approached Huber and Grange Foundation Board Chairwoman Joan C. Smith about having the Foundation sponsor the series.

“There wasn’t much cost, just a subscription to allow us to go live on Facebook and YouTube at the same time and a few other things, but depending on how long this lasts and what is needed, I wanted to bring the Foundation in since we were doing something clearly educational in most episodes,” Brozana Rios said.

“The Foundation Goals are to support development of programs for rural communities’ improvement, to foster education, leadership and self-reliance among our members as outlined in our Foundation Bylaws,” Smith said. “The daily interface with our members through Facebook and YouTube is a perfect solution to fortify these Foundation goals.

Brozana Rios also reached out to Grange friends across the country to line up shows like a balloon-animal making demonstration

by Scott Nicholson of Montana, and a discussion about making pine needle baskets with Renee Caldwell from Colorado. She made sure to include Grange topics – from understanding and interpreting the First Degree in modern times, a discussion led by Joe Stefenoni on the private, members-only Grange Heritage Forum group on Facebook, to a look ahead to Grange Revival 2021 with members who attended the inaugural event in 2019.

She also landed several guest presenters, the biggest names of which are FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to discuss rural broadband build-out and other issues important to the Grange, and Anne Hazlett, Senior Advisor for Rural Affairs to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, who discussed opioid issues, farmer suicide and more.

Partner groups and advocacy groups working in rural spheres were represented with the executive directors of the National Rural Education Association, National Rural Health Association, and a health nonprofit run by North Carolina Grange Member Win Jackson, in addition to other rural advocates and consultants.

She pulled in Grange leaders for interviews, including Huber who has anchored the monthly “Day 1” spot – welcoming members to each new month with information and positive energy.

“Having a daily connection to our members has been really wonderful in this unusual time of alternating fear and boredom,” Huber said. “We are reaching State Grange leaders as well as

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members who are only involved in their local Grange, letting them know what the Grange is active in and how they can be more involved and influence their community or the world.”

In April, Huber talked about the Cultivating Connections theme and how Grange Month could be adapted. In June, she laid out some sad news – the 2020 National Grange Convention was being scaled back and no general members would be able to attend due to COVID restrictions.

Several National Officers and Grange Foundation Board members have appeared, providing a variety of perspectives and information.

“The Grange is fortunate to have the skills and talents that Amanda brings to this Cultivating Connections project,” Smith said. “Her background as a research journalist makes her the ideal interviewer of our guests. She brings her expertise to ease our interviewees into a conversational mode, she poses questions that will interest our membership as well as partners and shares with guest speakers the basic knowledge and policies we support.”

National Lecturer Chris Hamp has had a weekly slot as host of the virtual talent show named “Date Night In,” which has been a huge hit with both members and nonmembers. Talent from across the country has graced our computers, phones, and tablets each Saturday evening since late March as a source of fun and relief during quarantine.

The variety of acts and abilities continues to expand the possibilities of what talents can be displayed and how much these simple gifts of sharing can lighten spirits and connect us each more deeply. Some prospective members and members looking to reconnect with the organization have even

taken part.

“I know I didn’t, and I don’t believe anyone could have ever predicted that our Date Night In series would go uninterrupted for months, involve so many performers of all ages from all across the country and reach as big of a non-Grange audience as it has done. The reception has been fabulous as has been the word of mouth endorsements bringing members to our show,” Hamp said.

A notable performer in this category was folk musician and Grand Old Opry member Travis Wetzel who came to us live from his home near Nashville.

Dozens of members from nearly every State Grange have appeared on Date Night In, including Addison Eyler from Maryland as part of the first episode, playing her ukelele to three popular songs. Leah Overstreet of Texas, Sarah and Lucy Griffin of New York, Gene Edelen of Iowa, and Philip Vonada of Pennsylvania all entertained with their singing abilities. Some other talents included gymnastics on a trampoline from Addison Bowen of Washington, Sign-ASong from novice Elliot Wilser of New York and some other professional and semiprofessional signers, George Casselberry from Pennsylvania playing the harmonica and Lester Gibbs from Vermont playing a three-tier pipe organ.

These are just to name a few, and by no means is this list to offer a limited view of the talent. Indeed, there are some truly talented Grange members across the country, many of which have performed over the more than a dozen weeks of the show.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has stretched from weeks into months with no normalcy in sight, you can continue to count on our Cultivating Connections series to inform, to educate and to entertain.

Screenshot Tara Plakyda signs during a weekly ASL and Introduction to Deaf Culture lesson as part of Cultivating Connections series.

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WATCH NOW

Nearly all the Cultivating

Connections videos can be

found at www.facebook.com/ nationalgrange/videos

Only a handful were placed

in the Grange Heritage Forum, which is a member’s only

closed group on Facebook. You can search Grange Heritage Forum and request to join to see the videos housed

there. These focus on ritual

or tradition or very Grange-

specific conversations that were deemed more appropriate for members only.

Most videos can also be

found at www.youtube.com/ nationalgrange/videos with

more being added from past and future events regularly.

Legislative Director Eller will continue to report weekly or bi-weekly on things happening in Washington D.C., speaking about the financial crisis and various stimulus proposals, the U.S. Postal Service’s own financial crisis and resistance by some to provide for them in early rounds of stimulus funding, and the “unsung heroes” of this time, including grocery workers and truck drivers who have had a serious impact in their daily life with many rest stops shut down and restaurants closed for dine-in service. He also encouraged action on issues of importance to members like the Postal Service, noting that personal reflections on what services or legislative moves mean to individuals are most effective in the advocacy process.

Most other National Grange department heads and directors got involved, in coming up with topics and being featured guests including Junior Grange Director Samantha Wilkins introducing the Passport Program to a wider audience and getting Junior Ambassadors to take part in discussions; Youth Director Mandy Bostwick talking about the $20 for ‘20 fundraiser and having guests share their favorite Grange Youth memories; Community Service Director Pete Pompper

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giving details on how to put together great notebooks and how reporting outreach can help the Grange and Foundation entice partners; Membership and Leadership Development Director Joe Stefenoni providing details about using committees in the Grange structure and other internal topics; and Brozana Rios herself presenting workshops on authorized use of photos, creating brochures and bringing on guests to talk about social media management and more.

Brozana Rios also dug through her contacts outside of Grange, reaching out to friends or acquaintances of her own or sometimes crowd-sourcing ideas or presenters to speak on subjects in their areas of expertise. Brian Mittge, a former community newspaper editor and reporter, and Susan Spicka, CEO of the nonprofit Education Voters of PA, were two experts who anchored a discussion about how to write and pitch op-eds – an episode Brozana Rios filmed from a Volkswagen dealership when a car trade took much longer than expected!

“I was panicking a bit because this was going to be a really useful discussion that people could go back and watch or listen to for years to come – really relevant information for Grangers looking to help get the Grange perspective out there on something – and here I was waiting for all the final paperwork to be done after I had negotiated a good deal. I told them we weren’t buying if I couldn’t use their wi-fi for an hour and quickly made a virtual background so no one would see the giant VW sign behind me,” she laughed.

A virtual screen was also used when technology sputtered. Such was the case when the camera on National Chaplain Barbara Borderieux’s computer would not work after testing the day before had gone well. At the last minute, Brozana Rios designed a background that included Borderieux’s picture and put it up as a placeholder during the virtual church service – faith based but non-denominational – that Borderieux was conducting on Easter.

Borderieux provided an inspirational message, Huber provided a reading and members Melanie Bostwick and Michael Martin sang selections to comfort and connect people.

Just a few weeks into the series, Grange members Tara Plakyda and Carolynne Reed,

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Screenshot FCC Chairman Ajit Pai was one of the guests who took part in the Cultivating Connections series. Pai was interviewed by National Grange Communications and Development Director Amanda Brozana Rios on April 23 and discussed issues about rural broadband expansion, the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, Lifeline and more. both of New Jersey, began teaching weekly classes on American Sign Language (ASL) and Deaf culture.

Brozana Rios said the duo has made fantastic, easy to use lessons for people interested in signing or for Junior Grange and Grange Youth leaders to use to reconnect to programming that was once so prevalent in the organization.

A rural educators’ “show and share” session was held; a school counselor came on to talk about how to recognize and reduce stress for children during the time of crisis; a 911 dispatcher trainer discussed how people can be efficient reporters when calling in something they witnessed or calling for help.

“Thanks to Amanda for her ingenuity in coming up with relevant, fascinating topics for these daily sessions,” Huber said. “The subjects are widely varied but every one is interesting and timely to our members and listeners.”

There were other timeless discussions as well, and something in each program can be taken back to our Granges once we are able to return to a more normal meeting routine, and used as part of a Lecturer’s program or to introduce new or returning members to aspects of the organization they may not encounter immediately or may not fully

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understand as they enter.

“The Grange Foundation believes that our Cultivating Connections daily forums are providing an invaluable service to our Grange members, non-members, and partners during COVID-19,” Smith said. “These videos are educational (FCC broadband, rural health, Agriculture-inthe-Classroom, elder law), providing issue currency (legislative policy matters), sharing skills (ASL, making baskets), entertaining (trivia, bingo, talent), Grange history (oral, ritual), Grange specific (contests, awards, programs) using today’s technology. We’re in this together, as we have found innovative ways to “tie” rural, suburban and urban Grangers together. Through these daily Connections opportunities, we all can share in our basic Grange lessons of having faith, hope, charity, and fidelity of our larger Grange family and giving back to our local communities.”

While our daily lives may be slowly gaining some sense of normalcy across the country, it is vital to our organization to “constantly strive to secure harmony, good will, and brotherhood,” and Cultivating Connections is just one way the Grange has been doing just that, Huber said.

Date Night In causes performer to reflect on Grange’s influence in life

By Ethan Edwards Illinois State Grange Lecturer As we all are hunkered down in our individual shelter-in-place locations during this COVID-19 crisis of 2020, I suspect that each of us has been confronted with memories that spring unbidden into our consciousness in times of quiet reflection.

If you are like me, I imagine that a number of those memories might arise from experiences in the Grange.

I have been a Granger since joining the Shiloh Valley Junior Grange #5 in Southern Illinois when I was five years old and then joining the Subordinate Grange in due time.

In truth it is more accurate to say I’ve been a member, at least by association, since birth, as I know by the reports of my parents that I was faithful in my attendance even as an infant, so I suppose it is to be expected that Grange experiences would be prominent in my recollections.

Two recent events – one canceled because of and one created as a result of the current pandemic crisis – especially make me realize how central Grange life has been in nearly everything I have ever done.

I am a computer professional and e-learning specialist by trade but have also been an amateur and semiprofessional musician for about as long as I have been a Granger, and I continue to perform as a singer and instrumentalist as often as I can.

My older sister, Ida, a professional musician living in Cleveland, Ohio, and I had planned to give a special program on March 30 as part of the Philharmonic Society of Belleville’s inaugural “Coffee Concert” series.

The Philharmonic is the other

Photo Courtesy of Ethan Edwards’ Facebook Ethan Edwards and his sister, Ida, were scheduled to play a concert in late March that was cancelled due to COVID restrictions. organization beside the Grange in which I am heavily involved, and by coincidence, the orchestra first performed in 1867, the same year the Patrons of Husbandry was founded.

The Society has presented a concert season every year since its inception, making it the second-longest continuously performing orchestra in the nation — second only in longevity to the New York Philharmonic.

As you can see I am doubly thankful for the pioneering activities of 1867!

Ida and I were to play a varied program selected from the musical theater works of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. We had worked diligently, selecting and arranging music, writing an informative script, and practicing our parts. While working on it, several times I caught myself thinking, “This would make a wonderful Literary Program at a Grange meeting.”

Unfortunately, the program had to be canceled as the quarantine in Illinois was put in place just days before the concert was to have happened.

We were very disappointed, but we do have hopes of reviving it in the Fall if possible.

In a fortunate coincidence, on the very same day of the cancellation, I was

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given the opportunity to be part of the first Date Night In talent program that the National Grange was presenting as a part of their Cultivating Connections daily livestream series. This was a way to connect people across the nation during the pandemic.

It was a lovely opportunity to share one’s talents and provide entertainment for Grangers and friends while also staying connected as traditional social routines were disrupted.

Playing my cello and joining online with other performers in front of a widely dispersed audience provided some balance to the disappointment about the concert cancellation.

As I pondered these occurrences, these two events together reinforced again in my thinking what a wonderful environment the Grange is, and in particular, how instrumental it had been for our family when we were growing up.

For I know absolutely that neither event — the canceled Coffee Concert nor the improvised talent show — were anything I would be doing now if it were not for those early Grange experiences.

I always thought my Grange bona fides were a little iffy, actually; while other kids’ families operated large grain or livestock operations as “real” farmers,

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Submitted Photo The Edwards family performs at the National Grange Talent Show in the late 1960s. From left to right, Ida, plays piano, while Andrew, John, and Ethan Edwards sing “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy.” our family ran a pick-your-own strawberry operation on part of our family farm. I really should not have judged that any particular way of living makes one more qualified as a Granger.

In fact, I realize in my maturity that the connection between the hand labor we engaged in on a daily basis resonated with the deep meaning at the heart of the beautiful ritual of the Grange degrees that connect us so directly with the world around us and our role as stewards of creation.

In addition to adding dignity to labor, my parents were dedicated to the necessity of developing our minds.

Thus, the annual Lecturer’s competitions were a high priority for us. There were art projects, photography, and other activities to pursue.

In those days, though, there was still a Family Talent Competition, quite separate from the individual Evening of Excellence showcase we now enjoy at National Session.

My dear mother, Marie Edwards, who had only taken two years of piano beginning in the fifth grade, assumed the “can do” attitude that guided her

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life and decided she would shepherd a musical act for the six of us through this competition — TWICE! The first time was in 1967 or 1968; I remember that it coincided closely with the Illinois Sesquicentennial and the Grange Centennial.

We created an act called “Lincoln and Liberty” which recounted the history of the campaign songs used when Abraham Lincoln ran for the Presidency.

As a first attempt, it was a charming act, but in retrospect it is undeniable that our adventure was surrounded by mishaps that even the most creative of television sitcom writers would have dismissed as being unbelievable: six people packed into a broken down Corvair, stovepipe hats fashioned from construction paper, anxieties about our performance, womens’ costumes more appropriate to Marie Antoinette than to ladies in the Illinois wilderness, and a futile attempt to set up a split rail fence in the Grand Ballroom of Peoria’s finest Pere Marquette Hotel.

Despite these hurdles, our family managed to take home Third Place honors.

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I was a child not yet in school; you can’t begin to imagine how deeply these events were imprinted on my young mind.

This experience only encouraged my Mom to put forth another effort.

In 1971 we made another charge at the competition. My siblings and I had all progressed somewhat in our musical abilities since 1968, whereas my parents had not; this time Mom decided it would be best for us to present a child act.

My older brother and sister took Mom’s place at the piano for our “Tribute to George M Cohan.”

We worked out elaborate choreography (for us, anyway), Mom sewed elastic sleeve garters as part of our costumes along with suspenders fashioned out of red, white, and blue crepe paper, Grandma contributed a turn of the century antique parasol to the cause, Mom and Ida sewed a special red and blue dress for her costume, and we learned visual effects with pocketsized American flags devised by my Dad to go along with a big finale: “You’re a Grand Old Flag.” I especially remember practicing our routine over and over

after long hours spent weeding in the strawberry fields in the steaming August evenings in our un-air-conditioned house.

We had to travel all the way to Charleston, West Virginia, to compete in that year’s National Session.

As so often is the way with life, the joy of adventure was mixed unexpectedly with horrible tragedy: we were involved in a devastating automobile accident just 15 miles from our destination. Mom was very seriously injured with multiple fractured bones; Dad suffered serious sprains and bruises; but by and large we four children escaped relatively unscathed.

The next day, in an action which can best be credited to Grange determination, we visited Mom in the ICU of the hospital where, barely conscious, she insisted that we compete — to “Go on with the show,” to borrow from a well-worn cliché — which we did, tearfully, at least for me.

We did not place that year.

I have always suspected our spirits must have been too low to muster energy for a great performance, although in truth I barely have any recollection of the whole event other than seeing Mom almost unrecognizable in her hospital bed.

It’s rather a shame, as our show was far and away more polished than the act we had presented and placed with just

a couple years earlier. (I could prove it to you if you want convincing, as I still remember our choreography to “Give My Regards to Broadway!”)

My siblings and I returned home to Illinois alone (my very first airplane ride).

Mom couldn’t be moved and remained hospitalized in West Virginia for another three weeks, while Dad stayed all that time in the home of an unbelievably generous Grange family there in Charleston. Mom’s recovery was paired with frequent and repeated listening to a grainy cassette recording of our performance.

All of this was present in my heart in those moments early in April when I played in that first-ever Grange online talent show.

One of my co-presenters mentioned the order of her set being “Happy-SadHappy” in the bluegrass tradition she and her husband performed so beautifully.

That seemed like such a simple yet deeply moving characterization of the events in each of our lives. The contour of the sequence of our hours and days really is Happy Sad Happy — beautifully repeated over and over throughout our lives. And our Grange family is there through it all.

Even though our coffee concert was canceled, I know that Ida and I would

never have even dreamed to create such a show were it not for those many performances

at

our

local

Grange

and certainly by those life-changing experiences at the National Session of our childhood.

Our paths include the complete despair of the calamity that had befallen my mother contrasted with the optimism and determination (that she, too, learned in the Grange) to faithfully carry on the labors before us; the privilege to share talents of every sort mixed with the lesson that the true value is in our sharing and not in the winning; that as our country faces a global health scare unprecedented in any of our lives we still can gather and persevere through these difficult times in a spirit of joy and fellowship.

The Date Night In events have continued since that first outing; perhaps they are still going strong at the time this article is published. Yes, these Facebook events might seem like an inconsequential talent show, but, at least for me, they bring together the best of what the Grange means: loving hearts and minds joined to make our precious world a more beautiful and connected place in which to grow and thrive.

Documenting outreach important for contest and beyond who need them near her, Grangers have really been working

By Pete Pompper

hard during this time of isolation.

National Grange Community Service Director

As you will read in the following article by Johanna Huber,

Granges and individual Grangers continue to do amazing

Granges continue to come up with new ideas to help out. They are many and varied as you see, which to me is important. You

projects in their communities.

To say that the Grange nationwide has stepped up during this pandemic is an understatement. Grangers have put in

as not only Grangers but members of your communities know the needs of where you live and how to fill them.

I know, as Grangers, we don’t like to brag on ourselves.

countless hours giving back to others.

I hope that each of you are keeping track of the number of

Now is the time to do that, not only for the recognition you

items made, hours spent making those items and money spent

deserve – and you do deserve it – but we on a national level

for any of the projects.

need this information so when a National Grange staff member

Whether it is Ruth Blasingame, of Illinois, sewing more than

is discussing with another national organization or leader and

1,000 masks and sharing them nationwide, including with the

they ask what has the Grange done, we can show them. The

National Grange staff in Washington D.C. or AnnMarie Potts, of

numbers you supply us will go a long way in increasing our

New Jersey, making more than 100 isolation gowns for people

visibility nationally and also on Capitol Hill.

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Submitted Photo Grange members showed off their role as heroes for their hometowns during the first few months of the COVID crisis. Here, members of Progress Grange #96 in Pennsylvania prepare packages for delivery. The Grange partnered with the YMCA of Centre County and the Penns Valley HOPE Fund to distribute meals to families on a weekly basis.

Granges get to work, meeting the needs of neighbors during COVID pandemic

By Johanna Huber National Grange Intern Over the course of the past few months, people have been finding new and effective ways to adapt to an unfamiliar way of living their lives, prompted by the COVID pandemic.

In the midst of this stressful and demanding situation, many have turned to their communities for assistance. Whether that be searching for providers of personal protective equipment, critical to those working on the front lines of this crisis, or even doing something as simple as a kind gesture to brighten a neighbor’s day; during this time of unpredictability and concern, people across the nation are turning to their communities for a source of comfort.

In order to help in this time of need, Granges have stepped up in a variety

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of ways to serve their communities and to be this source of relief and generosity that is so essential under these uncharted circumstances.

National Grange President Betsy Huber said that she is proud of the way that Granges nationwide have found creative ways to help out and exercise the values that the Grange holds.

“I am so proud of our Grangers and how they have really stepped up to help others during this strange, shut-in time.

But I’m not surprised, because that is what our members are all about—helping their communities wherever they see a need,” Huber said.

The Granges’ responses to COVID relief have been varied with regard to what they provide for others, but are nonetheless important.

Many have pulled together and started

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utilizing their sewing skills to sew masks for members of their community.

Others have gathered their resources and have begun donating necessities for people in need.

Along with this, hundreds of cards have been sent to share warm messages of hope, faith, and love.

No matter the scale of the project, one thing is clear: Granges care.

The effort to explore just how much has been done is nearly impossible, but this piece hopes to highlight just a few of the thousands of projects being done around the nation.

Granges Make Masks As the COVID crisis began to emerge, one thing quickly became a necessity: personal protective equipment. Millions of Americans began hunting down masks or the necessary supplies to make one of their

own. Unfortunately, this resulted in a shortage of these supplies or limited availability of the masks many stores had in stock. However, this did not stop many Grange members from attempting to help provide masks for their community. Granges across the country quickly gathered their fabric swatches and elastic bands and began sewing masks together for their members and for community donations as well.

In Pennsylvania, Keystone Grange #2 began sewing masks, hair bands, and surgical caps as soon as they realized the need for personal protective equipment for first responders was not being fulfilled. According to Lecturer Gene Zvarick, this lack of resources for essential workers was concerning to their Grange which is why they felt it necessary to step up and begin helping out.

“We knew we had the resources at our disposal. Many of our Grangers are avid quilters, so it was easy for them to take their sewing skills and supplies and transition to sewing masks and such for our local medical workers and first responders,” Zvarick said.

“Serving our local community has always been at the forefront of our Grange’s mission. COVID-19 did not stop our members from seeing a need and jumping in to help meet that need to the best of our abilities.”

Keystone Grange #2 has made more than 250 masks, to date, along with caps and headbands for their local hospitals and ambulance corps.

Across the country, in Oregon, London Grange #973 has also been sewing masks for their community in order to promote health and wellness. London Grange #973 member, June Kjelde, picked

Submitted Photo Many members made masks, and some Granges like London Grange #973 in Oregon, served as clearinghouses for the personal protective gear for their community, providing them free for those in need.

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Submitted Photo Some Granges, like Willamette Grange #52 in Oregon, used their Hall signs to send a message of togetherness or encouraging safety to their communities. up the project in early April and has been sewing masks with Grange President, Alice Nowicki, ever since.

“Our purpose, as a Grange, is to serve our community. In all that we do, our primary goal is to make our community a better place to live,” said Nowicki. “We are donating them [the masks] so that masks are affordable for everyone.”

The mask project at London Grange #973 is ongoing and is intended to be until they are no longer needed in the community.

Recently, they have received a request for their masks from a local nonprofit and are working to fulfill that call for additional masks.

Cibolo Grange #1541, in Texas, is another Grange that quickly jumped in and began making masks when the need arose in their surrounding areas. President Jack Steers said they began making masks around March 12, when quarantine first kicked into gear, and have since provided over 1,000 masks to The Randolph Air Force Base Clinic, Brooke Army Medical Center, the Methodist Hospital System, multiple nursing homes, and their surrounding community in general.

In addition to the work Granges across the nation have provided to bring personal protective equipment to those who need it, many Junior Grangers were also lending a helping hand during this time as well. For example, Dessie Wolf of Stelvideo Junior Grange #216, in Ohio, worked alongside her mother by cutting out approximately 600 masks to be sewn. She also helped deliver the finished products safely to various nursing homes, a maternity home, and her family and friends.

Granges Gather Resources Along with the changes experienced as a result of the evolving public health crisis and new safety protocols, fallout from the COVID pandemic also resulted in unemployment to skyrocket as millions of people were laid off from their jobs and many businesses were forced to shut down.

Eager to help, Grange members rose to the occasion and began collecting for food banks and donating meals where they could in order to get those in need food and other necessities.

In New York, Stanford Grange #808 worked to plan a free

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spaghetti and meatballs dinner for their surrounding community. This comes in addition to the food pantry they established on the porch of their Grange hall just before the COVID crisis began, that has been heavily used and for which they have received a grant to continue.

Sponsored by one of their Grange families, Stanford Grange began planning the dinner in a way that they could get hot meals to those who need them, but also practice this in a healthy and safe way for everyone involved.

“Dinners were handed through their car window like McDonald’s (only much, much better food), and people were so grateful!”

Secretary Ryan Orton said.

“A community volunteer took about 40 to 50 dinners to local families in need, either from food insecurity or who were directly affected by COVID-19,” he said. “By the end of the day, all 100 dinners were gone, and several families had full tummies with great Grange food once again!”

Another Grange, Cape Fear Grange #1296 in North Carolina, launched their project “Friends of Fayetteville’s Front Lines” as a way to “acknowledge and thank Cape Fear Valley Medical Center’s medical personnel who are on the front lines providing care during these precarious times,” said David Fowler, who served as project lead. The goal of the project is to provide 100 lunches each week for the staff, at their workplace, from local restaurants, he said.

“It is our hope that this specific and intentional investment in our community will alleviate the financial hardship facing so many small and family-owned restaurants in our area,” Fowler said. In order to maximize this outcome, the meals are purchased at fair market value, without any discount, and include tax, tip, and delivery. Friends of Fayetteville’s Front Lines has raised around $11,000 from local businesses and community members and has been purchasing the meals from seven participating restaurants. Recently, the project received recognition from their district’s United States Congressional Representative Richard Hudson.

Hudson named David Fowler and the

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Submitted Photo Several Granges started their own food pantries, gave to established community food banks or provided labor or a place to house a temporary food bank. None may have been bigger than that of Goldendale Grange #49 in Washington with tons of fresh produce and other items making its way to the Hall and out to community members in need. members of Cape Fear Grange #1296 Hometown Heroes in a Facebook video on May 18th. This recognition came as a result of all of the hard work they have put into the success of this project and the well-being of their community first responders and locally owned restaurants.

“I continue to be inspired by people in our community pitching in to help our neighbors during this challenging time,” Hudson said in the video message. “On behalf of our entire district, I want to thank David Fowler, of Cumberland County, and the Cape Fear Grange for serving our community. David, thank you for being one of our District’s Hometown Heroes.”

Along with the many Granges that served meals, many others joined Stanford Grange in gathering food and other essential items to start their own food banks.

Among them, Linganore Grange #410, located in Maryland, opened a food pantry up on the front porch of their Grange Hall.

The project is accredited to Nicole Myers, Grange member and Overseer.

According to Secretary Brenda Ripley, the pantry “is available to anyone with a need.”

“We provided our Grange name, a note

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that says to help yourself, and asked that they please make sure to latch the door shut,” she said. “We also provided the phone number of our President so that anyone could call if they need further assistance.”

Granges Connect Communities Another important role Granges filled during the pandemic, was working within communities to show their dedication to helping others in every aspect.

While many were quarantining, Grange members went above and beyond to show their affection for their communities and let others know they were appreciated.

Many Granges got to work to let others know they were in their thoughts by crafting and sending cards.

Among them, Burns Grange #160, in Michigan, sent out “Thinking of You” cards to many of their members.

Secretary and Community Service Chair Peggy Johnston said “with all of this virus going on and the stay at home order, we can’t get out to see everyone, so we figured it was a great time to remember others with a card or note now and then. Between the Chaplain and the Secretary and President we have made sure to keep in touch with many of our shut-ins, elderly, and a lot of our

friends and neighbors.”

Others seemingly have felt the same way.

Gratiot Grange #1898, also in Michigan, typically supplies their local nursing home with tray favors for the holidays; however, this year because of social distancing requirements, the group was unable to get together and work on their projects.

Instead, one of the members decided to print off around 60 “Thinking of You” cards and send them to the residents to ensure that they knew someone was thinking of them during this time of social isolation.

“We are sure they will appreciate a little bit of sunshine and well wishes when they get them,” said Secretary and Community Service Chair Connie Johnston.

Even Junior Grange members Moxon and Haddie Gilpin decided to send out messages of encouragement. The two, from Stelvideo Junior Grange #216, in Ohio, made homemade cards to send out to their mother’s hairdressing clients. The cards shared messages of encouragement including phrases such as “Jesus Loves You” to let others know they were being thought of.

In addition to the caring messages that were sent out, others decided to show their support for their communities by hosting various Easter celebration events to ensure that, even in this time of social distancing, no one felt as if they were celebrating the holiday alone.

Terrapin Neck Grange #932, in Virginia, took on the role of the Easter Bunny this

Submitted Photo Gratiot Grange #1898, Michigan, sent cards to the local nursing home residents who they knew were lonely as visits from family and friends were limited.

Submitted Photo Cape Fear Grange #1296 of North Carolina raised more than $11,000 to buy atcost lunches from local restaurants and provide them each week to employees at the local hospitals. The project had a two-fold impact - helping local restaurants in a time when sales were depressed and raising the spirits of front line workers. year by delivering baskets to isolated members and their community at large.

“Each basket contained a lovey plant wrapped in festive paper and ribbons, a boxed chocolate bunny and a card wishing the recipient well and providing our contact information along with an offer of assistance.

The baskets brought great smiles to the bunnies as well as those who received a surprise on their porch,” said Bobbie Hite, Secretary of Terrapin Neck Grange.

Similarly, Queen City Grange #1298 hosted an Easter Egg hunt for their North Carolina community by filling up eggs and tossing them in their neighbors’ yards with children and leaving goodie bags for those without. “We left notes letting them know they had been “egg’d” and how many eggs were in their yard to find,” said Jessica Horton, President of Queen City Grange.

“We had a wonderful response and parents were grateful for an activity to keep kids busy for a few minutes that they did not have to plan!”

Zooming and YouTube, other popular ways to connect with others and be social without physically being together, was also exercised by Grange members.

In Texas, Alamo Grange #1446, had a

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family begin to host “Daily Devotional Craft projects” for children to watch and craft along with at home. The videos were made and posted to YouTube, and instructions were also provided so that parents could help their children along the way.

Buddy Overstreet, President of Alamo Grange #1446, said “the children would tune in, learn about God, say a little prayer, and were so excited to create masterpieces!”

In Idaho, Upper Big Wood River Grange #192, had a member who hosted online Qigong classes for stress relief. The classes were offered on Zoom three times each week and were free for their local community.

Lastly, multiple Granges organized “Honk and Waves” or “Drive-By” events to stay connected with those in their community and brighten their day.

In Vermont, Marble Valley Grange #567 had eight members participate in a Honk and Wave to thank their essential workers.

“We dressed in costumes and held signs, while wearing masks and maintaining a distance of at least six feet apart,” said Marble Valley’s Treasurer Jessica Falker.

