Good Day! Fall 2020 V4I3

Good DAY!

A quarterly publication of the National Grange Vol. 4, Issue 3 l Fall 2020

™

Delivered?

One of the signature causes of the Grange in its early years was championing Rural Free Delivery.

Today, the Postal Service woes captured our attention once again.

Photo by someone, Grange affiliation here

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

Good DAY!

™

5

J

JUNIOR GRANGE

61

MEMBERSHIP NEWS & RECOGNITION

30

Y

GRANGE YOUTH

65

G

GRASSROOTS

40

H & L

HOBBIES & LIFESTYLE

71

F

FOUNDATION

43

R

FOOD & RECIPES

78

L

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS

44

L W

LAST WORD

81

N

NATIONAL NEWS & VIEWS

M

PERSPECTIVE: The woes of the USPS are far from new, but 2020 has amplified the issue

P

Cover Photo

53

Rural residents have been especially interested in the developing saga of the United States Postal Service over the years because rural free delivery by USPS is one of the most reliable, affordable and well-liked government services, especially for those in remote areas. As massive social change thanks to the pandemic and a leadership change at USPS converged, headlines about financing of the postal service, reform and security have splashed across newspapers. Grange members have been atuned and active in advocating for the need of a strong and solvent USPS.

Photo credit: Amanda Brozana Rios, National Grange Communications Director 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 other than a Grange member or a chartered Grange without written permission from the National Grange Communications Department.

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE ®

www.nationalgrange.org

3

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 Karen Overstreet, TX, National Lady Assistant Steward

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

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.

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE

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www.nationalgrange.org

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Betsy E. Huber

I come from a long line of voters. As far back as I can remember, my grandparents

process of choosing our leaders at the local, state, or national levels.

and parents would never miss the

If I had been born in the early days of

opportunity to go to the township polls

the Grange I’m sure I would have been

on election day, spring and fall, and

one of the suffragists demonstrating and

exercise their right to vote.

fighting for the right to vote. Fortunately

I was so excited to finally reach 21

I live in these days when our ancestors

(yes, you had to be 21 to vote back then!)

have accomplished victory in that fight

that on my birthday, on my lunch hour

and we reap the benefits of the right to

from work, I was at the county courthouse

vote and hold office.

Somehow through the generations,

to register. I have never missed voting in

some people have lost sight of the

an election since then. a

importance of the vote and the privilege

your children or grandchildren about the

township supervisor for three terms, and

we have to determine our government

importance of civic engagement.

I followed in his footsteps, although in a

leaders. Even in the presidential election

different township, serving 24 years as a

voter turnout is disappointing; and in the

supervisor.

municipal elections and primaries it is

My

grandfather

was

elected

My mother was judge of election in our

If you go in person to vote, take them with you to actually see the process.

If you vote by absentee or by mail, take time to discuss the candidates with

abysmal.

precinct, an elected position responsible

It has been demonstrated many

your children and stress the importance

for the polling place—picking up the

times that each vote counts, each one

of being an informed voter—informed by

election equipment, lining up the workers,

is

the truth, not by social media or biased

overseeing the counting (by hand), and

sometimes decided by just one vote.

important

because

elections

are

outlets.

returning the results to the county at the

That’s why I’m glad to belong to the

Ask them to read the message from

end of a long day. I remember her saying

Grange, where we teach our Juniors and

National Grange Youth Director Mandy

in the 1960 Kennedy/Nixon presidential

Youth how important civic responsibility is;

Bostwick on page 65 of this edition that

election they finished counting ballots at

why they should be knowledgeable about

encourages them to become poll workers

6 a.m.!

our system of government and the issues;

and take up the mantle of citizenship.

When my parents moved out of the farmhouse and I moved in, I took over

what a privilege it is to live in the United States and have the power of the vote.

We must train our young people to take seriously their responsibilities as

her job as judge of election for 10 years.

As we draw closer to the big election

citizens so they will be prepared to take

It was always exciting to be a part of the

on November 3, have a conversation with

their place as leaders in this great nation.

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE ®

www.nationalgrange.org

5

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.).

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE

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www.nationalgrange.org

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

This is a tale of two storms.

One a violent windstorm with the power of a Category 4 hurricane bearing down on crops, farms and homes across 700 miles of the Midwest. The other, a named hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico that made landfall as a Category 4 just a few weeks later.

You may remember one - Hurricane Laura, which came ashore in Lake Charles, Louisiana (a suburb of Sulpher, home to the most recent Grange organized in the state in 2014).

The other - an unnamed derecho, called by some an inland hurricane not so much, even though it killed four people, spawned at least 17 tornadoes, damaged tens of thousands of homes in

Photo by Gene Edelen Widespread damage is seen in many parts of the midwest after a derecho with winds equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane ripped through the region in early August. In this photo, a farm outside Cedar Rapids, Iowa, sustained major damage.

addition to 43 percent of the corn crop in Iowa, and left hundreds of thousands

future and how we can learn from it to

Everyone employed in a newsroom

without power for weeks.

be prepared for more than just disasters.

- even if they hadn’t been through a

Both stretched across multiple states,

First, let’s look at what is news.

college class, though that’s rare today -

but while federal disaster declarations

When I used to teach journalism, this

knows what is and isn’t news in their gut.

for Laura stretch through four states

was one of the first lessons in the first

By any standard, a derecho in the United

and Puerto Rico, the declaration for the

course of the curriculum.

States with the impact of that in the

derecho - called “severe storms” on the

News is something that meets one -

FEMA website - covers only 16 of the

and typically more than one - of these

Iowa’s 99 counties and applies to none

seven basic criteria called news values.

of the other nine states affected.

These are: impact (how many people will

One

received

press

midwest should qualify as news because it meets several news values.

Next, we should look at who is covering the news.

coverage

be influenced by the subject of the story),

From 2008 to pre-pandemic 2020,

before, during and after, while the other,

timeliness (is it recent - within hours or a

newsroom staffs shrank by nearly a

by nature of the type of storm and

day or two of being aired or published),

quarter. For newspapers, that number is

forecasting limitations, had no lead-up,

prominence (does it include someone

51 percent. While jobs have been added

and was largely overlooked by news

or a major agency or organization of

in digital-facing newsrooms and some

outlets across the nation thereafter.

prominence), proximity (how close did

TV outlets, overall the number of people

There are a number of reasons

the event happen to home), bizarreness

documenting our first draft of history has

for the differences in response and

(how odd is the event), conflict (what

been on a steep and steady decline over

coverage, most of which in the political

are the sides and what’s at stake), and

the past several decades.

realm I could not address without deep

currency (does it relate to a trending

and deliberate research. The one that I

issue).

The number of local newsrooms that have closed in the past several decades

feel some authority to speak on is the

I would add human interest or the

and the consolidations within the news

oversight of the disaster by media, what

underdog story as a primary value as

industry - meaning more regional or

we can do to prevent such a failure in the

well.

national publishers are buying smaller

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE ®

www.nationalgrange.org

7

market outlets, means fewer local individuals or people connected to a specific community to gather the news.

In the county where I grew up, both the weekly and daily newspapers where I cut my teeth as a reporter have been bought by out-of-county publishers.

For the daily newspaper, content is often included from counties away because there are not enough local reporters left in the newsroom to gather what once was covered. While the stories are sometimes interesting, most often they feel like a glimpse inside a foreign land and for those of us who long for local coverage, we know they are filling the space that used to be reserved for information gleaned from our backyard.

Media consolidation - where fewer individuals control greater and greater shares of media outlets - is a huge concern for many reasons. For small towns and rural areas, the biggest is that most media owners now have very little understanding or interest in our communities. What remains important to us is irrelevant to these gatekeepers in big city homes.

The further our media gets from local control the more likely it is that the rare instances of coverage small towns receive will serve only to reinforce negative stereotypes or play into a voyeurism instead of opening doors for compassion and

Photo by Gene Edelen A large tree fell on the Edelen house in Cedar Rapids during the derecho in August. It’s estimated that the city lost half of its tree canopy during the meteorological event.

connection.

Our media landscape will continue to erode, and public trust with it, if we do not find a way to support local news.

know their stories. Provide as much information in a way that shows a variety of news values and opportunities for easy-

For Granges and Grange members, the best way to do so, besides buying a subscription to your local newspaper, is to

to-contact sources when presenting a story. Be reliable and authoritative.

make sure you’re an excellent, go-to source for outlets that

When you see something unfolding that should receive

cover your area so when there is something you know should

coverage, contact the reporter who most often covers your

draw attention, you can give it the boost it needs.

area or stories that are similar. Tell them the relevance using

To do so, you need to be prepared well before you need outlets to pay attention to you.

the news values - is there wide impact, someone prominent affected, or is there an underdog story you can highight?

Take the time to gather your resources today, and don’t just focus on how the Grange is connected. Sometimes building goodwill by providing good information and sources will pay

Connect them with people who can speak authoritatively on the subject or give a human face to the story.

Finally, be persistent. If you cannot get attention for one issue, pitch another. Make sure the story of your hometown is

off when you want coverage for a smaller event.

Have a list of folks who are easy to get in touch with and

being told, and don’t get discouraged.

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE

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www.nationalgrange.org

Grangers should hold themselves to higher standard on social media

By Betsy E. Huber

been and will always be people of

generalized scorn for a class of people

National Grange President

various diverse groups – of faith, race,

will make any task insurmountable when

ethnicity and political affiliation.

you try to work together for the good of the Grange.

Today’s world is becoming more and

Posting or sharing items that attack

more polarized and partisan each day.

an entire party, race, or even generation

Finally, and maybe most importantly,

Family members and Grange members

of people blindly includes the Grangers

I urge you to remember our motto: “In

are on opposite sides of current issues

among them and wrongs them.

essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things charity.”

and feel compelled to promote their

When your fellow members of that

opinions strongly, especially on social

attacked group see their Brothers and

Before you post something, take

media where the speaker is removed

Sisters spewing hate for them, how can

another look at it. Does it show charity

from

We

they not feel a bit betrayed and deceived

(love) to all? Could someone we love

would never make these statements to

that the Grange lessons and oaths were

take offense to what we are sharing?

someone’s face, but we feel safe posting

not taken to heart.

Sometimes it’s better just to keep on

face-to-face

confrontation.

them on social media where we are

Your personal posts can easily make

scrolling and not repost an item or

someone in your Grange feel as if you

respond with a comment if it will not be

Our Grange ritual and obligations are

believe them to be inferior or that you

beneficial.

filled with specific expectations about

are disrespectful of those they love – an

While your personal accounts are just

how we are to act as Grangers – inside

easy way to pull apart an organization

that, your Grange-oriented accounts are

and outside our meetings and halls.

whose founding documents have given

under even more scrutiny because the

us tried and true guidelines to avoid such

content on them reflects on our entire

a fate in an unsettled time.

organization.

protected from conflict.

In every meeting, the president is called to remind us during our opening

Please

remember

whom

you’re

ceremony that the purpose of the

For those who have been elected

Grange is “for promoting the welfare

and installed into office, the pledge

representing and act accordingly. This

of our country and of mankind.” In the

specifically prohibits using our position

means avoid cursing or unacceptable

closing ceremony, just before we go

to influence the beliefs of our members:

language, avoid posting inappropriate

our separate ways, we are urged to be

“I will not take advantage of my position

material,

“quiet,

to unfairly influence other members with

Grange by stating views that aren’t in

my political or religious opinions.”

alignment with Grange policy. Always be

peaceful

citizens…

keeping

ourselves unspotted from the world.”

avoid

misrepresenting

the

welcoming and charitable.

These words were written at a time

Officers at any level have an extra

similar to ours today – when there were

responsibility to behave at all times as if

These moral standards apply to

deep and personal differences of opinion

they represent the Grange, and are held

posts made to a Grange page by you

and experiences. Inflammatory posts and

to a higher standard.

through your personal account as well.

rhetoric do nothing to bring us together

To

these

individuals,

a

special

Avoid posting anything that contains

reminder: there is a very fine line between

inappropriate

When each of us joined the Grange

expressing your personal opinion on your

Again remember: you are representing

we pledged to never “wrong or defraud

personal Facebook page, and speaking

the Grange and everything you post to

a member of the Order or allow it to be

for the Grange you serve, because

Facebook or any other site is forever.

done by another if within my power to

people know you are a Granger and

I hope that we as Grangers will try

prevent it.”

may think you are voicing the general

to do better and do our part to restore

feelings of the Grange organization. Your

civility to our small area of the world.

or promote peace.

Within our Order there has always

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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org

content

or

language.

9

Magazine now available digitally; subscribers can check status Great things are happening with Good Day! magazine.

Until July, the magazine was only available in print. However, all issues, including this edition, are now available online to read on digital-readers, tablets or worry,”

Communications

National Director

Grange

require that people subscribe and receive either their own digital access code or

Purchase a digital subscription to

subscribe to the print edition, but until

or for your Grange for the same

help keep our Grange family together and

Good Day! magazine for a friend

then, we hope this is something that can

quality content and low price as

proud of their membership.”

grangegoodday

2020 issue, subscribers could find above

the print version. Go to issuu.com/

your computer.

“Don’t

ACCESS GOOD DAY! ONLINE

Amanda

Additionally, starting with the Summer their name on the mailing address, a five-

Brozana Rios said. “Print isn’t going

digit code, which can be used to check

anywhere. We’re committed to continuing

email addresses on file the digital edition

the status of subscriptions on the National

to publish a print edition of the magazine

of the Spring 2020 and Summer 2020

Grange website.

for all who don’t have the internet or prefer

issues so they could share copies with their

to read a physical paper product rather

members in a timely fashion if they are

org/goodday and clicking “Verify my

than on-screen.”

unable to meet in person. An email will

Subscription,” you can enter the code and

She said both print and digital

be sent with a link to current subscribers

see when your subscription is set to expire

subscriptions are $16 annually and physical

with digital access for the Fall 2020 issue

and be able to renew right from that page.

copies of current or back-issues of the

as well.

By

going

to

www.nationalgrange.

If you are an active subscriber and you

magazine are $5 plus shipping, while back-

The email includes the direct link and

believe you have not received issues you

issues or single-copy sales of the digital

free code, so there is no need to pay

are due, you should first alert your local

version are $5 with no shipping charge.

for something the Grange has already

postmaster that you are a subscriber to

purchased, she said..

a magazine called Good Day! and you

Brozana Rios said anyone can subscribe to the digital version directly through the

“We hope this helps our Granges

expect it to be delivered when sent. It

site – issuu.com/grangegoodday – noting

stay connected and they appreciate our

is not a catalog that should be held by

that digital subscriptions are not handled

efforts to ensure good stewardship of

USPS indefinitely. Then, you can contact

by the National Grange staff.

their financial resources,” Brozana Rios

National Grange Communications Director

“All aspects of the digital edition are

said. “Some members may get to see

Amanda Brozana Rios who can arrange for

handled through the website, including

the magazine at length for the first time

a replacement if necessary.

paying for the single-issue copies or

and decide they’d like to subscribe to the

Brozana Rios said for those who

subscriptions for future editions,” Brozana

print issue for themselves or maybe to the

have not subscribed in the past or

Rios said.

digital version.”

whose subscriptions have lapsed can

She also stressed that print subscribers

Brozana Rios stressed that subscribers

purchase a single print copy of the

could not switch to a digital subscription

can share with their fellow members, or

magazine by contacting Loretta at sales@

for the remainder of their subscription.

with those they would traditionally share

nationalgrange.org or by phone at (202)

their print copy, the link and details on how

628-3507 ext. 109. Individuals may also

to access.

purchase the single-issue of Fall 2020

“These are two totally different services with the same high-quality end-product to the consumer,” Brozana Rios said. “If at

“If your Grange has subscribed, we

Good Day! magazine, back issues or

the end of your print subscription, you’d

want them to get what they paid for. We

subscribe and receive as their first issue the

like to have a digital subscription instead,

also encourage you to use these two issues

Fall 2020 edition by going to issuu.com/

you can go directly to the website to sign-

to show off what it means to be a Grange

grangegoodday today.

up, but because these are two different

and why Grange membership is such a joy

“This is great for someone who hasn’t

systems, we cannot make a change mid-

by sharing the link with those you would

been a subscriber for very long – you

subscription.”

otherwise share a print copy with – friends,

can see back-issues and purchase them

neighbors, those you’ve asked to join your

digitally or you can figure out what issue

Grange recently,” Brozana Rios said.

you missed and contact Loretta to buy

Brozana Rios said many Granges voted to purchase a subscription for their Grange, and because of that, the department made

“As things return to normal, we will

available to all active subscribers with an

not be widely sharing this access and will

10

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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org

a print copy of ones missing from your collection,” Brozana Rios said.

Grange better for dedicated Director’s 20 years of service

By Johanna Huber National Grange Intern This year, Stephanie Wilkins, IT Director

at

the

National

Grange

Headquarters in Washington, D.C. is celebrating twenty years working on the National Grange Staff.

Although many things have changed over the past twenty years, Stephanie Wilkins has maintained a constant at the

National

Grange

Headquarters.

As the IT Director, Wilkins holds many responsibilities.

“My job consists of maintaining and managing the network services for the National Grange office, the membership database, and the National Grange

website

and

associated

websites,” Wilkins said. “In addition, I am responsible for the internet and phone lines, activating and deactivating front door access cards to the building, security cameras and footage, shipping packages

and

outgoing

U.S.

Photo by Amanda Brozana Rios IT Director Stephanie Wilkins shows Legislative Director Burton Eller how to perform a task on his computer. Wilkins celebrated 20 years on staff with the National Grange in May.

mail,

printed materials, email announcements

“I remember the Grange would mail out

effective technology to keep up with

to members and an assortment of other

‘Action Packets’ to all the Granges with

the rest of the bustling city climate that

tasks as they become necessary.”

information about various programs

surrounds it. However, Wilkins mentioned

Over the course of the twenty years

and benefits. Now this information is

that since she started working at the

Wilkins has been with the Grange, many

distributed digitally, via email or online,”

office, she has witnessed this change

new developments in technology have

she said reflecting back on when she first

in a variety of ways. “The National

occurred.

began working with the Grange.

Grange office itself has also become

Along with the growing use of

“I believe Grange members have

more advanced in technology by adding

technology in workspaces and offices

transitioned very nicely into the world

various security cameras, key fob entry

throughout the country, the Grange has

of technology. This was evident at

into the building, and wi-fi networks, just

changed its practices to incorporate

the

to name a few,” she said.

more technology, too. This has allowed

Grange transitioned to viewing editing

By using technology effectively, the

Wilkins to work comfortably in her field,

resolutions using SharePoint, a web-

Grange is able to reach a wider audience

while still managing to learn new ways to

based

quicker than the methods that were

utilize all that technology has to offer.

integrates with Microsoft Office,” Wilkins

“Over time, I have seen the Grange

past

two

conventions

collaborative

as

platform

the

that

said.

being used previously.

Using technology also opens up the

become more advanced in technology

Additionally, it’s important that the

possibility of reaching a new audience

than when I first began,” Wilkins said.

National Grange office is using the most

and potentially finding new members.

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Because of her work, Wilkins is able to recognize how strong the effect of growing alongside technology is to an organization like the Grange.

“Keeping up with the world we live in, as it changes, is vital to the Grange maintaining its impact in the community,” she said.

However, in a position that is surrounded by technology, things are seemingly always evolving, especially in the 21st century.

On behalf of the National Grange Staff, and the Grange as a whole, we would like to congratulate

Because of this, changes in technology can be perceived

Stephanie for her 20 years of working with the Grange.

as intimidating for some; however, according to Wilkins, these

With her undying dedication, willingness to lend a

changes are what has piqued her interest and have played a

helping hand, and extensive knowledge of technology,

leading factor in her enjoying what she does.

we have been able to grow as an organization in ways

“Each week brings an exciting and sometimes challenging issue to be resolved that you didn’t anticipate,” she said. “This provides the opportunity to research and learn something new.

There is also the opportunity to teach so there is never really a

that simply would not be possible without her as a vital asset to our team. Stephanie, thank you for everything you have done for us over the past twenty years - it is greatly appreciated.

dull moment.”

Throughout Wilkins’ time working in the National Grange

being organizational history, and some being on a national

office, she has had the opportunity to work with and teach

scale. Wilkins said one specific day that she will never forget is

many Grange staff members. Current National Grange

September 11th, 2001. With the National Grange Headquarters

President, Betsy Huber, has been given the opportunity to work

being located right next to the White House, the situation

with Wilkins for several years now, and through this has gotten

on September 11th quickly became a day members of the

to know her well. “Stephanie, as long as I have known her,

National Grange staff would never forget.

during my time on the Executive Committee and as President,

“My most memorable but not favorite moment of working

has always been a dedicated worker for the Grange,” she said.

at the Grange was during 9/11. We were in the office when the

“Any time of the night or day, or even when she tries to take vacation, she never hesitates to respond and fix what we need.”

“I am not the most computer savvy person, but Stephanie never judges me, she just quietly solves my problems,” Huber added. “She never complains; she’s always willing to help a [Grange] member or another staff person in any way she can.”

Although Wilkins has worked alongside a changing group of staff members, she said one thing always allows her to connect with and enjoy working with members of the Grange. This is the shared value and appreciation of family Grange members hold.

“I have worked with a number of Grange staff over the past 20 years and just like the values of the Grange, they have all

news reported that the World Trade Center and Pentagon were struck by hijacked planes and another plane was expected to hit the White House,” Wilkins explained. “From the 11th floor window, we could see a large crowd of people fleeing from the White House and we knew it was time to evacuate and get everyone out of the building. This was a time that our country, nor I, will ever forget.”

However, not every day in the office is a host to such an event like 9/11, cause for excitement, or even a simple memorable moment.

So, what has kept Wilkins around for as long as she has stayed on with the National Grange staff?

placed a high importance on family,” she said. “That is so very

For her, the answer is clear.

important to me because through life, other things may change

“Working for a 154-year old organization that has maintained its values has been great, but what has kept me working with

us, but we start and end with family.”

Of course, over the past 20 years, Wilkins has witnessed a lot of history play out in Washington, D.C. Some of that

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the Grange is simple: I love what I’m doing and happy to do it for an organization with such great members,” Wilkins said.

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org

OUR VOICES National Grange Interns have worked hard all summer.

They’ve gained from and brought to the Grange valuable insight, and as always it’s bittersweet to see them move on to their next chapter, but we wish them all the best.

Each left us with some parting words that we felt appropriate to share.

This next generation of Grange Youth shows how bright a future we have as an Order when we listen to and incorporate their voices into our work.

SPECIAL

Youth EDITION

Lobbying, despite its bad reputation, is essential in democracy profession in Washington is the eternally

By Sean O’Neil

unpopular industry of lobbying.

National Grange Legislative Intern

In fact, polling conducted by Gallup “The Swamp,” “The Establishment,” “The

Revolving

Door,”

“Inside

the

Beltway,” “K Street,” – the list of pejoratives and epithets for the people who make their careers working in politics in Washington D.C. goes on and on.

Until

recently,

these

terms

has consistently found lobbying to be one of the least trusted industries in America, with a poll conducted in 2017 finding that 92% of people do not believe that lobbyists have very high or high standards for honest and ethical behavior.

also

No doubt, this image has been

frequently found their way into my

created

vocabulary

a

scandals such those of Paul Manafort

particularly frustrating action taken by

and Roger Stone, and media portrayals

the federal government, or observing

of politics found in films like Thank You

the near-constant gridlock on Capitol

for Smoking or TV shows like House of

Hill. But over these past few years as I

Cards.

when

talking

about

by

high-profile

real

world

Put simply, a lobbyist is anyone who seeks to influence government action

have had the opportunity to work in all

But the truth is that the vast majority

on a particular policy position through

different parts of the political process

of lobbyists do play by the rules, and are

communication. It is important to note

here in Washington, I have found that

essential to American democracy.

here, that lobbying is an interrelated but

while some of the common complaints

The first step to addressing this

distinct field from that of campaign finance.

about Washington insiders ring true,

negative perception of lobbying is to

From this definition, it can be

many do not.

provide a clear understanding of what

deduced that the practice of lobbying

lobbying actually is.

is as old as government itself because

Perhaps the most heavily criticized

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in any organized society that has ever existed people have sought to influence actions taken by their governments.