“This demonstration of gratitude was very

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well received by traffic passing by with lots of honks and waves!”

Alamo Grange #1446 also organized a similar celebration for their oldest member’s birthday. “He enjoyed seeing everyone, at a distance, having pizza for lunch, provided by a Granger, and receiving numerous gifts and cards,” said Overstreet. This Granger was celebrating his 97th birthday.

Granges Show Generosity Along with the creation of hundreds of masks, the collection of food and other essentials, and the efforts made to improve social conditions in communities during quarantine, many Granges also donated money or other critical resources to help out during this time.

Among them, Terrapin Neck Grange #932 donated $500 to the Amelia County Food Pantry in order to help get those in need the resources they deserve, and Burns Grange #160 purchased four $25 gift cards from their local grocery store to be given to families in need. Burns Grange #160 also donated, through their church, puzzle books, adult coloring books, and colored pencils to a local Senior Care and Rehab Facility.

At the time of the donation, the facility had 70 residents and staff that had contracted COVID and had two deaths as a result.

Valley Grange #1360 in Pennsylvania donated $350 to help fund a community project that aimed to feed school children after schools in Pennsylvania had shut down.

The project, run by a local business, Mamma’s Pizza of Wellsville, started serving free lunches, that meet school lunch health guidelines, to children until the end of their school year. Mamma’s Pizza of Wellsville also committed to delivering free pizzas to local hospitals during the COVID-19 crisis.

Granges Get to Work Throughout the entirety of the recent quarantine, which came

as a result of the COVID pandemic, many things have changed.

We are no longer able to meet, socialize, and go out like we had used to. We are no longer able to go to school, work, and even the grocery store like we had just a few weeks prior to the first positive case of the virus in our States.

Some of us found ourselves in trying situations, and others found the will to lend a helping hand.

However, no matter how much changed in our lives, it is evident that one thing remained the same: the Grange’s Mission and the dedication its members have to serve that purpose.

“The Grange strengthens individuals, families and communities through grassroots action, service, education, advocacy and agriculture awareness,” is a mission statement that rings true and can be clearly seen through the hard work each and every member of the Grange has exhibited in these difficult times in order to strengthen those around them in every way possible.

Granges fulfill Founders’ vision Huber said while all of our lives were turned on end, each and every Grange responding to the crisis was doing something that truly upholds the vision of the founders.

“The President’s closing speech at the end of every Grange meeting encourages attendees with this statement: ‘Let us be quiet, peaceful citizens, feeding the hungry, helping the fatherless and the widows….’ For 153 years our emphasis has been on helping others, ‘in all things charity,’ volunteering our time, talents, and money to fill the needs of the neighborhoods where we live and even across the nation,” Huber said.

“These Granges and members who have dedicated hours to making masks and other protective equipment, providing food cupboards at their halls, taking meals to hospital workers and so many other efforts, are fulfilling the mission of the Grange as I’m sure the founders envisioned so long ago.”

Submitted Photo Granges found ways to thank front line and essential workers and mark significant occasions for their neighbors despite social distancing restrictions. Here, members of Marble Valley Grange #567 in Vermont, wave at passersby and thank them or remind them to thank teachers, farmers, medical personnel and others as part of a “demonstration of gratitude.”

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Unity in community seen during COVID crisis

By Suzann Gilliland Peterson Member, High Desert Grange #22, NV It has been 80 years since Americans, en masse, have been asked, or mandated, to curtail and change their daily activities.

Never has the world together faced a common threat as sinister as COVID-19.

Yet, as each of our families and communities rally as one to carve out a sense of normalcy, there are those among us who go above and beyond, at personal and financial risk, to answer the call of those in need.

Sixty-three miles southeast of Reno, Nevada, lies the agricultural town of Fallon. Home to a naval air station, businesspeople, farmers, ranchers, and military personnel blend well to create a family-oriented community that looks out for one another. Two individuals who exemplify “unity” in community in this jewel of the Great Basin Desert are Cori Nowalk-Egger, owner of the Fallon Pantry, associated with the Country Club Café, and Shelly Gallagher, owner of The Running Iron Café.

Both Cori and Shelly are Grange members, hidden gems who both naturally embody the Grange mission of service to one’s community. They have always been community oriented and freely give their time, energy and resources to the many different groups and events in Fallon. With the onset of the Coronavirus, each one has creatively filled a niche of need in Fallon.

Unable to generate an income from the Country Club Café and their catering business because of the COVID-19 business restrictions in Nevada, Cori and her husband Hill Egger decided to take the initiative and start the Fallon Pantry in the middle of the storm rather than sit on their hands hoping the storm would pass. Like virtually all communities in the US, Fallon is experiencing shortages of food, paper goods, and household supplies. Although their restaurant/catering business is on hold, Cori and Hill still have access to a large web of food vendors. She thought

Submitted Photo Cori Nowalk-Egger and Shelly Gallagher, both Grange members and local business owners in Fallon, Nevada, hold a metal cut out they received as thanks for sponsoring Grange events in the small community. she might as well use their local and national connections to help folks become more secure in their pantries. The two created a Facebook page where they post the current availability of bulk products and allow people to place their orders.

Suppliers deliver to their business address and free residential deliveries are made twice a week from there.

When asked how COVID-19 has affected her personally, Cori says that it has allowed her to use her creativity to not only help others but to keep her hands busy. It has allowed her more time with her family, especially with her daughter.

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The two together now ride their horses nearly every day.

Grange members for five years, Cori and her family enjoy the fellowship of Fallon’s High Desert Grange. Seeing her fellow Grange members has inspired her family to look for opportunities to help.

To her, being a Grange member means that no matter what dire straits we may seem to be in, we have a community of like-minded folks who are always willing to step up.

In October 2018, Shelly Gallagher purchased The Running Iron Café with her business partner Ashley Bowman.

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The cafe is a well-established restaurant in Fallon with a menu filled with fresh American food. In February, Ashley was in a devastating truck accident that left her hospitalized for nearly a week. That left Shelly to not only manage the café but to also assume every role, a daunting challenge with their often-full tables.

Currently, Ashley is back at work three days a week for three hours a day. It will be some time before she can return to fulltime hours.

Along came COVID-19 and Shelly and Ashley’s lives changed dramatically, as did the business. In the last thirty days the café has lost $25,000 in sales. Hours of operation have decreased. Staff hours have been cut. The challenges they are facing are well known to owners of America’s eateries. After working hard to build the business thinking that it could all be taken away by something that can’t be seen or touched and over which she has no control is stressful for Shelly.

Shelly’s and Ashley’s concern for those in the community who may be feeling even more stressed and in even greater need than themselves, gave them reason to look around and see how they could help. The county school district had announced the closure of every school in its jurisdiction. That meant that kids who counted on eating breakfast at school would be denied the most helpful meal of the day. All Shelly could think about was what happens to the kids?

She and Ashley decided to offer all children ages 13 and under a free breakfast every Monday through Friday.

They provide one egg, one pancake, and one piece of bacon for just a phone call. Pickup is available at their drive thru window as is free door-to-door delivery not just for the children but for all orders.

They feed an average of forty children a day. Business and personal donations help fund the effort. Shelly is very grateful for the support of the community. She says they have supported the café since day one and this is the least she could do for them.

Running the café now is a volunteer family operation in an effort to keep

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the café open and earn enough income to pay the bills. Shelly’s husband has assumed the role of delivery man. Shelly’s daughter and her daughter’s best friend work dinners and prepare all pickup and delivery orders. The Running Iron Café is both their livelihood and a hub of community outreach.

Shelly and her daughter have been High Desert Grange members for two years. They love the family feeling as well as the welcoming feeling they get from the members. When she can get away from work, Shelly and her daughter participate in group activities and enjoy being part of the photography club. One

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of their favorite activities is the annual Christmas tree hunt.

Both Shelly and Ashley believe that the success of The Running Iron Café is due to blessings from God. They know they are blessed to be able to serve the Fallon community.

Many smaller towns struggle to survive during normal times, but in times like those of 2020 the challenges are even more apparent. Unity is critical in answering the needs of the many components of any town or city. In Fallon, Nevada, these ladies live the Grange mission of service to the community by putting “unity” in community.

New York member designs face shield for front line workers Press Release from Jamestown Community College Reprinted with Permission It began with a phone call from an emergency management operations center member in Cattaraugus County in southwestern New York in early March.

“Does Jamestown Community College have 3D printing capabilities?” asked the caller. “We need face shields desperately and are hoping the college could help produce some for us.”

Within 24 hours, JCC president Daniel DeMarte had begun pulling together a group of emergency management personnel, BOCES leaders, JCC employees, and others to discuss how they could help Jamestown Plastics, a Chautauqua County business with far greater capacity than JCC to produce medical grade face shields, meet the demand for personal protective equipment as the COVID-19 pandemic bore down on the state and nation.

All – including Alec Travis-Daugherty, the Steward of Fredonia Grange #1, New York, a JCC alumni and design engineer at Jamestown Plastics - agreed the need for production and distribution of face shields for healthcare personnel would be satisfied at home first, then opened to other county emergency operations centers throughout New York state.

Ultimately, 14,000 face shields would be delivered to emergency responders and healthcare employees in Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua counties at the outset, with JCC coordinating orders from among the state’s 59 other county emergency operations units.

JCC’s workforce readiness department handled orders while the BOCES centers coordinated deliveries to dropoff locations in the three-county area.

Like other front line personnel, but with a distinctly different role, was TravisDaugherty, who was integral to the design of what became the TrueHero† Extreme Coverage Face Shield. Travis-Daugherty found himself working fast computer-aided

Submitted Photo Jamestown Plastics design engineer and Fredonia Grange #1, New York, member Alec Travis-Daugherty, front, with tooling and design engineer Jessup Baker, sales manager Ray Navarro, operations director Ralph HuiHui, and company president Jay Baker, back, wearing the TrueHero Extreme Coverage Face Shield. design magic to bring the pen on paper concepts of Jamestown Plastics president Jay Baker and his son, Jessup, the company’s tooling and design engineer, to reality.

With both Bakers standing behind him as he finessed measurements in the CAD program at Jamestown Plastics, TravisDaugherty began modeling a prototype.

“I had to make sure we had the big production tool designed the first week (of the process),” said Travis-Daugherty. Input from local healthcare professionals was a key element of the design, he added. After Jessup Baker finalized tooling for the face shield, the company was ready to begin fulfilling orders on March 23.

“I am ecstatic that I was able to be a part of something like this,” he added. “It means so much that I can help out people

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in the field who are truly risking their lives.

Hopefully this project can help protect them from this current crisis and any future threats.”

The TrueHero Extreme Coverage Face Shield is constructed of Clearon, a medical grade plastic with exceptional visual clarity.

The reinforced shield features a proprietary flanged edge that, unlike flat shields, maximizes protection from the periphery.

Multi-port exhaust channels release heat and moisture yet preclude the entry of germs. And, it can be reused multiple times after disinfecting.

The TrueHero shield offers full-range view ability, is extremely lightweight, and is easily grasped from behind to satisfy handling protocol. The shield features an adjustable hook-and-loop strap and a foam forehead pad.

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Lessons of Second Degree apt backdrop of COVID response

By Eileen Javaux Idaho State Grange President The lesson of the Second Degree is to “nurture hope.” How fitting the Second Degree is in our challenges of coping with COVID-19.

But what is it to nurture hope?

The definitions of hope are: “Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes for events and circumstances in one’s life or the world at large. As a verb, definitions include: “expect with confidence” and “to cherish a desire with anticipation.”

“Hope allows people to approach problems with a mindset and strategy-set suitable for success, thereby increasing their chances of accomplishing their goals.”

We can nurture hope in our Granges by looking for examples to inspire people.

Some of our members were inspired to make masks for food service workers, healthcare workers, Grange members, and friends. The Granges that provided parking lots to serve meals and assisted food banks with food and cash donations are my heroes!

It sounds like I have a pre-occupation with food, and indeed I do as food service is my job. I am the director of child nutrition services for our small Notus School District in western Idaho.

This pandemic required my food service staff and I to approach feeding the families of our district in a new way – and though at first it had nothing to do with Grange, it soon became clear that Grangers could get involved.

But first, we had to solve problems before we could even start.

How do we get food - provided through the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program that is free for all children 18 and under - to families safely and effectively?

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We had to make a plan that would make sure we did not contract COVID, but there are numerous considerations when it comes to food safety as well.

We had to determine how to pack the lunches and how to get them to children in need.

Dairy West, an organization that represents dairy farmers in Idaho and Utah, provided carts to get food to the busses as well as milk crate wraps. We also received a $500 grant from GENYOUTH and Dairy West to purchase hot/cold totes to keep food warm or cold, depending on our needs.

At first we decided that we would provide cold lunches. This is easiest in terms of keeping food at a safe temperature that families would warm up. With feedback from our students and parents, we learned that the hot meals ready to eat were the most favored, so we began to provide more hot food meals. Of course, the favorite meals of students were chicken nuggets and potatoes, gravy, and homemade rolls.

Families were contacted to determine who wanted lunches. With this information in mind, the district decided where deliveries would be made and then was approved by the State Child Nutrition Program.

Two buses delivered lunches to various sites in the community where families could pick up food. Our lunchroom was a grab and go site. At the lunchroom site, bread was available from a bakery. Our school counselor, Mary Ilhi-Laan, manages the food bank’s fixed boxes of food to pick up or deliver. Through United Way, the district received USDA Food boxes that were given to families as well.

The buses were used to hand out anything to make learning easier, such as Chromebooks, to complete schoolwork on.

Additional benefits of buses transporting food were that parents reported that their kids found a sense of comfort and normalcy in seeing their school counselor, principal, teachers, and food service staff, all people they see at school daily. Ilhi-Laan was able to check on student’s socio-emotional needs and determine if families had needs beyond what was being provided.

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Photo by Eileen Javaux Food service workers for the Notus School District in Idaho prepare to deliver meals to families in their community during the COVID pandemic.

Once the sites were set up, families were receiving food and learning. This allowed Pleasant Ridge Grange to participate in providing both learning and service.

The Grange had ordered seeds from Winona Grange in Tualatin, Oregon, with the intent to offer seeds to community gardens and other groups that provide fresh produce for needy families. Due to COVID-19 and the dangers of having people congregate, we decided to distribute the seeds to families in need.

We partnered with the Notus FFA and created bags with coloring pages and seeds to distribute to students of the Notus School District.

Megan Harper, a Grange member and employee of Idaho Preferred, put seedpackets and recipe cards in bags, and the Notus FFA members put in coloring sheets and a pencil. These packets provided an extra active learning opportunity for students who are learning at home as well as fresh produce for growing minds.

I will admit to feeling anxious and stressed over making sure that we had supplies and food that would make enough meals and, at the same time, not be wasted.

LESSONS cont’d on Page 43

Massachusetts members get milk to consumers in crisis

By Amanda Brozana Rios National Grange Communications & Development Director More than 4,000 families across Massachusetts tasted the generosity and love of dairy families in May thanks to a milk giveaway sponsored by the cooperative Dairy Farmers of America (DFA).

Legacy Grange member Randy Jordan was a featured speaker and five of his family members, including his children, took part in giving gallons of milk to those in need during the one-day Farmers Feeding Families DFA event.

Jordan said he was proud to take part in the event to see that families in need could get milk and ensure that some wasn’t dumped during the crisis.

In fact, the event itself helped turn the tide for him a bit as he had hit a low point, having to sell off cows on the farm to help reduce production as he had been asked to do and still watching milk dumped because large contracts with schools, at restaurants and event venues all dried up due to the shutdown.

“I genuinely didn’t want to go hand out milk myself because we should be out turning fields,” Jordan, a quiet man with a no-nonsense demeanor said. Selling the cows just days before “took the wind out of [his] sails.“

Submitted Photo Dairy farmer and Holden Grange #78, Massachusetts, member Randy Jordan, right, loads gallons of milk in a van of a person in need during the COVID crisis.

Submitted Photo Massachusetts dairy farmer and legacy Grange member Randy Jordan served as a spokesman for dairy farmers of the region during a press event held in conjunction with the milk giveaway in early May in Boston, Massachusetts.

But during the event, he and his family including his son, Sumner - were on the front lines handing out their product.

“In the end, I was pleased to be asked, because I knew I had to feel good about what was going on,” Jordan said. “Older farmers had been through events before that were just photo ops. People didn’t come and they were defeated. They said, ‘Good luck with that’ when they heard about the giveaway.

‘You’re not gonna give milk away.’”

But this time was different.

In total, more than 8,500 gallons of milk were given away to anyone who stopped by the Boston College High School parking lot on May 7 and Jordan said, “the people in Boston weren’t who you would think in line.”

Some, he said, had walked from nearby homes. A few gave donations. Several asked to take it to places like shelters for women and children or other places they were helping to service folks also hard-hit by the economic downturn.

Then there was the elderly woman who couldn’t contain herself.

“She was asking, ‘Where’s the farmer?’ and wanted a picture with us and a shirt,” Jordan said. “She was crying and couldn’t

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be thankful enough for the gallon of milk.”

That was the turning point when Jordan knew he was in the right place, where he could be happy for the work DFA had done to coordinate with processor H.P. Hood to get milk bottled specifically for the event.

Jordan said he is proud to be a member of DFA, noting that “DFA has coordinated donations like this …across the country.”

He swelled with even more pride for his farm’s partnership with Vanguard Renewables - the national leader in the development of food and dairy waste-toenergy projects, which helped to install at the Jordan dairy an anaerobic digester - who cosponsored the event.

Jordan’s Dairy, founded in 1885, is anything but antiquated. The cutting edge farm with its seventh generation - the teen and young adult children of Randy and his brother, Brian - fully involved is the first in the state with the digester to be run by cell phone app.

The digester, which was where milk dumped from the Jordan farm went, at least helped him feel it wasn’t a total waste as it helped to create power for the farm and beyond.

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Jordan’s son, Sumner, and his nephew, Mason, were also part of the giveaway and saw just how important milk is to the consumer at the event.

“I think our boys, our children, will work their tail off for anybody and not ask anything in return,” Randy Jordan said. “This helped them see just how much the consumers want our product, and that pride will help keep them invested in our business.

Jordan said he believes every farmer would do what they did - but some just can’t afford it. He said on their farm it is his wife, Mary, and his brother Brian’s wife, Lynn, that allow them to continue to put food on the table.

“You don’t know many people who work 100 hours a week to just break even,” Jordan said.

Though they live “paycheck to paycheck,” the Jordans certainly are known for their generosity, far beyond the May 7 milk giveaway.

Just a few weeks later, there was reason to celebrate as Randy and Mary’s daughter, Sarah, was turning 18.

The family began planning for a special present - not for Sarah but for the entire community.

A birthday parade was held with about 125 cars of people who wanted to wave and celebrate the birthday girl since a party could not be held - many who knew the family from their generations of involvement in Holden Grange.

The family worked with fellow Grange members, the Tullys from Dunstable, Massachusetts, who secretly made special labeled quarts of ice cream, including fan favorite Grandpa’s Maple Walnut, which said

Submitted Photo When called upon, the Jordan family of Massachusetts, stepped up to be part of a milk donation and distribution event, Farmers Feeding Families, in early May in Boston. Some of the milk came from the Jordan dairy. Included in the photo are Holden Grange members Lynn Jordan, Mason Jordan, Sumner Jordan, and Randy Jordan.

“Happy Birthday Sarah.”

The quarts, along with cheese curds from another local Massachusetts producer, went to drive-by guests as party favors.

“This really represented what she stands for, so she was thrilled,” Mary Jordan said of her daughter’s reaction. “She couldn’t have gotten a better present.”

Mary said a bonus was “several of the people who came and got ice cream loved it so much that they have now gone up to the dairy store and bought some of the Tully ice cream, so it’s a win-win,” Mary Jordan said.

LEARN MORE

Watch this video to learn more

about the Jordan Dairy Farm, owned by Grange members

Randy and Brian Jordan, and the

anaerobic digester that helps take waste and turn it into energy for

low-cost electricity, free hot water and heat.

Visit: vanguardrenewables.com/

jordan-dairy-farm/

LESSONS

cont’d from Page 41 It has been a balancing act for sure. With a positive mindset, we were successful in making sure meals were delivered. We had the satisfaction of knowing students had nutritious meals five days a week. We extended serving lunches past the end of our regular school end date, assuring that families’ have their needs met until school begins in the fall.

We were just doing our job, but our job is making sure our community has students who are well-nourished so they can focus on learning and not where their next meal is coming

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from. We approached our challenge with hope in our hearts.

This allowed us to approach our problems with a mindset and strategy-set suitable for success, which allowed us to meet our goal of having well-fed students. We couldn’t have done what we did without the help of our community. Pleasant Ridge Grange, the Notus FFA, and Idaho Preferred allowed us to go the extra mile.

I hope you and your Grangers can find a way to inspire and provide hope in this time of need, too.

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Oregon Pomona holds virtual candidate forum

By Suzy Ramm Oregon State Grange Communications Director Clackamas Pomona Grange #1 regularly sponsors a Candidates Forum every two years when there are elections for the County Commissioner races and this year was no exception although it took an unexpected turn.

At the Pomona’s January meeting it was again decided to organize a forum and the event was left in the capable hands of Legislative Chairman Dan Keeley and Community Service Chairman Don Kingsborough to come up with a date, find a location and invite the candidates to participate.

Members anticipated that it would, in general, follow the outline of previous events. One or more Grange halls would be selected for the event(s). Flyers would be posted on community bulletin boards and press releases sent to local media.

The event often included a ‘by donation’ dinner or dessert and coffee served by the Pomona Youth and Young Adults before the forum with candidates talking one on one with community members. Then the action would move into the main hall with all candidates given equal time to make a statement. A question and answer time would then ensue.

Then along came the COVID-19 virus and all the restrictions on gathering. Not ones to take defeat lying down Dan, Don, and their committees, picked themselves up, dusted themselves off and organized a virtual forum along the lines of the presidential debates.

Most of the commissioner candidates agreed (after some artful arm twisting by Brother Don Kingsborough) to appear on camera as long as the production was of high quality.

Enter the Willamette Falls Media Center.

The center is partly funded by cable fees in Clackamas County and is charged with producing community programming, filming city council and county commission meetings etc. They enthusiastically agreed to film the Pomona’s forum and assisted in many ways. While the filming was not cheap, they more than held up their end of the bargain

Submitted Photo In Oregon, Past National Grange President and current Clackamas Pomona Grange President Ed Luttrell moderates a candidate forum in early May. regarding quality and service. Dan Keeling said “The director of the studio (Willamette Falls Media Center) was supportive from the start and I think that made a big difference in the quality of the final product and how happy the candidates were about their participation.”

Pomona President and past National Grange President Ed Luttrell served as moderator, and the candidates all looked great on the film. The Pomona Grange had hopes that many of the 500,000 or so folks that have access to the CCTV broadcasts took advantage and seriously evaluated the candidates for the three important positions. Keeling felt the contrast between his introductory remarks and Ed’s moderator speeches points up the necessity of having someone with public speaking experience.

“I think I would be more comfortable and do better next time. And would definitely use a teleprompter” if it were available, Keeley said.

Candidates for each position appeared together on the stage and were asked questions with their opponents given time for rebuttal.

“I think the subjects we raised in our questions were relevant and probing and should provide voters with good information,” Keeley said. “Taking questions from an audience may provide valuable information about how a candidate reacts to challenges and thinks on their feet but that is different from thought out questions that reveal candidate’s philosophy and ethics.”

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Ken Humberston, the incumbent for position #4 and one of two Grange members on the ballot said, “I thought the event went well. It was well organized.” And liked that it allowed “for point, and counterpoint/ rebuttal, my personal favorite for a forum.

The only thing missing was questions from an audience, which keeps you on your toes.

But, under the circumstances, he said, ”it worked out well.”

In addition to being shown on the CCTV channels, the recorded broadcast is also accessible on Vimeo.

Links were also placed on the various Clackamas Pomona and Community Grange’s websites and Facebook pages.

Additionally, Pamplin Media, who publishes many of Clackamas County’s local community papers included stories in their papers. Dan said initially “trying to get the local newspapers to promote watching our program was hard. I spent a lot of time trying to get past the front door and talk to an actual reporter. Once that happened things were better.”

Thanks to the Oregon State Grange Legislative Committee, which provided encouragement and helped with the cost of filming and the State Grange for providing several banners for backdrops. Dan and Don also say thanks to Pomona President Ed Luttrell who agreed to be moderator on short notice and the members of Maplewood, Warner and Beavercreek Granges who were always ready to pitch in as needed.

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Man’s desire to honor late wife results in song saluting nurses at critical time would not have been available if not for

By Elizabeth Hiner

the COVID shutdowns.

National Grange Senior Communication Fellow During

the

ongoing

Fitzgibbons was even able to get his mother to lay down the track of the violin while she was in town on vacation from

COVID-19

Florida.

pandemic, front line workers received praise in various ways. One came thanks

He said the coincidences in writing

to a Connecticut Grange member’s

the song were undeniable, as if it were

interest in honoring his late wife who was

meant to be.

Meanwhile Fitzgibbons was looking

a nurse.

Susan Carol Bolack Sulier, the wife of

for images to go in the video when

Thomas Sulier of the Harmony Grange

Thomas sent one of Susan in her nurse’s

#92 in Stratford, passed away from

hat during her graduation from nursing

cancer in mid-2018. She had also been

school.

a lifelong member of Trumbull Grange

The throwback inspired Fitzgibbons

#134 until it closed about a decade ago.

to look through images available from

The Grange and nursing were the two

the Library of Congress and reach out to

major pieces of Susan’s life, Thomas said.

other friends and family who had nurses

Susan was an LPN, having graduated

in their lives, creating a ripple effect and

from the nursing program St. Vincent’s Hospital in Bridgewater, Connecticut, in 1969, specializing in geriatric medicine.

She worked for a number of years in nursing homes.

Thomas has done several things to honor his wife’s memory since her passing, including seeding an annual Outstanding

Nurses

Award

at

the

Bridgeport/Yale New Haven Hospital where his wife had worked for many years of her career The second, however, reached much farther, honoring all those as part of the nursing profession while keeping his wife’s memory alive.

Thomas contacted a friend, Matt

Submitted Photo Susan Carol Bolack Sulier, a lifelong Grange member in Connecticut, shows off her diploma in 1969 when she graduated with her nursing degree. This photo has become the cover and icon of the “Angels in White” song written

by Matt Fitzgibbons as a way to honor Sulier and all nurses.

Susan, Fitzgibbons told Thomas that he would be honored to write an original song in dedication to Susan.

This labor of love morphed into a

giving the song an even bigger reach.

The song went live to the public through most streaming outlets, such as iTunes, YouTube, and as nurses began seeing the video and listening to the song, they provided feedback that said they felt honored and proud of their profession.

“I love the video as it shows what nursing has been, is and what it will be,” said Bernadette Loth, a registered nurse at the Hill County Memorial Hospital in Fredericksburg, Texas.

“Although the song was written in

tribute to all the nurses who are unsung

tribute to a wife that was a nurse before

heroes every day and especially now

COVID-19, it is so timely for nurses today

during the pandemic.

who are on the frontlines, working long information

hours, risking their own health, and

Impossible

Thomas gave him provided a real

often times holding the hand of a dying

Dream.” Fitzgibbons, a multi-award-

perspective that allowed him to quickly

patient,” said Melissa Mietchen Lively,

winning songwriter, said he didn’t feel

put together the song – even though he

a registered nurse at Mercy Medical

comfortable covering someone else’s

was a bit rusty after not having written for

Center in Durango, Colorado. “The lyrics

song, but had in mind something that he

a few years due to a car accident.

honor all nurses and let us know we are

Fitzgibbons, favorite

to

song,

record “The

his

wife’s

believed Thomas would appreciate.

As the two men were talking about

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Fitzgibbons

said

the

He then booked a studio and called together other local artists who otherwise

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valued not only during times of crisis but in all times.”

Talent takes stage for fundraiser at California Grange

By Johanna Huber National Grange Intern “We live at the Grange. We work at the Grange. We laugh at the Grange. We cry at the Grange. And tonight, we are going to have fun at the Grange.”

That was part of the opening, spoken by Redwood Valley Grange #382 member Tom Allman, of an event held on Saturday, June 15, as the local California Grange, hosted a livestream concert event and fundraiser.

“Live at the Grange” included performances by four local artists – two of which are members of the Grange – and a lot of discussion about how important the Grange is to the community.

The telethon-like event was the brainchild of member Jini Reynolds, who also serves as California State Grange Gatekeeper, as a way to reduce the financial hardship the Grange was facing due to the cancelation of other scheduled fundraisers.

She imagined it as a way to bring joy into her community while also simultaneously raising money to keep the Redwood Valley Grange up and running.

“I had this idea that we needed to be able to bring some money into our Grange,” Reynolds said. “Since we were closed down, it [the idea] became how can we have some kind of virtual event that happened out of the Grange, while maintaining social distancing? But at first I didn’t think of it as specifically being a fundraiser; it was more to remind people that the Grange was there and giving some wonderful music and entertainment to people in their homes.”

This idea then grew and the concert premiered as a celebration for Flag Day on YouTube, with multiple awardwinning artists scheduled to perform throughout the night.

Redwood Valley Grange President Wendy DeWitt and her bandmate, Kirk Harwood, provided a mix of groovy tunes.

Member Spence Brewer played blues music on the piano and Alex de Grassi strummed acoustic melodies during the event.

All of the performers involved with the event donated their time and gifts to help support the cause.

In addition, Allman continued to provide the audience with

WATCH To watch the recording of “Live at the Grange,” produced by Redwood Valley Grange #382, California, go to https://youtu.be/rQgqCfCcpgo

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Photo by Jini Reynolds Members of Redwood Valley Grange #382, California, and volunteers, prepare for the livestream show and fundraiser, held on June 15. information on the Redwood Valley Grange and the services it has done for the community for more than 100 years.

Allman, a former Mendocino County Sheriff and auctioneer, said his personal experience with the Grange allowed him to understand how important it is that they are able to continue their outreach.

“I was a Sheriff for 13 years, and I know how important the Grange is to me. During the devastating fires of 2016, ‘17, and ‘18, the Grange was more than a hub. The Grange was the life of Redwood Valley,” he said.

The “Live at the Grange” benefit concert only took one month to put together with all of the meetings, test runs, and problem-solving occurring in that time.

Reynolds said this “first” for the state – and maybe the nation - took a lot of work, but that Redwood Valley was fortunate because of its affiliation with performers and individuals with specialty skills.

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She said much went on behind the scenes to ensure that the concert ran smoothly.

Lighting, sound, and video were all issues that required technical knowledge and help managing, but the Grange had going for it their recent installation of a quality sound system, nice lighting and pieces of stage stored at their building.

Pulled together, these resources helped keep the cost to produce the event low.

However, she had scouted out the sound and lighting technicians required to help manage this equipment after watching a virtual De Grassi concert and reaching out to gauge their interest in helping with a similar event for the Grange. Additionally, the cameraman, a professor at a local college, was contacted to help out as well.

As the Grange planned, three of the crew members who had also personally been hard-hit by cancelations of work because of the pandemic expressed their own needs. When the show came to a close, the Grange gave each more than $300 for their work, as each had given of their time

Photo by Jini Reynolds Redwood Valley member Tom Allman, emceed the evening and gave personal testimony of the importance of the Grange in the community as part of the fundraising event.

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and provided their personal equipment for use to allow the show to come to fruition.

Members worked to create backdrops and figure out staging techniques for the show. Reynolds was a part of this crew and used her professional experience in background and set design to help assemble the sets seen throughout the event.

Reynolds said another major area of concern was bandwidth, a good amount of which was necessary to allow the concert to run smoothly and broadcast without glitches.

Planning became a bit more complicated as the group thought through safety.

Social distancing measures and the acceptance of the invitation to take part in the event by four performers made it necessary for Redwood Valley to actually tape the event from two locations.

This made the need for adequate bandwidth an even larger piece of the puzzle.

“Lucky for us, our local internet provider, worked with us to make sure that the broadband width would work for us,” Reynolds said.

The Redwood Valley Grange also offers free internet access in their parking lot for those in their community who cannot afford internet access at home.

This presented them with a problem the day of the “Live at the Grange” concert.

“Even if we had really great bandwidth, while we were streaming, we had to have security people out in our parking lot making sure no one was parking in there using our internet for the hour and a half of our hour-long show,” Reynolds explained. “And that was one thing that we didn’t think about until the day of!”

All their work paid off as the show flowed beautifully, and viewers logged on and called in with donations.

In addition to donations by phone, viewers could give to the Grange through PayPal during or after the concert, or mail in their donations to Redwood Valley Grange’s PO Box to show their support.

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“This event became way more than I had initially imagined,” said Reynolds.

“We’re still getting money coming in, and we’re still hoping that when people watch it and sit down for an hour of their time they’ll consider donating. I would say this event was 105% successful, it has honestly kind of gone viral.”

The livestream is free to view, uploaded and permanently available on YouTube. However, the audience is encouraged to donate and since it will remain online, Reynolds said she knows there may be a trickle of donations well into the future as people search “Redwood Valley Grange” and stumble upon the video.

This is all new terrain, but the members of Redwood Valley Grange were proud to be the first to tackle such an effort.

Allman said he believed it was important that the Grange wisely waded into the virtual world so it can continue its long heritage of outreach.

“The Redwood Valley Grange is 103 years old this year,” Allman said. “We live in a virtual world. We live in a world with cell phones, we live with internet, we live with fast cars and fast planes. But the Redwood Valley Grange is here. Solid.”

Although Reynolds recognizes there is still room to grow from here in terms of working out the problems they experienced with technology, after this event she said they hope to continue to use this method for other types of fundraisers in their community.

“We are planning to continue livestreaming for concerts, meetings, trainings, etc. We hope to be able to support and raise funds in this way for the fire department, non-profit groups, and other community needs,” she stated. “We have to make sure that our membership is comfortable with hosting an event similar to this first, because we are coming out of a really tenuous situation right now, but I think it’s really amazing that our community got to see who we really are through this.”

Submitted Photo Members of Bridgewater Grange #153 in Connecticut partnered with other community groups to create a “Garden of Life” to supply hundreds of local families with fresh produce.

Connecticut Grange takes on plot, shares plan for others to replicate Zottola, with the help of fellow Grange members, including

By Elizabeth Hiner National Grange Senior Communication Fellow

Neil Olshansky, who runs their Zoom meetings, Jacques and Pam

The Garden of Life in New Milford, Connecticut, is an example of the Grange’s theme of “Cultivating Connections” being put into action.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fresh vegetables have been hard to find in this area and around the country, according to Peggy Zottola, President of the Bridgewater Grange #153.

When presented with the opportunity, the Grange partnered with Joe Quaranta of Helping Hands for Heros [sic] to do their interpretation of the Victory Gardens from the WWII era, which they titled the “Garden of Life.”

Zottola heard of Helping Hands for Heros [sic] and the work they were already doing in the community to supply food and personal protective equipment (PPE).

Quaranta and Zottola wanted a way to give back to and support communities in need and found common ground in agriculture.

with Quaranta.

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Butler, who made the phone calls about the project, connected “I thought for several years about creating a community garden where crops could be grown and then donated to area food banks to help families in need,” Quaranta said. “I knew this was the perfect time, I just knew with the help of Peggy and the members of the Bridgewater Grange that we would be successful.”

The project came to fruition because of a generous gift of land for its use by local farmer, Dan Weed, the owner of the Deerfield Farm.

He provided several acres from his property to the group to use as the home base.

The Grange and Helping Hands for Heros [sic] also partnered with the St. Peter’s Masonic Lodge #21 and Camilla’s Cupboard to plant and maintain the garden.

Matt Fitzgibbons, the Senior Warden of the Masonic Lodge,

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said it is a wonderful opportunity for crosscollaboration on what he called “a noble cause.” Fitzgibbons had only recently learned of the Grange because of work he had done to create a song to honor a member who had passed away that had been a nurse.

He said the connections between the mission of the Grange, the Masons and other groups in the community made the project one that he could really support.

Many of the starter plants came from a Master Gardener Carla Chagas, who donated the seeds and starts for the garden. The gardeners will practice rotation gardening to provide diversity of vegetables and to protect the plants from developing harmful infestations of bugs, worms, and more.

Quaranta also used a greenhouse that he built in the 1990’s for the New Milford Youth Agency. In it he grew some of the seedlings that were later transplanted.

In late May, the groups planted more than 5,000 onions, 2,000 tomatoes, lettuce, and kale to name a few.

The local newspaper reported on the project with much positive feedback. This also led to more partnerships, including with local school districts to implement the garden into the curriculum.

The schools will use the garden as a teaching tool to help young people become more self-reliant.

Quaranta and Zottola said they expect the garden will supply up to 300 to 500 families with fresh produce when harvested and replanted.

“This is a great example of people giving of themselves to help others” Zottola said.

Quaranta said he hopes the idea is something other Granges can replicate in their communities long after the COVID crisis winds down.

He encouranged any Grange interested

Submitted Photo A member of the project team for the Garden of Life in Connecticut waters the plot after plants have been put in the ground. in starting a garden to contact him for a blueprint to create their own community “Garden of Life” by sending him an email at helpinghandsforheros2020@gmail.com.

Oregon member adapts, holds drive-in wedding at Grange

By Suzy Ramm Oregon State Grange Communications Director Gary Thompson, a 25-year member of Lorane Grange #54, Lane County, Oregon, and a member of a multi-generational Grange family, married Stephanie Moritz on the front porch of the Grange Hall in a drive-in wedding at noon on May 2.

In keeping with the state restrictions that closed fraternal

organization

facilities

and

restricted

gatherings of groups, fewer than 10 family members made up the wedding party on the porch.

Located below, watching from their cars, were additional family set to enjoy the event.

The couple said their vows under a flowered arch built just for them by his father, Gary Thompson who is the Vice President at Lorane Grange.

The wedding was originally planned to be inside with about 100 guests, but the changes worked out great and it was a beautiful wedding in spite of changes, the couple said,.

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Washington State Grange contest rewards 5 Granges for winning hall improvements

By Tom Gwin Washington State Grange President A dilapidated Grange Hall that hadn’t been used in many years, owned by an inactive Grange with dwindling membership, could prove to be a major liability for our organization and the communities we serve.

Not so for the residents of the tiny town of Oakville, Washington.

Upon reorganizing East Oakville Grange #902 with 17 new members, the new Grangers went to work on health and safety improvements to their hall.

Their efforts have garnered it the firstplace award in the annual Washington State Grange Hall Improvement Contest, which is designed to encourage Subordinate Granges to improve and beautify their halls and grounds.

The contest is sponsored by the Washington State Grange Cooperative Group. Cash prizes and plaques are awarded to the top four entries. Each Grange that enters the contest also receives a metal Grange town marker sign.

Granges submit a narrative report, including a description of the projects completed. Pictures, before, after, and during the projects, are included with the narrative, and the criteria include: • Do the completed projects create a positive impact on the appearance of the hall?

• Do the improvements boost the effectiveness of the local Grange?

• Are the improvements relative to the size of the community and the Grange membership?

• Did the Grange state their source of funds and/or how the projects were financed?

In Oakville, upon receiving the keys to the Grange hall, the new members unlocked the doors on January 30, 2019, accompanied by State Grange President Tom Gwin and National Grange Communication and Development

Photo Submitted by Brittney Oliver Moses Lake Grange #1151, tied for fourth place in the 2020 Washington State Grange Hall Improvement Contest. Community members and Grange members came together to do several repairs to the former O’Sullivan Grange hall they inherited.

Director Amanda Brozana-Rios.

The group made a list, prioritizing health and safety issues, of what needed to be done to the hall in order to make it a viable meeting and community space once again.

Members found a local funding source to assist in financing the needed hall repairs.

The first step was the reconnection of power and reestablishment of water and septic service to the hall. The first work party was scheduled and advertised throughout the town and on the Grange’s Facebook Page, and on the scheduled date, a large group of both Grangers and not-yetmembers showed up to wash walls, scrub floors, and check water lines.

Over the course of the next few months, Grange members completed several projects: • Replacement of the hot water heater and reconnecting water to the restrooms • Grading of the parking lot • Cutting brush that had grown up around the hall • Cleaning the kitchen, including obtaining a refrigerator and freezer

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• Repairing the handicapped access ramp, including replacement of rotten boards and installation of a non-skid flooring • Repairing the kitchen entrance to the hall, including replacing rotten boards, installation of handrails, and new non-skid flooring • Repairing and repainting doors and walls on the front porch • Shoring up the foundation and replacing boards as necessary to level the floor of the hall • Removal of a non-working boiler and converting the former boiler room into a storage room • A complete remodel of the women’s restroom, including new fixtures, vanity, tiled floors, painted walls, and installation of a baby changing table Taking second place in this year’s hall improvement contest was Bee Hive Grange #385.

Located five miles outside of Wenatchee on the Mission Ridge Highway, Grange members spent hours and hours painting the inside of their hall.

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Submitted Photos The ramp at East Oakville Grange #902 before, left, and after, right, was just one of many hall repairs done by members of the newly reorganized Grange that helped to garner them first place in the Washington State Grange Hall Improvement Contest in 2020.

Before painting could begin, however, the Grange hired a contractor to repair the ceiling, which had been damaged several years earlier before the roof was replaced. The ceiling repair improved the acoustics of the meeting room.

The contractor also repaired a hole in the ceiling of the men’s restroom, caused by a leak from the vent, which then leaked into the crawl space, creating major problems in that area.

Upon repair, the ceiling in the restroom was repainted.

Grange members busied themselves by painting the trim in the main hall and completely painted the entryway, starting with a few sample colors to determine which color would warm the hall and be welcoming to all who entered.

One of the goals of the members was to completely cover the mint green paint found in so many of the Grange halls in the area.

Doors throughout the hall were repainted, along with the trim around them.

With any improvement project, this included necessary small repairs to the door jams and striker plates, and new doorknobs were purchased for all the doors.

The final project for Bee Hive Grange was the repair and painting of a display cabinet in the main hall. The cabinet was built in a modular format. After they dismantled the cabinet, members made additional shelving for the display area.

Humptulips Grange #730 was awarded third place in this year’s contest.

The Grange hall is located in a rural community in Grays Harbor County.

When members found drug paraphernalia in their parking lot, they suspected drug deals may be taking place on Grange property, and took swift action to curtail the potential activity.

Members erected a chain link fence across the front of their parking lot with swinging gates at each end, the fence, doubling to protect the gravel parking lot from other types of damage.

Seeking to improve safety in their parking lot, Humptulips members also installed new motion lights in the parking area and at each entrance into the hall. The lights provided much need visibility for those entering or leaving the hall after dark.

To protect their septic drain field, Grange members installed barriers so people could not drive over the area.

The final project for Humptulips was the installation of baby

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changing stations in both the men’s and women’s restrooms. This project was a service to the young families who attend Grange and community events at the hall.

In fourth place, there was a tie between Fruitland Grange #999 and Moses Lake Grange #1151.

Fruitland Grange, located on the outskirts of Puyallup in Pierce County, replaced 27 windows in their hall with thermal-paned windows and remodeled the first floor women’s restroom.

Working to make the restroom ADA compliant, Grange members enlarged the entry door, tore out the old toilet and sink, and then found an infestation of termites. Upon clearing the infestation, the project was completed with new toilet, changing table, sink, flooring, lights, mirror, and repainting.

The main hall improvements on the second floor completed the work of Fruitland Grange. The walls and ceilings were repainted. The hardwood floor was refinished, repairing the damage caused when a hall renter used bleach on the floor. The refinishing of the floor greatly improved the appearance and rentability of the hall.

Moses Lake Grange, established in May of 2017, inherited the old O’Sullivan Grange Hall near the City of Moses Lake in April of 2018. Grange members cleaned up the hall’s exterior yard, grass and shrubbery.

Grange members quickly moved to their well house, where birds had built nests in the roof and much of the roofing material had blown off. A new roof for the well house that can easily be removed if necessary was designed and constructed.

In addition, they replaced electrical breakers in the well house and installed a temperature switch to keep the pipes from freezing in the winter.

Members also reroofed portions of their hall as the old roof was not properly attached in portions. In doing so, they found water damage to the insulation, which was removed. After the attic was allowed to dry out, a new roll-out insulation was installed. Members then reroofed the hall, realigning the metal sheeting and replacing sheets that were too damaged to reuse.

They also completed repairs to the restrooms, which due to water leaks had compromised flooring. New floor tiles were glued down and one of the toilets was replaced. They also installed soap and paper towel dispensers.

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10 Granges win grants from Foundation for COVID response

By Amanda Brozana Rios National Grange Communications & Development Director On Wednesday, June 10, the National Grange Foundation held a special live drawing to announce the winners of $100 grants.

The 10 grants were given to Granges who submitted online or paper applications, identifying projects their members or the Grange carried out in response to the COVID crisis.

Joan C. Smith, board chairwoman, said the Foundation chose to do a random drawing, allowing an equal chance for all Granges who applied to receive support for their good work.

“We have some bigger Granges or more active Granges with bigger treasuries that may have been able to do larger projects, but what those small Granges doing is so important, too, and we didn’t want them to miss the opportunity to be thanked and recognized for their work,” Smith said.

The winning Granges completed a variety of projects from feeding front line workers to making signs to show their support for those essential workers and all others struggling with isolation and adaptation to the restrictions and life changes because of the COVID crisis.

Foundation Board member Clay Snyder said he was impressed with the number of entries and variety of work done by Granges.

“Granges are always doing something to better their communities, so it should come as no surprise that so many of you were taking on projects that have so much importance,” Snyder said. “From serious outreach measures that helped keep people healthy to projects to let people know you care, there is a lot of amazing work being done that makes me proud to be a Grange member.”

Smith said she knew even more Granges would have been eligible to enter.

“Everyday we were seeing more Granges put on their Facebook Pages or get coverage in local news the things they were doing and they were wonderful, wonderful projects,” Smith said. “Some did not choose to enter, and we wish they had, but we are so glad the Granges that did took the time to do so to allow us to show partners in Washington, media and potential members just what the Grange is doing to fulfill our mission.”

The grants were funded by sales of a T-shirt that showed the message “We’re in this together,” with a variety of careers and life situations surrounding the shape of the virus.

Shirts are still available and range in cost from $12 to $20 with free shipping. You can order your shirt at inthistogethershirt.weebly.com or by calling Amanda at (301) 943-1090. Onesies, children’s sizes, adult sizes up to 5XL and women’s styles are available. The shirt comes in red crew neck with front design of the “We’re in this together” image or black crew neck with the Grange emblem on front and “We’re in this together” on back. It also comes in black with the same two-sided design in women’s cut v-neck style.

The Foundation may announce a second round of funding opportunities. Check back on the National Grange Foundation website at grangefoundation.org.

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GRANT WINNERS 1. Stelvideo Grange #295 in Ohio - A member worked to babysit a little girl while her parents continued to work as essential employees in the pandemic.

2. Stelvideo Grange #295 in Ohio - Another member crocheted 25 mask extenders to be delivered, alongside masks, for those in need of PPE. 3. Montague Grange #140 in New Jersey – Members of the Grange volunteered their time to run errands for those who are considered high risk for contracting the Coronavirus. This included grocery shopping, picking up prescriptions, banking, and mailing.

4. Haddon Grange #38 in New Jersey – Five of their members continued to serve families at their church’s food pantry during the quarantine. The Grange also received and organized donations for the food bank from various other organizations.

5. Bridgewater Grange #153 in Connecticut – Multiple members collaborated on the creation of two heart signs to show their support and provide encouragement for their community.

6. Brogden Grange #967 in North Carolina – Brogden Grange #967 and Grantham Grange #968 partnered to feed the Cardiopulmonary Department at Wayne Memorial Hospital. They provided both Chick-Fil-A and subs to essential employees in order to express their gratitude and appreciation.

7. Terrapin Neck Grange #932 in Virginia – The group donated $500 to the Amelia County Food Pantry to help feed those in need.

8. Goldendale Grange #49 in Washington – Members built portable hand sanitizer stations for the front entrance of their Grange Hall, a few to be used during their potluck meals, and some to be placed at their local library and school buildings.

9. Evening Star Grange #154 in Vermont – Evening Star Grange #154 worked to prepare take out lunches on the fourth Wednesday of the month.

10. Cape Fear Grange #1296 in North Carolina – Launched “Friends of Fayetteville’s Front Lines” as a way to thank essential medical personnel during the pandemic. The project provides free lunches each week, products of locally run and owned restaurants, for front line workers.

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New Jersey, Michigan Granges awarded Deaf grants

By Johanna Huber National Grange Intern The Grange Foundation announced New Jersey and Michigan State Granges as the winners of the annual Deaf Awareness Grant.

The grants, which increased from $500 to up to $1,000 for 2020 and beyond, are competitive and provide assistance to continue outreach and efforts to the Deaf community or the hearing community to learn more about ways to assist and interact with the Deaf, especially through American Sign Language.

Joan C. Smith, chairwoman of the Grange Foundation, hosted the coordinators of the winning projects on a Cultivating Connections episode in late May. Carolynne Reed, a teacher and coach at the Marie Katzenbach School for the Deaf in New Jersey, represented one of the projects.

In this, the New Jersey State Grange helps to sponsor Deaf students’ by paying most or all of the $300 registration fee for students to attend the National Deaf Girls Basketball Camp where they play basketball, attend a Mystics Game, and practice their social skills amongst other girls.

“It [the camp] teaches them all of the things they need to know to challenge their peers in the deaf community as well as the hearing,” Reed said. She shared pictures of past attendees and stories about what the experience provided them.

The camp is held at Gallaudet University, a school for the Deaf in Washington D.C., and is largely run by Deaf camp staff.

This provides the girls an environment that is full of positive role models for them to look up to and work alongside, Reed said.

“A lot of the role models are from Gallaudet themselves, and are basketball players, so they have good role models to teach them, and communication is not a problem because they all sign. That’s one of the really good things about it; there’s no interpreters,” said Reed.

One of the highlights of the camp is to attend a Washington Mystics game, the Washington D.C. WNBA team.

“All of the girls are excited they get to

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Photo Submitted by Carolynne Reed New Jersey State Grange helps to support the journey of girls’ basketball players from the Marie Katzenbach School for the Deaf to an annual camp at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. The project was one of two winners of Grange Foundation Deaf Awareness Grants in 2020. see the team,” Reed said as she presented a picture of one of the campers meeting a Washington Mystics player.

Although the program was awarded the grant this year, the National Deaf Girls Basketball Camp has been cancelled due to COVID. However, Reed intends to put the grant funds in a bank account and earmark it for the 2021 session.

The second Deaf Awareness grant was awarded to Michigan State Grange for a project entitled “Spreading the Signs.”

Luanna Swainston serves as coordinator and said during the Cultivating Connections episode that the project will allow Michigan State Grange to send posters to schools across the state’s 587 school districts in its 83 counties. These posters show the American Manual Alphabet and The Pledge of Allegiance in American Sign Language. The team working on the project will use posters already created to encourage students all over to learn and practice American Sign Language.

COVID has also caused a bit of a bump in planning, Swainston said, noting that she hopes her team will be able to get started in

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the fall, but will have to stay informed about schools’ decisions to open.

The scope of the project, Swainston said, means it will not be a one-day project.

Swainston said she is also pleased that the project will have a secondary effect – getting the Grange name out in the state.

Both program coordinators were thankful for the support of the Foundation.

For Reed, she said that feeling of thanks went beyond the Grange.

“On behalf of the MKSD Basketball Team, we thank the Foundation very much for their support and making this a worthwhile cause for us to go there [the camp.]”

Applications for the Deaf Awareness Grant are accepted through May 1 each year and are awarded to projects that promote Deaf education and awareness, including projects that focus on preventing hearing loss.

Granges are encouraged to review the grant details on the Grange Foundation website and begin now to get their project plan written and approved early so they may apply before the deadline in 2021.

Grange, National Ag in the Classroom honor Utah farmer The National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization (NAITCO) and National Grange selected Utah farmer and Utah Farm Bureau Women’s Committee District Chair Sara Harward as the winner of its Agriculture Advocate Award for 2020.

Harward won the award for her personal and professional educational literacy outreach efforts involving teachers and students.

She was honored virtually on Monday June 8 via Facebook Live because the 2020 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah where she was to be recognized was canceled due to COVID-19. You can see the presentation at: https://agclassroom.org/get/advo_vol.cfm.

As a Utah Farm Bureau Women’s Committee District chair, Harward helps organize classroom agricultural literacy efforts by pairing an American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture’s ‘Book of the Year’ with a related Utah Agriculture in the Classroom lesson, and coalescing volunteers to present both to teachers and students across the state.

As a sweet corn and pumpkin farmer, she and her husband host thousands of teachers and students at their farm each year for fall farm field days and summer farm camps for youth.

“Talking with Sara is a truly enjoyable experience as she shares stories about the work she conducts to promote agricultural literacy and the people from whom she draws inspiration,” wrote Utah Agriculture in the Classroom Director Denise Stewardson in her letter of support. Harward’s “contributions are exemplary. For example, her work in organizing the county farm field days and hosting nearly 3,800 people at her farm annually is work that is used by other county Extension agents and Farm Bureau members as they organize their respective events.”

“The Grange Foundation is proud to present this award each year, and winners like Sara Harward keep amazing us with their passion, creativity and impact on both the children and educators they serve,” said Betsy Huber, National Grange and Grange Foundation President.

“National Agriculture in the Classroom and state Agriculture in the Classroom programs depend on volunteers like Sara Harward to deliver agricultural literacy outreach to schools in their communities,” NAITCO President Will Fett said. “Agriculture in the Classroom’s strength lies in its grassroots network of volunteers like Ms. Harward who are passionate about spreading agricultural literacy in schools.”

Harward has promoted agricultural literacy in Utah for more than a decade.

As the Women’s Chair for Utah County Farm Bureau for five years, she was instrumental in organizing efforts to teach students and teachers about the importance of agriculture in their daily lives through the county Farm Bureau’s agricultural literacy program. For the past four years, her role has become even more important—and impactful—as the State Farm Bureau Women’s Committee District 4 chair.

As farmers, Harward and her husband promote agricultural

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Submitted Photo Sara Harward, the 2020 Agriculture Advocate Award recipient honored by National Grange and National Agriculture in the Classroom, introduces students to agriculture with hands-on lessons like this one. literacy by offering their farm for the county’s fall farm field days, hosting two, week-long farm camps for youth, and creating a fall agritourism experience.

For the past decade, Harward Farms has been the location for a daylong agricultural education experience for local schoolchildren and teachers. For four consecutive days, the Harwards transform their farm and host approximately 3,800 teachers and students.

Harward helps the county Extension agent organize 14 educational stations and their respective volunteers including Utah Farm Bureau, FFA chapters, Utah Wool Growers, Utah Pork Producers, Utah mink growers, Utah Tart Cherry Commission, the local water conservation district, and other commodity groups.

In 2013, Harward created an on-site summer farm camp during which she offers two, one-week sessions for children ages 4-11, and the 60 slots per week fill up immediately. She hires local FFA students, teachers, and community members to serve as instructors and helpers so that children can learn in small groups. Although she is busy managing all of the camp’s activities, she takes on the role of teacher for the nutrition and safety lessons.

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Granges report success, some add members, with virtual meetings

By Joe Stefenoni National Grange Membership and Leadership Development Director Since mid-March Community Granges all across the country have had to quickly adapt to conducting Grange business and social activities in a digital space. While it has been an unexpected transition with some rough patches, reports have come in from Granges across the country about the benefits of opening meetings and events in a digital arena.

As Community Granges have found their comfort level with digital meetings and events, they have also been adapting traditional elements of Grange meetings.

At the end of May, Stanford Grange #808 in Dutchess County, New York, held a visitation meeting over Zoom.

Visitation meetings are a traditional element of the Grange organization where members from Community Granges in a county visit another Grange meeting in the county.

Stanford Grange Secretary Ryan Orton reported 30 members present plus 12 visiting guests from eight states for a total of 42 Grange members on the Zoom meeting.

Orton said that there was a two-fold goal to trying out this virtual visitation.

The first was to show other Granges and Grangers how successful a virtual meeting can be since in person meetings are still not possible. Second, was to introduce their own Grange members to both the National Grange and Grangers from across the country.

“It makes the whole Grange experience more real, especially for our newer and younger members.” Orton said.

For Granges that are still finding their feet adapting to virtual meetings, Orton offered this advice: “Don’t be afraid of technology! Do we want to meet this way? Of course not! As much as we want

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Photo from Cape Fear Grange Facebook Page Cape Fear Grange #1296, North Carolina, held their monthly meeting via Zoom on May 12 with good attendance, including State Grange President Jimmy Gentry, who dropped by to visit. to, we cannot meet in person right now.

Eventually, we will be able to, but it will not be in the same way we did before March. We need to adapt, embrace technology, and include it in our Grange Meetings.”

They have also appointed one of their Youth members as the “Tech Director” to be in charge of the computer, read the comments, and make sure the virtual members’ voices are still heard at Grange meetings once they can meet in their Grange Hall again.

Virtual meetings have also proven to be an avenue for those who have had an interest in joining a Community Grange to “get their feet wet” or to reconnect those who have lapsed in their membership.

Richmond Grange #6 in Rhode Island experienced both of these when members who had not been on the rolls for a few years returned and paid dues to begin their affiliation again.

State Membership Director and Richmond Grange member Steve Logan said they had come to the virtual Grange meeting since they still received communications from the Grange and were longing for a sense of normalcy and community in this strange time.

“We welcomed them back with

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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org

open arms,” Logan said. He also said they have had a couple who have been appraoched about joining for some time visit the virtual meeting and verbally commit to membership after seeing what the Grange was doing and how special it was in members’ lives as there was so much uncertainty in the air.

“From their living room, they were comfortable joining us, maybe more than they would have been to walk into a strange place with unfamiliar people,” Logan said.

There are a number of other successful examples of Granges adapting to a new virtual meeting space.

As

shelter-in-place

and

social

distancing guidelines begin to be lifted in some jurisdictions, it begs the question, “where do we go from here?” Even when we are allowed to meet in person again, it will most likely look and feel different than we are accustomed to and an option for virtual participation should be available. The examples shared above show that virtual participation options are a way to both strengthen existing membership and allow potential members to give a test run to their potential Grange journey.

Honoring

L egacy

THE BUILDERS OF OUR

MEMBERSHIP ANNIVERSARIES 85 YEARS CONTINUOUS MEMBERSHIP Pennsylvania • Helena Latshaw, Ontelaunee Grange #1617

80 YEARS CONTINUOUS MEMBERSHIP New Hampshire • Virginia Azotea, Chichester Grange #132 • Wallis Doe, Centennial Grange #185 • Daniel W. Harvey, Rockingham Grange #183 • Priscilla Kimball, Rochester Grange #86 New York • Norma Brenensthul, Hoosick Grange #1127 • Winifred Fergeson, Hoosick Grange #1127

75 YEARS CONTINUOUS MEMBERSHIP Connecticut • Meredith Pappadia, North Stonington Grange #138 Illinois • Alvin Henninger, Prairie Grange #1832 • Darlene Henninger, Prairie Grange #1832 Maine • Eleanor Austin, Norway Grange #45 • Ethel M. Lacourse, Norway Grange #45 • Morris Tucker, Norway Grange #45 • Willa Vinal, Willow Grange #366 Michigan • Robert Latterner, West Oshtemo Grange #1630 New Hampshire • Grace Leone, Rochester Grange #86 • Martha Sargent, Wingold Grange #308 New York • Marion Cipperly, Hoosick Grange #1127 • Helen Filkins, Hoosick Grange #1127 • Carrie Schultz, Hoosick Grange #1127 • Loralyn M. Yunker, Warsaw Grange #1088 Ohio • Maynard Naylor, White Oak Valley Grange #2039 Pennsylvania • Iva Book, Milford Grange #773

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MEMBERSHIP RECOGNITION POLICIES AND COST If your Grange is celebrating 100, 125 or 150 years of service to your community, please contact Loretta Washington at lwashington@ nationalgrange.org or by phone at (202) 6283507 Ext. 109 at least six weeks in advance of your celebration to receive a plaque and letter for $10, including shipping. The names of Granges celebrating 150 years will also be engraved on a perpetual plaque hung at the National Grange Headquarters.

Shipping and handling (s/h) charges for Golden Sheaf and 75 Year membership awards increased to match all other Grange Supply Store s/h charges. Golden Sheaf certificates and 75-Year Diamond Certificates are $10 each plus shipping & handling based on order total. Order total up to $10: $4 s/h; $10.01-$19.99: $5 s/h; $20-$49.99: $7 s/h; $50-$74.99: $9 s/h; $75$99.99 : $10 s/h; $100-$124.99: $12 s/h; $125$249.99: $15 s/h; $250+: $20 s/h.