However, this does not mean that people have always had an equal access to the ability to lobby.

In the empires and monarchies which dominated much of human history only an elite few could influence government, and advocating for an unpopular position could lead to imprisonment or worse.

It is this reality that led our nation’s founding fathers to enshrine the right “to petition the Government” in our First

“Without the information provided by lobbyists, the only problems which could be addressed by Congress would be those which happen to be noticed by a member of Congress and which they have the expertise to address, leaving the challenges of many peripheral groups unsolved.”

Amendment, as they understood that restrictions on the ability to lobby for a cause are hallmarks of tyranny.

As a result of the First Amendment protection for lobbying, Americans of all political persuasions have the ability to fight for the causes they believe in regardless of their popularity.

Despite the crucial democratic nature

the people, they also play an important

raises the concerns of rural Americans

roll for the government – they provide

to members of Congress who may

information. Every year Congress is

not otherwise be aware of the unique

confronted with a limitless amount of policy problems which must be addressed with an equally limitless number of solutions; however no individual member of Congress is an expert on each and

challenges of rural life.

Without the information provided by lobbyists, the only problems which could be addressed by Congress would

of lobbying, oftentimes when people

every problem. Lobbyists address this

be those which happen to be noticed by

think of lobbyists they only think of evil

knowledge gap by providing information

a member of Congress and which they

corporations or other monied interests

to members of Congress and their staff

have the expertise to address, leaving

who care more about their bottom line

on issues which are important to their

than people’s wellbeing.

the

interest groups, and in doing so allow

groups unsolved.

But the reality is that on every single issue debated by our government there are lobbyists advocating on both sides of the argument.

members of Congress to make more informed policy decisions.

As then-Senator John F. Kennedy said in 1956, “Lobbyists are in many

challenges

of

many

peripheral

Of course, the industry of lobbying is not without its problems, from the outsized weight of corporate lobbying to the revolving door between lobbying

So, while it is true that corporations

cases expert technicians and capable of

spend a great deal of money lobbying for

explaining complex and difficult subjects

and government to the tendency of

their interests, it is equally true that they

in a clear, understandable fashion. They

some lobbyists to lose touch with the

are always matched by environmental

engage in personal discussions with

majority of Americans who do not live in

groups lobbying against pollution, labor

members of Congress in which they can

Washington D.C.

unions lobbying for workers’ rights,

explain in detail the reasons for positions

religious

for

they advocate. [They] serve a very useful

religious liberty, and civic organizations

purpose and have assumed an important

like the Grange lobbying for their

role in the legislative process.”

organizations

lobbying

membership.

In short, every policy in Washington has lobbyists fighting for and against it.

But lobbyists do not only play an essential role in raising the interests of

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This informational role played by lobbyists is particularly important for

Nevertheless, as an outsider who has only recently gained an inside perspective on how policy is crafted in Washington, my previous derision for career political operatives has mostly

raising the concerns of underrepresented

faded away leaving in its place admiration

or niche interests.

for their essential role in maintaining our

For example, the National Grange

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democracy.

It’s our turn to ensure legacy of inclusivity in our Order

By Kennedy Gwin

Kelley from four gentlemen in Mississippi,

National Grange Intern

who proposed to create an organization similar to that of the Grange, called the

The Grange in the present era is known to be a community place to gather, an incubator for political progress, and a place where people go when in times of need.

These ideals have been a foundation in the Grange as we promote family and community beyond just our own spaces.

Since the founding of the Grange we have included women to be equal members (a practice that was relatively unknown in the 1860s) and have encouraged leadership from those of varying backgrounds.

This is a particularly important part of Grange history as we see and experience the importance of inclusion and diversity in our society today.

Amid social movements all around the world we must reflect on our history and plan to promote a more diverse and inclusive organization.

Valuing importance

and of

acknowledging diversity

within

the

Council of Laborers, showing there was cross-dialogue about the need for and interest in an organization like ours for all.

The organizers proposed a similar structure to the Grange, except that they required to have “two respectable white men” there to supervise. The idea of this organization was to create “strong industrious individuals who would be reliable farm hands.”

It is unclear where the rest of the story goes, as our archives only include the writings to Kelley and not his replies.

However, at a time when racial lines were so strictly drawn, if Kelley and the other founders wished for the Grange to be a white-only organization, nothing would have prohibited them from creating it as such, and an explicit division of the races could have even made it more palpable for some communities who were concerned about interracial participation.

an

Such was seen when the Grange

organization whether it be racial, gender,

movement swept through the nation

sexual orientation, or disability, makes us

and Granges began springing forth in

stronger and better.

the South where then questions about

Our founders wrote in the Grange constitution that the only thing needed to be a Granger was a strong moral character

the role of African Americans within the Grange came into discussion.

This is where the truth gets a bit

and an interest in agriculture. While we

muddy. While we would like to believe our

would like to believe that all Granges

organization was radically inclusive from

believed in this practice and everything

the very start, we need to acknowledge

was equal and perfect, we know the true

that it did not actively promote interracial

off approach to try to mitigate backlash if he were to take a strong stance. His address to the body ultimately leaves the decisions up to local Granges and states that there is nothing prohibiting African Americans or Black Americans from joining the Grange.

While this solution technically included people of color it was not radically inclusive in a modern perspective. But for the day, just providing space for African Americans/ Black people to join was another example of the Grange finding ways to serve everyone associated with farming and rural communities.

We know from a variety of sources that there were indeed a few members of color, but they were the exception to the Grange culture, and not the standard.

One of these important voices was

history to be a bit more muddled than that.

relations and membership from diverse

Beverly Claiborne Yancy, a Black farmer in

The creation of the Grange itself was

communities. The question of African

Minnesota.

during one of the most turbulent times in

American members was sticky because

Yancy documents his life on the farm

history.

several states already included individuals

and topics discussed at Grange meetings.

The Grange was just starting and people

of color while such in other states doing

Yancy, in one diary entry, discusses

around the country were trying to recover

so would surely result in Granges being

one of the debates they had about Harriet

from a horrendous war and hundreds

vandalized, members being harassed or

Beecher Stowe with fellow members. As

of years of slavery. The importance of

much worse.

this debate ended another fellow Granger

In his 1881 address to the delegate body

asked if next week, they could debate

In the National Grange archives, we

at the 15th Annual Grange convention,

women’s suffrage. B.C. Yancy and other

have documents sent to Oliver Hudson

President Dudley W. Adams took a hands-

African American farmers in the area were

community was never higher.

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highly active in their Grange and were held in high regard - so

As the Grange continues to diversify, we should also become

much so that the Minnesota State Grange would go on to elect

more open to printing our materials in a variety of languages

Yancy as State Lecturer, making him the first African American to

including Spanish, Hmong, and other languages as we did in our

hold a State Grange office. Since Yancy, how many State Grange

earliest days. This will help create community and strengthen it.

officers across the nation, though, have been filled by people

As rural issues continue to grow in the United States, building

of color? In some states, the record is clear - all of good moral

coalitions with other organizations of varying backgrounds should

character regardless of skin are welcome and can be part of the

be a priority for the Grange at every level.

leadership. In others, there is much work to be done.

Being cognizant of how you are advertising your Grange and

Inclusion is not just about who takes the oath of membership.

being purposeful in membership recruitment can do wonders to

It is also about the poliices we create and support. And inclusivity

increase both membership and diversity in an ever-changing world.

is not only about race, but ethnicity, gender identity, ability or

Each and every step is important to show diverse communties that

disability and so much more.

the Grange can be a place for them, and to entice young people

We have seen Indigenous leadership within the Grange firsthand and know that inclusion of these communities makes our organization better.

from traditionally over-represented communities to join us as well.

We want the Grange to look like the world we live in and when it does not, we fear affiliation will paint us as something we are

The Grange has many policies related to Indigenous peoples.

not - intolerant and exclusionary.

We respect tribes’ sovereignty and their burial grounds. We must

Today in the Grange we can celebrate the diversity in the

take our policy and support one step further with our community

communities which we serve with our policies that are inclusive

service and outreach.

and sensitive to diverse populations and make sure we are doing

We also cannot forget the work the Grange has done directly

our best to represent these communities in our membership.

with members of the Deaf community as well as the disabled

The Grange has always been a welcoming place for all people

community. With many of our projects and contests that encourage

no matter race, gender, sexuality, or ability. Let us continue this

people to learn American Sign Language the Grange continues to

legacy and move forward into a more welcoming mindset that

include differently-abled individuals into our community any way

advocates for all people in our community and especially the most

we can.

vulnerable.

Grange founding doc reminds us: ‘Difference of opinion is no crime’

By Johanna Huber National Grange Intern With election season quickly approaching, it’s no secret that animosity among those from different political parties is now on full public display.

However, civility in America isn’t a virtue that only disappears around the topic of politics, and with the increased use of social media, it has become easier than ever to act out in a righteous, or curt manner while hiding the true identity of the person behind the screen.

Civility “is claiming and caring for one’s identity, needs and beliefs without degrading someone else’s in the process.”

This principle is something we all learn to possess at a young age, without necessarily knowing we’re learning to be civil, through

16

lessons such as “treat others the way you would want to be treated” and learning to respect those surrounding us who are different.

Like many organizations, the Grange also teaches civility through the organization’s Declaration of Purposes, which states “…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.” This supports the idea that instead of letting our differences tear us apart we should value these differences we all carry in our beliefs and allow them to make us stronger as a nation.

So, if civility is something that is instilled in us at a young age, and reiterated through the organizations we belong to, where do things seem to go wrong in our interactions with one another?

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As we all know there are some people that are ready to argue at the drop of a hat.

While these individuals will tell you how they feel outwardly, there are others that

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org

use more covert means to express their displeasure.

With the increased use of social media, a curtain has been created for internet trolls to hide behind. The anonymity that social media platforms can provide also creates a blanket of comfort for those who wish to take advantage of dismantling another’s public image through unnecessarily arguing while protecting their identity in the process.

This often arises through political posts, which have the ability to spark tension among even the closest of friends.

According to a 2019 study by PlosOne, around 40 percent of their survey respondents reported politics to be a significant cause of stress in their lives. The study goes on to state, “Politics, especially the divisive sort of politics characterizing the contemporary civic sphere in the United States, negatively affects social, psychological, and even physical health.”

Although political debates often can result in civility being thrown out the window, other topics such as diversity, immigration,

economics, climate policy, and religious ideology have now become the forefront for waging wars on social media as well.

While freedom of speech should be appreciated and exercised at all times, it’s also important that we begin to practice civility with one another again.

The constant fighting and destruction that we create on social media over differences in beliefs must be combatted as divisiveness among Americans has never set us up for success.

It is time we return to what we once preached: principles of respect and courtesy towards others.

It is time we understand that it’s okay to disagree.

We can either take time to listen to one another or move past conversations that can become toxic.

Civility shows care for each other and a passion to change our country for the better, use that power to build bridges in your community instead of dividing them through a computer screen.

Huber appoints task force to look at Grange inclusiveness 9-member group makes first recommendations; more expected by 2020 Convention As Washington, D.C., and the neighborhood of the National Grange Headquarters building were torn by demonstrations and riots earlier this summer, we issued a statement opposing racism in our country and in our organization.

As part of this process we wanted to conduct a self-examination of all our customs, procedures, and regulations to be sure that we as the Grange do not condone racism or prejudice in any form.

National President Betsy Huber appointed a diversity task force to perform this self-examination.

Made up of Grange members of diverse race, gender, culture, geographic region, and longevity of membership, the group of nine jumped right into the discussion, holding several discussions via Zoom to date.

Led by National Vice President Phil Prelli, the task force examined the Community Grange Manual, Degree work, customs, officer titles, and many other aspects of our Order to uncover any inadvertent or unconscious

prejudices in our work.

A report will be prepared and presented to the delegates at this year’s National Grange Session, slated to be in-person in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, Nov. 17-18. There will be a virtual component to the session for delegates who cannot attend in person.

Any recommendations from the task force will be considered by the Grange Law or Grange Growth committees and, if changes are necessary, resolutions will be presented to the delegates for adoption.

Task force members examined the Degrees from the Junior Degree up to the Seventh Degree and determined no changes should be made there.

The group was in agreement that our beautiful ritual and degrees should not be changed. They, as most Grangers, love the symbolism and language of the Degrees as they use the seasons of the year and the seasons on the farm to teach life lessons.

Instead, they looked especially at our traditional officer titles, which many

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prospective members do not understand and may find offensive or uncomfortable.

In 2004 the delegates to the National Grange approved a change to the Digest to allow interchangeable use of President for Master, Vice President for Overseer, Greeter for Gatekeeper, and Program Director for Lecturer.

Previously in 2003 they approved the use of Community for Subordinate Grange and Board of Directors for Executive Committee.

Even

16

years

ago,

people

recognized our officer titles could cause discomfort, so it is time in 2020 that we make an effort to break our long habits and begin using the approved modern titles.

We are making these efforts to ensure that Granges are the welcoming communities they are meant to be; so that nothing may inadvertently stand in the way of good people joining us to assist in our great work in our communities across the nation.

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Progress may feel impossible, but we must persevere

By Mark Noah Oregon State Grange Legislative Director 2020 was going to be a big year, even before the COVID crisis changed all of our lives.

This is not only an election year, but a U.S. Census year as well, and we know that census numbers have many impacts, not the least of which is that they are used to adjust the districts of the U.S. House of Representatives so that each member represents a roughly equal portion of the population.

After the 1980 Census showed the population of my home state of Oregon had increased, a fifth Congressional district was added to our state. Based on this Census, it is likely we will see the creation of a sixth.

Everyone who has passed high school civics recalls, the number of U.S. Representatives is capped at 435, which means that as we add a district, somewhere else in the country there will be a consolidation of districts – and this redistricting is where the party politics shows a strange understanding of both science and art.

Since the time of Elbridge Gerry – then Massachusetts governor who signed a bill that allowed his party to draw State Senate districts that would favor his party during his term in 1812 – the redistricting process has been in the hands of the party in power.

One of the resulting districts looked vaguely like a salamander, so an editorial cartoonist of the day added a head and claws and called it a “gerry-mander” and the name stuck.

New York Times reporter Michael Wines wrote in a 2019 article that there is no clear evidence that Gerry actually supported the maps that resulted, and his party lost control in the following election, but the practice persists to this day.

Gerrymandering has become incredibly sophisticated and precise, using every bit of available information to identify a party’s likely supporters and snugly enfold them in a homogenous group that will guarantee the district for that party.

It can also be used to do the opposite, to ‘cram’ all of the minority party’s voters into one or two districts and thereby minimize opposition to the majority in the remaining districts. The area of a district is required to be contiguous, that is to say no separate islands, but this leaves some boundaries contorted beyond all reason.

In June 2019 the Supreme Court decided it is a political issue that must be dealt with by the elected branches of government, not by the courts.

This means a legislative fix may be the only solution – and it may best be started in the states.

Here in Oregon, we have State Grange policy that redistricting should be administered by a nonpartisan commission, and that congressional districts should have simple boundaries.

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There was little debate on the issue at our State Grange session when it came to the floor – and we are known for enjoying a good tussle with resolutions here in Oregon. Grangers understand that we may hold opposing viewpoints on certain issues but we are still united by far deeper bonds of membership and friendship and family. Grangers consent to becoming members, in fact we pay to be members, and our organization can only exist if our members choose not to leave us. Therefore it is vital to our ongoing existence that we pay attention to all viewpoints and recognize that, whether winners or losers of a debate, we are all still Grangers.

Our political system also depends on the consent of the governed in order to function, and in order to preserve a more harmonious union the views of the opposition must be accorded equal time and equal respect. Gerrymandering ensures that the opposition can be safely disregarded by their elected official, thereby robbing them of any voice in their government. The winner of an election represents all of their constituents, not just the ones who voted for them, and to fail in this regard is to undermine one of the basic precepts of our representative democracy.

In Oregon, I’m beginning to believe this is an idea whose time has finally come after seeing groups from all political corners show support for a proposal to have districts drawn by a nonpartisan commission.

An online petition sponsored by People Not Politicians – an organization associated with Common Cause – is circulating, seeking to put this issue on the November ballot in the form of Initiative Petition 57.

Interesting that though one party does currently hold most of the top elected offices in Oregon, there seems to be bipartisan support in our state for redistricting reform, with People Not Politicians finding support from Farm Bureau and Taxpayer Association of Oregon, the League of Women Voters, Oregon State Public Interest Research Group and the NAACP. While the Grange has not officially endorsed it, the proposal appears to align with our State policy, allowing us to encourage those interested to sign.

At the State Grange, we continue to inform and advocate even in this unprecedented time. We must ask our members to continue to do the same - like nature, we must ever move forward.

Today, as Granges across the country are preparing for State Grange conventions unlike any we’ve ever seen, progress feels nearly impossible.

Though most State Granges are meeting virtually and all are forced to make some changes, at least temporarily to our processes and procedures, that should not deter you from reviewing your State Grange policy, and offering in whatever way your State Grange has deemed appropriate for this session, or through a committee resolutions on important issues such as gerrymandering.

We are an organization built on preserving and promoting a united American democratic republic. We cannot let even this pandemic shake our resolve.

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org

CONNECTING AMERICA’S HEARTLAND “It’s a blessing to be from a rural community, and during these uncertain times, we are committed to doing everything we can to keep our communities connected — it’s our responsibility and our honor.”

– RUSTY MOORE, GENERAL MANAGER, BBT

A

s General Manager of BBT, and Chair of the USTelecom Board of Directors, Rusty Moore has made it his mission to invest in broadband network infrastructure. Why? To create a model other small service providers might follow to efficiently and effectively deploy broadband to America’s toughest to reach rural areas.

Founded over 60 years ago, BBT continues to expand its service area and today provides connectivity to 18,000 square miles of West Texas rugged terrain, including state and federal institutions along the United States and Mexico border.

Not surprisingly, BBT has increased community and customer support during the COVID-19 pandemic—laying fiber, supporting

small businesses, and redirecting broadband to student homes. They were one of the first small providers in the nation to adopt the FCC’s “Keep Americans Connected Pledge” and have been recognized by the Commission as one of 50 companies going above and beyond the pledge.

Thank you, Rusty, and all of our nation’s broadband providers, for connecting America’s heartland to today’s opportunities and tomorrow’s dreams.

Learn more at USTelecom.org

GRANGE ADVOCACY ADVERTORIAL

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Census woes expose deep digital divide, reinforce paper option need

By Jim Haigh Keep Me Posted, North America Census 2020 is not going well. Nor is it going as planned. This critical distinction has been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, which again exposes the depth and breadth of the digital divide in America.

Popular narratives about the digital divide that separates our nation are too often anchored narrowly on the mere availability of broadband in a community. And now, emerging narratives about Census 2020 self-reporting issues routinely fail to look beyond the pandemic disruptions.

Long before the launch of this decade’s Constitutionally mandated count of the country’s resident population, planners at the Census Bureau smartly decided to embrace modern technology and create an online platform for responding to the critically important questionnaire. But then they made a giant leap of faith.

Instead of allowing every household to choose whether to participate online, by phone or by mail, the Bureau took the additional unprecedented step of deciding for them. Physical paper Census forms had been the traditional means of survey and reply, and the expectation for generations of respondents. But the Bureau made the calculation this year that 78.2% of households should want to, would be able to — and simply would just jump online to self-report crucial information. (Keep in mind: the final mail response rate was 74% in the 2010 Census.)

So nearly 8 in 10 residential addresses were not sent a paper form to complete at the launch of Census 2020 — which could have easily included directions for other options to reply. Instead, they were mailed “invitations to participate” online (or phone) — in envelopes identical in size and external message as those sent to the 21.8% who received a physical form to fill out. And then, when most of them failed to go online (or call), they were mailed reminder after reminder — to go online.

Only after the fourth or fifth mailing, depending on local delivery, did the forced-digital group finally get a paper Census.

But for whatever reason, the envelope was identical to the previous mailings with with no external wording to announce that there was finally a physical survey inside, making it easier to again dismiss by those weary of the web.

From before the launch and throughout the Census 2020 campaign, the Census Bureau invested heavily — as it obviously should — to promote participation and describe the vital civic importance of response. The continuously evolving multimedia campaigns on broadcast, cable, print, online and social media shared a universal theme throughout: Reply Online!

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As of mid-August, the means, mechanics and force used to push response online for Census 2020 has been unprecedented yet, the National Internet Self-Response Rate is still barely above 50 percent — and time is running out.

The pandemic didn’t help Census 2020 efforts. Nor did it create the digital divide. Instead, it compounded the multiple dynamics that make it so wide and deep. And it would seem now that the final Bureau plan ignored the variety of reasons why Americans so often choose not to opt-in to electronic communications when given the choice of paper — especially when they consider the correspondence to be sensitive, personal or important.

The digital divide is far more complex than not having the availability of broadband infrastructure where one lives or works.

Mere availability is a significant yet separate problem from personal affordability of broadband. Which is distinct from actual adoption and practical use of the expensive, fee-for-service communications infrastructure. All of which also require additional, expensive tools including fairly new hardware and very recent software, and a place where they are available. Clearly, we have a long way to go to eliminate the challenges that will enable everyone to more fully embrace and participate in all things digital — including Census 2020.

This is why consumer advocates including Keep Me Posted relentlessly explain to policymakers and companies that digitalonly communications are not for everyone. Printed and digital options are necessary for full inclusion and broader participation in commerce and community. Collectively, we need to appreciate that so many of our neighbors report difficulties in accessing online technologies, have security concerns about online fraud, or require paper communications for practical reasons. The digital divide is not limited to older adults, low-income households without computers or broadband service, people in rural areas where unreliable internet access is common, minority populations in urban areas with theoretical availability but not affordable access, and the one in four people living with a disability of some kind that are three times more likely to say that they never go online.

The future of a vibrant, inclusive and fully counted America needs an accurate Census 2020 that is not irreparably damaged by unwavering plans and artificial deadlines. Our country cannot afford a lack of will to learn and adapt under urgent circumstances — and must take the additional steps with extended timelines to assure fully representative results. KMP urges Congress to immediately pass legislation to extend the legal deadline for Census 2020 — and implores the Census Bureau to send a paper form to all nonresponsive residences in an envelope clearly marked “Final Notice: Paper Form Enclosed — Postage Paid” along with robust and safe in-person measures to count communities historically known to be a challenge to include as required by our Nation’s founding document.

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Granges urged to think of rail as part of climate solution

By Bill Moyer Solutionary Rail Do you think of yourself as a problem solver? I certainly do. I don’t have a great deal of patience for complaints that are not accompanied by a proposal. I‘d like to share a little of each, hopefully in a measured way.

Some years ago, I was quite critical of using the Puget Sound and the Pacific Northwest where I live as a fossil fuel corridor to Asia. At the end of a community forum, I approached a railroad labor leader named Mike Elliott who had spoken on the panel along side BNSF and Peabody Coal. Mike was advocating for the handful of jobs a coal port would bring. I asked him, “Do you truly believe that shipping coal to China through this precious and delicate place is the very best use of the railroad you work on?”

In a followup conversation, Mike gave me a paper he had worked on a few years before about Modernizing the Northern Transcon. At the time, I didn’t know that ‘Northern Transcon’ was how people referred to the rail corridor from Chicago to the Pacific Northwest. With the paper, Mike issued me this challenge: “See if you and your people can ‘green this.’ And thus, the Solutionary Rail project was born.

In 2013, I really didn’t know anything about railroads. I thought bullet trains looked cool but like most people these days, I never really thought about freight rail. With only my comically short “King of the Road” train-hopping moment that took me from Ashland to Medford, Oregon, when I was 19, I had never considered the critical role freight rail plays in our society.