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org

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MEMBERSHIP RECOGNITION

50 Years OF CONTINUOUS MEMBERSHIP

Connecticut • Nancy R. Weissmuller, North Stonington Grange #138 Indiana • Kathy Eash, Fair View Grange #2177 • Ross Smith, Fair View Grange #2177 • Carol Ann Wendel, Indian Trail Grange #2361 Illinois • JoAnne Reid, Guilford Hope Grange #6 • David Vogler, Broad Hollow Grange #1806 Maine • Dale Burnell, Danville Junction Grange #65 • Dolores Dow, Mount Etna Grange #147 • Raymond Cole, Willow Grange #366 • Linda Farrar, South Sangerville Grange #335 • Karen Gagne, Danville Junction Grange #65 • Colleen Hartford, Danville Junction Grange #65 • Karen Kennedy, Valley Grange #144 • Cheryl Tukey, Danville Junction Grange #65 • David Young, Danville Junction Grange #65 Massachusetts • James Brown, New Braintree Grange #170 • Carmine Cardillo, Sterling Grange #53 • Wayne Cox, North Orange Grange #86 • Janet E. Segur, Holden Grange #78 • Charlene F. Steele, Hinsdale Grange #19 Michigan • Tom Latterner, West Oshtemo Grange #1630 New Hampshire • Kimber L. Bascom, Rochester Grange #86 • Wendy Chadbourne, Rochester Grange #86 • Yvonne Crocker, Concord Grange #322 • Linda Nienhouse, Centennial Grange #185 • Debra Patten, Concord Grange #322 • Donald Ross, Wingold Grange #308 New York • Martha Babbitt, Hoosick Grange #1127 • Kendal Baker, Hoosick Grange #1127 • Jane Bennett, Hoosick Grange #1127 • Daniel Boyden, Cuyler Grange #449 • Allen Cornell, Hoosick Grange #1127 • David Cornell, Hoosick Grange #1127 • Edna Cornell, Hoosick Grange #1127 • Bruce Dehner, Cuyler Grange #449 • Kathleen Hogan, Hoosick Grange #1127 • David Marpe, Hoosick Grange #1127 • Paula McCarthy, Hoosick Grange #1127 • Cheryl McGlynn, North Cameron Grange #355 • Gerald Parliman, Union Vale Grange #887 • Linda Pilc, Curriers Grange #1273 • Louise Slingerland, Hoosick Grange #1127 Ohio • Barbara Howell, White Oak Valley Grange #2039 • Katrinka Stone, Collinsville Grange #2264 Oregon • Neal Baldwin, Midland Grange #781 • Thelma Baldwin, Midland Grange #781 • Martie Erwin, Sunnyside Grange #842 • Jeanie Force, Sunnyside Grange #842 • Kathy Hekking, Sunnyside Grange #842

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• • • • • • •

Dean High, Midland Grange #781 Sandi Ludi, Sunnyside Grange #842 Allan Mackey, Sunnyside Grange #842 Karen Robison, Midland Grange #781 Kim L. Scheting, Beavercreek Grange #276 Michael Victorine, Midland Grange #781 Phyllis A. Wilson, Green Acres Grange #834

Pennsylvania • Rebecca Beckert, Hookstown Grange #1980 • Alice Bollinger, Virginville Grange #1832 • Iva Book, Milford Grange #773 • Shirley Burkhart, Virginville Grange #1832 • Gail Burns, Milford Grange #773 • Myron Elliott, Hookstown Grange #1980 • Kathryn Foy, Hillcrest Grange #1674 • James Fulkroad, Milford Grange #773 • Joan Fulkroad, Milford Grange #773 • Helen Guss, Milford Grange #773 • Kenneth Kieffer, Virginville Grange #1832 • Dale Kirkhoff, Ontelaunee Grange #1617 • Harold Kremser, Ontelaunee Grange #1617 • Alton Lauver, Milford Grange #773 • Robert Lawson, Milford Grange #773 • Cindy Pontius, Milford Grange #773 • Tina Regester, Milford Grange #773 • Mary Smith, Milford Grange #773 • Paul Smith, Milford Grange #773 • Fern Sonon, Virginville Grange #1832 • David Stetler, Milford Grange #773 • Daniel Weist, Ontelaunee Grange #1617 • Terrance Werley, Ontelaunee Grange #1617 • Thomas Werley, Ontelaunee Grange #1617 • Jeffrey Wetzel, Virginville Grange #1832 Washington • James Cook, Cowlitz Prairie Grange #737 • Kerry Elmer, Fargher Lake Grange #853 • Ted Fagerness, Oakview Grange #311 • Hendrik Feenstra, Haynie Grange #169 • John Gardner, McMillin Grange #848 • Gene Gayken, Fruitvale Grange #348 • Norman Gray, Fargher Lake Grange #853 • Douglas Hagedorn, Fargher Lake Grange #853 • Gary Hagedorn, Fargher Lake Grange #853 • Avon Hill, Cowlitz Prairie Grange #737 • Robert K. Houston, Wilbur Grange #798 • Betty Lou Hunsaker, Mountain View Grange #98 • Frances Johnson, Fargher Lake Grange #853 • Velma Johnson, Alder Creek Grange #890 • James Kahler, Crescent Grange #1123 • Dale Klein, McMillin Grange #848 • Rodger B. Lance, Washington Grange #82 • John C. Miller, Cowlitz Prairie Grange #737 • Kenneth Norberg, Cowlitz Prairie Grange #737 • James Pfaff, Crescent Grange #1123 • Paul V. Rossmaier, Matlock Grange #357 • Russell Salvadalena, Tualco Grange #284 • Allen Scholz, McMillin Grange #848 • Roger Shaw, Silver Lake Grange #105 • Claudia Jean Swift, Skagit Valley Grange #620 • Terry Thaves, Twanoh Grange #1118 • Andrew Wilson, Cowlitz Prairie Grange #737 • Darrel Yost, Selah Heights Grange #608

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org

Welcome New Members to the Grange Family Adams #286, MI • Randi Ruder • Steve Gates Addy #603, WA • Cheryl Sweers Albany #1611, OH • Amanda Clark Animas Valley #194, CO • Cathy Cowles • Brittany Cupp • Jaynee Funtecchio • Nancy Ottman • Anna Peterson Aptos #800, CA • Diane Finn Barnard #689, MI • Reg Sprik Baw Faw #34, WA • Alexander Eades • Oliver Eades • Josiah McCloskey • Nancy O’Conner Beaver Valley #1791, IL • Athena Odell • Andrew Herstek Big Sur #742, CA • Lygia Chappellet • Steve Beck • Bob Lockwood • Allan Badiner • Lura Orsino • Jeannie Alexander • Katie Brunton • Kimberly Burke • Angela Padilla Big Thunder #1940, IL • Julie Pilgrim • Paul Rabe • Kim Rabe • McKenzie Rabe • Nicholas Jaric • David Tinberg • John Nall • Gene Wagner • Sandra Wagner • Marco Lavaiega • Karrie Jo Cromwell Birdsview #957, WA • Edward Braydel Bryant #791, WA • Matt Simonis • Debbie Simonis

Buckhorn #1119, PA • Veronica Drenning • Vince Jerz • Susan Kotelnicki Buena Vista #564, CA • Katie Ryan • Kevin Ryan • KC Silacci • Taylor Silacci • Cheryl Camany Burns #160, MI • Eowyn Sheffer • Jackie Driskell • Wayne Driskell • Cory Johnston • Marcus Johnston • Jacob Horner • Dawn Kucharski

Chestnut Ridge #1133, PA • Ensley Clark Chimacum #681, WA • Debbie Lynes Clarkston Heights #982, WA • Lola Collinsworth Collinsville #2264, OH • Sherry Dunkelberger • Jon Dunkelberger • Lori Dunkelberger • Susanne Dunkelberger Community of Feeding Hills #382, MA • Pamela Jacobsen

Burr Oak #1350, MI • Reinald Lilly Cache la Poudre #456, CO • Don Hunter • Padriac McAuliffe • Virginia McAuliffe • Mary Lea Dodd California #941, PA • Roxanne Kvalkauskas Calispel #500, WA • Kathryn Hartley Capital City #2111, PA • Jim Bohner • Shelly Bohner • Joel Figueras • Howard Forney • Morgan Ruziecki • James Swetlick • Sean Swetlick • Emily Webb • Michelle Zandome Cedar Valley #306, WA • Robert Reichle • Jeffrey Jones • Jan Doran Faulds • Gary Faulds Central #831, WA • Mark Mclean Central Union #559, CA • Tracy Morgan • Leslee Nance

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Chester Valley #1496, PA • Pat Mastrangelo • Ralph Mastrangelo

Corralitos #487, CA • Barbara Stringari County Line #1751, IL • Emily Feick Coyote #412, CA • Thomas Mark Crescent #136, CO • S. Lacy Boggs • Holly Clifford • John DeNiro • Nina Sloan • Sallie Diamond • Danville #85, CA • Rea Nakanishi • Jessica Fraklin • Pam Fraklin • Shaelynn Mahoney

Dawson #419, PA • Lois Connors Dows Prairie #505, CA • James “Tom” Donohue • Patti “Ariel” Garrick • Lisa Olivier East Spokane #148, WA • Nicholas Crowner East Wenatchee #1012, WA • Sue McIntire Entiat #1014, WA • Claudia Trapp Fairfax #570, CA • Neal Livingston Fairview #1666, OH • Stacy Laker • Jordan Laker Fern #803, MI • Kenny Spicer • John P. Tate Flora #1762, IL • Ron Eucker • Teresa Eucker • Richard Nelson • Catherine Homan • Allyson Aves • Kaye Abolins Florida #306, CO • Vinessa Ekberg • Donna Emenegger • Mary Montoya • Sandra Reiser Forest #162, WA • Anna Ballard

Has your Grange recently welcomed a new member? Make sure they are recognized!

Anyone may submit the names of new members so they can be recognized in Good Day! magazine using the online form found at tiny.cc/NewGranger (case sensitive) or by emailing Joe Stefenoni at membership@ nationalgrange.org or calling (707) 328-0631.

NEXT ISSUE DEADLINE: AUGUST 1

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org

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Forest #853, PA • Bonnie Meisel

Maple Leaf #940, MI • Dan Newberry • Sue Madsen • Beverly Converse • Jim Carey

Fort Colville #633, WA • Kay Kenyon • Dustin Bartolo • Erin Walston Bartolo

Marshall #451, CA • Paula Bartolome • Abby Costa • Steven Costa • Donald Madison • Vestella Madison • John Sissell • Sharon Sissell • Monica Woodall

Fredonia #545, WA • Evalynn Perry Garden Home #407, CO • Isaac Martinez • Kayla Martinez • William Land Glenwood #91, WA • Laurene Eldred Gold Trail #452, CA • Dawn Infurna-Bean • Bret Castle • Chuck Bacchi • Scott Roemer • Matthew Miklos • Kate Campbell-Craven • Julie Minton Goshen #121, PA • Jessica Wadsworth Gouglersville #1743, PA • William Fultz Gratiot #1898, MI • Marcus Johnston • Cory Johnston Golden Gate #451, CO • Carter Acree • Gigi Acree • Tonya Gallegos-Huctak • Barbara Hill • Zira Primmer • Julie Ramstetter Goldendale #49, WA • Earlene Sullivan • Marilyn McKune • Barbara Robinson • K.C. Sweeney • Lucas Donelan Green Bluff #300, WA • Lodi Jackson • Dorothy Johnson • Larry Edginton • Marlinda Edginton • Olivia Edginton • Emma Edginton Grover City #746, CA • Mike McCarthy • Emily Myhre

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McMillin #848, WA • Joy Schneider Minnehaha #164, WA • Debbie Witcher • Dennis Witcher Guiding Star #1, MA • Julie Rich • Karyn Dufresne • Jesse Ball • Gus Cantieni

Lambert #439, CO • Troy Shenk • Majorie Wildcraft Left Hand #9, CO • Carolyn Bradley • Mary Claire Collins • Jim Gessert • Sandra Gessert • Dana Heather • JIm Johnson • Cindi Kelly • Laurie Kutz • Stuart Kutz • Miles McGaughey • Catherine McHale • Lisa Rivard • Dawn Sevver • Jeff Sevver

Hangtown #464, CA • Jesse Thorson • Rachelle Thorson • Rosemarie Thorson • Rosette Thorson Harbor Springs #730, MI • Robert Vorce • Jenifer Kurburski • Luke Kurburski Hazel Dell #1124, WA • Patricia Griffith Hickory #1285, PA • Eunice Dunn • Robert Pernesky

Lincoln #914, PA • Reba Clapper

Hinsdale #19, MA • Casey Hopkins Humptulips #730, WA • Rich Fredrickson • Casey Stoneback • Ronda Emery-Morris • Jim Mix • Joel Emery • McKenna Doll • Jadyn Emery-Williamson Ione #681, CA • Julie Hawkins • Gary Thomas Issaquah Valley #581, WA • Akela Hunter

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Lincoln Creek #407, WA • Gavin Podhola • Robert Podhola • Daisy Podhola • Colton Podhola Long Branch Community #2072, PA • Annamarie Gazi • Mark Gazi Lummi Island #925, WA • Susan Peterson Mad River #590, CA • Gary Markussen • Darcey Lima

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org

Morgan Hill #408, CA • Cherie Cruz • Kuirstin Golden-Jimenez • Fabiola Rodriguez Morgan #829, OH • Claude Robertson • Linda Robertson Mossyrock #355, WA • Jason Terrasi Mount Lookout #339, CO • Jennie Akers • Jennifer Guy • Ryan Matthews • Teri McKay • Cambell Oldhan • Jonathan Reid Mountain View #98, WA • Gabrielle Gilbert • Marion Fox • Caroline Elliott • Martha Johnson New Braintree #170, MA • Theodore Phillips Newaukum #198, WA • Clarion Miles • Lee West North Fork #763, CA • Kathy Adams • Andy Johnson • Teckla Johnson Oliver #1069, PA • Wendy A. Witmyer Ontelaunee #1617, PA • Chris Blatt • Zoe Merkel

Orangevale #354, CA • Darrell Hyde • Jennifer Hyde Orland #432, CA • Glenda Clark Palermo #493, CA • Jordyn Johnson • Kyler Storey Pikes Peak #163, CO • H. Thomas Bowles • Dorothy Pope Plymouth/Westland #389, MI • Paula Angove Prairie Grange #1832, IL • Sophia Herrera • Rosa Fabela • Adriel Fabela • Manny Fabela • Coleton Miley • Odessa Dinges • Kendall Walker • Kennedy Walker • Alice Garcia • Steve Petros Prescott of Pepperell #73, MA • Wayne Burton Prunedale #338, CA • Ernestina Sanchez Quartz Hill #697, CA • Karina Areco • Maurice Howard • Violet Howard • Justin Good Quillisascut #372, WA • David Nielsen • Patty Nielsen • Dorothy Skinner • Linnea Miller Rainbow Valley #689, CA • Daphne Powell Ralston #943, WA • Patty Cains Redwood Valley #382, CA • Paula Samonte • Wendy Brouwer • Dolly Riley Richland #1899, OH • Liam Ginnery Rock Hill #1852, OH • Chance Carman Rome #226, WA • Gina Pagrette • Kevin Eacret

Roy #712, WA • Robin Vee Saint Andrews #832, WA • Patrick Hunter • Sarah Hunter • Krystopher Perry • Betsy Chapa Samish Valley #926, WA • Lea Lawrence San Juan Island #966, WA • Meagan Brown • Rachel Dietzman • Jennifer Harris • Melina Lagios • Lois Moore • Brook Moore • Bruce Nyden • Ryan Palmateer • Bruce Robinson • Any Saxe-Eyler San Poil #684, WA • Kathy Debus Santa Clara Valley #838,CA • Jaimes Andres • Alayna Foss • Daniel Gamez • Amaris Torres • Mattisen Vasquez Sequim Prairie #1108, WA • Phil Goddard • Nicole Murray • Marc Bilow • Eric Adolphsen • Karalynn Adolphsen • Jill Adolphsen Shermanata #1796, PA • Sue Dennison • Kenneth Hilbish Sierra Valley #466, CA • Debra Thompson

• • • • • • • •

Marcelo Perez Natalie Rainwater Amaya Smith Cody Smith Dulce Smith Mia Smith Mason Warwar Noah Davis

Sonora #2076, IA • Sarah Jacoby • Xavier Moyes South Auburn #1188, PA • Terry Purdy-Arena Spring Hill #909, WA • Carol Lynch Springfield #523, CA • Abigail Mendoza • Clarissa Mendoza • Mikey Mendoza • Luiz Pacheco Stony Point #1694, PA • Nicholas E. Ammann Summit Park #261, WA • Bill Mendum Swauk Teanaway #984, WA • Becky Houle • Susan Lillquist-Dodge The Agate #275, WA • Eli Gas The Valley #1048, WA • Judy Vangement • Mackenzie Acord Tiverton #1515, OH • Bill Greenfield • Dixie Greenfield Trout Lake #126, WA • Tomas Carr Beeks • Laura Clark • Page Logan • Beverly Meyer

Turkey Hill #1370, IL • Joy Underwood • Edith Robinson • Judith Brindley • Donna Luebbers • Mary Phillip Union #152, PA • Wanda Brooks • William Brooks • Clista Parkhurst • Donna Potter • John Potter Violet Prairie #996, WA • Norma Wharton Virginville #1832, PA • Richard Geisinger • Robert Hiza • Liza Houser • Donna Leibensperger Parr • Denel Strong • Mackenzie Wolfe Washington #82, WA • Lori Weidhuner Welcome #791, CA • Sharon Parham West Oshtemo #1630, MI • Jack Baldwin Westport #181, MA • Kelsey Jacobsen • Sherry Spencer Westside #473, CA • Lynne Carnes • William Rametes Williamsburg #225, MA • Isadore Schiff • Gary Warner Wysauking-Sheshequin #58, PA • Julie Perry

Simoore #857, CA • Adrian Lopez • Adriana Lopez • Nathan Molina • Maribel Ruiz • Piper Morris • Trieghtyn Hines • Victoria Hines • Adrienne Kearney • Bryan Kearney • Leanna Kearney • Nathan Kearney • Kassie Loe • Landyn Long • Yazmine Luna • Karley Miles

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Grange Membership

BENEFITS Below is an overview of some of the benefits that are available to Grange members across the country.

A full, detailed list can be viewed on the National Grange’s website: www.nationalgrange.org/benefits

$

SHOP

We have partnered with Office Depot/Office Max and The Azigo CashBack Shopping Mall. When you shop at these locations or use these services, you are giving back to the National Grange and receiving special deals in the process.

FINANCE

The National Grange has partnered with TSYS Merchant Solutions, which has been serving merchants for more than 30 years and offers a payment processing program tailored to your business needs. If you have a small business, this advantage could help you.

TRAVEL

R/

X

With discounts from Choice Hotels, Wyndham Hotels, Hertz, Dollar Car, and Thrifty rental car services, as well as other hotel and rental car businesses, and RV accommodations with Harvest Hosts, these exclusive Grange benefits are sure to help you when planning your next vacation.

HEALTH

Our partnerships with Comfort Keepers, one of the top companies in the eldercare industry, Life Line, and the Medical Air Services Association, the oldest prepaid emergency transportation and screening organization, are sure to give you peace of mind about your health.

PHARMACY

We have multiple partnerships to help Grange members obtain discount pharmacy cards. CVS Caremark offers the RxSavings Plus Card. The U.S. Pharmacy Card is a free discount prescription card available to Grangers.

Last offer excludes members in NC. Also a partnership with National Affinity Services allows access to the public subsidized government marketplace.

INSURANCE

We have partnerships with United of Omaha Life Insurance Company and MetLife Home and Auto Insurance to give our members discounts on insurance rates and deals. We are proud to announce a new benefit partner, Clouse Insurance Agency.

State-based and property-based restrictions apply. Contact agency directly.

Excludes Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, and North Carolina.

... and many more plus new ones added regularly. Check our website for all active benefits. www.nationalgrange.org/benefits

MEMORIAL NOTICES ROBERT BARROW Past National Grange President Robert Earl Barrow, Past National President, 90 of Swansea, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his two daughters on April 12, 2020, at his home in Swansea, Massachusetts. Robert Earl was born on January 30, 1930 in Swansea, a son of Charles H. and Etta (Campbell) Barrow.

He was the husband of the late Dolores A. (Pannoni) Barrow to whom he had been married for 61 years.

He was a graduate and class treasurer of Joseph Case High School, Class of 1948, still maintaining close friendships with his classmates. Robert served his country in the United States Army during the Korean war 1951-1953. He then went on to have a 28 year banking career as Senior Vice President at the former First Federal

Savings and Loan Bank in Providence, retiring in 1977.

Robert was a devoted member of the Grange, joining when he was 13 years old and remaining a member of Swansea Grange #148 for 77 years, holding the offices of President 1959-60 and secretary. He was past President of Bay State Pomona Grange 1965-1966 and past President of the Massachusetts State Grange 1981-85, Secretary Massachusetts State Grange, 1997-2001, National Grange Secretary from 1983-85, National Lecturer, 1985-87, National President from 198795. In his role as president of the National Grange, he served on the following committees: Agriculture Policy Advisory Committee (APAC), Bretton Woods Committee,

Transportation Alternative Group (TAG), 4-H Council, Board of the Highway Users Federation, National Farm Coalition, Coalition for Fiscal Restraint and the Coalition to Protect the American Flag.

Barrow was a former member of First Baptist Church, Swansea and was a member of the Seekonk Congregational Church, where he sang in the choir and was soloist on many occasions, singing right up until last July. He loved music and was a trained professional singer, performing at various churches and Granges across the country.

He is survived by his two daughters, Kyle Angell Kawa and her companion, Thomas Moniz and Susan Etta Barrow and her companion Daniel

Murphy; three grandchildren, Jason Robert Gregory and his partner Aaron Plante, Jared Scott Gregory and his wife Jessica and Justine Angell Kawa; a great grandson Marshall Scott Gregory; his sister Florence Reid and several nieces and nephews. He was the brother of the late Emma Plouff, Gertrude Ilsley, Claire Arnold, and Charles H. Barrow, Jr. Cards and condolences may be sent to: Susan Barrow 67 Picard Court Swansea MA 02777-2795

GORDON D. GROVES Past President, Indiana State Grange Gordon D. Groves, 78, of Goshen, died on Thursday, May 7 at his residence after a short battle with cancer.

He was born on May 2, 1942, in Goshen, to Howard P. and Marjorie (Culp) Groves.

On October 24, 1964 in Syracuse, he married Lucille Mary Bushong; she died December 14, 2018.

He worked at the Elkhart County CoOp Feed Mill in Bristol and was a dairy farmer for 25 years. He retired from the North Central Co-Op. He also drove bus for the Middlebury School system and was an Amish Uber driver. Gordon was a member of the State Holstein Association and past president of both the Brown Swiss Association and Elkhart County Dairy

Association.

He was a Golden Sheaf member of the Grange and a past state Grange President.

He was the President of Lake Grange for 50+ years and a 4-H leader for 25+ years. He took several dairy judging teams to nationals.

He was preceded in death by his wife; parents; son-in-law, Robert Lawton. Gordon was a member of First United Methodist

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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org

Church in Middlebury.

He is survived by two daughters, Meribethe Lawton of Goshen, Carijo (Erik) West of Denver, Colorado; son, Randall Groves of Goshen; step-grandson, Freddie Lawton; three step-great-grandsons, Matthew, Colton, and Thomas Lawton; two sisters, Frances (Robert) Miller of Tucson, Arizona, Kathleen (Dan) Seltenright of Goshen.

Cards and condolences may be sent to: Meribethe Lawton 61264 CR 17 Goshen, IN 46526 Randy Groves 16105 CR 22 Goshen, IN 46528

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FLORENCE GIBSON-CHANEY Past First Lady, Idaho State Grange Florence Eloise Schey GibsonChaney Past Idaho State Grange First Lady, passed away April 30, at age 91.

She lived her life in the Tre a s u re Valley. She was born in Nampa, Idaho, on May 18, 1928, the eldest of seven children born to George William and Mary Louise Schey.

Florence graduated from Kuna High School in 1946. She worked for the Nampa School District, then moved to Boise to work as a legal stenographer for Prudential Insurance. She married Kenneth Gibson on September 17, 1949.

They moved to the Kuna dairy farm on April 1, 1950.

Florence has spent her heart and time raising four children by working tirelessly with family activities. She volunteered in classrooms with a School Reading Program and as a room mother. Many long hours were spent with a team of parents to raise the money needed to buy the Kuna High School Marching Band uniforms in the mid-1960s. Florence served as Secretary, Vice President and President of the Kuna School District Parent-Teacher Association.

She attended the Kuna United Methodist Church.

Florence was a 4-H Leader for seven years with the Southside Nimble Fingers 4-H Club of Meridian. Her volunteer time with so many youth, now grown, will impact generations to come. Kenneth, her husband of 44 years, passed away December 21, 1993.

As her own family grew up and moved out of the home, Florence turned her time to career opportunities. In the early 1970s, she re-entered the professional

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workforce. For the next 35 years she worked for the Kuna School District, United Dairymen of Idaho, and Meridian’s Valley Shepherd Church of the Nazarene.

She joined the Kuna Grange in May 1950 and held several positions throughout almost 70 years.

Florence served 16 years in the Idaho State Grange office, retiring in 2006.

Arguably, Florence’s favorite role in life was being a grandma.

After raising her four children, she and Kenneth became “Grandma” and “Grandpa” to many Kuna students who were friends with their granddaughter Jessi. Many of these young adults still refer to her as “Gram.”

On January 4, 2002, Florence married Dallas Chaney. Her family of kids, grandkids and greatgrandchildren expanded.

Florence is survived by her husband, Dallas Chaney; her four children, Ronnie Gibson (Sherrie Collins), Buddy Gibson, Jerry Gibson, and Gloria GibsonMiddleton (Eddy); grandchildren Jessi Jensen-O’Toole (Christopher), Casey Gibson and Ian Middleton; and great-grandchildren, Taylor, Mikayla and Mikenzy Jensen, as well as Dallas’ children and grandchildren.

Florence has four surviving siblings, Donnabel Schlagel (Clarence), John Schey (Shirley), William Schey (Serona), and Linda Jones (John).

Florence was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Kenneth, and two brothers Robert Schey (Jeri) and James Schey.

Florence battled congestive heart failure and COPD brought on by asthma.

Cards and condolences may be sent to: Dallas Chaney 2432 Meadow View Road Kuna, ID 83634-1320

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LAVONA SHAWVER WEAVER Past First Lady, Idaho State Grange Lavona Shawver Weaver, Past National Delegate, 90, of Star, Idaho passed away Thursday April 30, 2020 with loved ones at her side. She was born October 13, 1929 in Boise, Idaho to Howard and Marie (Monteith) Shawver. She lived much of her life on the family farm near Perkins Corner, attending Boise schools and graduating from Boise High School in 1947. She later attended Boise Jr College where she graduated with a degree in Home Economics.

Lavona married Arley Weaver on November 29, 1953.

They first lived in Indiana where Arley was stationed in the military, later moving back to Boise where she worked for several years until their children, Janet and Bruce were born.

She was active in the First Baptist Church, singing in the choir, teaching vacation Bible School and Sunday school.

Lavona went back to work and spent a number of years working for the Idaho National Guard Credit Union until she retired in 1988.

She and Arley moved to Round Valley, Idaho where they were active in the Alpha Grange and the Baptist Church.

Lavona and Arley were also active in the Idaho State Grange where they both held several state offices and attended national conferences.

Lavona had a can-do spirit and would take on most challenges. She could fix almost anything and took on many projects to keep herself busy. She loved sewing, cooking, quilting, knitting, and gardening. Lavona was a life-long learner and teacher. She was especially proud of her granddaughters and loved keeping track of their accomplishments and attending their school, FFA and 4-H activities.

She lived a serving and purposeful life.

Lavona moved to Star, Idaho after Arley’s death in 2006 to be near her children and grandchildren. She is survived by two brothers: Don (Brenda) Shawver and James Shawver, a sister Elaine (Bob) Douglas, daughter Janet Weaver and son Bruce (Brenda) Weaver, two granddaughters Kelsey and Carly Weaver and a number of nieces and nephews.

Cards and condolences may be sent to: Janet Weaver 1766 N Watershed Star, ID 83669

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Quarterly National Grange

Legislative Update

®

Did you ever wonder... “what’s National Grange doing to help communities like mine?” The answer is A LOT, especially on the legislative front. Here is a look at actions taken recently on behalf of our members.

An Invisible Enemy Wreaks Havoc The COVID-19 pandemic stormed through every corner of the world’s civilizations during this past winter and spring. People became infected with the virus, huge numbers were seriously sick and far too many died.

Nations locked down into stay-at-home mode, medical facilities and personnel were overrun, businesses and restaurants closed down, medical and food supply chains were disrupted, economies tanked and jobless numbers skyrocketed.

Pharmaceutical companies went through their drug libraries in search of medicines that might reduce the severity of this particular virus then feverishly began research strategies to develop a vaccine.

The food supply chain slowed to a crawl. Grocery store shelves were soon bare in many aisles. Fresh produce was left in the field with no workers to harvest, pack and ship the food. Without processing and distribution capabilities, milk was dumped at the farm. Meat processing plants closed as workers were infected, protective barriers installed, entire plants disinfected and personal protective equipment found.

Unemployment was the highest since the Great Depression.

Thankfully by May infection rates dropped sharply and by June our country began to reopen again. Soon thereafter our nation’s economy showed signs of gradual recovery going into the summer.

Broadband Becomes an Issue A top priority for the National Grange for close to two decades has been broadband deployment into rural America. While great progress has been made during that time, the pandemic vividly exposed just how much more must be done.

As distance learning and telemedicine became necessary for schools, colleges, hospitals and clinics, many rural areas were left without the high speed connectivity to participate. Lessons and homework had to be delivered by mail or by hand and critically ill patients were left without medical care for months.

Where broadband was available, internet providers leapt into action to offer free service if necessary, added programming, relaxed data caps and overage fees, extended billing periods, created Wi-Fi hotspots and more. Grangers appreciate the efforts by our telecom industry partners during this trying time. Now we have to prepare for the next wave of the pandemic should it reoccur. The National Grange has been actively engaged toward that end: • Filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission supporting the use of unlicensed TV white spaces to

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enhance the use of hybrid mixed-technology networks for rapid broadband expansion into rural areas • Issued a statement of support to the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee for its hearing on the state of broadband amid the pandemic • Called on the Senate and House leadership and the Congressional Rural Caucus to expedite short term broadband deployment to unserved and underserved areas Rural Health Support Needed As the Hill prepared to write their various coronavirus relief packages, the National Grange urged Congress and the Administration to include: • An increase in Medicare payments to rural hospitals and clinics (Rural hospitals and clinics responding to patients with COVID-19 are now receiving a $10 billion distribution) • Allow for 90-day refills on critical prescription drugs {Department of Health and Human Services complied) • Address out-of-network billing for the duration of the pandemic and for a reasonable recovery period afterward (In the House HEROES/CARES 2 package) • Protect air medical services to transport patients between rural areas and Tier I and II trauma centers Biopharmaceutical Industry Responds The National Grange is very appreciative of its biologics and pharmaceutical company partners who have united their efforts to treat currently infected COVID-19 patients and to discover effective vaccines in record time. They are sharing treatments, new technology and research to battle COVID-19 by: • Donating supplies and medicines • Screening global libraries of medicine to identify potential treatments • Sharing results in real time to advance the development of additional therapies • Keeping plants open to maintain a steady supply of medicines for patients • Coordinating with governments and diagnostic partners to increase testing capacity • Dedicating top scientists to speed the development of effective vaccines • Working with authorities and insurers so treatments and vaccines are accessible and affordable.

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Opening the Food Supply Chain As commodities backed up on farms and ranches and food became scarce in stores and food banks, the National Grange urged the Department of Agriculture to relax regulations as appropriate and to change its packaging and purchasing criteria as necessary to expedite direct farm to consumer transactions. The USDA responded quickly.

• USDA rolled out its “Farm to Families Food Box” initiative which uses commercial companies and private organizations to buy fresh produce, dairy products and meat, pack them into household size boxes and truck the boxes directly to distribution sites including schools, nonprofits (such as community kitchens) and food banks.

• USDA created a public-private partnership that developed “Meals to You” boxes that contain 20 meals to cover the amount of food a child normally receives at school over two school weeks. Boxes are delivered directly to the child’s doorstep by the U.S. Postal Service and other delivery services.

• USDA used its Section 32 authority (funds form Customs duties) to purchase an extra $470 million in additional commodities to supply feeding programs (SNAP, Women Infants and Children, etc.) and food banks.

Responding to the Economic Crisis As Congress and government agencies began actions to relieve economic pressures caused by the pandemic lockdown, The National Grange took quick action to urge fast congressional and government responses by: • Supporting action by Congress in their CARES 1 relief package to create and fund the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to compensate farmers and ranchers for losses caused by severe price declines beginning in January. The USDA began signups at local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices May 26 for losses incurred between January 15 and April 15. Because market losses extended well beyond April 15, the Grange is urging Congress to approve CFAP payments beyond April 15 in its next relief package (CARES 2).

• Calling on the Administration to designate food supply chain workers (farmers and ranchers, suppliers, packers, processors, truckers, service unions,

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retailers) as an essential work force. The Administration approved the essential designation that allowed these workers to perform their jobs during lockdown situations and to have priority access to personal protective equipment.

• Joining the efforts of growers and truckers to gain approval from the Department of Transportation to waive its hours of service rule which allows truckers to drive longer hours in order to keep food supply channels open.

• Joining ag groups to petition the Administration to give ag workers special consideration during the lockdown. In response the Department of Labor allowed H-2A workers previously employed in the U.S. an expedited return and allowed H-2A workers already in the country to remain past their deadline and to change employers if necessary.

• Urging the Small Business Administration to extend eligibility for grants and low interest, long term loans to small agribusinesses. The SBA approval reversed a 30 year prohibition on ag business lending.

Homeland Security and Government Affairs

The Post Office is Essential Right N ow The National Grange and several business organizations petitioned leadership of the House and Senate

their neighbors and their communities.

Committees for sufficient funding to keep the U.S. Postal Service fully functioning during the pandemic crisis.

Grangers,

particularly in rural areas, depend on the “essential service” mail carrier to bring food, medicine, supplies, notices, business staples and much more. CARES-1 gave the USPS an additional $10 billion borrowing authority.

The final CARES-2 package

moving through Congress now may add more funding. The Post Office has accumulated a huge $160 billion operating debt that it cannot sustain. The Grange expects to be fully engaged in future policy discussions about revamping and revitalizing the Postal Service.

It’s Not Over Yet There is a distinct possibility COVID-19 or some deviation of the virus will reappear next winter. Our nation’s tanked economy can only recover so quickly. Both issues are daunting challenges for Grange members, Grange members throughout the rural countryside and small town landscape are on duty 24-7 to help.

GRANGERS’ “MAN IN WASHINGTON” Burton Eller has been the Legislative Director at the National Grange since 2014 and previously worked at many agriculturally-based organizations, including the USDA and the Farm Service Agency.

Contact Burton by email at beller@nationalgrange.org or by phone at (202) 628-3507 ext. 114.

DO YOUR PART TO MAKE GRASSROOTS EFFORTS WORK Remember, our advocacy is only as good as our policies - researched and well-written, debated with passion and civility - and our members’ grassroots efforts. Be part of the campaign to keep rural America moving forward by staying informed and answering the calls to action sent by your State and National Grange.

Make sure you’re receiving the View from the Hill monthly e-newsletter and other legislative alerts by email from the National Grange and take part. Make sure to take a copy with you to your Grange meetings so other members can stay informed as well. To ensure you’re on our email list, provide your name, Grange name, number and state and your email to National Grange IT Director Stephanie Wilkins at swilkins@nationalgrange.org today and thank you.

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MEMBER RESOURCE

FOUNDATION FOR OP-EDS & ADVOCACY Use this resource to be an effective grassroots advocate! In your own words, use the information provided to formulate your own op-ed for a local news outlet or to address your members of Congress.

Congress must fund the Broadband Data Act to bring rural communities into 21st century

By Burton Eller National Grange Legislative Director In the age of highly advanced internet products and services, rural communities are still struggling to access even the most basic internet broadband.

Millions of Americans in rural communities experience this lack of connectivity, putting them at a disadvantage compared to their urban and suburban counterparts.

This phenomenon is often referred to as a “digital divide” – a challenge that the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis has made clear, as rural residents and Grange members struggle to adapt to their increased need for better connectivity.

Even in this difficult time, I am encouraged by the recent steps taken by our national leaders to make improved internet connectivity a reality for more Americans.

The FCC acknowledges the connectivity challenges that rural Americans face and the Commission remains an important partner in helping rural communities access and improve their digital infrastructure.

For example, the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) – an ambitious $20 billion FCC initiative to expand broadband infrastructure deployment in rural areas – will conduct their Phase I auction later this year. This paves the way for providers to streamline the deployment of high-speed connectivity

to the areas of our country that most need it.

In February, Congress passed the Broadband Data Act and signaled their commitment to preventing rural Americans from falling behind with respect to internet access.

This bipartisan legislation seeks to remedy a problem that has stifled previous efforts at extending internet coverage to rural areas: the government simply does not have reliable data on high-speed broadband coverage in rural America.

We can applaud programs like RDOF and celebrate the legislative progress to date while recognizing that there is much work to be done.

Historically, the FCC has only had census block data available from which to make policy and resource allocation decisions. Unfortunately – as the relatively-low levels of reliable, highspeed connectivity in rural America demonstrate – this approach is imperfect and falls short of the rates of connectivity that new tools and technologies can enable.

In order for unserved or underserved communities to benefit from the digital services of the future, policymakers and broadband providers must first be able to accurately and uniformly identify areas that currently lack connectivity.

The Broadband Data Act seeks to do just that by directing the FCC to create more accurate broadband coverage maps. This new mapping strategy can help identify each residence or small

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business in rural America, meaning the specific areas which are still unserved can be accurately highlighted.

The newly generated data sets will take the form of a flexible, accurately geocoded digital map that innovators and entrepreneurs can use to tailor modern products and services to improve the lives of all Americans.

As our society transitions to the next generation of mobility, geocoding will serve to create a larger, smarter infrastructure grid which goes beyond transportation to also improve energy, waste management, financial services, healthcare delivery and other forms of critical infrastructure.

Despite its promise, the Broadband Data Act remains unfunded.

Rural areas should be afforded the opportunities associated with technological progress, especially when a cost-effective, scalable solution is readily available.

The Grange urges members of Congress to allow this opportunity to give rural residents the kind of modern infrastructure they will increasingly depend on to live and innovate.

Before we can bring these many benefits to fruition, we must first understand the scope of the challenges many Americans – particularly those in rural areas – face when accessing digital services. We have a shining opportunity to be ambitious – not cut corners. It is time to be forward-thinking and continue to collaborate to build a more promising future.

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Lay of the Land A look at agriculture’s role in combating climate change

By Sean O’Neil National Grange Legislative Intern Across the past few decades, a consensus has emerged that action must be taken on climate change in all sectors of the economy, including agriculture, with members of both parties recently proposing different climate solutions.

Currently, agriculture is the fifth largest contributor to America’s greenhouse gas emissions at 10% of total emissions in 2018 behind transportation (28%), electricity (27%), industry (22%), and commercial/residential uses (12%) according to reporting from the EPA. The EPA further elaborates that agricultural greenhouse gas emissions primarily emerge from livestock, certain soil practices which release gases, and select crops such as rice.

At the same time, because agriculture is an industry which is highly dependent on the climate increases in heat waves, droughts, and other extreme weather events which are predicted to result from extreme climate change will uniquely harm farmers. In fact, because of agriculture’s intimate dependence on the climate a 2017 EPA report listed agriculture as one of the sectors most likely to be harmed by climate change.

To combat climate change, and therefore take steps to protect themselves from its devastating impacts, farmers have many measures they can take.

A 2010 report on the role of agriculture in reducing greenhouse gas emissions produced by the USDA, listed two primary ways in which farmers can fight climate change – by reducing the emissions from their operations, or by contributing to reduced emissions in society overall. In their own operations farmers can decrease

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emissions by adjusting livestock feeds, installing digesters to capture gases produced by manure, changing nutrient management and fertilizer practices, and decreasing emissions from farm equipment such as tractors amongst other important solutions.

As regards decreasing emissions from society as a whole, farmers can use unused or underutilized land to install renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, or capture carbon through conservation tillage/no tillage soil management, careful crop selection, and reforesting unused land.

While some of these practices can also financially benefit a farm, many come at a high cost. Therefore, it is essential that the government create a means by which farmers can both remain financially stable or even benefit while employing measures to combat climate change.

One of the primary proposed mechanisms to do so is the creation of carbon credit markets, a mechanism created by cap-andtrade schemes which allow firms to profit by selling carbon credits they earn from undertaking conservation practices.

Cap-and-trade systems work by setting a cap on the amount of carbon emissions which firms are legally allowed to emit, and then allocating a certain amount of credits to each firm equivalent to their required carbon emissions. Firms can then either use these credits as they produce carbon emissions, or decrease their emissions and sell their excess credits to other firms in a carbon credit market.

This set-up results in an incentive for all firms to decrease emissions, either so that they have more credits to sell because they have emissions levels below the cap, or so that they do not have to buy as many credits because they have emissions levels above the cap.

Over time the cap on total carbon emissions is lowered, and firms are forced to adopt more emission reducing measures, thus

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reducing total carbon emissions and fighting climate change.

In the context of agriculture, access to carbon markets has been voluntary so far, meaning that whereas other firms are limited by the number of credits they are allocated or else have to purchase more, farmers do not have a limit, but can earn credits through conservation practices and then sell those credits for a profit in carbon credit markets. For example, since 2015 the state of California has allowed rice farmers to voluntarily earn credits which they can sell in California’s larger statewide cap-and-trade scheme.

While similar voluntary agricultural carbon markets are being developed, so far many have been underutilized due to the high complexity and cost of obtaining certification for conservation efforts undertaken on farms.

Current Proposals To address the barriers to entry in carbon markets, on June 11th a bipartisan group of Senators introduced the Growing Climate Solutions Act. The bill is led by Republican Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Mike Braun of Indiana, who sits on the Senate Agriculture Committee, along with Democratic Senators Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, the top Democrat on the Senate Agricultural committee.

If passed, the bill would mandate the USDA create programs to provide technical assistance to farmers when applying for credits, and certify third-party verifiers who would be able to verify conservation actions for farmers at a fraction of today’s cost. These changes would ultimately lead to increased access, transparency, and legitimacy in agricultural carbon credit markets.

Proponents argue that the bill will lead to significant benefits for farmers and the climate with little downside. For farmers, more access to voluntary carbon credit markets would increase their compensation for conservation practices they are already undertaking, make future conservation efforts more financially attractive, and provide farmers with a financial asset, the carbon credit, which can help them remain afloat in difficult years.

At the same time, the environment would benefit because farmers would be incentivized to capture more carbon, and decrease their individual carbon footprint. In short, Senator Stabenow describes the benefits of the bill as “a win-win for farmers, our economy and our environment by providing new economic opportunities to store carbon while also addressing the climate crisis.”

In contrast, opponents of the bill argue that the potential for agricultural practices to effectively capture significant amounts of

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carbon is limited, with a report published by the World Resource Institute asserting that “the practices grouped as regenerative agriculture can improve soil health and yield some valuable environmental benefits, but are unlikely to achieve large-scale emissions reductions.”

In response, defenders of the bill have highlighted a competing report published by a diverse group of scientists from universities and institutes around the globe which found that the “climate mitigation potential of regenerative agriculture is significant.”

Since the bill’s recent announcement, a broad coalition of organizations and companies have indicated their support, from conservation groups like the Environmental Defense Fund to corporations like McDonalds and Microsoft to agricultural interest groups like the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Corn Growers Association.

Building on this momentum, Senator Braun has indicated that the bill will likely get a hearing in the Senate Agriculture committee this year, and that the bill has a high likelihood of being enacted in the next Congress.

Beyond the Growing Climate Solutions Act, Democratic Representative Chellie Pingree of Maine has recently proposed the Agriculture Resilience Act which contains a wide variety of provisions intended to combat climate change through agricultural practices, including through carbon credit markets. Specifically, the bill would require the USDA to explore the possibility of expanding the variety of agricultural practices which would be eligible for carbon credits, for example the inclusion of carbon storage programs.

Currently, the Agriculture Resilience Act has not gained the same bipartisan momentum as the Growing Climate Solutions Act, and its legislative fate remains to be seen.

The Grange’s Take It is clear that carbon credit markets for agriculture are gaining momentum and hold great potential to combat climate change while benefiting farmers.

However, it is essential that these markets are developed in a manner that maximizes voluntary access for farmers and adequately compensates their conservation efforts.

Therefore, Grange policy supports legislation which would not impose a mandate on America’s farmers who are already struggling in these unpredictable times, but allows them to voluntarily combat climate change through sound conservation practices while increasing their financial security.

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TELL CONGRESS:

PROTECT RURAL AMERICA’S ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE Access to life-saving medical care in rural communities could be at risk if a new bill in Washington becomes law, placing arbitrary rate caps on vital health services like air ambulances.

For patients in rural America, where hospitals are closing at frightening rates and specialty providers are hard to find, air ambulances fill the gap to travel farther to get the critical care they need.

Contact Your Representative in Washington: 202.224.3121

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GRANGE ADVOCACY ADVERTORIAL PROVIDING CARE TO THE WORLD AT A MOMENT’S NOTICE

Getting accurate count of people in rural, remote locations vital, requires help from all

By Jim Moore U.S. Census Bureau Nearly a year ago, from the back of a pick-up truck, Montana Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney waved to folks attending the Montana Crow Tribe Fair in Big Horn County, population 13,338.

In small rural communities like this, everyone knows everyone, and it is not uncommon for state officials to join in local festivities.

This time, the lieutenant governor was eager to talk about his next big campaign push: the 2020 Census.

“He walked through the entire parade talking about the census and how important it is,” said Mary Craigle, chief of the Research and Information Services Bureau at the Montana Department of Commerce, a partner of the U.S. Census Bureau. She is one of many people working to ensure that everyone who lives in Montana is accurately counted in the 2020 Census this year.

Every 10 years, the Census Bureau counts everyone who lives in the United States.

The census is required by the U.S. Constitution to determine the number of seats each state gets in the House of Representatives. It also provides data for redrawing legislative districts. Responding is important because state, local and federal lawmakers use statistics from the decennial census to help them determine how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funds will be spent every year for the next 10 years.

For the first time, people have the option of responding to the census online at 2020census.gov, by phone (844-330-2020), or by returning a paper questionnaire by mail. The census is available online and by phone in English and 12 other languages, and people can get language support in 59 languages.

Funds that are influenced by census statistics are used for critical infrastructure and public services such as roads and bridges, hospitals and health care clinics, emergency response and schools and education. And several important programs that are aimed specifically at rural communities are funded by the federal government based in part on census statistics (see list).

The majority of Montana is defined by the Census Bureau as “rural,” meaning most population centers have fewer than 2,500 people.

“The census is so important for basic reasons,” Craigle said.

“Two billion dollars.”

That’s the amount the state gets every year from public funding that is based largely on census population counts. If anyone in the state isn’t counted, Craigle said, the state could miss out on thousands of dollars per person. This can be especially detrimental

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Photo submitted by U.S. Census Bureau for a state that’s the fourth-largest by geography and has a great need for highway construction dollars, she said.

Why the Census is important for rural America The 2020 Census provides an opportunity for people who live in rural areas to be recognized for the next 10 years – and in history.

This is the chance for your grandchildren to understand who you are and to let people know that you were here. In 2010, there were 3,143 counties in the U.S., and 60% were considered rural.

Many federal programs are aimed at helping people in rural areas, and funding for those programs is often determined by census statistics, according to the 2017 Census Bureau working paper, “Uses of Census Bureau Data in Federal Funds.” Those include Rural Education and the Department of Justice’s Rural Domestic Violence Assistance programs.

But Census Bureau statistics also inform large programs critical for rural communities such as Medicaid Health Insurance for low-income people, free school lunch programs for children, and transportation funding for building and maintaining roads and bridges.

“When residents live in an area that’s more rural than urban, they are trying to make decisions like how to build schools, what services need to be offered. Really, the only source of data that we have is U.S. Census Bureau data,” said Craigle of Montana. “The census is the one chance to get that really great information for rural America.”

Convincing those in rural areas to respond can be tough People who live in rural areas don’t see themselves as one group – “rural people” – with the same agenda. They can be farmers, farm workers, White, Black or Hispanic, landowners or impoverished, savvy users of technology who use satellite data to map how to plant

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their fields, to people who don’t have any internet access or who just choose to live “off the grid.”

That makes it more difficult to convince people who live in rural areas that the census is important to them and their whole region.

But responding to the 2020 Census is important for everyone across the country – including those who live in the sparsely settled areas.

In some rural communities, it makes a big difference if one or two families are missed. That can be a big percentage of the total population.

How the Census Bureau reaches out to remote places Census Bureau employees take extraordinary measures to reach homes that can be difficult to access in rural and remote areas, whether they are located at the top of a mountain or at the end of a mile-long gravel drive. The COVID-19 pandemic presented an unprecedented set of challenges for the 2020 Census. Area Census Offices closed across the country to reopen on a case-by-case basis, and the Census Bureau delayed field operations protecting census takers and those being counted. Now those offices and operations are reopening and restarting.

Often, rural households do not have typical mailing addresses but use post office boxes in nearby towns. The Census Bureau does not normally mail to P.O. boxes. Instead, census takers deliver paper questionnaires to each home in such areas, along with information about options to respond online, by phone, or by mail. They also confirm and record the physical location of the home. In-person follow-ups are made if no response is received.

“Due to the pandemic, lots of shops and gathering places are closed to the public,” said Ashley Austin, Program Integration Advisor to the Census Bureau’s Assistant Director of Communications. “But people in rural areas can still drive out to their local post office, which could now be serving as a community resource for information important to their area. Thanks to our partnership with the U.S. Postal Service, the Census Bureau has been able to display posters in these post offices with messaging that reminds individuals to complete their census.”

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WATCH & SHARE View the 30-second

Public Service Ad

created by the National Grange to encourage

participation in the 2020 Census then share with your friends.

bit.ly/grange-census

For a small percentage of addresses (those in very remote areas), census takers will attempt to count people in person at the same time as others are being encouraged to respond on their own online, by phone, or by mail. This avoids the additional cost of having to revisit these areas during the Nonresponse Followup operation, which begins in mid-August and runs through October 31, the deadline to respond to the census.

Many people living on Indian reservations and tribal lands have only P.O. boxes or no specific address. That’s why many tribes ask the Census Bureau to send census takers in person to help American Indians respond to the census.

The lack of internet and broadband connectivity poses challenges for much of rural America. Only 65% of counties where 100% of the population is in a rural area have a subscription to any sort of broadband internet, according to Census Bureau statistics.

Areas less likely to respond online, approximately 21.8% of households, will receive a paper questionnaire along with the invitation to respond online or over the phone.

Update Enumerate operation sends Census takers to remote places Certain regions of Alaska and areas of a few other states are so remote that they require an operation called Update Enumerate that is different from the standard way the U.S. population is counted.

During Update Enumerate, census takers count people in person in the most hard-to-reach areas of the country. They visit these areas in pairs and stay until everyone is counted, sometimes for several days.

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The first people scheduled to be counted in the 2020 Census live in Toksook Bay, Alaska. Starting on January 21, census takers began making their way to remote parts of Alaska, known as the Remote Alaska operation, to count the people living there.

But due to COVID-19, Update Enumerate was delayed until June 14 – July 29. When visiting homes, census takers followed local health department guidelines and took social distancing measures as well as wore Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), if required.

Update Enumerate includes remote Maine, and some American Indian areas that have requested to be counted in person. This includes tribes in northern parts of Wisconsin and Michigan and one tribe in Florida. This Update Enumerate operation (not including its Remote Alaska suboperation) will count 8,000 of the most hardto-reach households by 200 enumerators and 40 field supervisors.

Census takers involved in Update Enumerate travel by plane, boat and even dog sled to make sure they reach every person to be counted.

“Southeastern Alaska includes islands that may only receive mail weekly, and you have to fly into these locations,” said Julia Lopez, project manager of the Update Enumerate operation of the Census Bureau.

“We try to have more of a concentrated visit where we stay in the area for a couple of days and try to find someone for the enumeration before we leave the area.”

Update Leave operation pinpoints sparsely populated areas Areas that are not remote but are still sparsely populated are designated for the Update Leave operation.

People in Puerto Rico and those who live in areas where homes have been damaged or destroyed by natural disasters are also counted this way. Census takers update the address of affected households and then leave a packet of information at the door of each household that includes thea 2020 Census questionnaire.

“We divided the country into blocks to do an analysis of their ‘mailability,’” Lopez said. “This means the post office has to be able to deliver to them.”

Typically, if the post office delivers to 50% or more of the addresses in the

block, that block is considered part of selfresponse (people respond on their own).

If there is less than 50% ‘mailability’ in a block, meaning they might not have a typical mailing address, they are considered for the Update Leave field operation.

However, after looking at the mailability criteria, additional changes can be made for operational purposes.

Due to COVID-19, Update Leave resumed based on Area Census Office openings which began on May 4, while the Puerto Rico count resumed on May 22. As of mid-June, the Update Leave operation

was nearly complete.

The goal of the Census Bureau is to count everyone once, only once, and in the right place. And for folks in rural areas, the Census Bureau tries to reach everyone – no matter how remote their home is.

Jim Moore is Special Assistant to the Associate Director for Communications of the U.S. Census Bureau. He manages the rural partnership and veterans portfolios focusing on building partnerships with thirdparty stakeholders.

Rural broadband is critical for more than just obvious reasons

By John Breyault National Consumers League Vice President of Public Policy Telecommunications and Fraud Life for millions of Americans has been turned upside down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

School closures, stay-at-home orders, and bans on public gatherings have all made life in June 2020 almost indistinguishable from how life felt just a few months ago.

As we have adjusted to the new normal, one fact has become clear – the availability of affordable broadband is no longer a luxury but a life-saving link for millions of American families. This goes double for those who live in rural America who are too often an afterthought in the broadband deployment decisions made by multi-billion-dollar companies on the coasts.

As an organization dedicated to fighting scams, we see the impact of the lack of affordable broadband most vividly when consumers call us with heart-breaking stories of fraud.

The criminals who steal consumers life savings depend on their victims not having access to information that could expose these crimes for what they are.

The perfect target for fraudsters is someone who is isolated and vulnerable, who does not have an easy way to access their support network.

While this dynamic is at play in the best of times, the risk has multiplied due to COVID. With tens of millions of consumers out of work, broadband -- particularly the expensive wireless connections that are the only realistic option for millions of rural Americans – is often the first bill to go unpaid. Cut off from friends, family and trusted information sources, vulnerable consumers are easy pickings for scammers, with disastrous results.

Witness, for example, the more than 120 warning letters the Federal Trade Commission has sent in recent weeks to

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companies hawking all manner of fake coronavirus “cures” or COVID-19 “testing kits.”

These and other scams have already cost American consumers tens of millions of dollars, and those are just the losses we know about. The true cost of COVID-19 scams is likely far higher.

And then there are consumers for whom broadband is not an option whether they can afford it or not. The Federal Communications Commission estimates that at least 20 million Americans lack broadband access and other estimates put that number far higher.

The problem is even worse for consumers in rural areas, where the digital divide stubbornly persists despite gains over the past decade.

From the perspective of a fraud fighter, this means that rural Americans are at a higher risk since they are even more likely than most to be unable to access the information needed to detect fraud.

Consider someone who is approached by a potentially fraudulent contractor. Most of us might check the local Better Business Bureau website, or read online reviews to get a sense of whether the person is legitimate or not. Without broadband access, none of that is possible, particularly when institutions like libraries are closed due to COVID-19.

More needs to be done to close the digital divide, not just for the economic opportunities that broadband access creates, but to give rural consumers access to a safety net that can and does protect them from criminal scammers.

Investing in rural broadband isn’t just the smart thing to do from an economic development point of view, it’s the right thing to do to promote public safety, too.

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CONNECTING AMERICA’S HEARTLAND “We realize broadband is our future and we want to be the pipeline to provide the reliable, dependable services that our customers deserve.”

– JAMIE DAUBENDIEK GENERAL MANAGER, JEFFERSON TELECOM

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roadband providers are investing in and deploying the networks that make precision agriculture possible; link students to online learning sources; and connect patients to health care providers, no matter how far apart.

Jamie Daubendiek’s family-owned Jefferson Telecom brings a fifth-generation touch to connectivity. Since it was founded in 1938, Jefferson Telecom has grown from being a telephone service company to a broadband provider that connects 4,500 customers in Jefferson, Iowa.

Jefferson Telecom has always been at the leading edge of technology innovation. In 1982

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they were one of the first companies nationwide to install a digital switching system. Years later, they remain committed to connecting communities — deploying 100% fiber to its rural service area.

So hats off to Jamie and our nation’s broadband providers for connecting America’s heartland to today’s opportunities and tomorrow’s dreams.

Learn more at USTelecom.org

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Keep Me Posted coalition lauds 4 financial institutions for following best practices Banks and other financial institutions make up the first commercial sector analyzed by Keep Me Posted North America (KMP) as part of its ongoing mission to ensure customers are given a clear choice in how they receive information — on paper or digital — and that they are not charged extra for paper statements.

Keep Me Posted is a coalition of consumer groups, charities and businesses that advocates for the right of every consumer in North America to choose, free of charge, how they receive important information – on paper or electronically – from their service providers. The Grange is a member of this coalition.

To see how well U.S. financial institutions are serving consumers when it comes to their communication preferences, Keep Me Posted reviewed the billing practices of the top 20 Fortune 500 companies in this sector (by revenue) to see how they align with KMP’s Best Practices for essential communications: • No charges or other penalties for choosing paper bills • Prior consumer consent required before ceasing to send paper documents • No change in paper bill frequency without prior agreement • No difficulty to revert back to paper correspondence • Continued access to online options Only four of America’s top 20 financial institutions put their customers’ preferences first, do so without fees and make their practices easily accessible.

The rest of the companies, however, chose to limit options, restrict consumer control, put financial penalties on paper choice or make it difficult to impossible to know what their practices are prior to opening an account with them.

For their approach to consumer choice, KMP awards these companies with its Best Practices mark: • Bank of America • Capital One

• JP Morgan/Chase • Wells Fargo In treating bills and statements as a usual and expected part of doing business, these companies transparently provide a range of paper and digital options, honor preferences, seek consent for changes and pose no barriers for customers who wish to switch between digital and paper notices. And most importantly, they charge no additional fees for either form of delivery.

KMP also recognizes Citibank/ Citigroup with its Good Practices mark for not charging penalties or fees for paper bills and statements, and for not making it unduly burdensome for customers to revert to paper correspondence.

KMP encourages Citibank/Citigroup to attain its Best Practices mark by always obtaining its customers’ consent prior to changing them from paper to digital documents.

The remaining top U.S. financial institutions – ranked by annual revenue – all fall short of best practices that make consumer communications preferences a priority.

Most are charging between $2 and $4 for a paper statement that costs them less than 70 cents.

Based on comprehensive feedback and analysis. KMP finds that a mid-sized firm is unlikely to pay more than $0.685 to mail a bill or statement with a return envelope for payment. Furthermore, a larger institution sending only statements with no return envelope and achieving the highest efficiency discounts provided

by USPS, could easily pay less than $0.46 per paper notice on account.

Many treat prior consent like an afterthought. And nearly three quarters of America’s biggest banks and financial institutions make obtaining legally required information such as fees, options, consent and controls on critical communications preferences inaccessible and often impossible to find

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without direct personal interactions with representatives.

As more and more companies have prioritized digital-first approaches to conducting business, consumers trapped in the digital divide are increasingly disenfranchised. Especially in these times of turmoil and uncertainty, communications options and preferences are more critical than ever. Any changes to established patterns of delivering notice of account should be at the request of the consumer.

Proactive consent is paramount and should be honored as a decision to opt-in.

Unexpectedly disrupting paper communications and implementing difficult hurdles to resume them is unacceptable and should never be considered.

KMP urges the rest of America’s top banks and financial institutions to adopt the KMP Best Practices for essential communications. They include Morgan Stanley, TD Bank North America, SunLife Financial, Northwestern Mutual, U.S. Bank, PNC Bank, Synchrony Bank, Fidelity Bank, BB&T Corp, Ameriprise Financial, Discover Financial, Ally Financial and SunTrust Bank.

Customers should have free access to the account information they need in paper or electronic form, according to their own choice. In addition to keeping pace with their industry peers who are demonstrating true leadership when it comes to customer communication preferences, financial institutions may find that giving customers the flexibility to choose paper delivery for essential account information free of charge is a sound investment in both customer retention and measurable customer service cost savings.

A case study that tested the efficacy of paper versus electronic billing found that paper outperformed digital in securing timely payments, and the need to follow up on e-mailed invoices significantly increased customer service costs.

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It has the methodology and the rigor to withstand even the most arduous scrutiny.

It keeps asking questions and, until there’s a breakthrough, it isn’t done.

That’s why, when the world needs answers, we turn to science.

Because in the end, Science will win.

Scientific discoveries are made possible by the hundreds of thousands of people who participate in clinical trials.

Learn more at www.pfizer.com/ClinicalTrials

76

GRANGE ADVOCACY ADVERTORIAL

PERSPECTIVE

The other

half

Long and Winding Roads: Women, Grange and Suffrage

By Carolyn Ostrander, Ph.D. Member and Grange Scholar This year, 2020, is the centennial year of the 19th Amendment and national

movement. We can also think about

be thought of as signposts along a

how the Grange’s example might have

much longer road.

affected the larger national debate over

The

Grange

is

part

of

that

winding road to suffrage, with its own

votes for women.