I was so naive that when I first looked at a map of the “Class 1” railroads, I was shocked to realize that such a massive

piece of our infrastructure - comparable to the Interstate Highway system - was privately owned, more accountable to Wall Street than ‘main street’ or Washington, DC. Thanks to Mike’s challenge to “green” their modernization I began a steep and continuing learning curve - helped along by many, many people from all walks of life, some of who have forgotten more than I can remember.

Perhaps this project has captured me so completely these last eight years because of the way that railroads literally and figuratively connect us all. Almost everyone has a family story that involves the railroads.

The railroad was the only way in and out of the lumber camp where my grandfather was born. During a fire in the camp, his family used the rail to retreat to Mount Vernon and since they had rushed out of the bunkhouse, all he had for his 3-year-old feet were his older sister’s shoes. The poor little kid tripped on the tracks and broke his nose - the first of many breaks through his rough and tumble youth.

Many, if not most towns in this country’s heartland and mountain west wouldn’t exist

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were it not for a railroad. Our indigenous brothers and sisters have less fond associations with railroads as they were a tool of settler colonialism and war. General Sheridan urged the Texas Legislature not to outlaw the Buffalo hunting from trains as the massacre was robbing his perceived enemy of their food supply.

The Grange has an important and powerful story related to the railroads. The Patrons of Husbandry famously stood up for farmers whose livelihoods depended on getting their crops to markets, but were overcharged and discriminated against by the railroad companies that even at that time preferred long hauls to short ones and gouged or denied service to farmers.

Railroads provided free passes to keep elected officials in their pocket. It was the Grange that helped organize the collective storage of marketing of crops through their network of lecturers. And it was the Patrons of Husbandry that brought about state laws referred to as “Granger laws” to counter the monopolistic practices of the railroads.

Without the work and struggle of your predecessors, the US courts and ultimately

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Congress may not have declared the railroad monopolies “common carriers,” clarifying that these private companies were only allowed to enjoy the privileges of monopoly in exchange for fulfilling certain public goods and adhering to fair and nondiscriminatory practices.

Leading up to that, battles in the courts over Granger laws first allowed and then disallowed states to regulate aspects of the railroad business practices. These were followed by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, a federal law which created the first regulatory agency, the Interstate Commerce Commission.

The impact of social movements needs to be renewed or it withers. Gradually, consolidations and abandonments happened.

After a complicated and dramatic history that included major labor battles, nationalization during the first world war, many consolidations and bankruptcies, eventually the Federal government relieved the railroads of their obligations to provide passenger service in 1970. That bailout resulted in the creation of Amtrak in 1971. Further trouble led to the passage of the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976, which reduced federal regulation of railroads and took over some failing railroads in the Northeast and created ConRail. Then the

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Staggers Act of 1980 further dismantled much of the authority of the ICC, and the Termination Act of 1995 divided up the responsibilities and established the Surface Transportation Board (STB), an appointed body of 3-5 people that oversees what is left of regulations regarding rail shipping rates, mergers and abandonments. Safety, planning and other oversight and support for railroads is handled by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

Current rail practices of the largest railroads do discriminate according to distance, and rates are no longer as transparent as they once were. There are lots of examples and concerning trends in rail. Many of them disproportionately impact rural communities where the trains no longer stop. In 2014, BNSF abandoned a Cold Train project of refrigerated freight from the Pacific Northwest to Chicago.

Early this summer Union Pacific dropped the thriving Cold Connect service it had purchased only a year before. Longer and longer trains, heavier grain cars, shuttle trains and carload limits are pushing farmers and producers to pay more, switch to trucks, and drive further on roads that weren’t meant for heavy freight. The very nature of the transport system reinforces models for agriculture that emphasize export and mom culture over food security

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and regenerative practices.

To clarify for those as new to rail conversations as I was, there are three class designations for freight railroads, Class 1, 2, and 3. But the most important is the difference between the seven Class 1 railroads with a combined route miles of approximately 93,000 route miles - and the 605 Class 2 and Class 3 railroads that operate 47,500 route miles. The Class 2 and 3, more often bundled as “shortline railroads,” or “shoreline and regional railroads” (“regional” means they operate at least 350 route miles).

A railroad is considered a Class 1 based on annual revenue over $453 million.

Union Pacific (UP), BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern (NS), and Kansas City Southern (KCS) are the five US-based companies.

Canadian Pacific and Canadian National are based in Canada. All the Class 1s operate across many state boundaries.

All but Union Pacific (UP) also cross either into Canada - or Mexico as is the case with KCS. BNSF is owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. All the other Class 1s are publicly traded companies. In 2019, their combined profits were approximately $90 billion!

Monopoly and common carrier issues aside, an important fact to know is that beside land grants and certain public support or partnerships, all the privately owned railroads are responsible for the building and maintenance of their own infrastructure. This is really important to remember when considering whether and how the public partner with railroads. The primary competition for freight railroads is the trucking industry, and principally long hauls. Class 1 railroads rarely attempt to compete on freight haul distances shorter than 500 miles. Shortline railroads however are eager for short haul customers and often serve a niche like grain transport to local elevators, mining operations, and serving branch lines that have been shed by the Class 1s.

So, that is a lot of introductory material.

I want to add that in preparation for this article, I spoke at length with a Granger

who knows a lot about railroads. Kevin Klenklen of the Kansas State Grange.

Kevin and I have opinions that overlap and diverge across the spectrum of topics.

One thing that we both feel strongly about is that this moment is a time for solutions.

I say this because taking up and meeting Mike Elliott’s challenge has been all about solutions, thus the title to our 2016 book Solutionary Rail, a people-powered campaign to electrify America’s railroads and open corridors to a clean energy future.

Our Solutionary Rail project is connecting with all sorts of people all across the country to build an unconventional, nonpartisan alliance to support the transformation of the US freight transport system and leverage freight rail’s advantages to accomplish these shared public interest goals: • reduce congestion (costing the US $166 billion per year in wasted time and fuel • make roads more safe by reducing truck related accidents • reduce wear and tear to roads and bridges that drains already limited budgets • radically reduce diesel emissions that harm public health and cause premature death • dramatically reduce GHG emissions to help solve the climate change.

Solutionary Rail believes that a transportation system that serves the wellbeing of people, communities and the environment is not just possible, it is necessary. To achieve this, we are calling for policies, investments and partnerships so that over the next ten years we: • Shift the 1 trillion ton-miles of freight moving over 500 miles on trucks each year - off our roads and onto trains by increasing rail capacity, speed and reliability - and making all modes of transportation pay their true cost without passing on harms to the taxpaying public.

• Electrify U.S. railroads starting with the largest (Class 1) and follow that with short line and regional railroad electrification.

And finally • Utilize rail corridors for the

LEARN MORE Check out a 3 minute video and

download a free PDF of the book at SolutionaryRail.org/video

right of way justice concerns, and develop and market their extensive wind and solar resources.

• Urban

trackside

and

roadside

communities near ports, rail yards, and warehouses get to breath clean air.

transmission of renewable energy to power the trains and power the country with a National Supergrid.

Approximately 30 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions comes from transportation. The most challenging part of land transportation to electrify or “decarbonize” is long haul freight.

Another 30% of US GHG emissions comes from energy generation. The largest impediment to clean energy development is transmission. The biggest obstacle to efficient transmission is access to rights of way. The railroad industry holds the keys to unlocking a new normal that is healthier and more prosperous than the old normal. Solutionary Rail recently interviewed Carlo Borghini the Executive Director of the European Union’s Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking. Europe is taking the importance of freight in the public interest very very seriously. They are investing in understanding the true costs of doing nothing and the cost and feasibility of designing an exciting new system that serves everyone.

Who benefits?

• Taxpayers stop subsidizing the many harms of heavy freight on the roads that is more efficiently transported on tracks and solve one of the most vexing causes of climate change.

• Rural communities and farmers gain greater access to affordable transport of their crops, manufactured goods, and a tax savings on infrastructure, • Rural electric co-ops get access to a grid that allows them the opportunity to build out renewable energy portfolio, import power when they need it and export electrons to power trains and urban centers when there is a surplus.

• Tribes get the opportunity to lead in the public private partnerships, settle

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• Truck drivers get to drive quality miles in clean trucks and go home at night.

• Railroad workers get set schedules, clean air, and appropriate crew sizes (2 or more); and • Shippers get a sustainable and reliable way to reach their customers. and • Class 1 railroad companies get to pivot to a business model for long term growth rather than merely short term profit.

I know that this is a lot to absorb, and I don’t expect you to take my word for any of it. What I hope is that Grangers around the country will consider whether this is worth discussion and exploration. The city council of La Crosse, Wisconsin, discussed this and they decided to pass a resolution that the state and BNSF collaborate to explore its feasibility. Maybe that’s something your communities might consider doing. And, maybe your community will come up with even better ideas. Another area of enthusiasm Kevin and I shared is to consider how your Grange and your community can support the local shoreline railroad.

Unlike the Class 1’s, the shorelines are eager for new business and creative ideas.

They don’t have the multi-billion dollar reserves to experiment with. But they are increasingly the refuge of the railroaders that love railroading.

To paraphrase something else Kevin said, “everybody desires and deserves the opportunity to think outside the box.”

There has never been better time to do that, as I’m pretty certain we are currently living so outside any familiar box that maybe our response should be ‘What box?’ Allowing ourselves to put our heads together as Solutionaries is something we owe ourselves and the generations to come.

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Granges can become part of regenerative ag movement Why should farmers care about storing organic matter in soil?

By Ray Seidler, Ph.D.

two thousand ranchers and farmers, which

Senior research scientist, U.S. EPA, & member, Bellview Grange #759, OR

impediment to adopting NET practices

The SOM is what helps to make the soil

is lack of knowledge on how to do it, and

look and smell “rich.” The carbon in the

secondly, insufficient financial incentives to

air transforms life in the ground beneath

“try something new.”

our feet first through photosynthesis then

Recently, as National Grange Intern Sean O’Neil wrote so aptly in the Summer 2020 issue of Good Day! magazine, “action must be taken on climate change in all sectors of the economy, including agriculture.” Since the Kyoto Protocol of

1997

where

nations first agreed in

principle

to

reduce greenhouse gas

emissions,

global

energy-related

CO2 emissions have actually increased 50 percent! Attempts at reducing global CO2 emissions have, unfortunately, not been successful.

In late 2019, the prestigious U.S. National Academy of Sciences announced, “to achieve goals for both climate stability and economic growth, ‘negative emissions technologies’ (NETs) that remove [and] then store carbon dioxide from the air will need to play a significant role in mitigating climate change.”

Regenerative agricultural practices are ‘negative emissions technologies’ (NETs).

And now is the time for land owners to respond to this call and become a part of the solution to help mitigate global warming — and at the same time, reap numerous benefits from increased soil health on their property.

revealed that the first barrier listed as an

What is regenerative agriculture?

later, through plant decomposition, and this increases SOM. The more diverse the

It’s simple, really - NETs like regenerative

microbial and other soil food web life, the

agriculture remove carbon dioxide directly

more sustainable, functional, healthy and

from the atmosphere and transform it

resilient the soil. We should care about

through photosynthesis into plants, trees and

regenerative agriculture and SOM because

later into beneficial soil organisms. The good

of all the amazing agronomic benefits we

news is that storing the carbon dioxide from

receive in return for minor changes in land

NETs in the form of soil organic matter (SOM)

practices. The physical practices (plowing,

has the same impact on the atmosphere and

tillage) and chemicals used in industrial

climate as simultaneously preventing an

agricultural processes (pesticides, mineral

equal amount of carbon dioxide from being

fertilizers) damage biological processes and

emitted. Recent analyses have found that

activities, and impede formation of SOM

deploying NETs may be less expensive and

present in healthy soils and this has been

less socially and politically disruptive than

known for decades.

most of the changes recommended over the last 20 years, which have often been difficult to implement.

Here are the main benefits from increased soil organic matter: 1. Improved soil texture (tilth) to better

Regenerative agricultural practices that help a landowner achieve an increase in

absorb moisture and prevent runoff and loss of topsoil.

SOM are well known: minimize physical

2. The USDA says a 1 percent increase

soil disturbances to decrease the rate of

in SOM results in 25,000 gallons of added

decaying plant residues on and in the soil,

available soil water storage per acre, a

and maintain a green plant cover (eg.,

critical consideration for areas experiencing

use of winter and/or spring cover crops)

water shortages.

over the soil for as many months/year as

3. According to Ohio State University

possible. These practices physically protect

scientists, for every 1 percent weight

soil from the natural forces (wind, water

increase in SOM in deficient soil, there is a

runoff) that cause topsoil erosion, and also

corresponding 12 percent increase in crop

allows for root exudates to continuously

yield. Although this increase in SOM may

feed beneficial soil organisms.

take 3 to 5 years to achieve, each year there

By utilizing living or dead plant residues,

is an incremental yield increase.

NETs from regenerative agriculture

instead of burning, tilling or plowing, the

4. SOM is “fuel” for sustaining beneficial

have already been in place, albeit on small

soil life is provided with a food source

soil life, including beneficial microbes. SOM

scale, for many years. However, there have

year-round, and above and below ground

promotes beneficial relationships between

been barriers to adopting regenerative

biological diversity (variety of life forms) is

soil life and plant roots, thus stimulating

soil practices at the large scale. Farmers,

increased as diverse cover crop species,

plant growth and protecting plants from

especially during these times of economic

crop rotations, and intercrop plantings are

pests.

hardship, are reluctant to adopt what could

incorporated into the plan. When possible,

5. In healthy soil, 1 teaspoon of soil

be perceived as “new” practices that might

it is also helpful to increase diversity through

can contain a billion microorganisms plus

not work. This was confirmed by a recent

livestock which can add to the landowner’s

other soil life, and even higher densities of

United Nations online survey of nearly

income.

microbes grow in intimate association with

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plant roots to protect and stimulate plant growth.

6. Soil organic matter and soil microbes “free up” generally unavailable soil minerals such as N,P,K, sulfur, and micro nutrients, naturally fertilizing plants over the growing season.

7.

USDA

estimates

that

mineral

availabilities derived from 1 percent SOM in a deficient soil provides a value of about $600-$750 per acre because it adds up to approximately 1,300 lbs. of mineral nutrients.

8.

SOM plus surface plant residues modulate temperatures, protecting roots from extreme high and low temperature fluctuations

and

extending

the

crop

growing season.

9. With elevated SOM and healthy soil ecosystems, farm and ranch products may have added financial value; 10.

Land owners own the carbon in the

SOM on their land. The value of this carbon is currently estimated at around $15/ton of CO2 equivalents in the U.S. marketplace.

11. Annual carbon returns to soil vary greatly with location and agronomic practices used. For crops employing regenerative agricultural techniques, annual accumulation of soil carbon ranges from approximately 0.25-2 tons/ac. For more diverse ranching/farming situations, rates may increase to 5-7.5 tons/ac and more.

soil

marketing

obtaining a potential price premium on

Bottom line: our ranchers and farmers

livestock and/or crops and of course,

receive support for producing our food and

receiving financial incentives for the tons

fiber, and at the same time, they also receive

of carbon stored in the soil. The timing for

our financial appreciation for keeping their

payment will be determined by the carbon

soil healthy, and helping to mitigate effects

marketplace companies. These are relatively

of a changing climate.

new, dynamic, evolving programs and details of the programs, costs, and qualifications, minimum acres, etc., may change.

So where does the money come from for land owners? Purchasers of soil-stored greenhouse gas (ghg) carbon can be large corporations that want to offset (reduce) or

Marketing soil carbon All

Photo courtesy of USDA-NRCS No till farming, like that shown in the soybean field above, keeps residues on the soil to help retain moisture, modulate temperature extremes within the soil, improve weed control, sustain soil life and build healthy soil with organic matter.

programs

are

voluntary. There are carbon marketplaces

eliminate their net ghg emissions, or people who want to “eliminate” or cancel their individual carbon footprint. For instance, a

around the world to help qualify, register,

typical American’s annual carbon footprint

and verify tons of carbon created by land

is 16 tons of CO2equivalents. (Most of the

owners and stored in their soils. Two such

rest of the world’s carbon footprint is around

carbon removal marketplace companies

4 tons/person.

are NORI and Indigo Carbon, but there are others.

When you or I provide just $240 to cover ‘our’ 16 tons of soil carbon ($15 X 16

Nonprofit organizations and private citizens are helping us at Cultivate Oregon to sponsor an online symposium on all these topics to educate attendees about the agronomic and financial benefits of

regenerative

agriculture.

“Enabling

Regenerative Agriculture: Getting Paid for Improving Soil Health” is an exciting online event that will bring together policy makers/ educators from three state agencies, the carbon marketplace, farmers, and scientists. Save the date! The symposium will be held November 10 and 17, 2020, at 5 p.m. For more information please see soilsymposium2020.org.

tons) through NORI or Indigo Carbon, for

We thank our Ashland Bellview Grange

in the carbon removal marketplace include:

example, we are offsetting our entire years’

#759 members, Oregon State Grange,

generation of healthy soil (items 1-11

worth of personal ghg emissions. Our money

the Oregon State Grange Foundation,

above); third-party independent verification

provides the incentive for an approved land

Our Family Farms, Southern Oregon

of the carbon content in the soil that can

owner to implement practices to help reduce

Climate Action Now, and Southern Oregon

be correlated with specific ranching or

atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions —

Pachamama Alliance for providing major

farming practices (what works, what doesn’t);

which benefits all of us.

financial support for the symposium.

Benefits to land owners for participation

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GRANGE STITCHED THROUGH HISTORY

Legacy Family docs inspire research into SS Grange Victory

By Richard Lefever Member, Goldendale Grange #49, WA It was May 27, 1944, a new naval ship was being laid down at the California Shipbuilding Yard in Willington.

Two short months later, July 17, that ship now carrying the name SS Grange Victory MCV 33 splashed into the placid waters of Long Beach Harbor.

Its construction was typical of all new Victory class ships, 455-feet-long, half again longer than a football field and 62 feet wide.

Unlike the earlier Liberty ship building program, the most up to date technology

Submitted Photos ABOVE: The SS Grange Victory ship sits in harbor. BELOW: A postcard promoting the SS Grange Victory is a reminder of the regard held for work of the Grange to promote the war efforts in the 1940s.

was incorporated into building Victory ship building, pre assembled component

delivering one completed ship every day

The ultimate goal of the Victory Ship

parts, making it possible to assemble a

to the Maritime Commission.

program was to aggressively build ships

complete Victory Ship start to finish in a

that could out run the ever-present and

record 100 days or less.

Ships.

The War Department had originally planned to build 604 Victory Ships but a

lethal German U-boats. Throughout the

The first Victory Ship constructed,

drastic shortage of steel caused numerous

war, German forces had been sinking US

“United Victory” was christened only a

delays and the order for the remaining

ships at the shocking rate of over one per

month earlier at the Swan Island ShipYard,

ships was eventually canceled.

day. By the end of WWII the U.S. had lost

in Portland, Oregon.

more than 1,500 vessels to enemy fire power.

From March 1944 to the end of war in 1945, a total of 537 Victory ships had been

To assist with a severe metal shortage, the National Grange promoted scrap metal drives.

To speed up production, Kaiser Ship

delivered. Henry Kaiser, CEO of Kaiser

Washington State Grange News, dated

Builders were utilizing a new concept in

Ship Building met his self-imposed goal of

November 17, 1945 stated, “Responding to Uncle Sam’s call for scrap iron at the beginning of the war, Washington Granges shipped carload lots of scrap metal to Seattle totaling approximately 4,000 tons.

Washington’s Klickitat County Granges contributed 323,500 pounds of scrap iron, 28,000 pounds of paper, and 11,485 pounds of rubber.

Before the first Victory ship was ever built the U.S. War Commission had already assigned names to their new ships. The first 34 were to be named after allied countries, 218 would be named after American cities, 150 named after U.S. educational institutions and 117 named after U.S. counties.

The ship launched July 17, 1944 at Cal

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Ship, in California, would never be known

perspective, at the end of World War II

Victory, stationed in Tampa, Florida. SS

by its predetermined name.

the US had a total of 6,768 naval vessels.

Lane Victory, stationed in Los Angeles and

As final construction was taking place

Within 10 years of the war half of the Victory

the SS Red Oak Stationed in Richmond,

on a new Victory ship known only by

Ships built had been decommissioned,

California. They have been converted to

Hull Number 33, President Franklin D.

scrapped and recycled.

museum ships and are open to daily tours.

Roosevelt - a Seventh Degree member of the Grange - intervened. He suggested this ship be named Grange Victory, in honor of the “Patrons of Husbandry.”

It was FDR’s wish to honor the Grange for the leadership training the Grange had

The SS Grange Victory was not yet destined for recycling.

As the conflict in Korea began to build, the SS Grange was reactivated and retrofitted with new equipment and the latest in electronics.

instilled in its young members, who were

At the recommissioning ceremony on

now developing into seasoned military

April 6, 1948 the SS Grange Victory was

officers.

bestowed with a new name, a name to

The task of operating the newly

honor the life of Private Joseph Merrell.

commissioned SS Grange Victory, a

Joseph Fredrick Merrell was a United

licensed Maritime Ship, displaying the

States soldier and recipient of the United

American Flag was awarded to a private

States highest decoration – the Medal of

contractor called the Isthmian Shipping

Honor – for his actions in World War II.

The Inspiration for Research The inspiration for researching the Grange Victory story was provided by Eva Groshong. She was a great aunt and served as a lady welder at the Vancouver ShipYards during World War II. It was information gleaned from letters she wrote to her mother and discovered while filling out the Grange Legacy application that provided the basis for this research.

Eva was born on the Locy family farm in Goldendale, Washington, in 1896, the eighth of 11 children. Her parents,

Isthmian Company was an

He joined the Army in August 1944, a

old company dating back to Pre-WWI. It

week after his 18th birthday. On April 18,

had a long-standing reputation for good

1945 near Nuremberg Germany he single

Charter members of Spring Creek Grange

service and was well known in the shipping

handedly attacked German positions

#95, in Klickitat County, Washington. As

industry.

that were firing on his unit, disabling two

transportation improved Spring Creek

It is ironic, that one of the primary

enemy machine gun emplacements and

Grange consolidated into Goldendale

duties of the Isthmian company was the

killing nearly two dozen German soldiers

Grange #49.

delivery of Red Cross supplies to the war

before he was killed.

Company.

front. Gathering Red Cross supplies had

The Joseph Merrell served honorably

been a major Community Service Project

through three conflicts, the Korean War,

for the National Grange and Subordinate

the Suez Canal Closure of 1956 and the

Granges across the country.

early stages of the Vietnam War.

At home, Klickitat County Granges

Between early 1962 and late 1965

contributed $3,435 to the Red Cross along

PVT Joseph Merrell was stationed in the

with numerous bundles of white sheets

Antarctic supporting operation “Deep

and bandages. It is very possible that

Freeze” an exploration of the polar

the SS Grange Victory, with the Patrons

continent.

of Husbandry as its namesake, delivered

early 1970 to carry military supplies from

these very supplies that were painstakingly

Southern California across the ocean to

gathered by Grange members throughout

South Viet Nam.

the county.

Catherine and Henry Locy were 1905

Joseph Murrell resigned in

The last call for the proud ship,” Grange

As the war was nearing conclusion,

Victory/PVT Joseph Murrell” occurred in

Grange Victory was decommissioned and

1974 when she was involved in a mid-sea

assigned to the National Defense Reserve

collision with a much larger and heavier

Fleet in Suisun Bay north of San Francisco.

Liberian Oil Tanker. The resulting damage

For most war time ships, this would

was considered irreparable. Within only

be their last official assignment before

a month, she was sold for salvage, thus,

being sold for salvage. Literally hundreds

ending a gallant career for the SS Grange

of mothballed ships were lined up in neat

Victory.

rows accumulating rust in Suisun Bay.