We do well to celebrate milestones

development as an example of an

Rights

empowering structure for women and

Coming on the heels of the 150th

Convention in Seneca Falls, New York,

its gradual support of women’s right to

anniversary of the Order of Patrons of

and the ratification of the Amendment

vote.

Husbandry, it’s a good time for Grange

itself, and it is natural to link them with

members to look back at suffrage in

famous names like Susan B. Anthony,

Exclusion evolved

relation to the roles of women in the

Carrie Chapman Catt, Lucy Stone,

Grange.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Matilda

like

women’s suffrage.

We can see how the Grange’s

the

1848

Women’s

Joslyn Gage. But instead of being

developed

gateways that open and close the route

in the midst of the growing suffrage

to suffrage, these historic events should

acceptance

of

women

First, the path to universal female suffrage was not a straight line.

Instead, it was paved with the experiences, good efforts, persuasion and collaboration of many people who have not all been as well remembered as suffrage’s heroines.

Many women – and men – wrote, spoke

and

organized

in

favor

of

increasing women’s participation and leadership, sometimes decades earlier than the dates we know best.

Readers may be surprised to learn that women were not always denied the right to vote in “the New World.”

Some women in the United States and even in the American colonies were able to vote at specific times and places as early as the 1600s.

Colonies,

then

states,

had

a

patchwork of laws – and women voted in many elections across a variety of jurisdictions in colonial periods.

While our founders declared us a free nation as of July 4, 1776, it wasn’t until the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1788, that there was more formalization of laws, including voting rights among Stock Photo Cartoon shows a woman voting, with the year in which states around her provided for women’s equal suffrage. The ballot box appears of Wyoming, where women were granted the right to vote prior to the territory becoming a state.

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others.

In several states, women – especially white, often land-owning women – had

previously

been

enfranchised.

Legal documents included gendered pronouns in phrases related to elections like “her ballot” and “he or she.”

The new Constitution required all states to write their own election laws and all women except those in New Jersey, found that the male lawmakers had left them out of the process.

New York was the first of the new states where women were officially deny them the right to vote based on a 1777 ballot measure. In it, previously included pronouns of “she” and “her” when referring to voting or ballots were removed. Similarly this happened in Massachusetts in 1780 and New Hampshire in 1784.

Even in New Jersey, enfranchisement was short lived – for those it was extended to.

Courtesy of the National Archives Suffragettes ride in a float at a Women’s Suffrage Parade in 1913.

New Jersey’s original law stated: “all inhabitants of this county, of full

voting, even in local school elections, in

age, who are worth fifty pounds… have

most parts of the country.

Even

before

the

Seneca

Falls

Convention was convened, a State

resided within the county… for twelve

Rural female heads of households in

Constitutional Convention in Albany,

months.” This was taken to mean that

Kentucky were given the right to vote

New York, was held in 1846. Among

married women, no longer holding the

in elections only pertaining to taxes and

other

right to own their own property, would

local school boards in 1838, but “school

debated a petition for women’s right to

be represented by their husbands at the

suffrage” took much longer elsewhere.

vote that was signed by six women from

polls. Only single women were known to

Often people supported or opposed

have voted in the state in the latter two

votes for women based on other political

decades of the 18th century.

or social considerations. Greed, racial

proposals,

the

Convention

rural Jefferson County, on the Canadian border.

The

petition

used

phrases

like

New Jersey lawmakers ignored their

prejudice, class divisions and political

“the consent of the governed” and

own state Constitution in 1807 and

partisanship as well as a lack of unity

“taxation without representation.” It

decided that only free, white, tax-paying

about “the Woman Question” can be

argued “That the present government

males would be allowed to vote as a

seen in the complicated political history

of this state has parted from the true

of debates, from the arguments for and

democratic principles upon which all just

against letting women vote in local

governments must be based by denying

school elections to the legislative action

to the female portion of community”

way to unite the Democratic-Republican party prior to the 1808 Presidential Election.

Until the 1920 ratification of the National Women’s Suffrage Amendment, advocates of voting rights could only hope to regain those rights by the same path: issue by issue, town by town and state by state. But the process was not at all easy.

As a rule, by the early part of the 1800s, women were prohibited from

that granted votes to white women over the age of 21 in the Wyoming Territory in 1869.

Women by and large favored suffrage, especially in rural America

their right to vote.

How rural were the petitioners?

Most of the women were listed as “wives of farmers,” following the custom of naming the male in a farming couple as “the farmer.”

One thing is certain: women across

One single woman, Susan Ormsby,

the United States wanted the right to

would own her own 50-acre farm by the

vote.

time the Grange was firmly established.

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That spirit of female empowerment was strong in rural areas – as could

dividing and sharing labor and decision-

form a Grange composed only of men.

making.

His answer was a firm “no.” Sometimes,

be seen by the Grange Founders’

Donald Marti, who wrote Women of

that acceptance has been seen as

acceptance of the proposal that would

the Grange: Mutuality and Sisterhood in

a single decision made broadly and

come from Caroline Hall by way of her

Rural America, 1866-1920, also adopted

without hesitation. But the fact that the

uncle, Oliver Hudson Kelley, to include

the term to help explain why including

Grange started with a bold commitment

women equally from the organization’s

women would seem natural to recruits

to welcome women was just that – a

beginning.

to the new organization.

starting point.

‘Mutuality’ key in family farming

might not be called farmers but their

contradictory statements about what he

Many scholars have suggested that

contributions are not just a matter of

meant by equality, perhaps because of

men and women in farm families need

“helping out.” Women contribute labor

the company he kept and his own life

to work together to be successful.

that keeps the farm in good working

experience.

They may be influenced by cultural

order. In many farm families they also

Kelley, like many farmers, took

expectations

and

bring in money by their farming activities

off-season jobs away from the farm

women should behave and the kinds of

Anson Bartlett – who would become

in hard times. During the Civil War he

an instrumental figure in the early

periodically worked for the government

Grange – and his wife, Esther Rogers

in various capacities in Washington

Bartlett, would have agreed.

D.C., and in 1868 he began to travel to

about

how

men

According to these scholars, women

work they should do.

On the other hand, their need to rely on each other and their personal inclinations may lead them to negotiate exactly how that will work.

The couple had moved from Vermont to Ohio together with his parents as

This is called “mutuality.”

Yet

Kelley

made

promote the newly-established Grange In

Kelley’s

Temperance

newlyweds in the 1830s.

himself

absence

Lane

his

Kelley,

wife, helped

Scholars of rural life and gender

Family members retold their story

manage the farm. Temperance became

like Mary Neth and Grey Osterud have

in newspaper “memorials,” recounting

a central figure in Grange history whose

studied and written about this concept

that Esther worked with her husband

contribution is often forgotten. She

extensively,

different

and father-in-law to help clear land,

not only kept the home fires burning

families worked out various ways of

while Cynthia, Anson’s mother took care

but provided her own inheritance as a

of the house.

financial boost the fledgling organization

showing

how

Both Cynthia and Esther made cheese and butter, important farm products that sold at good prices.

Anson and Esther left the farm to learn a new system of cheesemaking in central New York from another farming couple, Jesse and Amanda Williams.

Their “factory” method combined the milk from many farms and made a consistent quality of cheese so that neighboring farms could cooperate to make larger batches and sell them in bigger markets, a method the Bartletts went on to teach others, again working File Photo Anson Bartlett, the first Vice President of the National Grange, was an early and vocal advocate of the full inclusion of women in the Grange.

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needed to keep afloat in its early days.

In

addition,

as

Kelley

traveled

extensively to promote the Grange, his older daughters Julia and Fanny grew up. They also helped manage the Kelley farm. Julia was in fact listed in the census as a farmer at one point.

Kelley knew that his niece, Caroline Hall, also understood the lives of homesteading farm women personally.

At the age of 18, she had moved to Minnesota from Boston with her parents and siblings. Together they homesteaded across the Mississippi

together in partnership.

River from her aunt and uncle Kelley.

Forming the Grange point of view

Order, Hall is said to have told him

Oliver

writing

it would never succeed without the

reveals that occasionally prospective

inclusion of women. Kelley insisted

members would ask whether they could

throughout his life that Hall must

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Hudson

Kelley’s

As he began imagining this new

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Courtesy of the National Archives, Records of the U.S. Information Agency Suffragists stand with a poster and bonfire in front of the White House in Washington, D.C., in 1918.

receive credit for her contribution, but

Grange’s potential and the importance

the Grange, the others agreed based

never included her directly in the list

of offering women true equality.

on their own experience, or were

of founders of the Order. It wasn’t until

When Bartlett, who is credited

persuaded by his arguments – or by

1892 when delegates honored her by

with helping to write portions of early

those he developed together with

voting that she be made “equivalent

drafts of the Grange ritual, wrote to

Anson Bartlett and Caroline Hall.

to a founder” that Hall received the

Kelley, he did not write for himself

recognition she so deserved.

alone, but insisted that “our people”

In fact, there were a number of

and “dedicated, hard-working” women

men and women with which Kelley

would not be attracted to anything less

exchanged letters who supported the

than true equality. He was concerned that

idea of forming the Grange as a mixed-

women would perceive an organization

gender society, and of women’s rights

in which women’s roles were restricted

more generally.

as uninteresting or unfulfilling.

Early

member

and

first

The meaning of “equals” developed over time

In order to ensure that women would be admitted to all Granges everywhere, a rule was developed that a Grange must have a minimum number of charter members of both genders. All initiated members with up-to-date dues would

Vice

It is clear that the Bartletts, who

President of the National Grange Anson

were full partners in their farming and

Bartlett gave enthusiastic support to the

business ventures as well as husband

organized with some specific positions

proposal to include women fully.

and wife, experienced a different kind

for women only, another check and

In Bartlett’s correspondence with

of mutuality than the Kelleys, who hired

balance in the system.

Kelley, printed in Kelley’s book Origin

a laborer to do the physical work of

and Progress of the Order of the Patrons

farming when Kelley was away.

be eligible to vote and hold office.

In

addition,

the

Grange

was

At the outset, it wasn’t entirely clear in some people’s minds whether

of Husbandry in the United States; A

When “Father Kelley” brought his

women could lead a Grange or if men

History from 1866 to 1873, we see the

niece’s proposal for full inclusion of

would follow a female leader. If a

two men wrote at length about the

women to the other men who created

Grange was composed of people who

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81

hesitated to vote women into strong

There was plenty of language about

a variety of organizations. He published

leadership positions, having “ladies’

partnership, and a clear statement that

the Washingtonian Pocket Manual in

chairs” ensured that members would

women were expected to participate

1842 for a peer-support temperance

understand they should vote for some

fully, offer “wise counsel” and both work

society for men and women suffering

women.

and learn together with men.

from alcoholism. Then in 1855, he

Even those who formed and fell into

Certainly, not every Grange man

wrote a manual for the Odd Fellows, a

line with Grange standards often were

saw the equality and enfranchisement

male fraternal society that developed

skeptical of just how far empowerment

of women in the Grange as a way to

a separate women’s society called the

in the Grange could push women to

raise women’s status in society or create

Rebekahs, which was mainly focused

expecting equal treatment in the home

in them a drive toward feminist ideals –

on the support of widows and orphans.

and nation.

including several of our most venerated

Both of these books showed a protective

founders.

attitude toward women.

William Simmons of South Carolina told his peers – fellow plantation

Founder Rev. Aaron B. Grosh saw

But Grosh came around to the

owners – “there is no more danger of

the inclusion of women equally with

idea, and in the Grange manual he

[their wives] becoming a woman’s right

men as important for different reasons –

carefully outlined the reasons women

woman at the Grange than there is of

“woman needs our Order far more than

were included, the offices he imagined

her becoming one at the fireside, for at

does the sterner, hardier sex,” he wrote

they might hold (including the office

each place [she] is in company with her

because “farm women were confined

of Chaplain), and the benefits women

husband.”

to a dull round of domestic chores and

would gain from participating in the

However in those early days, when

enjoyed fewer opportunities for social

organization. He even dedicated a book

initiates entered the Grange, they were

intercourse than men.” He believed

he wrote to his wife, saying she took on

faced with different sets of rituals for

having women in the halls would “exert

many of his duties while he wrote.

men and women until 1889 and often

an elevating moral influence on the

Another founder, Dr. John Trimble,

women were still perceived as less-than

men.” This argument about women’s

also saw women excluded or made

inside Grange halls. Positions that were

hard lives helps explain the popularity of

subsidiary to men by the structure of

reserved for ladies provided openings

descriptions of the Grange as “the great

fraternal organizations.

for portions of the ritual that explained

liberator of the American farmer’s wife.”

Trimble

taught

at

the

Masonic

how women could contribute to the

Before joining the initiative to create

College in Tennessee with Rob McCoy,

Grange and what it could offer them.

the Grange, Grosh had been involved in

the man often credited with initiating the Order of the Eastern Star (OES) for the wives and daughters of Masons. In that society, women were not eligible to become Masons due to their gender.

The OES was designed to offer women a

“separate

but

equal”

fraternal

experience. The goal was moral and cultural “uplift.”

From these experiences, both Grosh and Trimble would have understood how different and significant the mixedgender membership of the Grange would be.

Expectation of equality limited to the social order Courtesy of the Ohio History Connection Mrs. Chas H. Weaver postcard to Franklin County Woman Suffrage Association, October 1, 1914.

82

While

many

men

joined

the

organization with some level of comfort in sitting and voting alongside their wives, sisters, daughters and female

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neighbors, that did not mean they saw them as equal outside the Order when it came to enfranchisement.

In fact, even within the Order, some of the Founders believed there would or should be limits to women’s involvement.

For example, Grosh did not believe women

should

ever

take

action

politically outside of this social order – clearly drawing the line between taking part in determining the destiny of the Grange and similar social organizations like sewing circles, garden clubs and church-sponsored groups versus having full enfranchisement in greater civic and political matters and elections.

Kelley

called

women

of

the

organization “our main stay” and many have attributed the successful founding and longevity of the Grange to the full inclusion of women.

However,

Kelley

also

believed

women’s role was domestic or extensions thereof, but “insisted that outdoor work stifled development of women’s higher abilities.” Historian and biographer Tom Woods, who curated the living museum at the Kelley Family Farm for many years, said that he saw women in immigrant homesteading families working in the fields, and rejected the idea. Kelley also knew many women from his time in

File Photo A historic marker in Kalamazoo, Michigan, celebrates the Grange’s inclusion of women and lauds the work of women in the Grange in that state for suffrage and other causes. The opposite side of the marker provides reference to Michigan State Grange as a whole.

Washington, D.C. who would have seen physical labor as impossible, or at the

included but their participation was

“…It is said that several hundred

very least as only fit for lower classes.

more in line with what he and many of

thousand women have already joined

his contemporaries felt were women’s

the Order of Patrons of Husbandry…

desired roles.

What determines us to believe in them

In fact, he believed that many women would enjoy the social aspects of involvement in the Grange because “it was like a fancy dress party.”

Grosh believed many of the “higher

Meanwhile,

of

is the fact that they admit women to

women’s equality were widely circulated.

equal membership with men. This is

Long

Grange

certain to make their influence in every respect wholesome, and will insure their

– would not be of interest to women

support, suffrage periodicals promoted

maintenance.”

because of their challenging sets of

the Grange as a champion of women’s

duties, and helped to create the four

equality.

from

official newspaper of the National

offices that could only be held by

rival suffrage organizations are good

Woman Suffrage Association in 1873.

women to ensure that they were still

examples of their praise:

The second came from an article that

Master, Overseer, Steward and such

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the

descriptions

had formally adopted a resolution of

offices” of the Grange – then termed

before

rosy

These

National

two

quotes

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This statement appeared in the

83

appeared on Oct. 28, 1874 in the

was the question of whether women

Kansas Farmer:

in the Grange were in fact equal with

“At the convention at Detroit, last

men. She agreed with those who saw

week, of the American Woman Suffrage

a partnership in which the roles were

Association a resolution was passed:

well-defined and respected as a kind

That the recognition of the right of

of equality. Sister Rhone then went

woman to vote and hold offices by the

on to address other key concerns: the

Patrons of Husbandry in their Granges,

importance of respecting and caring for

by the Sovereigns of Industry in their

the home, the need for greater access

Councils and by the Good Templars

to education, and other issues.

[a Temperance organization] in their

Sarah G. Baird – who served as a

Lodges, entitles us to regard these

National Grange delegate in her own

societies as practical auxiliaries of the

right having been elected Minnesota

woman suffrage movement.”

State Grange President in 1895, a first for

At the same time, women began to

women in the Order – took her position

articulate and expand the limitations of

as Pomona literally in 1906. That year,

the roles exclusively designed for them.

she gave a report that included statistics

Such was the case with Cordelia

on fruit growth and a discussion of

Atkeson, first lady of the West Virginia

improvements in horticulture.

State Grange and National Ceres, when

Many states established committees

she said in 1901 there was no need for

specifically for or looking at the lives

her to present a report from her office

and work of women of the era in the

as “the office had given her nothing

late 1800s, such as the Massachusetts

to do.” Similarly, researcher Jean F.

household

Hankins found in Grange documents

entertainment committees that were

that “a Connecticut woman complained

copied by other states, and while it kept

about the three Lady Graces who ‘sit in

the two sexes separated, it did much to

distressing dignity, like so many wax-

serve as a “springboard for women who

figures.’”

wished to widen the Grange agenda,

Other Graces found or invented plenty to do in promoting the Grange generally, domestic

in

addressing

concerns,

or

women’s in

urging

action on a particular issue. In 1889, for instance, Sister J. C. Draper gave a report as National Pomona on the ritual speeches of the Graces and their themes.

In 1892, Sister C.E. Bowen gave a report to the National Grange as Pomona, in which she addressed a topic within the domestic agenda, home beautification. And in 1895, Sister M. S. Rhone gave a report as Ceres that began by agreeing that her role was “largely ceremonial” but went on to discuss a number of concerns.

The first issue Rhone brought up

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economy

and

home

and … provided a means of doing so.”

An example would be the successful advocacy by Grange women and others they recruited to the cause to include music in public education curriculum, domestic

science

and

vocational

training for women at state agricultural colleges and more. Women also helped to spur some of the most notable and effective philanthropic initiatives such as the establishment of the Good Will Farm in Fairfield, Maine, to house orphans.

A key issue was the plan for representation by women at higher levels of the order.

LEARN MORE Several online exhibits will quench your thirst for knowledge about

the women’s suffrage movement.

You may also find an exhibit in your state to investigate when it is open and safe. To find exhibits, go to:

www.2020centennial.org/exhibits-2

democratic principles.

When The National Grange began in 1867, women had nothing to do or say in a state or national Grange meeting until 1873 when “four ladies honored” the National Grange by attending its meeting in Oliver Kelly’s home, which was then in Georgetown, D.C. The Order’s constitution, revised at that meeting, said that women who had “taken the degree of Pomona,” the most advanced then available to them and were married to State Grange Presidents, were welcome at future National Grange meetings.

At the next session in 1874 in St. Louis,

Missouri,

New

Jersey

State

President Edward Howland and his wife, Marie, were slated to attend as the state’s delegates and supported the appointment of women delegates to all committees.

National President Dudley W. Adams initially agreed to the proposal, but appointed all-male committees after his wife, Hannah H. Adams, apparently opposed the idea.

According to first-person accounts included in the dissertation of Holly J. Blake, the Howlands left the meeting in protest, and the resulting discussion ended with the precedent of including women

in

committee

work

being

established.

Women’s place in the early Order varied

At the state level, the early minutes

negotiated

of several State Grange annual meetings

answers to knotty questions using

reveal tensions over how delegates

Grange

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File Photos A photo shows that all 13 offices of Blazing Star Grange #71, New Hampshire, in 1915 were held by women. All-female degree teams, like that pictured to the right from Excelsior Grange #5 in Maine, were more commonplace.

were chosen and what kinds of committee work women would be involved in and even who could run for various offices.

Most methods of choosing delegates resulted in more men than women attending as voting delegates.

New York and Ohio are two examples of State Grange meetings that had to iron out the roles of women within the Grange before tackling questions about support for women’s suffrage generally. There are likely many more examples of this negotiated equality that can be found in early Journals of Proceedings from other State Granges around the nation.

In 1873, at its founding, the California State Grange ruled that women could run for any State Grange office, though it was several years before a woman exited her lane from one of the four reserved offices for women.

of the organization.

Such was the case in Wisconsin in 1875 when 253 votes were cast for President, but only 35 when the delegates were electing the office of Pomona.

In spite of this, several women became especially prominent in the organization.

While Flora Kimball may have been the first female elected to the office of President – that of Indiana’s Howard County

A deeper dive into some of these records reinforces the idea that the ceremonial positions reserved for women were of little interest to men and held little meaning for the outcome

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Grange in 1877 – she was not well-known on the bigger Grange stage.

The Great Lakes seemed to be a particularly progressive

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region with Indiana also having the distinction of electing the first female State Grange Lecturer, Sallie Black, followed by Baird heading Minnesota’s Granges beginning in 1895 as President.

At that point the flood gates appeared to be open as news of a woman elected to a position for the first time in their local Grange, Pomona or State had become more commonplace.

Jennie Buell, of Michigan, began writing and speaking in the Grange environment,

and

served

as

the

assistant editor of Michigan’s Grange Visitor and then held elected offices in the Michigan State Grange as State Secretary and State Lecturer.

On the National level there was Eva Sherwood McDowell, of New York State, who served the remainder of her famous founding husband Francis’s term as National Grange Treasurer after his death, then was elected to the position several times on her own right.

Around

the

nation,

legions

of

women holding offices helped connect Granges and pass important ideas around from region to region. By 1900, it was estimated that fully half of the Lecturer positions were held by women.

The number of woman secretaries, chaplains and treasurers is unknown, but all of these offices were frequently held by women at the local and state levels.

Courtesy of the National Archives

Grange’s structure with shared leadership important

A copy of House Joint Resolution 1 regarding the 19th Amendment, from May 19,

Looking back, many present-day onlookers

wonder

what

took

1919.

the

Grange so long to make a commitment

expectations about women’s lack of

most local, county and state Granges

to publicly support suffrage legislation.

interest or fitness for the public sphere,

had lively discussions about the topic,

and this may be part of the truth.

and many resolutions must have been

To some it may suggest that the Grange was not as sold on equality as it claimed to be.

Historian Donald Marti concluded

However, it’s important not to read

passed along the way. Some of them

the evidence as if it answers a “yes/no”

are probably recorded in local Grange

question.

minutes; local Granges that were opened

Grange

National Grange records of official

women was often defined by cultural

votes tell part of the story, but surely

that

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the

primary

role

of

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before

may

have

interesting

histories hidden in their archives.

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1920

What we do know is that the Grange’s structure fosters civic participation by

annually for years before finally being

were not recorded played their parts

passed.

by discussing, sometimes by reading

every member. Every member has a

The establishment of a farmer’s

and writing or speaking up in public,

role to play in business meetings and in

organization in which men and women

sometimes by the way they voted, and

Lecturer’s programs.

could share participation and leadership

sometimes simply by talking, thinking,

Debate is encouraged, and fair

was no small task, but it could not have

and rethinking about what they believed

discussion rules are introduced in the

been done without the discussions and

was right.

Order of Business, in the opening

votes of the women themselves.

The Grange was often the training

to State Annual Sessions, and in the

Oliver H. Kelley himself, recognized

parliamentary procedure of debates on

as the driving force behind the Grange’s

express

resolutions.

early

against

of its leaning toward equality, often

giving credit to a small cadre of founders

discussions and action on those views

and listed dozens of names of people

of things such as women’s suffrage were

who were essential to the Grange’s early

not only tolerated but encouraged.

These processes take time, but the structures and guidelines are there for a reason.

We have seen that the Grange included many supporters of women’s suffrage

also

had

its

National

and

many

state

Granges as well, took several decades

Support from grassroots rural

keep their names in memory. multiple crises, and understanding our heritage can help prepare us to face the uncertainty of our time.

In the Grange, as in the nation, the big event we celebrate is actually the

Annual Meeting minutes in Journals

crowning event in a long democratic

of Proceedings from the 1880s and

process that began before the big day,

1890s and early 1900s show that, in

and continued to unfold long afterwards.

some places, resolutions were presented

because

surprise that several suffragettes had

fully understand. It will be up to us to

to confirm their support of votes for women.

and

ties to the Grange.

The Grange was born in response to Grange,

views,

name many women for reasons we don’t

detractors.

It is well documented that the

their

For this reason, it may come as no

However, he did not specifically

changes possible

but

argued

success.

In the end, many hands make big

rights,

development,

ground for women to learn how to

Ordinary

people

whose

names

organizations was important

Quite a few well-known leaders of the suffrage movement had ties to agriculture and rural communities.

Although she was not known to be a Grange member, young Carrie Lane was raised on a farm in Iowa and graduated with a degree in Science from Iowa State Agricultural College, a land grant school, in 1880.

This famous leader of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) is generally known by her married name, Carrie Chapman Catt.

She is given credit for devising the strategy that led at last to the passage and ratification of the 19th Amendment.

Eliza C. Gifford was active in New York State suffrage meetings and was a voting delegate in the NAWSA. Gifford was also the wife of early New York State Grange President William C. Gifford, and a voting member of the National Grange while he held office.

Her position allowed her to introduce several national resolutions asking the

Courtesy of Newspapers.com A newspaper clipping shows North Rose Grange members attended a 1915 lecture by suffragette Alice Pierson after their meeting.

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Grange to formally support votes for women.

Other prominent Grange women

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Photo by Lindsay Scroeder In 2015, delegates of the National Grange elected the first female National Grange President, Betsy Huber, front row, fourth from right. As of 2020, 11 of the the 17 National Grange officers and one of the three Assembly of Demeter officers are female.

who supported suffrage included Elizabeth Kilton Lord, who

amendment, Alice Pierson of Connecticut wrote and spoke for

was a prominent public speaker on behalf of the Grange and

the NAWSA. Pierson was active in promoting suffrage among

suffrage activist both in her home state of New York and later

Grangers, and wrote a pamphlet in about 1915 specifically for

in life as a resident of Olympia, Washington.

rural readers, quoting the National Grange and State Grange

In addition, there was Jeanne C. Carr and Flora Kimball of

Presidents from around the country.

California, Ida Chittenden of Michigan, Susan Pecker Fowler

Her work must have been effective, for when Pierson came

of New Jersey, Clara Ann Humason of Oregon, and Ella

from Connecticut to speak in rural Red Creek, New York, the

Hawley Crossett and Harriet May Mills of New York State.

Grange finished its business meeting and went as a group to

In the first generation of Grange members, women like

attend her public lecture on the subject.

Gifford and Lord may have practiced public speaking by

These connections help explain the flow of information

teaching school, and brought that experience to the suffrage

and outreach between suffragists and Granges, but they don’t

movement and to the Grange as well.

show us how the Grange was shaped into an organization that

Michigan Granger Buell worked closely with Chittenden for suffrage in Michigan.

would welcome and support women’s participation. They also don’t reveal how the Grange developed from an organization

Two generations of capable women gradually increased

of men and women working and learning together into an

their active leadership in local and state Granges as

organization that publicly supported the national suffrage

Secretaries, Treasurers, Chaplains and Lecturers.

movement.

These offices do much of the heavy lifting in programs and

In 1903, during her last public speech before her death,

logistics that keep Granges active, and organizational skills

lauded suffragette Susan B. Anthony told those gathered at

as well as practice in public speaking and writing come with

the 37th Annual National Grange Convention that she could

the jobs.

always recognize a “Grange woman as far off as she could see

During the campaign for national ratification of the suffrage

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her, because of her air of feeling herself as good as a man.”

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The Grange’s on-again, off-again relationship with a constitutional amendment for suffrage

With a sentiment of inclusion and equality running deep in the Western United States, it’s not surprising that the first State Grange to declare itself for universal suffrage was California in 1878, just a few years after its founding.

In 1881, the New York, Indiana and Michigan State Granges followed suit, voting in favor of a national constitutional amendment that would enfranchise women.

Slowly states began to take up the issue and by 1885, the National Grange took its position in favor of women’s suffrage.

The 1885 resolution read: “Resolved, that one of the fundamental principles of the Patrons of Husbandry, as set forth in its Declaration of Purposes, regulating membership, recognizes the equality of the two sexes. We are therefore prepared to hail with delight any advancement in the legal status of woman, which may give to her the full right of the ballot-box and an equal condition of citizenship.”

But the next year the delegate body rescinded the policy after delegates determined suffrage to be a state issue – a convenient way for delegates who did not wish to lose membership because the Grange was labeled too progressive to return to their states with a narrow view of the role of women.

For the next seven years, Grangers in states across the country worked toward suffrage, and the National Grange again voted in favor of giving women the right to vote in 1893.

The issue continued to be one of contention for the next three decades with some states seeking to reverse the organization’s stance on suffrage even as more female leaders were being elected to offices. It wasn’t until 1916 that the National Grange with full fervor advocated for suffrage, asking each of its more than 500,000 members to do the same.

Equality realized - perhaps

Photo by Ann Burns

From the beginning women were included in the Grange,

Grange members have great pride in the equal opportunities for women in the organization. This exhibit entered in

but that inclusion was complicated.

Documents and discussions about the Grange’s history still focus on seven founders, all male, even though for more than 125 years we have by direction of our own delegates that

the Fryeburg Fair in Maine by Ann Burns in 2019 displays

information about the offices reserved only for women, as

well as contemporary and historic female leaders in the Maine State Grange and National Grange.

indeed there are eight, including Caroline Hall.

This “otherness” of Hall could today be overlooked. She could stand with her uncle and his male counterparts as a founder and all of our language could say “eight founders of

the male-dominated power structure that held through nearly

our Order” without exception or a special call for recognition.

a century and a half before the election of the first female

Instead, the continual inclusion of Hall as an afterthought

National Grange President, Betsy Huber, in 2015. Just after

provides a question of just how equal women and their

the sesquicentennial celebration of the Grange, delegates

contributions to the success of the Order have been seen by

had added to the National Grange Executive Committee two

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women, making the count of men to women equal in that

while simultaneously limiting them further when it is required

six-member body.

they fill roles that they see as having little value.