Today, only three Victory Ships remain

To put the potential number of ships in

of the 537 that were built - SS American

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Submitted Photo Eva Groshong, a long-time Grange member who worked as a “Wendy the Welder” during WWII, inspired the research on the SS Grange victory.

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Like many women during the World War II era, Eva was determined to serve her beloved country.

When industrial mogul Henry Kaiser opened his new ship building yard in Vancouver, Washington, Eva was one of the first ladies in line to sign up.

A woman working in a shipyard was unheard of before WWII. With a critical shortage of labor, especially in the early years of war, conventional thoughts about women working had to change, after all, “World War II was considered the War to end all Wars.” If a man, of any age, was able to work he was already employed or had enlisted in the military, leaving more jobs than able bodied workers to fill them.

The demand for more ships was so great that ship construction was underway at the new Vancouver ShipYard even before the new facility was completed.

At the end of the first year (1942), Vancouver ShipYard had a labor force of 38,000 workers; more than 25 percent or about 10,000 of these workers were women.

The press referred to women working in the shipyards as “Wendy The Welders.”

Their counterparts in the airplane industry were referred to as “Rosie the Riveters.”

An advertisement in a Portland, Oregon paper read: “Come on over to Vancouver. You can make as much as $10.00 per day.”

When the United States entered the war, Eva was a primary school teacher in Woodland, Washington.

She and her husband Fred were trying desperately to preserve what was left of their small dairy after the depression.

As the school year was about to close, she prepared herself for a new career by enrolling in a blueprint reading class.

Before completing this class, a member of the Boilermakers Union recruited her to draw patterns on steel plates, making them ready for the Burners (cutters).

Eva was always eager to learn new techniques and advance her status. One day, while waiting for more steel sheets

28

Submitted Photo A monument stands at the old shipyard in Vancouver, Washington, to honor the group of women, called “Wendy the Welders” by the press at the time, who helped build American ships for the war effort during WWII. to arrive, she practiced cutting steel with an acetylene torch. The next day she was declared a union burner.

She wrote of one of her first experiences as a burner: “sparks of molten steel set my new jeans on fire – the fire ran clear to my waist before coworkers extinguished the flames.”

Safety equipment during the war consisted only of a leather apron and gloves.

Still not satisfied with being a burner she started to practice welding on metal scraps.

A welding supervisor noticed her natural ability and transferred her to a special welding group.

Eva wrote, “I was the only woman on the team and found myself welding together the same material I had cut out earlier. Welding ship parts together was very similar to creating a garment or dress.

“I worked side by side with men who had welded for years after going to school to learn the trade. We started on the ship’s foundation, welding huge boilers and followed the building of that ship until it was finished and pulled out to sea.

“In this same way, I worked on every ship that left the Vancouver Ship Docks – with my name on the steel of each

N

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org

one. Put there by me – with a punch and hammer.

“Being

of

small

stature

I

was

assigned to welding projects in the most inaccessible and confined areas.

“Today, OHSA would probably frown on a woman or anyone else working in these confined spaces without the latest in safety equipment.”

Her welding career at the Vancouver ShipYards continued for two and half years, or until the day after it was announced the war had officially ended.

On that day

without any warning, Eva along with all the other lady welders were laid off in order to provide jobs for the returning male veterans.

Eva returned to her Woodland home and dairy after being laid off, where she cared for her husband who was suffering from cancer. She milked cows, delivered milk and took care of her husband until his passing in 1947. She sold the dairy and moved back to her childhood home in Goldendale. While living in her birth home she took care of her aging mother for four years.

She quietly passed away May 25, 1996. Had she lived another 151 days, she would have lived a full century.

We remain committed to our community.

During this unprecedented time, we are providing our covered medicines at no cost to US patients who have lost their jobs and health insurance due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Please call 1-800-721-8909 or visit bms.com to learn more.

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Honoring

L egacy

THE BUILDERS OF OUR

MEMBERSHIP ANNIVERSARIES 80 YEARS CONTINUOUS MEMBERSHIP New Hampshire • Irma Messenger, Crown Point Grange #65 Ohio • Ed Hunt, Saltcreek Valley Grange #2314

75 YEARS CONTINUOUS MEMBERSHIP Illinois • Carol Blye, Hopewell Grange #1747 • Hazel Kanaly, Prairie Grange #1832 • JoAnne Reid, Guilford Hope Grange #6

50 YEARS CONTINUOUS MEMBERSHIP California • Larry Bannon, Wyandotte Grange #495 • Linda Bannon, Wyandotte Grange #495 • Jeanne Behler, Rincon Valley Grange #710 • Sid Behler, Rincon Valley Grange #710 • William R. Booth, Wyandotte Grange #495 • Kathleen Ellsworth, Prunedale Grange #388 • Naomi Fletcher, Orangevale Grange #354 Idaho • Louise Feely, Mica Flats Grange #143 Illinois • Hazel Kanaly, Prairie Grange #1832 • Loretta Parrish, Turkey Hill Grange #1370

New York • Kathryn Elwood , Cuyler Grange #449

Michigan • Patricia Carncross, Oceana Center Grange #1047

Ohio • Darlene Bradley, Mile Branch Grange #933

New Hampshire • Gregor Anderson, Baker’s River Grange #290

Rhode Island • Shirley Bell, Roger Williams-Rumford Grange #52 • Ora Moitoso, Roger Williams-Rumford Grange #52

New York • Gerald Reynolds, Albright Grange #440 • Cindy Williams, Beaver Falls Grange #554

Pennsylvania • George Fulkman, Mahoning Valley Grange #1649 • Arthur W. Nesbitt, Mahoning Valley Grange #1649

Ohio • James W. Grafton, Hillard Grange #2716

GRANGE MILESTONES ®

125 YEARS CONTINUOUS SERVICE Oregon • Winona Grange #271

100 YEARS CONTINUOUS SERVICE Pennsylvania • Virginville Grange #1832

30

M

Oregon • Richard Huff, Ada Grange #570 Pennsylvania • Joanne Day, Chestnut Ridge Grange #1750 • Mary Ruth McCall, Mahoning Valley Grange #1649 • Karen Patterson, Mahoning Valley Grange #1649 • S. Kent Patterson, Rural Valley Grange #1750 • Susan Van Tassel, Mahoning Valley Grange #1649 Rhode Island • Pamela Sawin, Perryville Grange #14 Washington • Cheryl Britton, Central Grange #831 • Karen Cripe, Sunnyside Grange #129 • Donald Dills, Fredonia Grange #545 • Duane J. Hamp, Five Mile Prairie Grange #905 • Michael W. Miller, Washington Grange #82 • Bernard Ogden, Sunnyside Grange #129 • Phyllis Ogden, Sunnyside Grange #129 • Arthur E. Sampson, Enterprise Grange #784 • Gay Smith, Enterprise Grange #784 • Len Smith, Enterprise Grange #784

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org

Welcome New Members to the Grange Family Adams Center #590, NY • Jay Matteson

Bethlehem #137, NY

•

Sharon Quick

•

•

Mike Miller

•

Beverly #306, MA

Deborah Fraser

Albright #440, NY •

Paul Sheldon

Animas Valley #194, CO • Cathy Cowles • Brittany Cupp • Jaynee Funtecchio • Nancy Ottman • Anna Peterson •

Linely Dixon

Arlington #139, NH • Aaron Tedford • Dillion Tedford •

Sabrina Price

Ash Butte #802, OR • Callie Holmes • Colby Holmes • Jody Holmes • John Holmes •

Kooper Johnson

Azalea #786, OR • Tim McClellan • T. McClellan •

Jeri Lynn Sorrells

Baker’s River #290, NH •

Deborah Ziemba

Barlow Gate #157, OR • Chris Archer • Pat Davis • John Gambee • Lisa Gambee • Jamie Johnson • Kozet Mitchell • Susan Mitchell • Gail Schiel • Rusty Schiel • Earl White •

Sharon White

Beaufort County #1233, NC • Paula Cayton • David Loope • David Loope •

Tommy Mobley

Bellview #759, OR • Kommany Angelstar • Eleyah Knight •

Karen Taylor

•

Jeff Baker Timothy J.R Shotmeyer

Blazing Star #71, NH •

Betty Williams Nelson Eddie Stanley Billie Delaney

Buell #637, OR • Connie Crowe Janet Herring

Butternut Valley #1553, NY •

Calvin Wilcox

Cache La Poudre #456, CO • Don Hunter • Padriac McAuliffe •

Virginia McAuliffe

California #941, PA •

Roxanne Kvalkauskas

Carver #432, NE •

Brenda Council Allen Mullen

Charlton #92, MA • Craig Bellisaro • Eric Borgeson • Joel Desroches • Scott Herbert • Joseph C. Gaucher • Jerry Maenpaa • Deborah Maenpaa • Maura Maenpaa • Timothy Maenpaa Cherry Creek #58, CO • Craig Quick

M

Corinth #823, NY • Jeane Brennan

•

Barbara Wagner Margaret Defilippo

Columbia #267, OR • William Brandt • David Gorman • Andrea Hills • Timothy Hills • Will Hornyak • Sunny Hunter • Vera Jagendorf • John Jordon • Beverly Klock • Cypus Kurkinen • Chris Miller • Kaya Morkbak Gross • Cari Nyland • Roland Rhew • Evan Sanders • Jennifer Sanders • Cloudy Sears • Christian Storck •

Susan Wiancko

Community of Feeding Hills #382, MA •

Central #360, OR •

•

Colonel Harper #1508, NY

Buckhorn #1119, PA • Veronica Drenning • Vince Jerz • Susan Kotelnicki

•

Sharon Luchow

•

Christiana Kittel

Brownsmead #822, OR •

•

Ensley Clark

Clarkes #261, OR

Brogden #967, NC •

Coburg-West Point #535, OR

Chester Valley #1496, PA • Pat Mastrangelo • Ralph Mastrangelo •

Britton’s Neck #629, SC •

Charleen “Tootie” Smith

Lois Lovisolo Susan Vaughn Jim Mackin Zita Kobos Jeffrey Judd Seth Fallon Jacqueline Fallon Lindsay Lebrecht Joan Sachs Judith Church Jed Luchow

Chestnut Ridge #1133, PA

Paul Phelan

Bridge #730, OR • Dan Gibson •

• • • • • • • • • • •

Pamela Jacobsen

Concord #322, NH • Alan Bartlett • Scott Bartlett • Brian Blackden • Cheryl Correllus • Tyler Harden • Rhoda Hardy •

Tyler Martel

Copake #935, NY • Cecele Kraus • Harry Hussey • Sally Wilder • Barbara Barrantos • Elizabeth Fenamore

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Corriher #627, NC • Doug Allen • Kenny Dabbs • Melinda Dabbs • Hazel Freeze • Terry Freeze • Samantha Garver • Gail Peacock • Larry Shepherd • Debbie Shepherd • Jon Wolff • Erin Wolff • Luke Allen • Audrina Hainor-Alemand •

Jace Hainor

Cowlitz Prairie #737, WA • Jennifer Davis Crescent #136, CO • S. Lacy Boggs • Holly Clifford • John DeNiro • Nina Sloan •

Sallie Diamond

Creswell #496, OR • Sue Arthur • Larry Badten • Nita Lose •

Cheyenne Pettit

Cumberland Valley #2104, PA • Luke Herbert • Kiah Krall • Kendra Kent • Dan Gold • Kristen Nearhood-Gold • Cameron Gold Cuyler #449, NY •

Joline Harlow

31

Deer Island #947, OR •

Bethany Lavoie

Donegal #1495, PA • Nick Cranmer • Angel Eppinger • Lakier Rue • James Jones Dryden #1112, NY •

Grace Benware

Eagle #1, PA • Cindy Newcomer • Jordan Downey Eagle Point #664, OR •

Mary C Blizzard-Kelly

Eagle Valley #656, OR • Alissa Dennis • Angus Dennis • Austin Dennis • Ayla Dennis • Laurie Kero • Dale Myers • Hilary Myers •

Tanner Seal

Fairfield #720, OR • Bobbi Brown

•

Patricia Rager

•

Bette Wilde

•

Five Mile Prairie #905, WA • Jocelyn DeGroat

Golden Gate #451, CO • Carter Acree • Gigi Acree • Tonya Gallgos-Huctak • Barbara Hil • Zira Primmer • Julie Ramstetter • Patti Hall

•

•

Fairview #273, OR • Carly Parsons Ferguson #809, NC • Paul Van Sweden

•

•

East Pembroke #1157, NY •

Jennifer Bartz

Edgemere #355, ID • J.R. Cantrall • Summer Cantrall • L. Carmen Croitoru • Jack Gurganus • Heidi Hampe • Shelley Holtz • Nate Hooper • Shannon Hurd • Matthew Hurd • Debra Lloyd • Harold Lunt • Bob Petrie • Shane Warner •

Stephanie Warner

Edneyville #1051, NC • Daniel Gooding • Oliver Landers •

Parker Landers

Elba #783, NY • Anna Roth • Andrew Corcoran •

32

Eileen Corcoran

•

Gouglerville #1743, PA • William Fultz Grantham #968, NC • Rick Moore • Carol Moore • Jeff Jernigan • Kermit Whitley • Angela Hood

Sandra Reiser

•

Marcia Phillips

Fort Union #953, OR Pat Owen

Fredonia #1, NY •

Jill Wiltsie

•

Andrew Scott

Gus Cantieni

Hampton Falls #171, NH • Sandra D’attilio • Anita Harvey

Fruitdale #379, OR • Jon Chambers • Grant Pencille

•

Santa Dora Kirby

Harmony #99, NH •

Gale Shoemaker

James Dick

Harmony #1201, PA

Forest #853, PA • Bonnie Meisel

•

Mark Fox

Garden Home #407, CO • William Land • Issac Martines • Kayla Martines • Peaches Vigil

Hickory #1285, PA • Robert Pernesky • Eunice Dunn

Goldendale #49, WA • Cassandra Christopher • Alan Hale • Lori Klug

Hope #269, OR

M

•

Hinsdale #19, MA • Casey Hopkins •

Aimee Hart

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Rebecca Stevens

Joe English #53, NH • Tammy Dugrenier • Kenneth Holbrook • Linda Holbrook •

Tammy Dugrenier

Kellogg #811, OR •

Beverly Headrick

Kellogg Marsh #136, WA

•

•

Jaclyn Holzmann

Jeremiah Smith #161, NH • Dwight Barney • Sally Barney • Laura Gund • Caren Rossi • Erick Sawtelle • Tina Sawtelle • Joseph Stevens

•

William Vincent

Kelly Emery

Jefferson #1373, PA • Amy Curry • Susan O’Leath • Linda Cehily

•

Guiding Star #1, MA • Julie Rich • Karyn Dufresne • Jesse Ball

Helen Mantai

•

Grays River #124, WA • Andrea Vincent

•

Freedom Plains #857, NY • Alice Holzmann •

Mackenzie Logan Vann

Groton #7, MA

Fredonia #1713, MI • Donald Shippell • Nancy Shippell • Jason Bomia •

William Norman

Goshen #121, PA • Jessica Wadsworth

Florissant #420, CO • Pete Acevedo • Ali Acevedo • Doug Phillips

East Hill #786, WA

Tom Hall

Goldson #868, OR

Florida #306, CO • Vinessa Ekberg • Donna Emenegger • Mary Montoya

•

Jason Lemore

Lucy Jones

Fleetwood #1839, PA • Sarah Berger • Rebecca Berger • Peter Rohrbach

East Freetown #307, MA • Christopher Lambert •

Chip Brown

Humptulips #730, WA • Clay Emery

Kelly Wright

Kinton #562, OR Charlie Misky

Kirkland #684, NY •

Corey Walts

Lacomb #907, OR • Brett Giddens • Julie Giddens •

Brian Seiber

Lake Creek #697, OR • Denise Boorgoin •

J.G. Boorgoin

Lambert #439, CO • Cari Johnson • Scott Johnson • Brenda Macklin • Linda McVehil • Heidi Reese • Troy Shenk •

Majorie Wildcraft

Left Hand #9, CO • Kat Dunbar • Carolyn Bradley • Catherine McHale • Jim Johnson • Lisa Rivard • Cindi Kelly • Mary Claire Collins

• • • • • • • •

Dana Heather Stuart Kutz Laurie Kutz Jim Gessert Sandra Gessert Jeff Server Dawn Server Miles McGaughey

•

Diane Delaney

Lewis #406, CO

Marys River #685, OR • Karen Canan • Candy Garcia • Rolly Hart • Sean Hart • Verena Murphy • Baina Wickmam • Kurt Wiedenmann

•

•

Walter Kirby

Nancy Wiedenmann

Lincoln #914, PA • Holly Anderson • MiKara Anderson

McMinnville #31, OR • Michael Abando • Jackie Dornon

•

•

Reba Clapper

Long Branch Community #2072, PA • Mark Gazi • Anna Marie Gazi Long Tom #866, OR • Vicky Allard • Charles Beaudet • Christine Beaudet • Jim Bradshaw • Maria Bradshaw • Linda Gaultney • Rick Gaultney • Wendy Golish • Bev Matthelsen • Jerry Moffett • Claudia Moug • Daniel Mumford • Margaret Mumford • Isabel Rylko • Justis Sitowski • Vanessa Sitowski • Charles Smith • Julie Smith • Debbie Wells •

Ken Wells

Lowell #745, OR •

Michael Knottta

Macleay #293, OR •

Jeff Lutz

Maple Grove #154, CO • William Vander-Minden • Charles Jordon • Marcie Jordon Mapleton #584, OR • Cameron Forrettee •

Valery Forrettee

Marvel #479, CO • Erin Aas • Mike Delaney

Monika Zarate Nathan Kemmerling

Mt. Lookout #339, CO • Jennie Akers • Jennifer Guy • Cambell Oldhan • Jonathan Reid • Ryan Matthews •

Teri Mckay

Mt. Pistareen #145, NH • Megan Pratt • Steve Chickering •

Deb Chickering

Mt. Vernon #659, OR • Leslie Taylor •

Rod Winegar

New Braintree #170 •

Theodore Phillips

New Bridge #789, OR • Fawn Carey • Susan Cooke • Sara Lomas • Sue Mccleary • Bill Melinkoff

Oliver #1069, PA • Wendy Witmyer • Barry Signor • Theresa Signor • Joanne Wood • Jeffrey Wood

•

Park #249, NH • Tammy Robbins • Katey Comstock Cody Comstock

Patterson #616, NC • Lois Page • Andre Cannon •

Layla Cannon

Perthshire #1445, NY • Daniel Mead • Rev. Donald Washburn Phoenix #779, OR •

Lynn Cohen

Pierstown #793, NY • K. Wayne Bunn • Clair Raneri • William Richtsmeier • Carolyn Hopper • Linda Belmonte • Paul Steinberg • James Raneri • Kathy Allen • Susan Otis • Paul Belmonte • Melissa Hancock • Richard Gordon • Carina Franck • James Turner Joan Bunn

Redland #796, OR • Carol Drudis-Swanson • Wanda Drudis-Swanson • Flona Edwards • Heather Edwards • Mariah Hilson • Brooke Lindberg • Julie Madison • Courtney Martini • Tracy Metzker • Bonnie Perry • Jaclyn Saucedo • Jeremy Saucedo • Sondra Schanbacher •

Sandra Winter

Ricard #993, NY •

Eugene Raymo

Riversdale #731, OR •

Wyatt Cornie

Rhinebeck #896, NY • Kevin Curry • Julia Boomer • Marie Dynes • Suzanne Holzberg Rochester #257, MA • Richard LeBlanc •

David Babb

Rockford #501, OR • Eileen Brady • Brian Kohler • Rosemary Land •

Howard Lohen

Rockingham #183, NH • Bruce Gatchell •

Elaine Gatchell

Rose Valley #953, WA • Deandre Edwards • Dani Franett • Pete Franett •

Shauna Martin

Plumsteadville #1738, PA • Neil Adams

Ross #305, NY • Tom Baire

•

Roxy Ann #792, OR

Edwardine Adams

Prescott of Pepperell #73, MA

•

•

San Juan Island #966, WA • Sean Forde • Jennifer Pepper Koksis • Sherri Phelps • Manya Pickard • Sarah Severn

Wayne Burton

Putnam Valley #841, NY •

David Vickery

Ravena #1457, NY • George McHugh • Kimberly Sands •

M

Mary Anderson

Pikes Peak #163, CO • H. Thomas Bowles • Dorothy Pope

North Cameron #355, NY • Philip Warner • Karen Havens Ruth Reppert

Oxford #894, NY

•

New Vernon #608, PA • Shirley McIntire

•

Oroville #985, WA • Shara Cunningham • Judith Linetty • Terry Gervais

•

Milton #685, NY •

Ontelaunee #1617, PA • Chris Blatt

•

Rhonda Weidman

Carisa Sweet

Elizabeth Galle

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org

33

Santiam Valley #828, OR • Deborah Hagland Sauvies Island #840, OR • Sascha Archer •

Bonnie Chipman

Schenevus Valley #1201, NY • Rose Lombardo Schley #710, NC • Steve Halkiotis •

Lee Hollowell

Shermanata #1796, PA • Kenneth Hilbish • Sue Dennison Silver Creek/Ethel #150, WA • Miley Krause • Michelle Skanes •

Mandy Reynoldson

Silver Lake #105, WA •

Michael Owen

•

Sterling #53, MA • Carmille Duridas • Gloria Rugg Stony Point #1694, PA • Nicholas Ammann Summerfield #661, NC • Jonathan Layton Sunflower #162, CO • Gesele Denton • Karl Denton • Lewis Denton • Billy Ellis • Margaret Ellis • Michael Yocom •

Sandra Brownrigg

Terrebonne #663, OR • Denise Reilly • Pat Reilly

Sixes #856, OR • Julie Golden • Robert Golden

Thurmont #409, MD • Sherry Ramage • Jeremy Ramage • Robin Portner

Skookumchuck #584, WA • Sharon Hensel-Williams

Tuscarora #774, PA • Linda Rowles

•

Union City #89, PA • Anne Hall

Warren Williams

Skyline #894, OR • Jerralynn Ness • Bernie Thurber •

Jeanne Zerr

South Middleboro #337, MA

Union #325, PA • John Walters •

Mary Walters

Spencer Creek #855, OR • Holly Garmany

Upton #125, MA • Craig McCoskery • Julie McCoskery • Paul Mackewski • Kelly Mackewski • Karla Barrows • Glenn Barrows • Alina Barrows • Christina Snyder

Spray #940, OR

•

•

Veteran #1108, NY • Gloria Campbell

•

Harley Ann Hamilton

South Rutland Valley #53, NY • Garrett Phelps • Brandon Phelps • Rosalyn Tramm

Ketie Mesecher

Springwater #263, OR • Steve Leitz Stanford #808, NY • Claudia DeBellis • Frank Pepe • Maxmillian Slominski • Elizabeth Van Kleeck • Eric Teves • Julian Couse • Samantha Coffin

34

• • • •

Ahmad Syed

•

Hans Snyder

Scott Mcgrain

Villenova #604, NY • Haley Wawrzyniak • Ralph Nash Jr. • Terri Smith Virginville #1832, PA • Richard Giesinger • Robert Hiza • Lisa Houser

M

Donna Leibensperger Danael Strong Mackenzie Wolfe Harold Madeira

Walker #786, PA • Kathy Zook • Joseph Zook Washington #82, WA •

Mark Kelly

Watatic #36, NH • Becca Schilke Westbrook #1016, NC • Marcus Bennett • Jason Guerin •

Courtney Guerin

Westport #181, MA • Kelsey Jacobsen • Sherry Spencer • Beatriz Oliviera • Linda Elliott • Barbara Moss • Leah Doroch • Carissa Wills • Helen Woodhouse

Williams #399, OR • Pau Segui Barber • Nathan Dynes • Cody Gordon • Clair Highfield • Aril Hodgins • Kathy Murdock •

Justin Porter

Winona #271, OR •

Jocelyn Lamport

Williamsburg #225, MA • Mark Nicoletti • Steve Jones • Isadore Schiff • Gary Warner • David Reynolds • Bruce Hart •

Irene Goldstein

Yankton #301, OR • Roger Konka • Cindy McGilvra • Joe McGilvra • Gainor Riker • Joe Riker • Randy Sanders

Wheat Ridge #155, CO

•

•

Yorktown #862, NY • Christopher Basilan • Nicole Basilan • Stephanie Dechiaro • Joel Basilan • Matthew Manacher • Ann Marie Sasso • James Sasso • James Sasso Jr.