As of 2020, 11 of the 17 offices of the National Grange

“This is a generation that sees a cut-throat work

are filled by women, and one of the three officers of the

environment and knows everything they devote time to,

Assembly of Demeter, the body that has in its jurisdiction the

especially in the ‘youth’ age when they’re seeking scholarships

ritual and ceremonial aspects of our Order, is female.

and building first resumes - as a potential line on that

For some, this is a signal that full equality and inclusion

resume,” said National Grange Membership and Leadership

has finally been reached within the organization – that it

Development Director Joe Stefenoni. “It’s very challenging

has become what in 1894 famed Grange First Lady and

to convey to employers the duties and responsibilities of

suffragette Gifford called the “greatest equality club the

these positions. Without a clear job description for those

world has ever known.” Yet there is still plenty of opportunity

outside the Order that communicates the skills those elected

to build on the Grange’s promise as new challenges arise.

to fill the seat are gaining, the candidate/applicant can be

Even today, women often find themselves on a different track in the organization, if you will, with Women’s Activities

less desirable; at which point the gender requirement can feel like a burden rather than an opportunity.”

Committees remaining in some places and the continued

Still, in terms of social organizations who have invited,

reservation of at least four women per Grange required to fill

involved and inspired women, and added to the equality

positions that have not seen a widespread formal expansion

of women across the United States, there is little doubt the

of duties since their establishment in more than a century

Grange stands out.

and a half.

The question is, what will the next century and a half bring

The women who lamented having little to do when filling the Graces offices have come no further to seeing their

and where will women find themselves both in America and in our Order in that time.

responsibilities expand except where they take the initiative themselves. However, for some, this office is still a welcome introduction to the way of the Grange.

National Grange Communications and Development Director Amanda Brozana Rios, New York State Grange

Additionally, a majority of Grange membership today

Historian Carol Bailey and National Grange Intern Heather

is female, thereby both empowering women to leadership

Simon contributed to this article.

Parting Thoughts: An Unbroken Chain to the Present Day The roll of honor for early Grange women leaders has

never fully been established, but the more we learn about

them the better we can understand how their lives enrich our own.

In my research for my doctoral classes and dissertation

view of world events we live through today.

Junior and Subordinate Granges would be well served

by adopting a project of discovering their own “unknown heroines” using old Grange minutes and oral histories.

Keeping detailed notes about where information

entitled “Rural Rhetorics and Ritual Practices: Gender,

comes from and making the findings public can help future

in the Early Grange,” I was helped very significantly by

Granges and rural individuals reflected their society and

Labor and Cultural Literacy as Mutual Rhetorical Education the presidents and historians of many Granges, including especially Fredonia Grange #1, the New York State Grange,

researchers and scholars form a clear picture of just how worked to change it.

If you take up such a project, record names and dates,

the New York State Grange Museum under Carol Bailey’s

but be cautious in making conclusions, since our records can

The history of the Grange is fascinating and from it

notes about uncertainty, inconsistencies and unanswered

direction, and Amanda Brozana Rios of the National Grange. we can learn so much about the processes of change. By looking below the surface, we see just how complicated progress can be and apply that understanding to our own

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contain typos and our memories can be inaccurate. Include questions for the next inquiring mind.

Most importantly, write the stories! Share what you learn,

and don’t forget to include yourself in your story.

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Pennsylvania takes Junior Grange camp online

By Lurae Benzio Pennsylvania State Grange Junior Director

and Amanda Brozana-Rios National Grange Communications & Development Director The first week in July is one of the best weeks of the summer if you’re a young Granger in Pennsylvania, thanks to the activities and fellowship to be had at the State Junior Grange Camp.

Since the 1940’s, the week-long camp has been the foundation for friendship, home of exciting workshops, place to develop leadership skills, and site to learn lessons of the Grange while having fun the entire time.

With the COVID-19 pandemic causing organizations to make some drastic changes to their summer agendas, the camp had to also adjust the way camp would look in 2020.

Making memories is always a goal, and this year was no exception, Pennsylvania State Junior Grange Director Lurae Benzio said.

In early spring, the venue used by the Junior Camp for decades, Sylvan Hills Christian Camp, contacted Benzio to say they would not be permitting groups to use the camp this summer due to the virus.

After some thought and discussions with the state Junior Grange committee, Benzio said she still wanted to give the Juniors a week of camp, even if they could not be together in person.

“I always try to find something positive when faced with a negative situation,” Benzio said. “Since the children have learned how to do so much virtually and on the computer through apps and links, why not give them a virtual summer camp?”

And so the state’s 2020 Junior Grange Camp, looked different, but was still a great time. Pennsylvania State Grange President, Wayne Campbell said the event provided an excellent opportunity to connect and adapt to ensure Juniors still get the opportunity to attend one of the “highlights of the year,” even in the midst of crisis.

“Even in the dark times of the virus, we can still see a silver lining,” Campbell said.

Photo by Lindsay Schroeder In past years, Pennsylvania Junior Camp attendees enjoyed daily activities, fellowship and fun in person. The 2020 version took many of those same activities online and into the home.

“Virtual events are being planned that may provide an opportunity for some who have never attended camp to be a part of it this year. Hopefully this experience will encourage them to attend camp when we can again meet at Camp Sylvan Hills.”

Campbell said many of the things that the campers hold dear were still a huge part of the changed event.

“This virtual experience will enable them to have friends, neighbors, or even other relatives participate with them in their own back yard,” Campbell said. “We must look

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at this as an opportunity to help us grow in a new way.”

There were more than 80 PA Juniors who registered for camp and approximately 20 “Virtual Cabin Counselors/Helpers.”

The parents were given assurance that the Juniors would not be sitting in front of their computers all day to complete the workshops and activities. Parents were, however, asked to help with the stay-athome camp since using the computer and social media apps would be needed.

With the exception of some live events

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in the evenings, campers completed the workshops or assignments on their own time during the day. Each morning, an email was sent to the families who registered with the days’ activities, links to videos, assignments and more. There was always a link to watch the flag raising and saying of the Pledge of Allegiance or the playing of the National Anthem.

The Reyburn Family from Chester County, Pennsylvania, provided patriotic music during their flag raising video.

Grandchildren of Junior Committee member Dina Zug, provided a flag raising video as well.

Since this is one of the activities that is done every day at camp, Benzio thought it was important to have it be part of the Virtual Camp as well.

The first day of camp was Sunday, June 28 and it ran until Saturday, July 4.

In order to kick off camp in a fun way, Benzio and some western Pennsylvania Juniors and a couple of counselors drove to Log Cabin Grange in Crawford County to do a live welcome to all those attending.

Log Cabin Grange is the home Grange of member Ginny Straub who has attended State Camp since 1983.

“You can say that Ginny is a camp staple and it just wouldn’t be the same without her there!” Benzio said.

A welcome video was done with Straub as the main guest. She was given a camp t-shirt and was interviewed by the Juniors in attendance.

Straub and her late husband, Richard, started attending the camp when their sons were young. Ginny and Richard would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in early June and Straub still does little things to keep her memory and love for Richard alive – including attending State Junior Camp.

A few members from Log Cabin Grange built a fire so the local Juniors and counselors could make S’mores and they sang some favorite camp songs. The event was recorded to share with others during the week.

Some other activities shared in a video link during the week were arts and crafts with Gene and Denae Zvarick, cooking time with Martha Ebersole and Stacy Bruker, scavenger hunts around the house with the Junior Grange royalty, Elisabeth Reich and Bryce Danko, camp songs with Jen Beamon and

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Submitted Photo The 2020 Pennsylvania State Grange Junior Camp attendees all received a unique camp t-shirt that is sure to be a collectors item. friends and “Kindness Matters” workshops with Benzio and special guests.

Each of the campers were encouraged to take photos while doing their activities so that they could be shared in the end of camp video. The campers also had the opportunity to purchase a camp t-shirt prior and were asked to take a photo of themselves in the shirt so the organizers could create a camp group photo.

“Those are two things that camp always has to have – a camp t-shirt and a group photo. We made sure that happened this year,” Benzio said.

Most of the camp memories are made with cabinmates, so Benzio formed “virtual cabins” where Juniors were assigned to a cabin with approximately six other campers of similar age and a “virtual counselor and helper.”

A couple evenings were dedicated to “cabin time” and a Zoom chat room was created for each cabin to have some time to meet each other, chat and be silly. The counselors and helpers kept the conversations going and had a couple of activities during those times.

Since there were some new and young campers joining for the first time this year, they had no idea what the “real” cabin times were like, so the counselors/helpers did their best to create a fun atmosphere while in those cabin chats.

Virtual counselor Sara Benzio was happy that the campers got to see each other during the cabin chats and just be kids.

“All of the campers in my cabin knew each other and have become friends because of past years when they attended

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camp, so they loved having the chats,” she said. “My virtual helper Riley Danko was a camper last year in my cabin and knew that having fun, while respecting each other is important.”

Sara and Riley have become Grange friends despite their age difference of five years.

“That is one of the greatest things about Grange, having friends of all ages from all backgrounds,” Sara said.

Some of the other events that were held live was a camp Song sing-a-long, where the campers were sent the words to some favorite camp songs and tuned into a live event where song leaders led them in singing and/or acting out the songs.

There was a trivia night organized by Junior committee member Tina Reich, who had participated in the National Grange trivia nights and knew that the campers would enjoy doing the same. Similar to the National trivia nights, most questions were general knowledge with only a few Grange facts sprinkled in.

On another evening, a live BINGO event was hosted by Junior committee member Suann Johnson.

Later in the week, a talent show was held at which a few Juniors shared vocal, musical or variety talents.

“It is a great way for the kiddos to loosen up and be silly if they want, or share their talents with an audience,” Lurae Benzio said.

Typically, on Friday evening, the State camp has the coronation ceremony where the new State Junior Grange Ambassadors are announced.

Due to so many changes and cancellations, the State Grange chose not to select new Junior Ambassadors in 2020.

Instead, the evening was spent with a video presentation using photos sent in by the campers from the week’s activities.

On Saturday morning, the camp came to a close with a live message from Lurae where she issued a special invitation to the campers, encouraging them to participate in camp in 2021.

“Although the 2020 PA State Camp was very different than past years, it still reached it’s goal of providing friendships, fellowship, workshops and fun,” Lurae said. “I was very happy with the results, but I pray that I will be together with the Juniors at Camp Sylvan Hills in 2021.”

Summer great time for Juniors to earn Ag Awareness Award Juniors across the nation for the last four years have been working hard on different annual projects that help bring awareness to some part of the agriculture sector through the National Junior Grange Agriculture Awareness Project. The 2020 theme is “agriculture and the environment.”

This year has an extremely broad focus allowing Juniors, their leaders and parents, to narrow it to the Juniors’ interest or to environmental impacts in their region.

“Although this year has not turned out like most of us had planned, it is still a great subject matter to focus on even more so now as we can truly see how the actions that we take daily affect the Earth,” National Junior Grange Director Samantha Wilkins said.

As an example, Wilkins pointed to food waste.

“Every day during the COVID-19 pandemic, Juniors are eating at home and have had the real ability to see how much food they may be wasting after each meal.

They also can keep track to see how much trash or recycling they are accumulating on a daily and weekly basis,” Wilkins said.

In order to earn the Ag Awareness Award, Wilkins said several tasks must be completed.

First, Juniors must research the effects

they learned to their Grange.

Juniors must create a flier to be distributed or hung up at a Grange Hall or local establishments containing information based on the area of interest they researched.

“This is a fantastic way to get visibility for the Grange and what the Junior Grange program can teach, but also to become an agriculture advocate and teach others in the community about agriculture and the environment,” Wilkins said.

Juniors must also learn how to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Wilkins said Juniors should create a chart to be hung up in a Grange Hall, home, and/or school or other public place, indicating the items that can be recycled to help bring others on board.

Juniors should report back to their Grange

that agriculture has on the environment,

the impact they have seen after providing

completing a deeper dive into an area

the community with information about

that interests them.

recycling.

“Find someone in your community

Continuing in that vein, Wilkins said

that works in that field and interview

Juniors should also find ways to reuse

them to find out more about how

something from around their home.

“Many items can be used in multiple

their job influences agriculture and the environment,” Wilkins suggested.

Then, either at home, school, or at their Grange, Juniors should create a

ways, so Juniors can find items around the house that can be recycled and create something new out of that item.”

Juniors should submit a picture of the

compost pile.

Wilkins encouraged Juniors to see

item they created.

how much compost they can create over

Finally, Juniors should speak at their

one month. She said Juniors can get

Junior Grange and/or Subordinate Grange

bonus points if they continue this project

about the importance of protecting

all year. They should then report what

our environment and the effects that

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agriculture has on the environment.

In order to attain the award, Juniors and/or their leaders must submit the following information to the National Junior Grange Director: • Copy of the flyer and chart • Pictures of the Junior interviewing a community worker • Pictures of composting efforts • Pictures of Junior efforts to bring awareness (talking to neighbors, at your Grange meeting, hanging flyers, etc…)

The Awareness Awards will be presented during a live Facebook/ YouTube event in November and the award will be sent to State Presidents.

Individual Junior submissions must include: • Junior Name • Age • Grange Name and Number • State • Junior Mailing Address • Email or Phone Number of Junior • Junior Grange Name and Number (if applicable) • Junior Leader’s Name • Mailing Address, including state • Email/Phone Number Materials may be sent to Samantha Wilkins at National Grange, 1616 H St. NW, Washington, DC 20006 or provided by email to junior@nationalgrange.org.

Submissions must be by September 1.

For additional resources, please visit www.nationaljuniorgrange.org.

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Grange Youth supporters just add water to cool challenge

By Karie Blasingame Communication Fellow This year, the Grange Youth Leadership Fund is making a splash – in the form of an ice bucket challenge as part of the $20 for ’20 Promise fundraiser.

The fundraiser year began with a $20 donation at the 153rd Annual National Grange Convention from California Grange member Eugene Fletcher who came up with the idea of the $20 for ’20 Promise.

If each Grange member donates $20 to the Youth Leadership Fund, Fletcher figured, the department can get a large base that may sustain its work for many years.

Initial progress, though, was slow, and the summer months were coming without regional conferences on the schedule due to the COVID crisis.

At that point, National Grange Youth and Young Adult Development Director Mandy Bostwick had an idea to make the fundraiser more fun and public – just add water.

“Several Youth who heard the idea lined up to give, but we were still a long way from the goal,” Bostwick said.

So she decided to follow the lead of several other organizations – ALS Association most notably – and add an ice bucket challenge as part of the fundraiser.

“Grangers are generous, but sometimes it just requires a little fun and face-time,” Bostwick said.

She contacted several of the individuals she knew could help kick off the program and asked them to follow suit by taking a video of themselves talking about the importance of the Grange Youth program in their lives and their interest in continuing it for the next generation, then naming at least two others who they would challenge, and then dump a bucket full of ice and water over their heads.

On June 1, the challenge went live with Bostwick and current Youth Team members – Outstanding Young Patrons Phil

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Photo courtesy of Allen Stiles, Facebook Maryland State Grange President Allen Stiles takes the $20 for ‘20 Ice Bucket Challenge to support Grange Youth while his dairy cows look to get in on the cool action in mid-June.

Submitted Photo A picture frame is available for Facebook users who take the Grange Youth $20 for ‘20 Ice Bucket Challenge to show their friends they’ve extended their support. step in front of the camera, saying, “You know I’d do anything for Grange Youth,” before her daughter, Ellen Wadsworth, showered her with cold water.

The new wrinkle caused a ripple effect, with several State Presidents, National and Tracey Jones, and Youth Ambassadors

Officers and other members stepping up

Alexis Kudsk and Jaycee Jette posting their

for a dousing – some calling out groups of

videos on the same day.

people like past delegates to the National

The highlight may have been seeing

Grange and Communication Fellow alumni.

National Grange President Betsy Huber

Many tried to find creative ways to

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drench themselves or presented their plea in scenic locations such as Maryland State Grange President Allen Stiles and his wife, Kay, who serves as National Pomona. The two stood in front of a field with their cows while taking their challenge.

Some other members like Karie Blasingame, Vice President and Youth Director for the Illinois State Grange, took the opportunity to make an even bigger impact, choosing to give $20 per month instead of a one-time $20 donation.

“Take the time to decide if our Youth are as important to you as a $5 latte each week,” she said.

Bostwick said she hopes to see videos continue to hit social media throughout the summer.

It’s a great way to show your friends and family how much you love and support the Grange, Grange Youth and its future,” Bostwick said, noting that only a few thousand dollars has been raised so far.

Ideally, Bostwick said the department would raise at least three years’ worth of funds – more than $45,000. She said it costs roughly $15,000 annually, for the department to operate as normal. That money covers travel, hotel costs and registration for Youth Ambassadors and Outstanding Young Patrons to attend an annual planning meeting, the dates of which typically align with National Ag Day in Washington, D.C., which they take part

Screenshot | GrangeFoundation.org Donors can choose to make their contribution monthly, multiplying the effect of their generosity. in, as well as regional conferences and National Convention. In addition, hotel costs, registration and a meal for National Youth Officers and travel for the director are part of that annual budget.

While Youth Officers are not guaranteed their stay will be covered if funds are not available, as noted in the Youth Program Handbook, the funding has helped to level the playing field for Youth in large and small states.

It has also been an important way to ensure the intergenerational interactions are happening to strengthen the organization and that young members receive leadership training to ensure the future of the Grange, Bostwick said.

“Without funding available to cover the costs of rooms, our young people would struggle to pay hundreds of dollars to attend in addition to getting time off of work or school,” Bostwick said.

She reminded donors that all gifts made to the Grange Youth Fund in the Grange Foundation are tax deductible.

She said even if you have not yet been called out by someone to donate, you are encouraged to take the ice bucket challenge or just send a donation to Grange Foundation, ATTN: Grange Youth, 1616 H St. NW, Washington, DC 20006 or go online to www.grangefoundation.org/20for20.

Once you donate, make sure you update your Facebook profile picture to include the $20 for ’20 Ice Bucket Challenge profile picture frame so others know that you have completed your challenge. Do this by going to bit.ly/20icepic and clicking on change picture.

Get your free Grange Revival 2021 Save the Date Magnet Are you looking forward to a new Grange adventure with friends from around the nation? Know someone who enjoys camping and Grange fun? It’s time to save the date and begin planning your participation in the 2021 Grange Revival.

Contact National Lecturer Chris Hamp by email at lecturer@ nationalgrange.org or phone at (509) 953-3533 today to have a 3” x 4” magnet sent to you. Request one to give to Grange members and friends who you think may enjoy this event.

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Ever wonder what lobbying looks like at the National Grange?

National Grange 1616 H St. NW, Washington, DC 20006 | Phone (202) 628-3507 | Fax (202 347-1091 www.NationalGrange.org | info@nationalgrange.org

American Values. Hometown Roots.

®

June 10, 2020 The Honorable Roger Wicker 555 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Maria Cantwell 511 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Wicker and Ranking Member Cantwell: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a debilitating impact on nearly all aspects of the American economy, but it has been particularly devastating for agricultural producers and rural communities across the country. As more Americans are staying home due to school or business closures and other social distancing measures, this pandemic has exposed the persistent digital divide still facing rural areas.

On behalf of the National Grange—and the largely rural and agricultural individuals, families, and communities we represent—I am writing today to encourage your committee, and Congress as a whole to take swift, bipartisan action to invest in strengthening and expanding America’s broadband networks so that no American is left behind in this increasingly digital age. Now is the time for Congress to act on an issue that impacts nearly all our members.

The agricultural community has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many agricultural producers including farmers and ranchers were struggling even before the economic downturn that followed business closures. After a string of weather disasters, supply chain disruptions, and slumping commodity prices, the coronavirus pandemic has dealt another major blow to our industry and our members’ way of life.

Today, demand for our products from restaurants, schools, and other large institutions has suffered a steep decline, and the future looks very uncertain. However, one thing that is certain is that without robust access to high-speed broadband internet, the impact of COVID-19 will be that much harder on farmers, ranchers, and rural communities nationwide. While we appreciate the steps Congress has taken to address the economic fallout of COVID-19, we urge you to move forward on investing in broadband deployment to ensure rural communities are able to access the same resources and opportunities—from education and employment to telemedicine—as our urban and suburban counterparts.

We are encouraged by some of the legislative progress we have already seen on this important issue. The passage of the Broadband DATA Act, for example, is an important milestone in advancing our shared goal of universal broadband. In order to ensure that funds and resources are used to connect the communities most at risk of falling behind, Congress and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must have an accurate picture of where our nation’s unserved and underserved residents live.

To that end, we urge you and your colleague to commit to fully funding the creation of more precise broadband maps through the Broadband DATA Act. Effective infrastructure investment requires a more granular understanding of the geography of need that today’s FCC maps simply cannot provide.

This is not a partisan issue; there is overwhelming support on both sides of the aisle to close the digital divide and remove broadband barriers for all communities. After years of debate, it is time for Congress to follow through on these efforts by passing legislation that would make major investments to advance broadband deployment that will allow communities like ours to recover and thrive.

The window for bold, effective action is rapidly closing. Please use this pandemic as an opportunity to pass a workable solution that ensures all Americans—especially those living in unserved and underserved communities—can access reliable, high-speed internet connectivity. Investing infrastructure deployment and funding other initiatives as proposed in the Broadband DATA Act will help us build a stronger, more connected future once the current crisis is behind us.

We look forward to continuing this important conversation with you. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Betsy E. Huber President, National Grange

Each day we work on behalf of our members, joining with partners, to ensure that messages from rural America make it to legislators and regulators in Washington, D.C. and beyond.

We send letters, weigh in on policy debates and more so that the needs of farmers, ranchers and those living in small town America are not forgotten.

It looks like integrity, common-sense solutions and grassroots, nonpartisan advocacy.

It looks like GRANGE. I

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GRANGE ADVOCACY ADVERTORIAL

GRANGE ADVOCACY ADVERTORIAL

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HOUSEHOLD ELIGIBILITY A household is a group of people that share income and expenses.  You are only allowed to get one Lifeline discount per household.  If you share housing, complete the Household Worksheet.  The worksheet is available on our website, www.LifelineSupport.org. You can also ask your Lifeline service provider.

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MAIL YOUR APPLICATION Print an application from www.LifelineSupport.org/National-Verifier.

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CONTACT A PHONE OR INTERNET COMPANY Find a company that provides Lifeline at www.LifelineSupport.org.

Click Companies Near Me.

HOW TO SHOW YOU ARE ELIGIBLE You may need to show proof that you qualify for Lifeline, such as:  A copy of your award letter OR  A copy of pay stub or tax return to prove your income is at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines.

*If you live on federally recognized Tribal Lands, you may receive an additional discount towards your service.

LIFELINE SUPPORT CENTER

(800) 234-9473 | 9 am-9 pm ET | 7 DAYS PER WEEK

LifelineSupport@usac.org | www.LifelineSupport.org USAC is an independent not-for-profit designated by the FCC.

Available for Public Use

Some over-the-air frequencies are changing By the FCC Courtesy of Family Features If you rely on a rooftop or indoor antenna for your TV viewing, changes that may affect your local channels are happening.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is making more airwaves available for new high-speed wireless services and, as a result, some over-the-air TV broadcast frequencies will change.

“Some TV stations across the nation are changing frequencies to help make airwaves available to meet ever-growing consumer demand for high-speed mobile broadband services such as 5G,” said Jean Kiddoo, FCC incentive auction task force chair. “The channel numbers on the TV are not changing, but viewers who use a rooftop or indoor antenna need to rescan their televisions to continue receiving those channels. The process is the same as when viewers first connected their TVs to the antennas and scanned them to find local channels, and the FCC has resources to help viewers who may need assistance.”

Viewers who watch TV with antennas need to rescan their TVs, but don’t need to buy new TVs or purchase converter boxes.

Cable and satellite subscribers are not affected by these changes.

The frequency changes are happening on a rolling basis through July 2020, so not all changes will happen at the same time.

TV stations will give you at least 30 days’ notice that their channels are changing frequency. You should be on the lookout for announcements by your local channels on when to rescan, and if you notice a channel you normally watch is missing, try rescanning in case you missed the notice.

For more information and tips on how to rescan, visit fcc.gov/TVrescan or call 1-888-CALLFCC (1-888-225-5322).

Common Transition Questions How will I know it’s time to rescan?

Some local TV channels will change frequencies at various times through mid2020. Your local TV stations will announce their specific “rescan days” on which you will need to rescan. You should be on the lookout for public service announcements

and “crawls” running across your TV screen. Broadcasters will provide at least 30 days’ notice that their channel is changing frequency.

A good rule of thumb is to rescan your TV anytime you notice a missing channel. If you haven’t rescanned in a while, you may be surprised by how many other channels are now available.

Who will be affected by the transition?

People who watch television with an antenna will be affected. Millions of consumers across the country watch free, over-the-air TV using an antenna. Cable and satellite subscribers will not need to take any action.

Will channel numbers change?

No, the channel numbers you see on your TV are not changing, but you will need to rescan your television to update it to find the new frequencies so you can continue receiving those same local channels.

How can I find out which TV stations are changing frequencies?

The FCC website has an interactive map where you can insert your zip code to see which of your local TV channels will be changing and the dates during which you should be watching for the station to announce its “rescan day.” To access the map, visit fcc.gov/media/engineering/ dtvmaps.

Why are frequencies changing?

The frequency changes are making more airwaves available to meet the demand of American consumers and businesses for increased mobile broadband capacity, new 5G wireless and other advanced high-speed mobile services currently being developed.

How can I find more information?

For more information and tips on how to rescan, visit fcc.gov/TVrescan or call 1-888-CALLFCC (1-888-225-5322) and choose option No. 6.

How to Rescan Your TV Rescanning your TV to receive the new frequencies is the same process you used to find your local channels when you first set up your TV. To rescan, look in your TV remote control’s “menu” for “channel scan,” “program,”

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“rescan,” “auto tune” or “auto search” in the “setup” or “channel” function.

Even without these frequency changes, it is typically a good idea to periodically rescan your TV to update the channels you receive since local stations sometimes add new “sub-channels” to their programming. While some TVs do this automatically, you may need to select “scan” or “auto-tune” from the TV menu to start the scanning process.

If you have difficulty, consult your TV owner’s manual or call the manufacturer’s customer service line for more detailed instructions on how to run a channel scan to find local TV channels. If you need to contact customer service, you can find that information in your TV owner’s manual or on the manufacturer’s website.

Once the rescan is complete, you should receive all available digital TV channels through your antenna. Except in rare circumstances, no new equipment or services are required.

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Looking for more hours in the day?

5 strategies for recovering from time famine

By Aytekin Tank JotForm Founder & CEO Article reprinted with permission With the blurred boundaries between home and work, it’s no surprise that many of us are suffering from what experts call time famine: the feeling of having too much to do and not enough time to do it. The keyword here is feeling: there are still 168 hours each week, but because of our time management (or better yet, mismanagement) it feels like we have fewer.

Add to the equation social media, where it seems like everyone is living their best lives — successfully #WFH, baking sourdough bread, exercising, and learning a foreign language — and you can easily find yourself starving for more hours in the day.

As CEO of JotForm, I’ve found myself wearing more hats than usual — between playing part-time teacher for my children, performing my usual duties, and ensuring my team has everything they need to work remotely. It’s been challenging, to say the least. Here are five time-famine fighting strategies that have helped me to manage my schedule more effectively.

1. Learn to say ‘No’ I get it. When a friend wants your input on their side hustle or your boss asks you to spearhead a new committee, you want to be the person that always says ‘yes.’ That’s what successful people do, right?

Not exactly.

There’s a reason for the phrase “spreading yourself too thin” — because when we try to accomplish too much, we end up doing nothing exceptional and a bunch of things mediocre. Plus, we start to feel up to our eyeballs in assignments and it’s simply unsustainable.

According to Greg McKeown, author of the New York Times bestseller “Essentialism,” what distinguishes successful from very successful people is their ability to say “no.”

Writes McKeown, “Not just haphazardly

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saying no, but purposefully, deliberately, and strategically eliminating the nonessentials.”

Look at your schedule and consider which tasks and activities are truly fulfilling or furthering your goals, and which are nonessential. If you have back-to-back Zoom happy hours and they’re becoming more burdensome than enjoyable, then skip one.

If a friend’s side project is taking precious time from your own, then commit to fewer hours to helping. Remember: it’s ok to set your boundaries and politely decline sometimes.

2. Reframe your goals so that they’re not competing Let’s say you have an assignment deadline and a team meeting. If you see these tasks as competing for your time, you might start panicking that you don’t have time for both. According to studies published in the Journal of Marketing Research, when people feel that their goals are conflicting, they get anxious and time feels more scarce.

The solution, however, might be simpler than you think. The same researchers also found that merely imagining that our tasks are not in conflict gives us a sense of having more time.

Try listing your tasks in order of priority or figuring out ways to satisfy two goals at

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once. For example, if I want to exercise but also spend time with my daughter, maybe I’ll skip the treadmill and go bike riding with my daughter instead.

3. If you’re having trouble choosing a priority, just start somewhere When I first launched my company, JotForm, I obsessed over doing everything correctly. Faced with a long to-do list, I’d become paralyzed by anxiety — was I was prioritizing the right thing?

With time, I learned to just start somewhere. Today, I like to call myself a “recovered perfectionist.”

Not knowing where to begin is one of the most common reasons people get “stuck” and end up wasting precious time.

That’s why New York Times contributor and time-management coach Elizabeth Grace Saunders recommends just starting somewhere — anywhere. Instead of worrying that you’ll regret your decision, Saunders says to adopt the following, more forgiving mindset: “I can’t always know for sure what should be the priority. However, I can make a reasonable decision to pursue something that I know is among my most important activities.”

4. Treat yourself to time-saving products and services It’s not just convenient to occasionally outsource tasks like house cleaning, lawn mowing, and childcare — it might even make you happier.

Research on over 6,000 adults across all income levels from the United States, Canada, Denmark, and the Netherlands, found that spending money to buy yourself more time is associated with greater life satisfaction.

Explained one of the researchers: “The way that people are spending money, and in this case, spending money to buy themselves free time, has a similar positive association with happiness as how much money people make.”

But interestingly enough, the researchers also found that most people were reluctant to spend money to save time. “[E]ven in

our sample of over 800 millionaires in the Netherlands, almost half of them report spending no money to pay others to do tasks for them.”

Instead of feeling guilty, try to see these expenditures as freeing yourself up for more rewarding activities. That, or enabling you to knock additional items off your to-do list and giving yourself the gift of more time.

5. Schedule moments for disconnection In his masterful poem “Burnt Norton,” T.S. Eliot writes of “the still point of the turning world.” Whether through meditation or a peaceful walk, we should all try to find that still point at least once per day and bring a slower, more contemplative mindset into our fast-paced lives.

Some people take this idea to the extreme. In South Korea, for example, (the most overworked nation in Asia, as reported

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by Quartz), “some South Koreans are willing to live in monastic cells no more than 53 square feet for a week. They relinquish their cell phones, wear blue uniforms, receive food through an open slot, and agree to being locked into their cell…”

It might be something to try one day.

But even if you can’t commit yourself to a monastic cell, short bouts of disconnection can have a powerful effect on our perception of time. Remember: it’s about the feeling of not having enough of it.

Aytekin Tank is the Founder and CEO of JotForm. A developer by trade but a storyteller by heart, he writes about his journey as an entrepreneur and shares advice for other startups. You can reach Aytekin from AytekinTank@JotForm.com This original post can be found at https:// www.jotform.com/blog/time-famine/.

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NOTES FROM A SMALL TOWN

Journal of the Plague Year: A Spring Account This is the first installment in a new column, “Notes from a Small Town” by Christopher Dean that will appear in each upcoming issue of Good Day!™ March 31, Tuesday I went to our nearby supermarket to buy some eggs, but the egg section was empty, with a sign meekly suggesting that we keep our purchases down to one dozen per family.

Butter, in the section immediately to the right, was also out with a sign asking that people limit their purchase to one box per family.

The toilet paper and paper towels were out also, with a polite photocopied sign taped to each rack up the full length of the aisle about keeping it to one package per family, but they’ve been out since at least the 12th of March, and there’s none to be had anywhere on the island. I know of a single source that gets deliveries on a certain morning and I’m going to try there on the appointed day. Fingers crossed.

Chicken and beef were low, there were packages and there was a lot of empty space in the fridges.

Most frozen vegetables were either out or almost-out.

The bottled water aisle looked like it had been attacked by Visigoths: wrappers, paper, general detritus strewn about, very untidy; they must’ve just gone through.

Times sure are weird.

April 1, Wednesday Last night Dumpling surprised me with the news that he had secretly put together a cook-out in order to make the endless unvaried days seem to be less of a chore.

Nothing fancy: burgers and chips washed down with soft drinks, just like a care-free summer Saturday. He’d been secreting burger buns and hamburger meat for a few days, so we brought out the little grill, filled it up with charcoal, lit it with the last of the starter fluid and soon had a cheery little fire going in the driveway, just so we could make things feel normal.

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Of course, no-one in New England has a cook-out on the last day of March. It was cold enough that we could see our breath and amused ourselves by puffing out clouds of condensation as the grill smoked.

I had to put on a flannel shirt, and I zipped my sweatshirt all the way up. We chose to eat indoors because our fingers were getting too cold to grip the food. It was a nice gesture and a nice break from all the social distancing and all the free-floating anxiety of the last few weeks.

Afterward, we watched a movie until a friend called. It was a pretty nice day, considering.

April 16, Thursday We went for a walk this afternoon, down to the end of Bearskin Neck, then back home. Everything was familiar, it’s all stuff I’ve looked at for literally my entire life. Seeing familiar things was basically the point. And exercise. And breathing fresh air.

And looking at the blue sky.

Near Motif #1, Rockport’s famous red fishing shack, there was a man on his second-floor back deck singing and playing an electric piano. When we got near his house, we realized he was singing a hymn into the open sky. Two women were watching and recording it for Facebook. We listened for a while and the song stopped, we waved and smiled. A woman came out of the house behind him and called down to one of them, “He sang this same song for three an’ a half-hours on Easter! Terrible wind though, this way and that, I don’t think anyone could hear.”

“Wow!” said the other woman. “I’m filming it so I can put it on Facebook.”

“Oh, that’s nice. I thought about it, but I don’t how to put these things on the computer.” She touched his shoulder.

“C’mon inside, lunch is ready.”

We yelled up a thank-you and waved again. Then we left.

April 19, Sunday A near-perfect day. I home-worked all morning and when I was done I went outside, sat on the back deck and reveled in the warm bright sunshine. I had lunch and

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then decided to bring out the long chair for the first time since last fall and lie on it and feel the sun on my face.

There was a slightly cool breeze, so I had to wear Levi’s and a sweatshirt. Still, I was able to take off my winter moccasins and expose my pale bare feet to the sun. I had slid my moccasins off on the left side of the long chair and stretched out full length with a glass of wine. I lay on the chair, alternately reading a magazine and just lying there, listening to the world. I heard birds, and cars driving by, and a dog barking, and the hum of the next train into Boston, and the trees filtering the wind. It was astonishingly relaxing, taking the world in. When I went in to write this, I put on my slippers and I was pleased to discover that the sheepskin interiors of my slippers had been warmed by the sunlight.

April 22, Wednesday I lay in the bed for hours, this morning.

For a long while I had my arms down at my sides, then I changed position and put my hands up on my chest, finding it slightly more comfortable. After a while I realized that I was in the very position that corpses are in when they’re on display in a funeral home, but I felt too powerless to change my position. There was no compelling enough reason to do anything at all.

Eventually, I realized that I had to get off the bed and do something. I forced myself to go get the mail: a disappointment as there were only two pieces of junk mail in the box, and one went right into the trash, unopened, while I rooted around in the other, thicker, envelope to see if the “FREE GIFT” might’ve been a bunch of those little return address labels, and it was, which made me feel slightly better; but no, we’re not joining and I’m keeping the labels. I went back upstairs and tried to read but couldn’t focus on a book, so I lay there again.

Finally, I forced myself to buy a cup of coffee. The local coffee places are all closed, so I had to drive to Gloucester to get one. It was better than I expected, and it lifted my spirits some.

April 24, Friday Early this afternoon, I got an email from a high school-and Facebook-friend I hadn’t seen in years, she suggested we go for a walk, in Gloucester, where she happens to be staying with her parents. Suddenly my mood lifted, for the first time in over a month, I had a Thing-To-Do-With Someone. Plans were made hastily, within a half-hour I hopped in the car, and arrived almost exactly on time.

We both wore masks and walked along the Boulevard in Gloucester, then across the cut bridge, and up to Stage Fort Park.

A beautiful day, high wind, cold even, but we wore warm clothes.

We talked of nothing in particular really, our lives since high school, people we knew in common, the plague, good restaurants in the area that are closed now, her and her mother’s recently published cookbook, her art, my career, little things, big things, whatever.

She took a snapshot of the two of us overlooking Gloucester’s magnificent, yet cozy, harbor. On the way back, we visited the Fisherman’s Memorial on the Boulevard and mused on the difficulty of life in the past.

As I drove back to Rockport, I realized that I felt 100% better, so much so that I wasn’t even put out by the detour caused by a telephone pole collapsing into the street and backing up traffic all around Gloucester City Hall.

April 27, Monday I went food shopping early. First thing: grabbed some bananas in the produce section. When I turned the cart to continue shopping, I almost hit another cart which had a big package of toilet paper in it, standing up at the side. I immediately turned and headed seven aisles down to the paper goods section where I found two racks with some TP in them, three different brands, including our preferred brand. It was such a welcome sight that I almost wept. Before this, I never even looked at the paper goods

aisle before, just saw what I wanted, into the cart, on my way. But there it was: that familiar wide blue band across the top 12 = 48 MEGA! I was only allowed to take one package, but I would’ve bought them all just to feel normal, because I felt so pleased to have it. A simple thing.

As I continued back to where I’d started so I could get more food, I saw other people glancing into my cart and running off to the paper goods aisle. I suppose that it was all gone within a few minutes.

April 29, Wednesday I’ve learned a thing or two in the past month, but this is one lesson that I hope sticks: Getting out of the house and walking around with people improves my mood by a big margin, even without company there’s an improvement, but with company there’s a large improvement.

Yesterday, Dumpling and I went for a walk in the woods with his friend. It was a beautiful day, warm and sunny, we met at the parking circle at the top of Summit Avenue and walked into the light-filled second-growth forest, still shaking off its winter bareness, that makes up the middle half of the island that Rockport and Gloucester share. There were paths, there were streams, there were people about here and there. I had my mask ready for encounters, putting it on until after they passed and then taking it off so I could breathe in the clear air without fogging up my glasses.

We walked along paths, chatting back and forth, enjoying the day and company. A small thing really, but it made a big difference.

My mood was much cheerier when we got back after almost two hours in the sun-lit, clear woods. I need to do more of that.

May 1, Friday On the 6th of May, all residents of Massachusetts will be required to wear a face mask while outside and off their own property. This has been the rule on Cape Ann for a week. Masks are impossible to find anywhere, so we made them with folded bandannas and rubber bands - not optimum.

Saturday, I went to the website of a local shop-keeper who runs a shop downtown that’s only open three hours a week. The masks that she sells are made nearby and they’re a bit fussy, really; most of them have a pattern of roses, but a few are for men with our broader faces. I bought four men’s masks for us and two of her girly ones for my mother to wear. The idea is one for wearing, one for washing.

I went to my mother’s house to give her her masks which I presented to her on the porch, in a little lavender bag with a blue-and-white ribbon, all courtesy of the shop-keeper. Mum was thrilled. She has a mask so that she can comply with the law, and it’s also stylish in a classic sort of way. It strikes me as a strange thing to be excited about, really, but it’s very much an of-the-moment thing, and the big pink roses made her happy. It’s about looking good in a time of horror and spreading death, which matters in its way.

May 4, Monday The office of the church where Dumpling works had a Zoom meeting so that everyone could talk to everyone else and just keep up with each other and visit. I was in the kitchen, taking a break from work and making lunch, listening in.

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The meeting was chaired by the minister, who is one of the most gracious and elegant human beings that I’ve ever encountered. She’s very popular with both the church members and employees alike, she effortlessly makes everyone feel welcomed. To this end, she gave everyone “at” the meeting a chance to say something about what they were up to, everyone had some accomplishment they wanted to share, some small or large thing that had seemed important enough.

Nothing was huge, everyone was receptive and considerate, waiting their turn and not monopolizing the time allotted. Being nice was the order of the day. They ended the session for those who’d had birthdays; the attendees all sang “Happy Birthday”. It was moving to hear the voices rising up, sincere, off-pitch or on-pitch, just trying to make everyone feel happy and included. A nice afternoon gift.

May 7, Thursday I needed more of some fancy French soap for Mother’s Day and there’s a shop in town that sells it; it’s closed of course, so I called the store’s number and left a message. Soon, I got a call back from the owner, “I’m at the shop now with my kids; let’s work this out.” I told her what I needed, gave her my card number and said I’d be there on foot in a few minutes to get the order.

The walk down was beautiful, as I got closer to the shop, there was no-one about, not even parked cars. At the shop door there was a sign, “Curbside delivery only for pickups! Merci!” There was a little bag with my name on it just behind the sign.

The shop interior was dark, but through the window on the door, in the shadows, I could make out the face of a little girl in a plaid dress looking out at me curiously. I smiled.

The old brass letter flap flipped up and her eyes peered out at me. “Yes?” asked a little-girl voice.

“Um, tell your mother ‘thank you’, okay?

Can you tell her that?”

“Yes.” The flap dropped back down.

When I got home, I opened the bag and there was a postcard with “Thank you for your order” signed by the owner, folded around a small bar of French lemon-scented soap that I hadn’t paid for.

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May 12, Tuesday Moira, a woman who’s been a member of Dumpling’s church for many years, had a big-deal birthday, 75(!), and the whole country was under quarantine. What to do? Moira, as any sensible New Englander would, thought that it might be as well to accept it as reality and deal with it quietly.

But, unbeknownst to Moira, her daughter, Bea, wasn’t quite ready to just sweep it under the rug; so, organizing secretly during coffee hours, she got nine people, Dumpling among them, to agree to meet after the service was over and come to Moira’s house to sing “Happy Birthday” to her.

At the appointed time, everyone showed up at her backyard while Bea and Moira were in a room where Moira couldn’t see anyone walking down the side yard.

Bea walked out to the back porch to see everyone lined up at a reasonable distance from each other, then went back inside and said, “Hey, Mom, there’s a deer in the yard, Come and see.”

Moira, naturally interested in seeing a deer, walked to a back window, saw everyone standing in the backyard and knew immediately what was going on, and a huge smile broke out across her face. As soon as she smiled, everyone took it as a cue to sing “Happy Birthday” and she stood in front of them and cried while she thanked them.

Best birthday ever? Maybe one of them.

May 20, Wednesday I’d ordered a book and a CD many weeks ago asking them to be delivered to my home address instead of my usual work address in Somerville. The delays were

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tremendous, times are hard. On Tuesday I got an automatic message that my CD had arrived at the office (grrr!) and on Wednesday I got a message that the book had arrived at my office (double grrr!). But there was a simple solution: the bookkeeper called to say that, since she lives in Ipswich, she could bring it home and I could drive to her house to get it. Easy.

We drove along its tiny narrow streets: huge trees, ancient homes right up to the sidewalk, a tidal river that leads to the nearby Atlantic and found her house, comfy and white. I parked, and I got out to get the stuff. The late afternoon was warm, dappled light and shade spreading out, a breeze in the leaves. She hailed me over, we stood at a social distance, and we talked a bit. How’re things looking in Somerville? How are things in Rockport?

Are you enjoying the lockdown? Sure don’t miss that commute! What a day! And yes, what a day.

She picked up a stick and her hitherto unseen dog jumped up, alert. She threw it into her long yard and the dog took off after it, across the thick green grass, lush and healthy, behind the bushes, snatched it into his mouth, and brought it back, triumphant. Good dog! From several doors down there came the sound of bagpipes playing “Happy Birthday” to a retired neighbor: cheering and applause came through the warm air, and the golden light, of a Massachusetts afternoon.

Summer staple ripe for new recipe ideas

By Ann Olson Bercher President, Minnesota State Grange Certified Culinary Specialist I grew up in Northeast Iowa surrounded by corn fields.

There was a farm with fields of corn just on the other side of my back-yard hedge.

My brothers and I used to wander through that field with great abandon!

And many times, those funny guys did abandon me.

That experience might explain why I never minded working in the corn fields of the Kelley Farm to hand-pollinate the heirloom Improved King Phillip corn which is grown there.

I love the look of cornfields as I drive through the countryside today. The number of fields is impressive, yet most of those fields are producing corn that is used for livestock feed, ethanol, high fructose corn syrup and other industrial products.

Most of the corn we see on the roadsides is field corn, also known as dent corn. Unlike sweet corn, field corn is harvested after it is dried. The kernels are hard, and the high starch and low sugar content makes it unappetizing off the cob for human consumption.

So, where does sweet corn come from?

A little history Maize, in the United States known as “corn” (Zea mays) was domesticated in Mexico some 7,000 to 10,000 years ago from a larger grass called teaosinte (Zea Mexicana).

Over time, this crop has been manipulated by humans by selecting and saving seed from plants with various traits whether it is drought-tolerance, shortseason efficiency, or, in this case, sweetness.

Through a spontaneous occurring mutation, some varieties of corn produce less starch and more sugar. Selecting for that mutation and saving the seed was the initial step behind all sweet corns everywhere.

Sweet corn was grown by several Native American tribes. It was introduced

to European settlers in 1779 and made its way to Europe shortly thereafter.

Sweet corn today is a staple for many summer picnics, barbeques, and everyday meals because there is just nothing like fresh corn on the cob!

The best source of the freshest corn will be your local farmer’s markets and roadside stands.

Selecting and Using the Freshest Corn Fresh corn will have husks that are grass green, tightly wrapped and even slightly damp.

The silks at the top may be dry, but they should not be brittle or rotting.

Check the stem; if its moist and not chalky or yellowed, the ear is fresh.

Check the kernels at the top: they should be plump, even and snug on the cob.

Prick a kernel with your fingernail. If the juice looks like milk, the corn is new and sweet; if there is no juice, the corn is past its prime; if the juice is clear the corn is immature.

Do not pull husks down very far.

Removing husks will dry the kernels out prematurely. In fact, with practice, you’ll be able to assess the plumpness of kernels by squeezing the ear at the silk end without even pulling back the husk.

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Use corn as soon as possible, because once it is harvested the sugar quickly begins to turn into starch.

Corn may be stored in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator up to three days. Keep in in an aerated bag. Do not remove the cornhusks.

Corn is also easily frozen for later use.

Submerge husked corn on the cob in boiling water for 4 minutes, then submerge in an ice bath until corn is cold. Remove kernels from the cob if you wish. Scoop kernels into freezer bags, remove as much air as possible, flatten and place in your freezer. Whole cobs may be put in freezer bags the same way.

Sweet corn is a high-carbohydrate, high starch food. It is a good source of Vitamins A, B, C and potassium. It has hardly any fat until you butter it.

Cooking Corn There are a variety of cooking methods for sweet corn.

Boiling: Drop into boiling water, enough to cover. Boil 3-5 minutes. (I have discovered if you drop 6 ears of corn into 4 quarts of unsalted, boiling water, cover and turn off heat, it’s ready in ten minutes, or can be held up to 20 minutes while you complete the remainder of the meal.)

Roasting: Remove silks, replace husks

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and tie at the top. Soak in cold water at least 10 minutes. Roast over hot coals 15 minutes for small ears, up to 30 minutes for larger ears.

Turn frequently to brown all sides.

This can also be done with each ear wrapped in foil with the husks removed.

Add a tablespoon of water to each packet before sealing.

Corn on the cob can also be baked in the oven in foil at 425 degrees.

Steaming: Husk corn and layer in a steam rack. Steam over 1-inch boiling water for 5 to 6 minutes.

Sautéing: Husk corn and remove kernels from cobs. In skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter for every ear of corn’s kernels. Cook and stir frequently about 3 minutes.

An ear of boiled, steamed, or roasted corn on the cob can be savored with a simple smear of butter and a shake of salt and pepper. But for an adventure, try using other seasonings such as Old Bay Seasoning or curry powder or smoked paprika. You might also want to try some seasoned butters like those included on this page.

To really shake things up, I challenge you to use your sweet corn in many other ways. How about some corn pancakes or popovers? Corn chowder is a natural, but how about a chilled summer soup? Fresh corn kernels can be added to salsas and salads for a fresh crunch and sweet flavor. Try some corn pudding, or for some fun, corn gelato!

Seasoned Jalapeño Lime Butter

RECIPES

Corn Gazpacho 4 c. defatted chicken broth 2 ears corn

4 fresh dill sprigs with stems 4 new red potatoes, diced 3 medium cucumbers 2 c. nonfat yogurt

1 small red bell pepper, diced black pepper to taste

2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill 1. Remove kernels from cobs.

2. Place broth, cobs, and dill sprigs in medium sized saucepan. Bring to

a boil and reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes. Remove cobs. Remove dill springs and discard.

3. Add potatoes to the broth and cook until tender, about 8 minutes.

4. Add corn kernels and simmer 1 minute.

5. Remove from heat and pour soup through a strainer, reserving

vegetables and broth separately.

6. Peel, halve and coarsely chop two cucumbers, and dice the third.

7. Place yogurt and coarsely chopped cucumber in food processor and

pulse machine to combine but not puree.

8. With machine running, pour in one cup of reserved broth and pulse

to combine the ingredients.

9. Remove mixture to a bowl.

10. Stir in reserved potatoes and corn, the diced cucumber, red

pepper, and chopped dill. Season with pepper.

11. Refrigerate for up to 4 hours. Serve chilled.

Butters

1 small fresh jalapeño pepper

Anchovy Butter ½ c. butter at room temperature

1 clove garlic

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 c. unsalted butter at room temperature

4 anchovy fillets, drained, finely chopped

Grated zest of two limes

1 Tbsp fresh finely snipped chives.

¼ tsp paprika

Combine and chill

1. Cut jalapeño in half and carefully remove seeds.

2. Combine pepper and garlic in a food processor and process until finely minced.

Curry Butter

3. Add remaining ingredients and process until well blended.

½ c. room temperature butter

4. Transfer to plastic wrap and shape it into a small sausage. Wrap tightly and

2 Tbsp good quality curry powder

refrigerate until firm.

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Combine and chill

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Gelato

Sweet Corn 3 ears of fresh corn

½ tsp kosher salt

2¼ c. whole milk

2 Tbsp cornstarch

¾ c. heavy cream

1 egg yolk

¾ c. granulated sugar 1. Shuck corn and slice kernels off cobs. Break cobs in half.

2. Pour 2 cups milk and all cream into medium saucepan, then add the corn kernels and the corncobs. Warm over medium heat until it starts to bubble around the edge - don’t boil! Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 15 minutes.

3. Remove cobs and discard.

4. Puree the corn cream with blender or immersion blender to very smooth, then strain corn cream through fine strainer. Add back to saucepan on medium-low heat.

6. Add sugar and salt. Whisk continuously, until sugar is completely

dissolved (about 2-3 minutes).

7. Whisk the remaining ¼ cup milk with the cornstarch in separate bowl, then whisk into corn cream. Cook, for about 5 minutes or until thickened, whisking constantly.

8. Briskly whisk egg yolk.

9. Get a ladle full of hot corn cream and pour slowly into the beaten yolk while whisking continuously. Slowly add back the corn cream and yolk mix to the remaining corn cream in sauce pan.

Whisk until combined.

10. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature, then pour into airtight container and place in refrigerator overnight.

Fiesta Corn Salsa 1 c. fresh corn kernels 1 ripe papaya, diced

1/3 c. red onion, diced

2 ripe plum tomatoes,

seeded, fine diced

1 ½ tsp garlic, minced

11. Whisk the refrigerated custard for 30 seconds, then pour into an ice cream maker.

12. Freeze according to machine instructions, stopping the machine when gelato is still soft but icy.

13. Transfer gelato to airtight container and freeze until firm - about two hours.

The gelato will keep, frozen, for up to two weeks. Remove from freezer about 10 minutes before serving for ease of scooping.

Master Recipe

1 Tbsp lime zest, finely

grated

¼ c. fresh lime juice

A favorite recipe shared by Betsy E. Huber

Corn Fritters

½ c. fresh cilantro leaves,

chopped

Combine all ingredients except cilantro; refrigerate

2 c. corn

3 eggs, separated

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp. heavy cream

½ tsp. pepper

1 Tbsp melted butter

2 Tbsp flour

for 2 hours. Add cilantro before serving.

Beat egg yolks, add corn, cream, salt, pepper, butter, flour.

Beat egg whites, fold into corn mixture.

Melt a little butter on a griddle or frying pan and drop in spoonfuls of mixture.

Cook on both sides until brown (like pancakes).

These are delicious made with sweet corn, freshly cut off the cob!

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Enjoy these corny snack hacks that really pop!

By the Popcorn Board Courtesy of Family Features If spending more time at home than usual has you reaching for snacks more often, keep some quick, flavorful options on-hand to help fuel you and your family throughout the day when hunger pangs strike.

One versatile pantry staple that can fit a variety of snack cravings: popcorn. With no artificial additives or preservatives, light and airy popcorn is naturally low in fat and calories, non-GMO and gluten free, making it a sensible option to enjoy one handful at a time or sprinkled with seasonings that satisfy your taste buds. A whole-grain food, popcorn has energy-producing carbohydrates and fiber, which can help keep you satisfied longer. Plus, it’s simple enough to make that kids can help in the kitchen by popping it themselves or adding toppings.

Whether you’re craving something sweet, salty, spicy - or nearly anything else - freshly popped popcorn can serve as the perfect base ingredient to simply mix in your favorite toppings or create more unique tastes by combining a variety of herbs and spices.

One easy hack to add flavor is to pop it on the stove. Stovetop popping allows you to choose your toppings.

Cover the bottom of a pot with a thin layer of oil and popcorn kernels, shake to coat, cover with a lid then turn on the heat. Once popping has slowed to 2-second intervals, remove from heat and add toppings.

For a classic taste treat, melt a little butter and pour over your bowl of popped corn.

You can also add mix-ins like dried fruits, nuts or candies to a bowl of popcorn to make your own trail mix.

For more snack ideas that deliver on both flavor and nutrition, visit popcorn.org.

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Honey

Matcha Popcorn

12 c. unsalted,

unbuttered popped popcorn

¼ c. butter ¼ c. honey

1 tsp matcha green

tea powder

½ tsp salt

1 Tbsp black sesame

seeds

Preheat oven to 300° F. Line large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place popped popcorn in large mixing bowl. In small saucepan over medium heat, melt together butter, honey, matcha powder and salt, stirring until dissolved. Pour over popcorn; toss to combine. Spread onto baking sheet. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake, stirring occasionally, 25-30 minutes, or until popcorn is dry. Let cool completely before serving.

Tip: Matcha powder can be found in the tea and coffee aisle at supermarkets.

Cajon Corn ¼ c. butter, melted

½ tsp onion

¼ tsp cayenne

2½ quarts popped

powder

pepper

popcorn, warm

½ tsp garlic

1 tsp lemon

1 tsp paprika

powder

pepper

Heat oven to 300° F. In bowl, pour butter over warm popcorn. In separate bowl, combine paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and lemon pepper; sprinkle over popcorn. Toss to mix. Bake 5-10 minutes for crispy popcorn.

Sugar Corn ¼ c. vegetable oil, for popping ½ c. popcorn kernels 1 pinch white sugar; more to taste In medium pan, heat oil until hot.

Add popcorn to pan and sprinkle sugar over it. Add more sugar, if desired, to taste.

Cover and shake pan continuously until popcorn is popped.

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THE LAST

Word

By Carolyn Ostrander, Ph.D.

Grange Member and Grange researcher When I sit down to write I often feel members, I discovered that some of the rushed or worried. If I find myself sitting Bairds’ diaries were also in the archives. in front of a blank page, I find it helps to In the Bairds’ diaries I read short think about some of the people I have descriptions of their daily activities. There learned about through my research. was much to be done in the household Today, Sarah Gates Baird, Minnesota and on the farm.

State Grange President (then called The Bairds were also involved in the Master) from 1894-1912, is on my mind, Grange and other local institutions. as she has often been.

In 1882-83, Sarah Baird often went to When we think of women who helped see her mother, Miriam Gates, who had shape the Grange, it’s natural that there been ill for some time. are a few who are very well-known, Mother Gates lived at the home of including Saraha Baird, the first woman her youngest daughter, Mrs. Juline F. State Grange President.

(Gates) Burr. Sarah tried to help care for Short biographic sentences or their mother and give her sister respite, paragraphs about her are common in but found the combination of elder care, articles, pamphlets, news clippings and homemaking, helping her husband and books about the Minnesota Grange, about carrying out her responsibilities as the women in the Grange and in discussions of local Grange’s Secretary difficult and Grange women’s roles. Usually she’s being tiring. mentioned as an example of women’s Many years later - 130 to be exact - I important contributions to the Grange. was beginning to spend more time with I learned important lessons about Mrs. my own aging parents.

Baird and about myself while I was doing As my research continued, my elder historical research in graduate school. care activities also increased.

I received a small research grant from At the same time I was trying to the Syracuse University Writing Program balance these new commitments in 2012 to spend a week studying Oliver with responsibilities at work, my own H. Kelley and the early Grange in the household, and my activities related to Minnesota History Society’s Museum and local arts and to rural education.

Archives in St. Paul.

As I reread the pages of Sarah Baird’s One early Grange I read about there diary over the course of several years, I found was Minnehaha Grange #379 in Edina – myself relating to the emotions that seemed George and Sarah Baird’s home Grange. to emanate from those pages: affection, Photo by Ann Bercher In looking for more references to the Edina worry, grief, responsibility and fatigue. I

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sorrowed with her over her mother’s death, and I fully understood her expression of relief when her term as Grange Secretary expired.

She loved the Grange and her community, but she was exhausted and felt she had little more to offer.

Of course, we know that the “rest of the story” ended quite differently.

Over time, George and Sarah Baird helped lead their Subordinate and Pomona Granges and finally Minnesota State Grange offices.

Sarah was the Minnesota State Grange Secretary by 1892.

In 1895, Sarah and her husband were obligated in the Sixth Degree at National Grange, and she was introduced into that body as the first woman State President.

As a voting delegate to the National Grange, Worthy President Baird was placed on several committees. One was the committee on dormant Granges, an appropriate choice at a time when the Grange was at a low ebb in many states, including Minnesota.

Her first state report, found in the 1895 National Grange Journal of Proceedings, was frank about the issues they faced, but she also expressed determination and optimism.

By the end of her time in office, Sister Baird was able to report with pride that “The Order in Minnesota is in good working condition.” With more than 35 years of service to the Grange, this experienced

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leader ended her remarks confidently in the 1912 National Grange Journal of Proceedings with: “These were days that tried the mettle of its leaders, when the Order was to show its weakness‘ or develop its strength, and it is due to such loyalty and devotion that the Order was carried through its dark days, into the light of prosperity.”

Although I sometimes feel overwhelmed by all that needs to be done, I find it helps to remind myself that we don’t know what good may come out of the work we do while we’re doing it. It’s still worth doing, and it may succeed.

Another lesson I learned when I found the Baird diaries was that the details of ordinary lives really do matter.

I found that Sarah Baird’s early experiences helped prepare her to become an efficient Secretary and Treasurer in her local Grange. Those early offices trained her for state office.

Her national profile as a woman elected to a prominent leadership role helped encourage other women in turn.

Mrs. Baird’s personal trials prepared her to understand what might be weighing others down, and how to build the Grange up in ways that would support its members, both men and women. In addition to reporting about interest in the condition of roads, the need for insurance, postal reforms and “dairy interests,” she reported in that same 1912 Journal that: “The membership are becoming more and more interested in the arts and sciences which shall fit them to become mothers and home makers—in the laws of health, in an understanding of the sanitary requirements of home and in those things that will tend to improve community life, and make for better citizenship.”

Surely her presence and listening ear encouraged Minnesotans to express their everyday concerns, and her experience taught her how very much those interests mattered.

This lesson, repeated many times in discoveries from different sources and about different people, helped formulate the particular kind of research and writing

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I do.

In academic-speak I describe them with terms like historical ethnography, embodiment and material conditions, microhistory and hybrid scalar methodology.

These roughly translate to “pay attention to the context,” “pay attention to people’s lived experience” “little things matter” and “the big picture and the details each tell only part of the story.”

The even shorter version might be “pay attention and show respect.”

I find that these attitudes also help me in my Grange work. For instance, in delegate work at State Grange meetings, New York State President Steve Coye, helps all of us keep the lines of democratic communication open with the traditional ritual admonition that we should assume the sincere goodwill of each person, even when we vehemently disagree. He keeps that lesson alive as he models the ritual’s meaning when he courteously thanks people for offering their thoughts with great patience.

By observing our leaders, I have learned to listen carefully to the memories and stories people sometimes offer during

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debates as well as to the Parliamentary procedure of motions, discussion of the merits, and calls for votes. There is always something to learn.

If we really want to understand the past, or even our current world, we need to look both at the big picture and at the streams of small experiences that lead to and flow from those big events in history we learn about in school and from books – and remember that we, too, are making history by our choices and actions.

Carolyn Ostrander, a third-generation Grange member from Central New York, is a member of the New York State Grange Museum Board. Ostrander is currently a part-time instructor in the Interpreter Training Program at the University of Southern Maine.

Her 2019 doctoral thesis is titled “Rural Rhetorics and Ritual Practices: Gender, Labor and Cultural Literacy as Mutual Rhetorical Education in the Early Grange”

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