Mitch Pingel

White Clover #784, OR • Isabelle Beaton •

Tammi Lesh

Wicwas Lake #292, NH • James Swallow • Alice Berry • Peggy Tetreault • Tammy Stiles • Delraine Keravich • Caitlina Norwood • Steven Kozlowski • Mollie Durand • Kathy Piper • Frank Lafrance

Lacey Tolles

®

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: NOVEMBER 1

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org

MEMORIAL NOTICES

DALE CALDWELL

Past First Lady, North Carolina State Grange

PEGGY FINE

Past National Flora & Past First Lady, Oregon State Grange Peggy Fine passed away August 21, 2020. She was serving as Oregon State Grange Chaplain at the time of her death, and had served from 2003-04 as National Flora and First Lady of the Oregon State Grange.

She was born December 26, 1950 in Medford, Oregon to parents Earl and Velma (Lowry) Tibbets. She was the youngest of three children and lived on the family ranch in Drew, Oregon. While growing up on the ranch she developed her love of animals and her support for agriculture. She was given a lamb that began her love of sheep and was the start to her long life of raising sheep.

Peggy graduated from Days Creek High School in 1968, where during her freshman year, she met her best friend for life, Ivy Howard, who became her major caregiver in the final days of her life.

Peggy was very active in her children’s activities when they were young, supporting them in FFA and athletic events, and served on both the Days Creek and Glide School Board’s. She became a 4-H leader who inspired many young people to learn to care for livestock and grow into responsible adults. She went on to become involved in 4-H County Council, served as the Livestock Superintendent and was a 4-H volunteer for over 40 years.

In 1994, Peggy married John Fine and together they became a family of six. They built a house on their farm in Dixonville where they finished raising two of their daughters. Shortly after their marriage, Peggy joined the Grange and poured her love and time into the organization with the same zeal as the others that she was involved in.

Peggy was a lifelong Christian and had accepted the Lord as her Savior.

She is preceded in death by her parents, a brother, Jimmy Alan Tibbets, and a sister, Roxie Arlene Tibbets.

She is survived by her husband, John; children Christa Papke (Jeff); Rebecca Newton (Ben); Kris VanHouten (Ross); John Fine Jr; grandchildren, Abigail and Lauren Papke; Trenton (Kathy), Jasmine and Alexis Dancer; Eli and Ryan Newton; Austin, Audrey and Aurianna VanHouten; great-grandchildren Mia and Mason Dancer; a brother, Richard Tibbets (Dixie); a sister-in-law, Du Tran Tibbets, and her best friend Ivy Holt.

At her request, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Riversdale Grange scholarship fund or the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation and sent to 618 Temple Brown Road, Roseburg, Oregon 97470.

M

Dale Caldwell, Past First Lady of the North Carolina State Grange, passed away July 6, 2020. Born was born August 19, 1939, she was the eldest child of E.R. “Red” and Ruth English.

Dale graduated from Altavista High School and was a 1962 graduate of Virginia Tech where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree. She thereafter moved to Greensboro and met Robert Caldwell. Dale and Robert were married December 18, 1965 and together they served as active members of First Baptist Church where Dale served as minister to the homebound for 21 years.

Dale was a 55-year member of Summerfield Grange #661.

Dale was featured on the cooking show, “What’s Cooking Today” with Cordelia Kelly on WFMY in the late 1960s. She was a member of the Junior League of Greensboro and was chosen to be the co-compiler of cooking recipes that became the award winning cookbook, “Out of Our League”. Originally published in 1978 it sold over 200,000 copies and was selected in 1998 to be included in the “Southern Living Cookbook Hall of Fame!” Dale also served on the Board of the Adult Center for Enrichment, the Shepherds Center, and at her church, the Senor Adult Council.

Dale and Robert loved to travel throughout the U.S. and loved visiting spots around the world. In her later years, trips with the entire family became of greater importance, including one to The Homestead in Jamaica where the couple had celebrated their honeymoon 50 years earlier.

Dale was honest about her illness. Her father had passed away with Alzheimer’s and she knew the path she would be following. We were fortunate to have her smile and wit for nearly eight years after the diagnosis was made. Dale volunteered in order to help others who will also follow this path by taking part in three different research projects at the Sticht Center at WFU Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem.

Dale is survived by her two brothers, Ralph English (Rita) of Altavista, VA. and David English (Elizabeth) and her sister Melinda Wood (Bennett) of Greensboro. Together with her husband of nearly 55 years, Robert, she leaves three children also living in Greensboro: Cathy (Robb) Wells, Janet Caldwell, and Robin (Robby) Eatman. She also leaves behind six wonderful grandchildren whom she dearly loved: Margaret, Virginia and Alex Wells and Payne, Wynn and Mae Bradley, all of Greensboro.

Cards and condolences may be sent to Robert Caldwell, 609 Blair Street, Greensboro, NC 27408.

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org

35

Member pays tribute to mentor, friend in Grange Charles was a man of many talents as he

By Debra Hamilton

kept the family farm - of which he was the

Secretary, Ohio State Grange

5th generation - with a productive dairy herd, raised chickens, grew wheat, corn,

Today I am remembering someone I

hay, trees, and had a 20-acre sugar bush

have known since I was just a little girl.

to produce maple syrup each spring.

He has just gone on to the Great Grange

Many farm tours of children, college

Above, but I can see myself sitting on the

students and adults, both local and

edge of a stage listening to the music

international, visited Call’s Farm to gain

and watching him call the square dances

knowledge of how American farming

as the band plays and the skirts whirl.

had evolved and its part in the American

It is loud and colorful and he’s smiling, enjoying

food supply.

every

He was also known for his talent as a

minute.

Many

square dance caller with his “Red Socks”

years

band, thus his trademark favorite color.

later we served as

officers

Charles was Director Emeritus of

at

Darrow

Street

Grange

#751

the Grange Mutual Casualty Company, and past Chief of the Ohio Department of Reclamation, Division of Natural

and had many

Resources

conversations.

He had not changed. A smile, a joke,

The following gives you an idea of who Charles E. Call was in our world.

Well done, good and faithful servant.

The first Grange in Ohio began in East Cleveland in 1870 and the Ohio State Grange was established in 1873. In 1874 the farmers around Darrowville and Hudson began “Talking Grange.”

Darrowville is one of the oldest

Columbus.

Ever

civic

years of service to Stow government,

a great story, … so wonderful to hear and so blessed that he shared them with me.

in

minded, Charles was recognized for 26 primarily the Civil Service Commission 2, 1875. Moses D. Call was a charter

that he chaired for ten years. He

member and the first Master of Darrow

also served on Summit County Farm

Street Grange #751 and of the Summit

Bureau, Summit County Soil, and Water

County Pomona Grange #48.

Conservation Cooperative, Ohio Rural

Today we mourn the loss of Charles E

Development Council, Board of Trustees,

Call, a loyal Granger, who followed in the

Ohio Oil and Gas Association, Ohio Fair

footsteps of his great-great grandfather,

Plan Underwriting Association, The Ohio

Moses D Call.

State College of Agriculture Extension

Charles, 99, was a fourth generation Granger,

past

Master

and

lifetime

Advisory Committee, Summit County Dairy Board, Ohio Parks and Recreation

villages in Ohio, plotted by Joseph

member of Darrow Street Grange. He

Council,

Darrow in 1800. The settlement was

was an earnest leader and conscientious

Farmers’ Club.

never large, but it was a progressively

citizen,

the

With his years of involvement in 4-H,

minded farming center and naturally

interests of agriculture and the Patrons of

Charles was most proud to have been

interested in something as new and

Husbandry.

instrumental as one of the founding

promising as the Grange.

always

advocating

for

and

President

Cleveland

He leaves behind his loving wife of

board members in obtaining land from

On March 26, 1874, 31 men and

over 75 years Jean (Point), son Howard

the county commissioners in the mid

women met and organized Darrow Street

(Theresa), and daughter Suzanne C.

1950’s to reorganize the Summit County

Subordinate Grange #751, the oldest

Cryst (Michael); six grandchildren, 19

Agricultural Society, now the home of the

Grange in continual service in Summit

great-grandchildren, two nephews and

Summit County Fair in Tallmadge, Ohio.

County, Ohio.

two nieces. Also left behind are many

Ever the visionary, his goal for the future

others that he mentored and influenced

use of the land resulted in the “Call’s

over his years.

Farm” housing development – a vibrant,

As the Grange grew a building site was obtained and the members built the building which was dedicated on July

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A graduate of Stow High School,

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family centered community.

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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.

Pennsylvania’s first Grange on renewal journey before 150th birthday

By Jenn Nauss Pennsylvania State Grange Lecturer and History Committee Memmber A little more than a year ago, Pennsylvania’s first Grange – Eagle Grange #1 in Lycoming County, in Central Pennsylvania – embarked on a journey to renew itself.

Together with the help of Doug Bonsall and Jenn Nauss from the Pennsylvania State Grange History Committee, the members of Eagle Grange #1 have made tremendous strides toward renewing the Grange as a community hub in Montgomery, Lycoming County.

Eagle Grange #1 was founded almost 150 years ago, in March 1871, thanks to the organizational efforts of Luke Eger.

Pennsylvania’s first Grange has been continually active since its founding almost 150 years ago but, like many Granges around the state and the country, has faced several uphill battles including decreasing active membership and financial difficulties.

Eagle Grange’s renewal project aims to increase their active involvement in

Montgomery

and

surrounding

communities to continue their work for the next 150 years and beyond.

Through keeping an open mind to new ideas and through the hard work of the members, Eagle Grange #1 has made some impressive strides in their renewal.

Eagle Grange hosted a successful Candidates Forum last October for the County Commissioner candidates, which drew more than 80 people from the community.

Individuals and families continue

Photo by Beth Downey The flooring project began at 8 a.m. and for almost 15 hours the measuring, fitting, cutting, hammering and sweeping continued non-stop by these volunteers. Pictured are, left to right, Glenn Wilkins of Valley Grange #1360, who led the flooring project, David Troutman, President, Eagle Grange #1, Bernie Downey, Eagle Grange #1 member, and Victor Barreto Rios, member of Valley Grange #1360.

Volunteers have also done extensive

performances.

On August 4, Eagle Grange hosted members of the local fire companies to celebrate their essential work in the

across the state of Pennsylvania and a

accessible and readily used for such

few larger donations from Perry Valley

community events, Eagle Grange has

Grange #1804, Valley Grange #1360,

undergone some major renovations.

and Red Lion Grange #1781 that this

These Hall

include

making

ADA-compliant

the

with

Grange

accessible

restrooms, an entrance ramp, and a reserved handicap parking area.

Grange

volunteers

from

Eagle

and other gatherings. The Susquehanna

County, as well as Pennsylvania State

Valley

Dance

Grange President Wayne Campbell,

Community regularly uses the Grange

have also replaced the floor throughout

Hall for weekly dance practices and

the first floor of the hall.

40

Swing

It is thanks to the generous donations

In order to make the building more

Grange and Valley Grange #1360 in York

Coast

attractive site for community events. from Friends of Eagle Grange #1 from

community.

to use the building for family functions West

painting to make the building a more

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work could be completed.

The work at Eagle Grange #1 is not done!

In the next few months, Eagle Grange is planning other community events, kicking off with acommunity yard sale at their Hall, which is prominently located off of Route 15, in early September.

Community members were invited to EAGLE, continued on page 42

Maryland Grange serves as free AARP tax-prep site

By Johanna Huber National Grange Intern This

July,

Calvert

Grange,

in

Maryland, served their community by providing a facility to hold the only AARP Tax-Aide tax preparation program in the state.

With Tax Day postponed to July 15th this year due to COVID, many people were searching for help filing their taxes in a safe and affordable way.

The AARP Tax-Aide program provides free tax preparation services for those who are unfamiliar with the process or incapable of filing their taxes on their own; therefore, it often becomes a key resource for many Americans each year.

“Tax-Aide is a national volunteer tax

preparation

program

run

by

AARP,” explained site coordinator Cris Brookmyer. “Trained volunteers prepare federal and state tax returns for free for low to moderate income taxpayers.

Membership is not a requirement.”

When the group first got involved with the Grange in 2019, it came as a result of a familial connection, and as Calvert Grange member Karen Cline explains, the relationship between the two organizations grew from there.

“My father-in-law is a Tax-Aide volunteer,” said Cline. “In 2019, my father-in-law told me that the group was looking for [a site] since their usual site was not available.”

After conquering obstacles such as internet connection, the 2019 Tax Day event with AARP Tax-Aide was a success

Submitted Photo A volunteer collects forms at the free AARP Tax-Aide site at Calvert Grange, Maryland, in June. space for their work in 2020. Our Grange

Americans found themselves in trying

would be providing a space for another

economic situations. Whether that be

great group to serve the community,”

caused by unemployment or reduced

said Cline.

hours, money is not an issue when it

Brookmyer

said

the

Tax-Aide

program is especially important this year.

“For

new

taxpayers,

elderly

taxpayers, and all of those taxpayers in between who are not ‘numbers people,’ having

a

well-trained,

experienced

person prepare their taxes removes the effort and worry of doing it themselves,” she said.

in the Calvert Grange building. For this

With so much worry and uncertainty

reason, they were eager to welcome

flooding the country, simplification of

the group back in 2020 to provide their

the process is a relief to some of their

services once again.

clients.

we told the AARP Tax-Aide volunteers

program is the price tag: free.

we’d love to continue to provide a free

As a result of COVID-19, many

G

Aide volunteers, making this program realistic for those who are struggling with money.

“With so many families struggling financially, free and accurate tax return preparation

allows

them

to

spend

their limited resources on essentials rather than on tax preparation fees,” Brookmyer said.

Although Tax Day was postponed this year, allowing more time for people to file, finding a space to provide the tax preparation service was a tricky task. In

Another important feature of the

“After that successful day in 2019,

comes to seeking the help of the Tax-

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org

light of the strict safety measures set to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, only certain areas were available for Tax-

41

Aide to host the program from.

another volunteer to prepare the return. A different volunteer

“During COVID, AARP looked at the COVID infection

performed a quality review of the completed return. That

rates in counties across the United States. Cecil County was

volunteer printed the return and took it outside to review with

the only county in Maryland that was given the green light to

the client.”

reopen,” Brookmyer explained. “We were 1 out of only 163 sites nationally allowed to reopen.”

Despite the amount of open spaces being limited to hold the program in Maryland, Tax-Aide was able to begin offering their services again in the Calvert Grange building. Calvert Grange and AARP Tax-Aide began planning and offering services in early 2020 prior to the Coronavirus outbreak to offer tax preparation appointments to their community.

Along with the adjusted plan for working with clients, the Tax-Aide volunteers also cleaned regularly, physically distanced themselves and wore masks. Clients were also instructed to wear a mask to ensure everyone’s wellbeing.

“The Grange is sufficiently large to allow the six or seven volunteers who worked at any one time to be physically distanced while at their own computers,” Brookmyer added.

According to Cline, initially Tax-Aide worked on Tuesdays,

The supplies that AARP Tax-Aide requires are provided

by appointment only, from early February through mid-March.

for them by the AARP Foundation. This includes computers,

However, once the Grange building was forced to close, due

printers, routers, paper, and toner. In addition, the IRS provides

to the spread of the virus, these appointments quickly came to

the software that the group uses, and they solely use donated

a halt.

spaces to host the program.

“When our building was able to reopen, Tax-Aide began providing appointments to their existing list of clients Tuesdays through Thursdays and they are continuing through Wednesday, July 15 when taxes are due,” explained Kline.

Opening meant incorporating new safety measures as a precaution, to protect their clients, and to protect the volunteers themselves from contracting COVID.

“We collect no money, so we have none to spend,” Brookmyer said. “We were not charged a fee by the Grange, but some of our clients made contributions, as did I.” This year, according to Brookmyer, the AARP Tax-Aide site at the Calvert Grange Hall served more than 1,200 clients in Cecil County. Although this was down from the 1,500 they had

“Our clients drove to the Grange, filled out the intake form

assisted the year prior, the program was a great success and

in their car, and deposited it and their tax documents in a tub

provided people around the community Calvert Grange serves

out front,” Brookmyer said. “Designated volunteers picked

some relief when preparing to file their taxes in this strange

up the tax papers, brought them inside and gave them to

time.

EAGLE

continued from page 40 set up their own tables to sell items and

when

Eagle Grange served a take-out Pig

include the installation of wall-mounted

Roast Dinner.

ductless

funding

becomes

HVAC

units

to

available add

air

Eagle Grange #1 is hoping to host

conditioning to the building, updating

a large Community Day Festival next

the kitchen appliances, and renovations

summer in celebration of 150 years of

to the second floor of the building.

service to the community.

Eagle Grange #1 is excited to

These are only a few examples of

showcase their “New Look”, their history,

the types of events that Eagle Grange

and celebrate their continued work in

plans to coordinate to better serve

the future at an 150th Anniversary Open

the community and become a hub

House held next spring, on Saturday,

of community activities in Lycoming

April 17, 2021, in conjunction with the

County.

Pennsylvania

Future building renovation projects

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State

Grange’s

150th

Anniversary Kick-Off Celebration.

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Photo by Beth Downey Grange President David Troutman helps in April with the initial task of emptying all the kitchen cabinets for the upcoming renovation.

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Grange breaks down DNC, RNC platform statements

By Sean O’Neil

National Grange Legislative Intern Earlier this summer, the National Grange sent letters to both the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee expressing our views and policy priorities in the 2020 election (Full copies of both letters can be found on the National Grange website). For the Democratic Party, we requested that they include commitments to supporting rural broadband deployment and rural medical facilities in their 2020 platform, while we requested that Republicans embrace those same priorities in their campaign rhetoric because they have opted not to draft a new platform for 2020 and instead simply support President Trump’s agenda.

Now that both parties have wrapped up their virtual conventions this past August, we can review how much both parties have or have not embraced our requests.

The Democratic Party During their virtual convention held from August 17-20, the Democratic Party placed a greater emphasis on rural voters and issues than they have in previous election cycles. On each night of the convention multiple speakers hit on rural issues and themes from support for rural broadband and healthcare to attacks on the effects President Trump’s policies have had on farmers.

The most explicit appeal to rural voters was not made during primetime, but during a daytime convention event by the DNC Rural Council on the second day. During this event, numerous rural Democratic elected officials made appeals to rural voters on support for broadband, the postal service, rural hospitals, and agriculture markets. Yet more, officials at this event argued that Democrats need to show up in rural areas more often if they want to garner a higher percentage of the rural vote.

Beyond the general support for rural broadband and healthcare expressed by

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many speakers during primetime, Cindy Axne, a Democratic Representative from Iowa, was given a brief segment in which she argued that President Trump’s trade policies have been devastating for farmers, and that President Trump does not care about farmers or rural Americans.

At the completion of the convention, the Democratic party also released their 92page official 2020 platform. Compared to their 2016 platform, the 2020 Democratic platform spends significantly more time addressing rural issues, including the particular issues we asked that they address.

Rural broadband was most explicitly addressed by the platform in this sentence: “Democrats will close the digital divide that deprives more than 20 million Americans of high-speed internet access by investing in broadband and 5G technology, including rural and municipal broadband” On rural healthcare, mentions were far more sporadic with different sections addressing telehealth, support for rural clinics, mental health, affordable drug prices, and more. The general sentiment of the platform regarding rural healthcare was most clearly expressed in this line: “Democrats support doubling investments in community health centers and rural health clinics” Yet more, the platform addressed many key rural areas of concern such as agricultural policy, rural infrastructure, and the post office in greater depth than had been done in previous iterations. All in all, in 2020 the Democratic party has made a concerted effort to reach out to rural voters by better addressing their concerns during their 2020 convention and platform as compared with previous efforts in 2016.

The Republican Party The Republican Party’s hybrid virtual and in-person convention held from August 24-27 featured abstract references to rural Americans and ‘flyover’ country in many speeches, as well as a few explicit appeals to rural voters during key segments.

One main way in which the convention

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touched on rural issues was through brief features of everyday Americans. For example, Amy Ford, a nurse from West Virginia, spoke briefly about telehealth, Cris Peterson, a farmer from Wisconsin, extolled the virtues of the USMCA, and Ryan Holets, a police officer from New Mexico spoke about opioids.

Beyond these brief segments featuring testimonials from everyday Americans, two speakers from Iowa made explicit appeals to rural voters, and in particular farmers.

First, Kim Reynolds, the Republican Governor of Iowa, spoke about relief President Trump has sent for farmers in response to the recent devastation caused by a derecho, as well as President Trump’s trade policies. Second, Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, who is facing a tighter than expected reelection campaign this year, spoke about the derecho, the USMCA, ethanol, and fears that a Biden administration would cripple farmers with regulations that would “ban animal agriculture and gas-powered cars” (It is important to note that these are not policies which the Biden campaign or DNC support).

While the Republican Party’s convention program certainly matched the Democratic Party in its efforts to reach out to rural voters and issues, unfortunately their agenda does not. As previously mentioned, this year the Republican Party has taken the unprecedented step of not releasing a full policy platform and has instead expressed their support for President Trump’s second term agenda – a brief 50 bullet point list of policies.

In President Trump’s released 2nd term agenda, the words ‘rural’, ‘broadband’, ‘farm’, or ‘agriculture’ do not appear once.

In fact, there is no reference to any of the key rural issues we raised in our letter to the RNC. In totality, the Republican party certainly included rural concerns and issues such as those we highlighted in their convention programming, but unfortunately failed to articulate an indepth platform for the 2020 election that addresses the concerns of rural voters.

Being first matters Reaching rural parts of America is one of our top priorities When backup is sometimes miles away, reliable communication and access to highly secure data connections is critical to keeping communities safe.

That’s why FirstNet is here.

FirstNet, Built with AT&T, is built for every first responder in the country – career or volunteer; federal, tribal, state or local; urban, suburban and rural. And reaching rural and remote parts of America is one of our top priorities.

Using all AT&T LTE bands and Band 14 spectrum, FirstNet currently covers more than 2.61 million square miles. In 2019 alone, we added more than 120,000 square miles of LTE coverage, which is roughly the size of New Mexico. To put it simply, FirstNet has been busy giving more first responders and the communities they serve access to the critical communications capabilities they need. But we aren’t stopping there.

We’re actively extending the nationwide reach of FirstNet to give agencies large and small the reliable, unthrottled connectivity and modern communications tools they need. To achieve this, our FirstNet network expansion is two-fold: rolling out Band 14 spectrum and launching purpose-built FirstNet sites.

We’re also driving innovation to help address the unique challenges facing first responders who serve rural, remote and tribal communities.

Band 14 Spectrum Band 14, the nationwide, high-quality spectrum set aside by the government specifically for FirstNet, is already deployed in more than 700 markets1 across the U.S. We look at Band 14 as public safety’s VIP lane. In an emergency, we can clear and lock this band just for FirstNet subscribers. That means only those on FirstNet will be able to access Band 14 spectrum, further elevating their connected experience and emergency response. That’s unique in the industry and something public safety won’t get anywhere but on the FirstNet network.

Additionally, we’re collaborating with rural network providers across the country to help build out additional LTE coverage and extend FirstNet’s reach in rural and tribal communities.

For example, one rural provider is adding Band 14 spectrum and AT&T commercial LTE spectrum bands to hundreds of its cellular sites across rural Colorado and Nebraska, as well as select portions of South Dakota and Wyoming.

Similar activities by other rural providers are also taking place in Alaska, Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming and more to help us extend the reach of public safety’s network.

Purpose-Built FirstNet Sites FirstNet also has plans for over 1,000 new, purpose-built FirstNet sites as part of the initial nationwide FirstNet network expansion. The majority of these are in rural areas.

So far, we’ve launched over 250 of these sites across the country – including areas such as Lusk, Wyo.; Tilghman Island, Md.; Yamhill County, Ore.; Preston County, W.V.; Zerkel, Minn. and more. These sites were identified by state and public safety stakeholders as priority locations. With FirstNet, it’s about where first responders need connectivity. That’s what is driving our FirstNet build.

Unique Challenges Facing Rural First Responders FirstNet is committed to addressing rural coverage needs in multiple ways to help ensure first responders have the connectivity they need to do their jobs and keep themselves safe. From the FirstNet fleet of 76 dedicated deployable network assets that serve as portable cell sites to the Rapid Deployment

Kit, which can envelop first responders in a 300foot “connected bubble” – ideal for rural and remote emergency situations.

This highly secure LTE network is enabling first responders in rural and tribal communities to access the voice, data, and video services they need to improve collaboration and communication, including: • Reliable access to high-speed data so rural and tribal law enforcement agencies have the information they need at their fingertips • Interoperability

between

FirstNet

subscribers across different public safety agencies and jurisdictions • Deployable assets for firefighters battling blazes in remote locations • Connectivity and telemedicine to give EMS the tools they need when transporting patients long distances • A dedicated core with priority and preemption capabilities for first responders • Specially trained and dedicated 24/7 security and helpdesk operations • A highly secure app ecosystem • Network disaster recovery resources FirstNet is a commitment to giving first responders – and those who support them – the communications tools they need, wherever the next call takes them.

GRANGE ADVOCACY ADVERTORIAL

Markets defined by FCC CMAs.

1

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When backup is sometimes miles away, reliable communication with access to highly secure data is critical to helping first responders keep their communities – and themselves – safe. Expanding rural and tribal coverage is a priority for FirstNet, the only communications tool dedicated to providing prioritized connectivity to those who risk everything when and where they need it.

Learn more at FirstNet.com Š2020 AT&T Intellectual Property. FirstNet and the FirstNet logo are registered trademarks of the First Responder Network Authority.

All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

BE AN EFFECTIVE ADVOCATE

A constituent’s guide to influencing your member of Congress 1. Know Your Member of Congress: The first hurdle you

By Sean O’Neil

must overcome to influence your member of Congress

National Grange Legislative Intern

is to be sure that they are actually your member.

“Please write and call your member of Congress to support

Representatives and Senators are only interested in what

our cause!” is a phrase which is certainly familiar to anyone

you have to say if you are actually a constituent who could

who is involved in a political party, social movement, or civic

vote for or against them on election day. If you are not a

organization. In fact, in the past few weeks The National

constituent, then your contact will not be recorded and

Grange has utilized this common call to action to request that

will have no influence. So, even if you really want to let

Grangers agitate their member of Congress on issues ranging

Nancy Pelosi or Mitch McConnell or any other prominent

from the inclusion of milk in USDA dietary guidelines to support

member of Congress know how you feel, unfortunately

for emergency rural broadband deployments during the

they aren’t interested unless you’re a constituent.

pandemic. But what actually happens when constituents write,

2. Be Personal: When reaching out to your member of

email, or call their member of Congress? And, perhaps more

Congress, don’t just send a form letter or bland policy

importantly, how can individual constituents be most influential

statement, instead write about how this policy affects

when doing so?

your family and community. Yet more, if you are a member

The first place all phone calls, letters, and emails to members of Congress (collectively known as constituent contacts) end up is on the desk of one of the many under-paid interns crammed into the corners of every Congressional office. For the majority of these constituent contacts the intern will simply take down the constituent’s information, mark which issue they were contacting the office about and their position, and file this data away in specialized constituent-tracking software. In a minority of cases, when constituents make particularly personal contact or hold a locally important position such as fire chief, sheriff, or pastor, interns may elevate their concerns to another staff member who looks for opportunities to turn this contact into good PR for the member of Congress by reaching out to that individual constituent.

However, for the majority of contacts which have been sorted into the Congressional Office’s database the actual member of Congress will only see your influence when they read a weekly sheet which shows the number of people who contacted the office about a specific issue. For example, at the end of the week the member of Congress may receive a sheet indicating that 100 people called in favor of the 2nd Amendment, 57 people called in favor of the farm bill, 29

of a local organization be sure to let your member of Congress know that you will share your views, positive or negative depending on the action they take, with others in the community. By personalizing your contact, and letting your member of Congress know that if they do not follow your policy preference you’re willing to take action in the community, you dramatically increase the interest your member of Congress has in what you are saying, and the likelihood that your contact will end up in the minority of contacts which they reach out to and try to seriously address.

3. Be Polite: Even if you hate your member of Congress and their position you will have no influence on their behavior if you are rude or mean to the under-paid intern who picks up the phone, or reads your email/letter. In fact, many Congressional offices have a policy that if you cuss at or berate an intern, they will not only disregard your comments in that one contact but they will flag all comments you have made or will make and disregard them in the future.

So, next time an organization or social movement you’re a

people called opposed to pollution etc. Lastly, all of the people

part of calls on you to reach out to your member of Congress

who contacted the office will likely receive some sort of form

if you keep in mind the process which constituent contacts go

letter response which the congressional office has created to

through, and to know your member of Congress, be personal,

respond to any person who has reached out with a particular

and be polite you will be able to maximize your influence in

viewpoint.

your member of Congress’ decision-making process.

With an understanding of the process which constituent

For further reading on strategies to best effect your member

contacts go through in congressional office established, we can

of Congress, both sides of the aisle have produced prominent

now turn our attention to how individuals can be most effective

free online guides, such as The Indivisible Guide on the Left

through this process by following these three simple tips:

and the numerous publications of the Tea Party on the right.

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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

Networks did not buckle under strain thanks to private-sector investments in broadband

By Ed Gillespie AT&T Senior Executive Vice President, External & Legislative Affairs As

we

continue

to

navigate

broadband during the Age of COVID-19, it is important to take stock of what has worked well, what hasn’t and what action we need to take to ensure a prosperous future for all Americans.

While American broadband networks were up to the task, the COVID-19 crisis laid bare critical shortcomings in our approach to universal service. As good as our networks are, broadband accessibility is an issue for some American households.

Let’s start with what’s working.

By all accounts, the broadband networks to

we

FaceTime

all with

depended loved

ones;

on to

collaborate with teachers on homework

that clogged the much more heavily

telephone

regulated European networks.

bills

While American broadband networks

for

these

programs, that’s

were up to the task, the COVID-19

about

office meetings, performed well under

crisis laid bare critical shortcomings in

what Americans

extremely heavy loads.

our approach to universal service.

paid

and to attend classes; and to Zoom into

Despite predictions that America’s

As

good as our networks are, broadband

broadband infrastructure would buckle,

accessibility

it didn’t. USTelecom reports that internet

American households.

is

an

issue

for

some

double just

10

years ago.

The

results

of these programmatic shortcomings are

traffic jumped 27% at the height of

When we look at how our broadband

the crisis, but the country’s broadband

policies need to evolve, we need

networks rose to the challenge.

to consider these points:

now evident: • The FCC estimates that 18 million

the FCC’s

people lack access to broadband

As The Phoenix Center and others

Lifeline program offers a $9.95/month

internet service, but that number

have noted, that increase swamped

subsidy to those Americans unable

likely

broadband networks in other countries.

to afford broadband, and the host of

number because of mapping

In the U.S., however, download speeds

regulations that support the program

challenges. And this divide hits

stayed

are such that MVNOs (mobile virtual

rural areas the hardest, as more

network operators) — companies that

than one-fifth of rural Americans

That’s no accident.

do not build networks — take the bulk

do not have access to high speed

Decades of bipartisan government

of those dollars; the E-Rate rules for

broadband.

policies promoted the private-sector

educational institutions are built on

• The digital divide has also weighed

investment that produced this result.

ensuring connectivity to classrooms and

heaviest on the poor during the

Policy makers weren’t planning for

libraries – places that have been empty

COVID-19 pandemic, as more

the coronavirus when they decided

since mid-March; and despite advances

than 40 percent of those making

to impose a light regulatory touch

in serving rural America, millions in

less than $30,000 lack home

on

rural communities still lack access to

broadband services. According

competitive broadband speeds.

to a Pew Research Center study,

steady

and

some

actually

increased.

broadband

infrastructure,

but

good policy produces good results in unpredictable circumstances.

Meanwhile,

the

mechanism

for

undercounts

the

real

15% of U.S. households with

That proved to be the case here.

funding these universal service programs

school-age

Contrast our broadband experience

inches ever closer to implosion, as

have access to a high-speed

with the slower speeds and congestion

Americans are paying a 26.6% fee on their

internet connection at home,

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children

do

not

49

which created an immediate home-schooling crisis for school districts across the country.

• This digital divide has persisted even

as

U.S.

broadband

providers have invested heavily in improving and expanding our networks. Broadband providers invested $80 billion in network infrastructure in 2018 alone, and from 1996 through 2018, the broadband industry made capital investments totaling more than $1.7 trillion. But there are limits to what private investment alone can do.

Smart government

policies

and

modernized

Universal Service Programs must do their part, too.

We believe bold action is needed – it is time for Congress to modernize and reform USF (Universal Service Fund)

Stock Photo During the COVID crisis, many individuals found themselves working and learning from less than ideal locations in order to access high-speed internet, putting a spotlight on the digital divide Americans, especially those in rural areas, face.

programs and establish a secure funding

Connect American Fund (CAF) and

source for broadband connectivity for all

RDOF allocations to better understand

It is now time for Congress to

Americans.

circumstances in the country dictate.

how successful they were in driving

In the coming months, we will be

address the structural causes that make

robust and durable rural broadband

working with Congress, the FCC and the

broadband unavailable or unaffordable

deployment. If Congress makes the

for so many.

industry to establish the best framework for reform.

Congress

has

already

passed

the DATA Act, which will drive much more precise mapping of broadband availability. Now, Congress needs to fund it.

There also appears to be growing bipartisan

support

for

significant

broadband infrastructure funding that will at last create universal 21st century connectivity the same way highway funding created universal 20th century transportation

networks.

The

Rural

Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) Phase I auction will commence on October 29,

funding available, perhaps the planned

At the beginning of this COVID-19

RDOF Phase II will at last fully address

crisis, hundreds of voice and broadband

the rural availability gap.

service providers committed to keeping

Lifeline reform is equally important.

COVID-19 revealed just how many

Americans connected through the FCC Pledge.

low-income households currently have

At AT&T alone, over 150,000 of

inadequate connections. Lifeline should

our

be revamped and modernized so eligible

commitment to waive certain fees and

households can secure benefits from

maintain service as other relief was

certified communications providers as

made available to those economically

easily as they use SNAP (Supplemental

impacted by the pandemic. While these

Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits to

actions ensured connectivity, the Pledge

secure groceries at certified food stores.

commitments were always intended to

Indeed, the SNAP program could be a model for a modernized Lifeline

customers

benefited

from

our

be a short-term solution.

There

is

now

broad

agreement

and that auction will address the hardest-

approach, with the FCC directly issuing

on the essential nature of broadband

to-serve rural areas.

benefit cards to eligible households.

connectivity – to work, to learn, to obtain

While we believe the FCC’s reverse

Given how important this program is,

auction approach is the right framework

financial support for the program should

for allocating subsidies, in advance of

be included directly as a line item in

the RDOF Phase II, we should all assess

the FCC’s annual budget so Congress

effective

the successes and shortcomings of the

can adjust that budget as economic

demands of the day.

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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org

essential goods and services and to stay connected.

We look forward to working toward solutions

that

match

the

THE CONSUMER’S RIGHT TO CHOOSE

PAPER OR DIGITAL? IT’S YOUR CHOICE. 86% of people believe they should have the right to choose how they receive communications.

74%

of consumers believe they should not be charged more for choosing to receive a paper bill or statement.

27%

of American adults do not have internet access at home (33.5 million households).

27%

of those over 65 do not use the internet.

WHO WE ARE Keep Me Posted North America is a coalition of consumer groups, charities and businesses that advocate 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.

JOIN US We invite consumer groups, charities and businesses that value paper-based communications and consumer choice to join our coalition.

For more information, go to:

keepmepostedna.org Sign up for our newsletter: keepmepostedna.org/sign-up

info@keepmepostedna.org 855-896-7433

52

GRANGE ADVOCACY ADVERTORIAL

PERSPECTIVE

A cause we know too well

By Amanda Brozana Rios

National Grange Communications & Development Director

As the COVID-19 pandemic began unfolding in spring

part of the conversation on how this democracy in a presidential

2020, it seemed as if every part of American life was coming

election year would function, and a new Postmaster was

under attack from this unseen invader.

installed with a long history of business experience but none

Even the most common and crucial parts of daily life were

related to the USPS.

changed, and reports of failures in various sectors, public

Members of all political persuasions began to feel as if the

and private, were steadily becoming a normal part of media

fabric of our America was being pulled apart at the seams, and

coverage.

reporters lined up to get the perspective of the nation’s oldest

So, while it was no surprise that the postal service was part of that growing list of agencies feeling pressure from

rural advocacy organization with a long history of engagement with postal service concerns.

the crisis, Grangers specifically were alarmed with the initial

“The current crisis involving USPS and its solvency is not new

announcement by Postal Service officials that the agency, if

in 2020, though the pandemic has exacerbated the problem,

staying the current course, was set to run out of funds before

as it has with so many other facets of American life,” National

the end of the year.

Grange President Betsy Huber said.

Fast forward a few months: mail-in voting had become a key

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As you’re reading today, inevitably the conversation has

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org

53

taken on more urgency, but also there have likely been new

began seeing a new service by the Post Office – free delivery

layers added since the writing of this piece. However, some

to and pick-up of mail from homes.

things remain unchanged –the Grange’s interest in the agency’s

In the decade following the war, the service spread to nearly

ability to serve every citizen equitably, regardless of where they

every city across the country and left many rural Americans,

live, and the fight that we must continue in a way to honor

according to postal historian Nancy Pope, asking the question:

those Grangers who came before us who believed in and saw

“We’re paying the same postage, why don’t we get the same

the value of the rural free delivery service as we know it today.

service?”

First, it’s important to understand how and why the Grange

Pope, a historian at the National Postal Museum, said the

has been a staunch advocate of the postal service, and for that

Grange’s involvement in lobbying for Rural Free Delivery was a

we must turn the page back to our earliest days.

crucial part on the way to making the dream a reality.

A Long and Winding Road

pioneer created one of America’s first department stores - had

Postmaster General John Wanamaker – the same marketing The world was changing rapidly in the 19th century, with

suggested a “village postal service” as early as 1890, and

industrialization, movement to urban centers, large-scale

held small trials using a $10,000 appropriation to establish

immigration, advances in technology and social movements

the “county free delivery” in 46 different communities. He

like suffrage and abolition. During the Civil War, northern cities

reported back in 1891 that the investment was not only a good one, but profitable with about $3,600 net proceeds from that initial outlay.

Yet the program had little initial support from lawmakers who controlled the purse-strings of the postal service. Delivery was also limited to homes within two miles of a village center or post office.

The idea was in the air, though, and a movement had begun to get a rural free delivery service started.

“The new agitation took the form, not of a request for free delivery in villages where none of the patrons lived more than a mile or so from their village post office, but of a movement to give country delivery to farmers who lived from 2 to 12 miles from any post office, and who in consequence had to waste the best part of a day whenever they wished to mail a letter or expected to receive one, or desired to obtain a newspaper or magazine for which they had subscribed,” writes scholar Charles Greathouse.

The Grange was the most active and organized group calling for rural free delivery, with local Granges holding what was called Petition Nights, where the members came to the meeting and signed petitions for the service. Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania were some of the most actively organized State Granges in vocal support, calling on every Grange in their jurisdiction to host such an event.

Pope said these petitions began arriving by the dozens and then the hundreds in the offices of Congressional members who were “reluctant to touch Rural Free Delivery because they

Courtesy of Newspapers.com

didn’t think they could afford the service.” In fact, she said,

Coverage in the Vermont Phoenix newspaper of Brattleboro,

some members of Congress believed if the mostly rural nation

Vermont, of the 26th Annual National Grange Convention in 1892 shows the Grange had already made advocacy for rural free delivery a priority.

54

provided this free service, it would “bankrupt the country.”

Leroy Watson, National Grange Executive Committee member and Grange historian, said opponents were very

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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org

vocal. Some, like Pennsylvania Senator Matthew S. Quay, called RFD a “socialistic scheme” that would “destroy rural life,” noting that the “center of rural life” was the post office, where important social encounters took place.

But Quay and his colleagues could see the writing on the wall – the constituents were demanding equitable access to the service afforded city-dwellers that would make their lives better in any number of foreseen and unforeseen ways.

As

Wanamaker

exited

his

role

following the change of administrations in

1893,

members

of

Congress

–

especially those from rural districts – were feeling the pressure and took action, appropriating limited funds for trials of RFD. These small allocations to appease the voters in 1894 of $10,000 and 1895 of $20,000 were left on the table by executives from the Post Office Department, led by then Postmaster General Wilson Bissell, who believed it a waste of time. They projected a price tag of upwards of $20 million for a full roll-out of RFD, something they did not

Courtesy of the Smithsonian Rural Free Delivery carrier in his wagon. The wagon is marked Greenfield

RFD No. 5 U.S. Mail. Route number five is one of four established out of the Greenfield, Indiana, post office on September 1, 1905.

the service “ameliorates the isolation of

report.

As the first test under Wanamaker

farm life, conduces to good roads, and

showed, the results were similar: bring

quickens and extends the dissemination

the post office to the people and they

of general information.”

will be more likely to use the service.

“The Grange was not just itself

Bissell, facing mounting pressure,

This increase in receipts for local post

a way to stave off the boredom and

was replaced in the spring of 1895 by

offices thanks to RFD helped to buoy the

loneliness of rural living at the time

William L. Wilson, who, in his first report

effort. As postal receipts soared in areas

through meetings and social gatherings,

said “he had taken charge too late in

where RFD was established, a large part

but it was also finding ways to support

the fiscal year to undertake the work,”

of the cost that had been feared to throw

and advocate for services that would do

according to Greathouse, but also noted

the country into financial turmoil was

the same, a very early, very novel form

that as it stood, the task was impractical

covered, making the service much more

of community service to millions of rural

and should Congress wish to see the

palatable to its initial detractors.

Americans,” Huber said.

believe the nation would bear.

service tried, more funding would be

One argument of the Grange for

The popularity of the service was

required. In response, Congress doubled

the service was to reduce the feeling

obvious, but the sporadic nature of

the allocation for the 1897 fiscal year to

of isolation and disconnect that was

establishing it did not give a full insight

$40,000 and Wilson set to work, launching

pervasive at the time on rural farms. In

into the actual costs necessary to

the pilot in three towns in his home state

an address to Congress in December

establish true delivery service similar to

of West Virginia on October 1, 1896.

1900, President McKinley acknowledged

that which we know today.

He then quickly developed routes

that the establishment of RFD – which

So in 1899, Westminster, Maryland, in

in several other areas, having 44 routes

by the end of that year he said would

Carroll County, was selected as a site for

throughout 29 states by the fall of the

have more than 4,000 routes established

a true test of the service at a count-level.

next year and satisfactory results to

- had addressed that disconnect, saying

Overnight, 63 minor post offices – really

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55

drop locations for mail – and several dozen private delivery

increased receipts: $263.

services were ceased in favor of the distribution and door-to-

In just a few short years, appropriations jumped from the

door delivery carried out by USPS employees. In total, 453

initial $40,000 used to establish the routes to $3.5 million in

square miles within the limits of the county and another 200

1902. In 2020 dollars, that’s a move from an initial appropriation

square miles adjacent were covered by 20 rural carriers, who

worth about $1.25 million to more than $105 million in just five

received mail from postal clerks riding in horse-drawn coaches

years.

equipped with all the supplies one would find in a post office of the time and authorized to cancel stamps, register letters, issue

Response from farmers to the establishment of RFD was nearly all positive.

As recorded by Greathouse in the 1900 Yearbook of the

money orders and the like.

After three months of service, the cost to the postal service after all personnel costs were measured against the postal

Department of Agriculture, there were many reasons why this move was important and deeply beloved.

Courtesy of Dearborn Historical Museum A rural free delivery route map of Dearborn, Michigan, from 1906, has been preserved.

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C.P. Waugh of Wellsburg, West Virginia, estimated RFD had saved his community of 1,275 people more than 6,600 10-hour days per year lost to traveling for mail – all time that could be put back into work or enjoyment on the farm or with the family.

Jason

Woodman,

of

Paw

Paw,

Michigan, wrote, “The daily delivery at his ‘’place of business” of the farmer’s letters, market reports, and daily paper are as essential to him as such things are to any business man. In my own case it saves hundreds of miles driving and days of time each year.”

J.S. Hollingsworth of Snacks, Indiana, showed direct economic benefit to farmers receiving timely, direct delivery of mail and periodicals when he wrote:

Photos courtesy of the Smithsonian’s U.S. Postal Museum Top left, Postmaster General William L. Wilson was the first to officially test

and implement Rural Free Delivery starting Oct. 1, 1896. Top right, current Postmaster General Louis DeJoy took office on July 1, 2020.

“On November 16, 1900, I saw a big jump in potato market. Next day I left a

So is the case with what came as a

today played out in the constant fight for

postal card in a United States box at the

result of the wide-scale deployment of

rural broadband expansion and reducing

RFD: the founding by Henry Ford of the

the digital divide.

crossroads for a farmer 3 miles distant to ‘hold your big potato crop; a jump is on the market; don’t sell too soon.’ In two weeks from that date he sold 1,000 bushels at 20 cents above the October market.”

Part of this essential business was also the receipt of timely weather forecasts, according to E.D. Nauman, of Thornburg, Iowa, while W.M. Hilleary of Turner, Oregon, cited the exponential growth in subscriptions to newspapers, allowing rural individuals to get “in touch with the world.” Hilleary wrote that farmers were “quick to avail themselves of all

Ford Motor Company in 1903 when he specifically set out to supply the type of

The Evolving Landscape

vehicles the postal service was clamoring

For more than two centuries the

for, linking one of America’s most beloved

USPS was an official department within

industries and the revolution of the

the U.S. government and as such had a

assembly line with the act of delivering

budget that helped subsidize shortfalls

mail to every home. RFD also influenced

in revenue, meaning its operations came

the “good roads movement,” with the

with a little help from its friends – the

first large-scale federal expenditure to

U.S. taxpayers. In 1970, as part of an

establish roads – specifically postal route

overall shift toward a smaller federal

roads – that “paved the way for future

government, the Postal Reorganization

federal road projects” according to

Act was passed, a milestone in the

transportation scholar Jason Lee.

evolution

of

USPS

from

federal

The National Grange has long known

department to self-determining agency.

extension of rural free mail delivery there

the value of the Postal Service, with

Over the next several years, $9 billion tax

will be less talk about the monotony of

Huber recently writing, “The United

dollars were used as part of that move

farm life and less desire of the boys and

States Postal Service is part of our

towards independence, and in 1982,

girls to get away from the farm.”

public trust – an essential resource for

the now-independent agency took its

While many of the improvements

individuals and businesses, and a piece

last no-strings-attached taxpayer dollars.

seem to be individual in nature, the clear

of the American fabric that has long

Loans to the agency are still available

economic benefits result in a boon for

made our nation great.”

through the federal government, but

educational facilities. With the general

rural communities and the nation’s stable economy as a whole.

The push for RFD was also a precursor for Grange advocacy on rural connectivity,

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must be paid back in full.

From

1983

to

2006,

under

its

57

own management with little federal interference, the agency ran a deficit budget only four times. Then in 2006, the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act - that required it to pre-fund the retiree health plan of employees like a pension plan 75 years out - was signed and

pushed

the

financially

solvent

agency into the freefall we have seen since.

Not once since 2006 has the agency turned a profit or even come close to breaking even. Their best year since the unfunded liability mandate was 2017

“The Grange has long called on every publicly funded entity to use good discretion and manage funds well for the good of the people. We’ve asked for a review of best practices but always stood on the side of keeping Americans in every part of our republic connected.”

when they lost just over $2.5 billion. Five

- Betsy E. Huber

years before, in 2012, the agency had its worst year on record when expenses were more than $15.7 billion over revenue and

important to understand changes being

213 billion in 2006.

they missed making payments into the

Americans rely on the Postal Service

retiree health plan – a failure repeated

to deliver not only correspondence, but

upheaval.

year after year since. To date, the agency

income checks, tax documents, and other

Huber

– which cannot set its own rates and as

sensitive materials daily. Some argue that

restrictions on the USPS to make

such does not determine its own destiny

politicians have threatened the delivery

adjustments would be short-sighted if it

– has paid $278 billion into the fund, but

of Social Security funds as a political

did not include an effort on the part of

owes more than $120 billion.

scare tactic, but the fact is while more

both the House and Senate to somehow

The act also mandated specific

than 99 percent of those who receive

repeal or reform the pension mandate

service goals for the USPS, weakened the

Social Security do so through direct

that has become financial quicksand.

provisions in the Postal Reorganization

deposit, nearly half a million Americans

“The Postal Service has a duty to

Act of 1970 that protected rural and

still get their benefit paid through paper

the customers and Congress to the tax-

remote post offices, and created a postal

check by mail – a significant portion of

payers,” Huber said of moves to reform.

rate cap that has been beneficial to

them from rural areas.

made to the system in a time of great told

reporters

that

any

Huber said a measured approach is

consumers but undermines the agency’s

The USPS is also the essential

ability to raise the funds necessary for

connection for many rural Americans

“It’s imperative that Postal executives

the mandated pension payments.

important for this fundamental service.

who have been left behind in the great

are able to assess and adopt changes

In 2016, then Postmaster General

buildout of the internet age. Millions of

to put the service on solid financial

Megan Brennan told Congress the agency

Americans have no high-speed internet

footing, but those changes cannot and

would run out of funds by 2024. By May

at home – about 30 million according

should not be made with any political

2020, COVID-19 shifted the timeline

to the FCC, or upwards of 41.2 million

motive. Changes must be measured

dramatically with Brennan’s deadline

individuals as reported by a study

and everyone must understand that a

changing to first September 2020,

conducted by BroadbandNow which has

cut to services could have ripple effects

then April 2021 as some momentum

highlighted the inaccurate methods used

on personal economies and our national

picked back up in the economy and as

to produce broadband maps.

economy. We know that fast, reliable

consumers rallied around the beloved

The move by Speaker Nancy Pelosi

and affordable mail and parcel service

agency, purchasing stamps and sending

to have Congress return in August and

is good for individuals and good for

letters.

the emergency hearing with recently-

businesses large and small.”

In 2019, the USPS handled more than 140 billion items, down from its peak of

58

appointed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy

P

was

highly

politicized,

but

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org

Huber said without wholesale review and reform of the current pre-funded

retiree health care requirement, no

independent watchdog of the agency to

amount of change may be enough to

reduce costs – recommendations made

keep the Postal Service as we know it

prior to COVID-19.

afloat – something Grange members cannot accept.

The move to eliminate extra trips, adhere to a more standardized schedule

She said the USPS Fairness Act, which

for carriers including the requirement to

would undo the pension pre-funding

return to their post office by a certain

requirement, passed the House in 2017

time regardless if all the mail on their

and again just before the pandemic

route had been delivered, and the

began this year, but has never been

elimination of overtime were a few of the

acted upon by the Senate.

recommendations put into play in July.

“It’s time for this to become a priority,” Huber said.

The recommendations now being acted upon by DeJoy to reduce costs

TAKE ACTION The

Grange

has

created an action alert using the online

advocacy

system

called

FreeRoots. You can read the details and choose the elected officials you’d like to send your email to based on your mailing address.

We

encourage

you

to

personalize the email by adding an anecdote or specific details to capture attention of your elected representatives and their staff.

Go to http://bit.ly/ng-usps-20

were made prior to the pandemic, which The Current Crisis

National

has become the backdrop to much

During a speech on his first day on

of our way of life. While still relevant,

the job June 15, Postmaster DeJoy

carrying them out today as if we were

said he wanted to place the USPS

still living pre-COVID will not work. The

more essential role in our lives as millions

“on a trajectory for success.” He then

pandemic has changed everything about

have been forced to work, learn, and do

began making moves recommended

normal life, and the USPS is no different.

business from home.

under Brennan’s administration by an

At the same time as the USPS has taken a

financial beating due to the coronavirus pandemic, it has also taken an even

“The Grange has long called on every publicly funded entity to use good discretion and manage funds well for the good of the people. We’ve asked for a review of best practices but always stood on the side of keeping Americans in every part of our republic connected,” Huber said.

Removing

underperforming

mailboxes, dismantling sorting machines, reducing runs, and eliminating overtime may well be a steps in the right direction, Huber told reporters and members, “but now is the wrong time.”

“With bailouts and federal dollars going to other major industries, such as airlines, to keep them solvent and viable for the day we return to a semblance of normal, it only makes sense to include the USPS in these relief packages,” she said.

Stock Photo

It is important to note as well that the

A man places his ballot in the mail. An internal Postal Audit released in

USPS has been on a correction course

September showed that more than 1 million primary ballots were sent late to

voters, underscoring the need for anyone wishing to vote by mail to request their ballot as early as possible and return it with much time to spare for ballots to be counted for the general election in November.

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for a number of years, trying to get its obligations and pricing in line with the volume of service. Yet more, the USPS has evolved and found new ways to

59

by mail, including 50 percent of all

ballots. Other states have relaxed their

The USPS is the second-largest

Americans 60 and older. That number

requirements for why and how citizens

employer in the nation, with nearly

has undoubtably grown, especially in the

can request absentee ballots, but there

100,000 veterans on the payroll. As part of

time of COVID-19.

is no guarantee that the system clogged

engage and attract customers.

its belt-tightening, it has shed hundreds

The most pressing issues for Veterans

of thousands of career personnel over

amid these mail slowdowns has been

the past two decades, down to just under

the impact of their ability to receive

a half-million employees today from its

medications on time. According to

peak in 1999 of nearly 800,000.

the VA website medications should be

COVID – and ill-timed changes will be

UPS, FedEx and other private delivery

arriving within 3-5 days, but report from

functioning normally by the election.

services have no mandate to deliver to

VA staff and veterans have said these

Huber said Grange members must

every residence in the nation, while the

medications are sometimes taking weeks

do their part to raise the issue of postal

USPS does. It serves as the last-mile

to be delivered and causing missed

support, and called for each member to

carrier for many packages and envelopes

doses. With 80% of the VA prescriptions

contact their Congressional delegation

left on its doorstep by its privately-owned

filled by mail and the continuation of a

competitors.

global pandemic, we must be able to

asking for support for the USPS in future

The

idea

has

been

floated

to

privatize the USPS - the most popular

rely on the USPS for timely deliveries.

Privatization could leave mail and

-

including

thousands of USPS workers having taken leave after being diagnosed with

stimulus packages and reform of the current pension mandate.

She also said as November draws

percent favorability ratings – a cause

documents,

checks,

near, each must do their part to make sure

for concern specifically because of the

prescription drugs and ballots, to name

we are participating in the democratic

issue of access. Should the USPS be run

a few, in jeopardy of theft or tampering.

process to select those leaders who will

Washington,

security

Oregon,

tax

concerns

packages

social

putting

pandemic

government entity with more than 90

for break-even or profitability, many of

unsecured,

by

Hawaii,

make reforms.

our farthest flung countrymen may feel

Colorado and Utah have moved to an

“Grangers are good citizens. We

like they are transported back to the

all-mail voting system in the past several

are engaged, we vote and we believe

early 1890s when rural free delivery did

years, and while modest, participation

not exist and they had to travel miles

rates in elections in those states have

in personal responsibility,” Huber said.

to a nearby town to collect mail and

generally increased. As the pandemic

packages.

took hold, California, Nevada, New

“In this election, we have to rely on all of those things and make sure that we either go to the polls with the necessary

In addition, the USPS is the delivery

Jersey, Vermont and the District of

method used by millions of Americans

Columbia have all made provision to mail

precautions or put our ballots in the mail,

for life-saving and sustaining prescription

to each registered voter a ballot for the

correctly signed and marked, with plenty

drugs. As of 2013, 20 percent of all

November election. Montana is leaving

of time to spare to ensure that they will

Americans

to the counties the decision to mail

be counted.”

receive

their

medicine

JUNIOR PASSPORT: U.S. Postal Service The National Grange Junior Department has a Passport focused on the

U.S. Postal Service with information about the Grange’s involvement in

the Rural Free Delivery movement. The historical information in this article would serve as an excellent supplement to that Passport.

The Passport can be found on nationaljuniorgrange.org located under

Programs > Passports along with all other completed Passports to date.

Previously, the Passport and its associated worksheet appeared in the

Fall 2018 edition of Good Day! magazine.

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. e t a t s s i h t t u o b a n o i t am r o f n i r e h t a g

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Democracy needs young volunteers more than ever

By Mandy Bostwick Natoinal Grange Youth Director Each election, millions of Americans dedicate their time to ensure that registered voters have reliable places to cast their votes.

With

the

continuing

COVID-19

challenges across the nation, it is expected that there will be a shortage of poll workers.

Poll workers are already in short supply, but as we navigate this global pandemic it is important to protect highrisk Americans including the elderly and immunosuppressed.

The typical election worker, the one that greets you as you walk into the local library, fire department, church, or wherever your local polling place, is someone who has retired which more often than not puts them into the highrisk category.

We need more young Americans to volunteer to continue to sustain the election process.

Poll workers can be the difference between a smooth election and long

at a county clerk or local level.

LEARN MORE

So where do Grange Youth and Young Adults come into play?

Become a Poll Worker by visiting

Election

www.eac.gov/voters/

are

looking

for

younger people to work at the local

become-poll-worker

polling place.

lines, confusion, and miscounted ballots.

Being a poll worker is not overly

offices

The benefits of younger poll workers Most poll workers have traditionally

are undeniable. They bring enthusiasm,

takes one day. It also allows you to gain

been over the age of 61, making them

energy, and a familiarity and comfort with

a broader understanding of our election

especially vulnerable. This has resulted in a critical need for poll workers who

technology like electronic poll booths

process.

strenuous, comes with training, and only

These underpaid volunteers are more

are willing and able to assist with the

than just glorified receptionists, they are

administration of in-person voting on

the gatekeepers to democracy.

Election Day.

According to the Election Assistance

Recently,

on

Commission poll workers are critical to

celebrated

an election. Having adequate numbers

Recruitment Day.

September

National

Poll

1,

we

Worker

and optical ballot scanners. They are likely to remain poll workers for future elections.

At a young age, it sparks interest in civic engagement and voting that might last a lifetime.

of poll workers to staff polling places on

Each state recruits poll workers

As Grange Youth and Young Adults,

or before Election Day can ensure voters

differently. Typically signing up to be

I encourage you to get involved in

receive the assistance they need at the

a poll worker is done with your local

your community and register to be an

polls and can provide a positive and

election office. In some places, this is a

election worker at the 2020 election in

smooth voting experience for all.

county election office but it may also be

November.

Y

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org

65

4 tips for Millennials serving as caregivers

By Capital Caring Health Courtesy of Family Features Caregiving affects all generations, with more than 10 million unpaid caregivers in the United States between the ages of 1839, according to research published by AARP. That’s one in four people nationwide who care for an older relative or friend.

These young caregivers often take on the task alone, without the support of professionals, while juggling school and job responsibilities.

Millennial caregivers are not alone.

The people they care for are sometimes eligible for a variety of social and health support services through private insurance, Medicare and Medicaid.

Taking advantage of these services can help lessen the workload for caregivers by providing them with much needed assistance.

Consider these tips from Capital Caring Health, the midAtlantic’s largest nonprofit provider of hospice and at-homecare services, to help young caregivers cope: • Don’t go at it alone. According to a poll by AARP, 80% of

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

younger people are stressed about caregiving. There are organizations that offer services and resources to help handle the challenges that come with caregiving.

Caregivers are encouraged to ask a friend or loved one for help to avoid burnout or feelings of resentment.

wishes and values of the person receiving care are honored by sharing a list of preferences with all other family or medical team caregivers.

• Look after yourself. It’s difficult to be a good caregiver

• Learn what services are covered by insurance. If unsure

without maintaining physical and mental strength. Eat

about anything related to a loved one’s insurance plan,

well, exercise and take time every day for enjoyable

the staff and volunteers at organizations like Capital

activities, like watching a movie or television show,

Caring Health can explain free of charge what services are covered.

• Make a list of care preferences in advance. Ensure the

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reading a book or going to a trivia night.

Find more information at CapitalCaring.org, or call the 24-

Y

hour care line at 1-800-869-2136.

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What we’ve learned from working at home Courtesy of Brandpoint The recent transition to widespread working from home has shown that the experience has been both educational and eye-opening for many. Working at home means learning to cope with distractions, space constraints, managing time with family and learning new skills. And, according to new consumer research, it has also meant reassessing what is most important.

A nationwide survey conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of LG Electronics reveals the many ways working from home has challenged and surprised Americans.* Connecting with loved ones The most striking survey results show the importance of close relationships. Social distancing has caused many to reassess who is most important to them, and how much they may have taken friends and family for granted.

The global health crisis has turned socializing into a more deliberate act. More than half (53%) of homebound people said they felt closer to loved ones than before the outbreak, and 27% even said that they felt much more connected than before.

When asked what they want to do first when the crisis is over, the top answer was to visit loved ones, followed by going out to a meal.

Managing work-life balance For many people, juggling priorities and obligations was difficult even before the switch to remote working. But having to work at home has shined a brighter spotlight on how we cope and find a healthy work-life balance.

Here are some of the tricks people have discovered: * Half said they take frequent short breaks to balance work and home responsibilities. * 37% are starting work earlier, while 17% are starting work later to manage schedules better. * 35% are learning to keep their whole household to a schedule. * 23% use visual cues (like signs) to let others know when they’re working.

Mastering technological challenges Most people affected by the crisis say they have had to master (or learn from scratch) how to complete their work entirely from home, including the new norm of conducting video conferences from somewhere in their home.

Technology has been crucial to this adaptation. Almost half (47%) have discovered a new app or service they say they now can’t live without - especially video chat apps that have helped them learn how to communicate better with colleagues and loved ones.

As one might expect, a majority of respondents admitted to making conference calls from a common area in their house. However, some said they were stuck calling from a makeshift workspace in a lesser-used part of home. One-fifth of respondents admitted to calling from a basement or attic, while

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Photo courtesy of Getty Images others said they took work on the go. The research shows 18% have called from their cars, and perhaps most surprisingly, 12% admit taking work calls in the bathroom.

For many, the time they’ve spent working at home has helped them appreciate how successfully technology has kept them connected on all fronts, including their work and personal lives.

Reevaluating life’s priorities Overall, the experience of working from home has had everyone reassessing what - and who - is most important to them. Among those who said they’ve discovered new apps, digital services or technology, many said that they were spending significant time using it for family or relationship management.

An overwhelming number of survey respondents said that they plan to continue at least one of their new practices even after returning to a “normal” work situation, including: • 39% plan to do more cooking.

• 43% said they’re likely to arrange more family dinners.

• 39% also said they would do more video chatting.

As a result of spending some more time at home, many have been rethinking their priorities, with nearly half considering buying or using fewer things. Some (16%) have thought about beginning a new career, and others are considering starting their own business (14%).

No matter what your work-from-home experience has been, chances are it’s changed your attitudes about work and family life - and how to balance the two - in ways that will stay with you long into the future. *The LG WFH Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research among 1,000 U.S. adults, working from home due to COVID-19, between April 10 and April 15, 2020, using an email invitation and an online survey.

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71

The Leaf A short story by Bradley Luberto

Member, Mayfield Grange #683, New York When I was about 8 or 9, my parents sent me off to stay with my grandparents for the summer.

I didn’t know it then, but my mom and dad for awhile had been having marriage troubles. They must have wanted some time alone; maybe they didn’t want me to hear them fight, which they did as they worked out their problems.

My grandparents, on my mother’s side, lived on the outskirts of Macon, Georgia.

When I was a kid this was still the rural South. Some of the roads were paved, many were dirt, all had trees hanging down making the roads look more like green tunnels. Grandma and Grandpa’s house was on a shady lane; just a dirt road that I can still clearly see.

White fencing ran in front of most of the houses on this road; wildflowers and brambles of every kind worked their way up and through the fencing, bees buzzed from yellow to purple flowers, and the light breezes made the trees seems to sigh with breath.

It wasn’t a wide road; two cars could pass each other, maybe coming close to the white fences when they did, but they could pass. It was more a road you’d expect to see a doctor’s buggy or fringed top surreys going down.

There were one or two big houses on this road, not plantation big, but large homes that you knew the family was well off, maybe a doctor or lawyer. They were set back on their land, a little hard to see from the road, tall homes with three floors, some with a porch off each level.

Grandpa’s house was a small white house. Its front porch also wrapped around one side to a kitchen door. There was a wide wooden porch swing that hung from chains from the porch ceiling, and wooden rockers that cracked with each rock, some chipped green wicker furniture with dusty cushions stood here and there also, ones that Grandma always complained about when the cushions got wet after a rain.

The sun is hot in the south, so much hotter than the sun in upstate New York in the summer.

Some days I’d help Grandma in the kitchen; we’d break green beans together making them a smaller size, she said, that’s why they call them snap beans because of the snap they make when you break them.

Grandma and Grandpa’s house was old. The stove was white and green and on high legs, not like the big six burner stove my mom had back in New York. Grandma didn’t have the nice silver pots and pans my mother did, the ones with copper bottoms. Grandma had heavy black pots and pans that she said she always had to dry well and keep seasoned. The refrigerator was kind of rounded, and

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Grandma had an old pot under what she called the ice box, this was the freezer, that was kind of just a little door at the top center of the refrigerator. She said she kept that pot there, because sometimes on really hot days the ice dripped even in the refrigerator. This too was nothing like the big two door refrigerator my mother had.

Even the sink had a big black pump on it that Grandma said was well water. But she said not to drink that water, that was only now for washing dishes; the sink did have a real faucets also.

The rest of the house was old also. The living room what Grandpa called the parlor seemed always dark; puffy white curtains hung at its three windows. The furnishings were dark too, the sofa had such a thick flower print that you could feel the stitching of the flowers on it. The arms of the chair were curly also, and I remember having the fun of following the curls with my fingertip.

The bathroom was the oddest one I’ve ever seen, the toilet had a box high in the air, and to flush it you had to pull a wooden handle that hung down from the box on a chain.

I slept at night in a single bed that had the heaviest sheets that I had ever slept in, and the bedspread was tufted with a fancy design.

Grandpa would never let me shut the widow of the bedroom at night. He’d say, “The night air is good for you boy. Air keeps you alive!”

Most days by noon it was too hot to do much of anything but sit on the porch. Grandma would sit in one of the green wicker chairs and knit or crochet.

In the corner of the porch up by its wood ceiling hung what looked like a little gray chandelier. Grandpa said it was a paper wasp nest, in each of the little chambers was a baby wasp. He said if you don’t bother them, they won’t bother you. And they never did!

I’d watch the dark brown wasps go to and from the nest. One day Grandpa told me to go look at the nest, it was empty ! He took it down for me to see one day, I held the light gray nest in my hand, it was so light, it was like it wasn’t even there.

Most of the time Grandpa would sit in a creaking rocker, waving an old gray hat whose faded black ribbon was stained with sweat, before his face to keep a little cool. He’d sit there with an old leather Bible in his lap and read it for hours as he rocked. It wasn’t a big Bible, but it was thick and old; its pages brown, stained by age and noted in places by dark ink from fountain pens.

Grandma and Grandpa were church-goers. Every Sunday morning we would drive off to a small little white church. Cars and cars were parked around it, and everyone seemed to know everyone. Women still wore hats and gloves, not a man was not in a suit. Little girls wore dresses, and some of the young boys wore suit

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jackets and shorts that matched. I always felt kind of odd just dressed in dress pants and a clean white long sleeve shirt, but I guess mom didn’t send me to Grandma’s with a suit. And I guess as I was only staying for the summer Grandma did not think there was a need to go out and buy one for me. Most of the time Grandpa seemed to wear a light colored suit; not white, more of a cream.

The preacher, preached a long service on Sunday. Sometimes when it was really hot in the church, he’d stop the service and say, I think that it’s time for some refreshments.

You could hear a laugh or a sigh, and everyone got up and went outside for a while or to the church kitchen where the women would have large pitchers of ice water on a counter with a stack of little pointed paper cups next to them. There were times I could have drank a whole pitcher of ice water by myself!

When we’d settle back in the pews, the preaching was over and now it was testimonial time and hymn singing.

Once Grandma stood up and said how happy she was to have me at her house for the whole summer. I was so proud she said that I could have cried.

I loved to hear the hymns and the piano being played. One or two of the hymns I knew, but most I didn’t, but still enjoyed hearing them. Sometimes Grandpa would stand up and sing a song all alone by himself.

Back then I thought Grandpa was old, maybe like 90! But now I know he was about 70. He was thin, bald headed, and tan from the sun.

The preacher must have asked if anyone wanted to sing? because Grandpa would put his hand up and then stand to sing. For as old as I thought Grandpa was, he had a clear strong voice. I remember him singing once and I can still hear the words, he sang, I am one of God’s sheep Lost on the mountain, Lost on the mountain so high.

But God will find me, He’ll come and guide me, For He will not let me die.

No one ever clapped in church, and it was so quiet when Grandpa had stopped singing and sat back down.

One time after church, Grandpa walked me out back of the church where there was a graveyard. He showed me two stones, tall and white. I don‘t remember the dates on them or the names, but Grandpa said that they were his mother and father. Between the two tall stones was a small white stone that had a little white stone lamb on it. I asked him what it was? He only rubbed the top of my head and said, ‘come on, we should be going.’

Sometimes after church, we’d go to town for lunch at a little diner on I guess the main street. It was a pretty place, with blue and white curtains and large bright windows with people walking by on the street. There was a long counter with a blue top, and shiny silver stools that were fastened to the floor but their tops spun. On the counter were muffins and pies covered with large glass domes. Mostly men seemed to sit at this counter, some were men in bibbed overalls, one with a red handkerchief hanging out of his back pocket. Other men were dressed nicely; trying to read a newspaper while holding it over their plate of food.

There were tables and chairs also that matched the counter and shiny stools, blue and silver, and families sat at these; men talking to their wives while little kids swung their legs back and forth because they couldn’t reach the floor from the chairs, and women fed their babies.

Grandma, Grandpa, and I sat in booths

H & L

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with high backs that were in front of the big windows. The blue seats felt cool to sit upon on hot Sundays. I liked the booth best and it was fun to watch the top of the heads of the people in the next booth moving back and forth at times.

It was here at this diner that Grandma reminded me always to say “Thank you,” and “No thank you ma’am,” and “yes sir” and “no sir,” when spoken to.

Fall comes late in the south, later than upstate New York, and I remember when my mom and dad came to pick me up and bring me back home with them. Mom had brought a leaf with her, one multi-colored leaf of red, brown, and yellow.

I looked at it. Everything was so green still in the South; I never would have thought the leaves were changing at home.

We stayed that night at Grandma and Grandpa‘s, I remember falling asleep that night watching the thin curtains that hung in my bedroom sway in the warm southern air.

Thunder rumbled almost too faint to hear, and a soft rain started to fall as I fell to sleep.

In the morning after breakfast we said our good-byes on the porch. Grandpa was already sitting in a rocker with his Bible open on his lap. I kissed him on the cheek and started to walk away, then turned back and said, “This is for you Grandpa.” I handed to him the dry leaf my mother had brought for me. He took the leaf from me, set it on a page of his Bible and closed the book.

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NOTES FROM A SMALL TOWN

Democracy requires us to care for one another A column by Christopher Dean Massachusetts Grange Member In New England, the tradition of town meeting goes back to colonial times. Town meetings are public forums that promote participation in local governance that allow residents to voice their opinions on public issues and deliberate and vote on laws and budgets. They’re the big to-do each spring.

This year, town meeting in most Massachusetts towns had been postponed by COVID for months along with everything else that COVID has screwed up.

Rockport’s town meeting was supposed to have been held in April and it kept getting put off until, finally, the select board set a date of the 8th of August. The town’s fiscal year goes from the 1st of June to the 31st of May following; the select board had passed two emergency 30-day budgets and it was time to get down to business and do things by the book. Millions of dollars were at stake, so the 8th of August it had to be.

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There was a flurry of announcements: how to arrive, how to pass through signup, how to get seated. Everything was about social distance and caution, all to the good.

I was trepidatious because I didn’t want to wear a mask for the standard 10 to 12 hours that the meeting usually takes on a Saturday in summer heat and humidity! Not to mention, going meant giving up one of my two days off! But then, of course, I got laid off in early July due to the collapsing economy and all my days are days off now. So that was settled all by itself and Dumpling would not permit us to skip something as important as town meeting.

We arrived early, Dumpling is a stickler for arriving early at large functions, especially those that adhere to Roberts’ Rules of Order, which is why he’s a Granger. Instead of the high school gym, the meeting was to be held outdoors, to start at 8 a.m. exactly, on the athletic field behind the high school, outlined with 6 foot diameter circles, all 6 feet apart and the circles for seating were all left over from the previous week’s high school graduation ceremony, which was

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held 10 weeks late, convenient to say the least.

We were the first people on the field at 7:10 in the morning.

Residents arrived slowly.

The sound check guys played Beatles music to keep us entertained while setup and checks continued, mostly “Abbey Road”, but there was earlier stuff thrown in as well for variety. “I Want to Hold Your Hand” was a welcome choice, “Here Comes the Sun” felt like a gift somehow.

The town supplied us with the annual financial report and the annual Report booklet, its 179th since breaking off from Gloucester in a dispute over the lack of a parish church that was convenient for residents of Sandy Bay to get to. (There’s always some history in Massachusetts lurking around somewhere.)

We had to wash our hands before we were allowed on the field, we had to be escorted to our circle, and we were given free packets of 30 SPF sunblock and a towelette each. Thoughtful.

The elected town meeting moderator started off telling us that all the citizen petitions were to be postponed until a later, more normal, date whenever that

might be, the hope was that they could be voted on during the fall meeting session, as the town always has two, one in spring, one in fall.

Residents were to focus on financial aspects today, and that would be it, we might even be out by 11 a.m. if we played our cards right.

We knuckled down and got to it, as it’s all part of living together.

The high school athletic field is right next to a farm that raises cows and grows vegetables and we could hear the cows mooing while we experienced democracy in real time.

As a general rule, cows aren’t impressed by democracy or the complexities inherent in it, but then they’re not impressed by much that humans do.

So here we were: 166 residents of a small Massachusetts town, all of us working together democratically to create a better place to live.

The whole experience was very civilized.

There’s a local eccentric who always challenges the same things; the moderator always keeps things moving with humor; there was the really well-informed administrator.

The residents were a lot of types that we know from Norman Rockwell paintings, so seared are they into our American imaginations; they wear cargo shorts now and stingy brim fedoras and sneakers; they have straw hats and long skirts and public TV memberships, but they’re still the same people underneath, and it was pretty sweet to be among them. And we were done by 10:15 a.m., a record of sorts.

The thing of it, though, was that we all took it seriously. We all knew that voting matters, and we all took it upon ourselves to be there for each other and for our town and to vote thoughtfully on the issues put in front of us.

Spending would be cut across the board by 4.5 percent, a necessary cut as the town had put out huge extra amounts

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of money to get ready for the summer tourist season, to get the word out about mask-wearing being required outdoors in most of the town and on the beaches (though you wouldn’t know it from the way the tourists carry on), and every Monday afternoon there’s a COVID update message that we get on the phone. We’re pretty well informed for the most part.

On the not-official Facebook page dedicated to the town, there’s griping about wearing masks, which is disheartening to read. Someone once even asked flat out, “Why do we have to wear masks anyway?” and there came a gentle response from a resident, “Well, there’s a deadly plague among us, killing thousands and infecting tens of thousands every day.” After that there was lots of agreement and still some nagging from those who choose to frame this as a civil-rights-only issue.

I know exactly how many people in town have been infected and how many have died, and I even know the name of one of them, and I know several people who have suffered, and still suffer, from it. The totals are out there for all who want to find them, but those who choose to be uninformed will be, no matter what, which is a tragedy for healthy democracy and a tragedy for a healthy community. The numbers of the infected and of the dead grow higher and higher in defiance of all logic and against the fact that in every other country in the world COVID has been knocked off the rails while the numbers only in this country continue to climb.

At the town meeting we voted for the cuts in spending, we voted to be good citizens and stewards of the town and state we live in. We voted to care about the people around us, even if we don’t know them personally.

If we all live in a community it’s the most basic and simple thing we can do: to care for each other as citizens and as human beings. That’s why we have to vote, that’s what it’s all about.

That’s why voting matters.

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RALLYING TOGETHER TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES The opioid epidemic continues to sweep through communities across the country.

The Rx Abuse Leadership Initiative (RALI) is working with The Grange to increase awareness of prescription drug misuse & connect rural communities with helpful resources to help prevent substance misuse and abuse

Learn more at raliusa.org 76

GRANGE ADVOCACY ADVERTORIAL

Esto Perpetua Ensure the

Grange future in 4 easy steps

Contribute to the National Grange Building Fund or Other Worthy Projects

With necessary repairs like the new roof, the National Grange is in need of your help. You can make a difference by donating directly to the National Grange. Donations to the Grange Foundation help in many ways to strengthen our organization and ensure it truly lives on forever.

STEP 1. SELECT FUNDS OR PROGRAM(S) YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT.

Please indicate the amount you wish to donate to each fund or project. Choose as many as you wish to support and indicate the percentage or amount of your total donation you wish to go to each fund or project selected. If you do not indicate amounts, an equal distribution of your donation will be made to each. Unspecified donations will be credited to the Grange Foundation General Fund.

STEP 2. CALCULATE YOUR TOTAL DONATION. 100% of all proceeds go to the programs you wish to support.

NATIONAL GRANGE

A nonprofit, agricultural fraternity designated as a 501(c)(5) by the IRS.

I am making a $_________ donation to National Grange.

$______ National Headquarters Building Fund

I am making a $_________ donation to Grange Foundation.

$______ Internship Program $______ Legal Protection Fund GRANGE FOUNDATION

A nonprofit organization, focused on the betterment of rural America and agriculture based on education and leadership development, designated as a 501(c) (3) by the IRS. Donations to the Grange Foundation may be tax deductible. Consult your financial advisor.

$______ General Fund

STEP 3. PROVIDE YOUR PAYMENT DETAILS. Check one. _____ I have enclosed checks made payable to National Grange and/or Grange Foundation. _____ I wish for my donation to be made via credit card.

(Visa, MasterCard and Discover accepted) Name on card ___________________________________

$______ Junior Grange Fund $______ Grange Youth Fund $______ Community & Leadership Development Fund

Card Number ____________________________________ Expiration Date ________/_________ CVC __________

$______ American Arts and Culture Fund $______ Kelley Farm Fund

Signature _______________________________________

$______ Communication Fellows Program

You may also go online to www.nationalgrange.org/give or call Amanda Brozana Rios (301) 943-1090 to make your contribution today.

STEP 4. SEND YOUR COMPLETED FORM to the National Grange at 1616 H St. NW, Washington, DC 20006 and relax, knowing you have honored our past and helped to secure our future.

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Squash family satisfies through seasons

By Ann Olson Bercher President, Minnesota State Grange Certified Culinary Specialist In Autumn, the iconic displays of pumpkins and squashes in the garden centers, grocery stores and farmer’s markets are spectacular!

In the mid 1850’s, Oliver Kelley, a founder of the Grange, grew a number of squashes and pumpkins on his farm in Minnesota for various purposes. Summer Crooknecks and White Bush Scallop squash were prepared and eaten immediately after harvesting.

Connecticut Field Pumpkins and King of Mammoths Pumpkins were grown for feeding livestock. Cheese Pumpkins, Green Hubbard and Boston Marrow Squashes were grown for making pies, puddings, and stews.

That glorious Connecticut Field pumpkin is still grown today across the country and is the classic pumpkin you find at your local garden center and grocery store for making our favorite Halloween decoration, the Jack-o-Lantern. Sadly, they make an extremely poor pie.

If you truly want to prepare a memorable “pumpkin pie,” do not use pumpkin at all.

Use a Boston Marrow Squash, a Hubbard Squash, or if you can find it, a Large Cheese Pumpkin.

I know, I just said, do not use pumpkin.

Here is the distinction.

All pumpkins are squashes, but not all squashes are pumpkins.

Squash and pumpkins all belong to the same botanical family, Cucurbitacea, which includes cucumbers, melons and squashes.

Exploring the Cucurbita line of the family, we find Curcurbita pepo: summer and acorn squash, zucchini, pumpkin (including Connecticut Field and King of Mammoths), spaghetti squash, and delicta; Cucurbita moshata: butternut, cheese, and kabocha; and Cucurbita maxima: hubbard, turban, banana, kabocha, and Boston Marrow.

What this all means is that C. pepos do not keep very well.

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Often referred to as summer squash, they have thinner skins, and are best consumed shortly after harvesting.

The best keepers, those that can be kept cool and dry for several months are the C. moshata.

I have kept a Large Cheese Pumpkin for over a year, and Butternut Squashes can keep for several months.

The next best keeper is the C. maxima.

Now, of course all of this is immaterial if you wish to process your squash and store it pickled, dried or frozen.

I admit, I have never dried squash. But I have pickled summer squash, that would be anything in the C. pepo group, and I have frozen squash in the C. maxima and C. moshata groups. The members of these two groups are considered winter squash.

Winter squashes are rich in betacarotene and other carotenoids as well as starch – and versatile.

The flesh of most varieties is firm enough to sauté or stew in chunks but once cooked it also can be mashed or pureed to an exceptionally fine consistency.

The moderate sweetness of most squashes makes them suitable for both savory and sweet preparations, from soups or side dishes to pies and custards.

Their dry skin and hollow structure encourage their use as edible containers;

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they can be filled with sweet or savory liquids, then baked and eaten along with their contents.

Winter squashes can be stored for months and many are available year-round, but they are at their prime shortly after harvest in late fall.

They keep best at temperatures around 55 degrees and relatively dry conditions (50-70 percent humidity).

There are several ways to prepare pumpkin and winter squash.

Boiling Carefully peel off the skin and cut the squash into smaller chunks discarding the seeds. Place in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender. Timing will vary depending on the toughness of the squash you choose. When it pierces easily with a fork, drain it and it is ready to use or freeze.

Steaming Again, peel off the skin and cut into smaller chunks discarding the seeds. Place chunks in a steamer basket above boiling water and cook until tender.

Roasting Option 1: Carefully cut the squash in half through the stem. Scrape out the seeds inside. Oil a baking sheet with olive oil or butter. Place the squash cut side down on the baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees

for 30 – 45 minutes. You will know it is done when the skin has become brown and slightly blistered, and the flesh is soft and can be pierced easily with a fork.

Option 2: You may also wish to place the squash halves, cut side up.

Oil or butter the cut sides and roast until caramelized and fork tender.

Once roasted and cooled a bit, scoop the flesh out of the skins and mash or puree to the texture you desire.

Option 3: Peel and cut the squash into smaller pieces, discarding the seeds, and lightly coat with olive oil. Roast at 400 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring up the squash pieces halfway through to prevent burning. (These bits are great tossed into a salad!)

Microwaving If you are pinched for time, you may prepare squash by slicing it in half down the center, removing the seeds and microwave for 7 minutes per pound.

Once cooked, you can use it in several recipes, or mash it, and store it in freezer containers up to 6 months. Freeze in 1 to 2 cup portions. (Most cans of pumpkin are just short of 2 cups.)

While this may sound like a lot of work, you will definitely notice the flavor and texture difference if you prepare your own squash from scratch.

And the aroma of roasting squash is a heavenly autumn treat to have come wafting out of the kitchen!

Everyone has their favorite pumpkin pie recipe. I suggest you try preparing a winter squash and using it the next time you make that pie!

Here are some additional recipes to try using winter squash and pumpkins in some new ways.

Rolls

Winter Squash

1 ½ c cubed winter squash (your choice!)

1 c scalded milk 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast ½ c warm water 6 c all-purpose flour ½ c white sugar 2 tsp salt ½ c butter, softened

In small saucepan, cover squash with water, bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and cool.

In small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.

Combine 5 cup flour, sugar and salt.

Stir in the yeast mixture, milk and butter. Mix well. Stir in the remaining flour ½ cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes.

Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Divide dough into 12 portions. Form each portion into a round. Place the rounds into a lightly greased 13 X 9 inch pan. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake rolls for 10 – 15 minutes until golden brown.

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Butternut Squash & Spinach

Lasagna

2 tsp canola oil 1 ½ c sliced red onion 1 ½ Tbsp sliced garlic 6 oz. baby spinach ¾ c plain, fat free Greek yogurt 1/3 c 1% milk 3 oz. sliced provolone cheese, torn into small

pieces 1 ½ Tbsp all-purpose flour 1 tsp kosher salt 2 large eggs 1 20-oz. butternut squash Cooking spray 1 c part-skim ricotta cheese 1 ½ oz. Gruyere cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat oil in large skillet; add onion and garlic. Sauté 4 minutes. Add spinach; sauté until wilted. Remove from heat.

Place yogurt, milk, and provolone in a blender; blend 20 seconds. Add flour, salt and eggs. Blend one more minute.

Cut neck from bulb of butternut squash and peel skin off neck. Cut neck into 24 1/8-inch-thick slices using a knife or mandolin. Place squash slices in an 8-inch square microwave safe glass baking dish; loosely cover and microwave until tender, about 4 minutes.

Remove squash from dish, then coat dish with cooking spray. Spread ½ cup yogurt mixture in bottom of dish.

Shingle 1/3 (8 slices) of squash over yogurt mixture. Top with 1/3 of ricotta cheese, 1/3 of spinach mixture and 1/3 of remaining yogurt mixture. Repeat procedure 2 more times, ending with yogurt mixture. Sprinkle with grated Gruyere cheese.

Cover dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.Remove foil and broil 8 inches from broiler for 4 minutes. Loosely cover and let stand 20 minutes before serving.

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Confetti Rice 2 c water 2 c chicken stock 2 c uncooked brown rice 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 c peeled and diced butternut squash 1 c chopped red onion 1 c thinly sliced carrot ¾ c. thinly sliced celery ¼ c water

¾ c toasted almonds, coarsely chopped ¾ c flat leaf parsley, chopped 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves 1 Tbsp fresh sage, minced 1 ¼ tsp kosher salt ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

In a large saucepan, bring 2 c. water, the chicken stock and rice to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until tender.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add squash onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté 5 minutes. Add remaining ¼ c water to pan, cover and simmer 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir vegetable mixture into the rice. Stir in almonds, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper, and serve.

Hummus

Pumpkin

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 can cannellini (or other white beans) drained and rinsed 1 c pumpkin puree (if using canned, be sure it is not pumpkin pie

A favorite recipe shared by President Betsy E. Huber

Roasted Winter Squash 1 winter squash (2-2 1/2 lbs) kabocha, delicata or acorn (butternut may be used if peeled) 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup (or honey) 1 Tbsp brown sugar 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

filling) ¼ c freshly squeezed lime juice 1 large garlic clove 1 tsp kosher salt 1 Tbsp tahini 1 ¼ tsp cumin 1 t real maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Liberally Grease a baking sheet.

Cut squash into wedges

Mix all ingredients together in a food processor and puree until very smooth.

Adjust seasoning. You may wish to add more cumin, maple syrup or salt.

Transfer to a serving dish. Serve with crudities, whole grain pita bread, or tortilla chips.

Blossoms

Don’t forget about the

Squash are prolific, and an easy way to cut waste of the excess fruit is to snag a few squash blossoms before they bud into fruit. Squash blossoms, in summer or fall, are a great treat. You can eat them as part of a salad or edible garnish, stuff them with cheese mix, candy and roast them, fry them and much more.

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Master Recipe

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about 1 to 1 ½ inches thick and place in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, mix all other ingredients. Pour this mixture over the squash and toss to evenly coat. Spread the squash pieces, cut sides down, in an even layer on the baking sheet and bake for 25-35 minutes or until just tender but a little firm, golden brown color on the bottom.

THE LAST

Word

By J. Burton Eller

Grange Advocacy Executive Director & National Grange Legislative Director This is the fall of 2020 but at times it seems like someone wrote the sequel to George Orwell’s famous futurist book 1984.

So much has changed…a serious worldwide virus pandemic, people dying, travel curtailed, lockdowns and isolations in place, institutions and businesses closed, jobs lost, recession hits, virtual everything, long lines at food banks, racial injustice occurs, demonstrations begin, riots break out, social agendas blur and a Presidential election is in full swing.

When is this and where are we?

In some respects, the perfect nonweather storm just hit the United States.

Everyone seems to be somewhere between worn down, concerned, scared, confused, and just plain angry.

Our understanding of traditional medical, economic, social, political, historical and moral values is being seriously challenged at every turn.

As the United States was settling in to seriously battle an invisible virus enemy, an incident occurred that drastically affected life in America.

From the safety of our COVID-19 locked-down home, we watched the horrific murder of a black man, George Floyd, at the hands of three totally insensitive white police officers.

The episode was beyond belief and everyone I know was shocked to the core.

It shined the spotlight right at previous accusations of police brutality in some parts of the country and resurrected long-held feelings that America still has a serious racial bias problem.

Police brutality and racial injustice suddenly sprang to the forefront of America’s social consciousness.

Individuals and organized groups began to react and seized the opportunity to raise these issues to the heights of public awareness. Vigils and peaceful demonstrations began to develop all over the country in big cities and small towns alike.

Was America finally ready to soulsearch these issues?

George Floyd’s death seemed to be the perfect atrocity that could unite all Americans to tackle police brutality and racial injustice honestly and objectively.

But then something else happened.

Some surprising new players hijacked the game, changed the rules, moved the goal posts and dared anyone to object.

Their agenda seems to go much farther than opposing police brutality and racial injustice.

They are anything but peaceful as we look at the riots they initiate.

These riots beg the question…do these folks even care, really, about police brutality or racial bias? They apparently have bigger goals in mind it seems, like changing the very fabric of America and

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of Americans.

The black community’s civic and racial agenda and thus the forum to accomplish real progress once and for all may be now be lost to third party encroachers.

Just who are these well-organized, vocal, persistent, well-funded protesters and rioters who don’t seem to respect other people, personal property, public property, authority or governance and have no tolerance for those who don’t believe as they do?

Faces in the crowd do not appear to be primarily black, Hispanic, Asian or any other ethnic group. White, privileged, educated, young and angry better describes the majority of those we see on the street.

They don’t appear to be particularly driven by George Floyd’s death. They seem to be more interested in taking selfies as they smash windows.

What do they want?

Stop police brutality? Create social justice? Bring Americans together?

Recreate the melting pot of nationalities and ethnic groups like our forefathers?

Come together in unity? Rebuild our economy? Support our country?

Apparently not.

When one slides back the curtain, blows away the fog, turns the lights on and trains the radar on these groups, one realizes they might just want to change

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America, drastically, inside and out, from the foundation to the roof and throw away the old key.

Really?

If this is true, or only partially true, the public in general and Grangers in particular would do well to become informed and stay engaged as this philosophical debate goes forward.

Relatively recent terms like “woke” and” identity politics” supposedly represent views that separate the world into liberationists versus oppressors or oppressed versus oppressors.

“Wokeness” or awakened ideology is a term most Americans were unfamiliar with until recently. The woke term is increasingly mainstreamed around higher education institutions, newsrooms, talk shows, marketing companies, advertising firms, advocacy strategists and even corporate boardrooms.

Woke anti-racists seem eager to talk freely about several concepts they have attached themselves to: • Redefine racism. Racism is not simply individual acts of discrimination or prejudice based on race; racism is a collective condition of inequities in society. Assimilation is the process by which group differences are reduced or eliminated within a society to form a common culture; this concept is apparently opposed by woke antiracists. If one race is wealthier than another or if one race has a higher mortality rate from a disease than another, the culprit is racism according to our woke friends.

• Colorblindness is racist. The concept of equal opportunity is fundamentally rejected because equal opportunity under the law only perpetuates more inequity; in practice it supposedly serves to deny the reality of racism and holds it in place. It also contributes to assimilation and our woke friends don’t like that.

• Racism is solved through discrimination. Laws can specifically promote anti-racism; to be effective they must be discriminatory. Many civil rights advocates since the sixties advocated that everything will be well as long as we treat

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people with equality, neutrality and respect. That may no longer be good enough for the woke crowd who believe fighting capitalism is a critical element in promoting anti-racism. Some social justice warriors acknowledge that discrimination may be essential to promoting equity so long as the discrimination is aimed at oppressor groups. Is the object not to end racism and ensure equal rights under the law but to promote some form of “equity”?

Does America have the resiliency to overcome a deadly disease, a fractured economy, divisive politics, social unrest, racial disparities and moral decline at this point in our nation’s history?

Do we still believe in one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all?

Or will we become a country of tribes, ethnicities and communities loosely formed into a nation we no longer recognize and hold little allegiance to?

I lost a good friend to COVID-19 this summer.

Mike grew up on a farm in Georgia, worked on the Hill, went to law school at night, founded one of the top ag law firms in Washington and was considered a political insider.

Perplexed by the serious divisions in our country, he published a book in 2016 entitled, The Death of Civility and Common Sense: How America Has Become Dangerously Polarized.

In there, he says, “The American public is the victim of this hyper partisanship and extremism on both the left and the right. This constant infighting and attacks against politicians of the other party are entertaining to a point. However, this quickly grows old. The essential work of our Republic doesn’t get done. The voters are disgusted and tend to say, ‘A pox on both your houses.’“ Given the perfect-storm furor of this past summer, could the pox be spreading through our American culture?

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Every town is an important part of the American story.

Make sure your town’s story is told by responding to the 2020 Census—the count of everyone living in the United States. When you do, you’ll also help your town get the most out of the American dream.

Responding Is Important for Your Community Census responses provide data that can attract new businesses and the jobs that come with them. The data also informs where over $675 billion in federal funding is spent each year in states and communities. That includes money for things like: •

Medicare Part B

•

Special education

•

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

•

Cooperative Extension Service

•

Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant

•

Water and waste disposal systems for rural communities

Responding Is Safe

Every Person Counts

Your personal information is kept confidential by law.

Whether it’s funding in communities across your state or helping determine the number of seats your state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives—every count makes an equal impact.

Responding Is Easy To complete the census, answer a handful of questions online, by phone, or by mail. Choose the option that works best for you.

For more information, visit:

2020CENSUS.GOV D-OP-RU-EN-038