TUNKHANNOCK - A trio of officers in the Pennsylvania and national
Grange organizations were in town last week to give a jumpstart to a
local Grange organization that had become a bit inactive.
Last Wednesday, the
Oriental Grange, which has been a part of Wyoming County over the
past century, reorganized itself with representatives of the state
and national Grange organizations visiting. New members of the local
Grange include, front row, from left, Dale Shupp, Judy Shupp, Laura
Anderson and Roland Anderson. In the back row, from left are: Ed
Luttrell, leadership director of the National Grange; Carl Meiss,
membership director of the Pennsylvania Grange; Betsy Huber, state
Grangemaster; and Oriental Grange members Pat Gunton, Russ Gunton,
Herb Hug and Jack Tomlin.
Ed Luttrell, national leadership director for the Grange who hales
from Oregon, said that many people have a misconception that the
Grange is merely something their parents or grandparents were
involved in a generation ago, but has no relevance today.
"The truth is we are doing a lot to provide programs that are family
friendly, and give people of all ages an opportunity to serve their
community," he said.
Carl Meiss, state Grange membership director spoke at length
Wednesday night to a group of persons gathered to help reorganize
the Oriental Grange of Lake Winola.
He said it was true that the group's early roots was shrouded in
secrecy because the Grange was considered a secret society.
Many farming families in the North reached out to farming families
in the south to help that region in its Reconstruction, he said, and
the early years were also an attempt to give a voice to the farming
community which felt the trains were setting too high prices for
transport of farm goods.
"Today, we're involved in all sorts of things," Meiss said, and all
geared to building up families.
In addition to the popular Pennsylvania Grange cookbook which many
people are familiar with in this region, the Grange has more
recently become involved in a public awareness campaign to educate
residents in more rural settings about the movement of
methamphetamine labs.
Today, the group also has several youth leadership activities
including allowing young people to help advocate for changes in
public policy.
Luttrell said he is often told that as the Grange tries to rebuild
itself, it is reaching for the same family members that also might
be involved in scouting, 4-H or local church schools.
"We don't see ourselves as competitors but rather as another
opportunity for leadership and service," Luttrell said, a point
underscored by Betsy Huber, state Grange master who was also on hand
last week.
On this night they signed up five new members to add to about 20
others that were a part of a longstanding roster for the Oriental
Grange.
One of them, Jack Tomlin, said his mother-in-law had been a long
time secretary for the group, but when she died things started to
unravel. "I am hopeful that tonight we can reverse that," he said.
The group plans to meet again on June 21 at 7 p.m. at the
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Building on Route 92 South.
They invite all interested persons to help them grow.
Luttrell said, "You have a wonderful opportunity to initiate great
change in your community."
He implored them to "have fun and enjoy yourselves while you do
great things."
Charlene M. Shupp Espenshade
staff writer
Lancaster Farming
On Thursday the focus of the
State Grange shifted from Wyoming County to Cumberland County.
Huber, Meiss and Luttrell traveled to Shippensburg in Cumberland
County where they met with Lizzie Bailey, a local resident
interested in opening a new Grange in the area. Mrs. Bailey had
met the past Young Couple for the PA State Grange, Clark and Judy
Kitner of Valley Grange #1360 in York County at a fair in the
Shippensburg area in the fall of 2005. The Kitners were wearing
Grange shirts at the time and that prompted Lizzie to ask the
question, "What is the Grange?"
After explaining the
background of the Grange and discussing what a local Grange can do
for a community, the Kitners peaked Mrs. Bailey's interest and she
asked what was needed to open a Grange in the Shippensburg area.
She was referred to Mr. Meiss as the Membership Director for the
PA State Grange. Once Meiss spoke to Bailey on the
phone, he was sure that
Shippensburg would be a prime place to work to open a new Grange.
"Lizzie was extremely enthusiastic about getting a new Grange up
and running in Shippensburg," he said.
Prior to their arrival in
the area, Mrs. Bailey had already placed an article in the local
papers encouraging people to come out and learn about opening a
new Grange in Shippensburg. She had spoken to numerous people
around town and even had a meeting set up for Saturday, June 10 at
2:00 p.m. at the Market Cross Pub & Restaurant in town.
The remainder of Thursday
and Friday, Huber, Luttrell, Meiss and Bailey spoke to people in
Shippensburg and the surrounding area about the Grange and invited
them to attend the organizational meeting on Saturday afternoon.
They were joined by Dick and Jayne Jacobson from Mahoning Valley
Grange #1649 in Lawrence County, who had attended one of
Luttrell's workshops in Pennsylvania earlier in the year on
"Organizing and Re-organizing the Grange." The Jacobsons hoped to
learn more from this experience so that they can return to the
northeast and assist Granges in their area.
Saturday's meeting was "An
outstanding start to get a new Grange organized in Shippensburg,"
Meiss stated. Lizzy Bailey attended and completed a Grange family
membership application for herself, her husband and their
daughter. Also completing applications and paying dues were Rev.
Wayne Baker and his wife Joan. Also attending the meeting were
Ray and Doris Snyder, members of Mifflin Grange #1725 in Newville,
Cumberland County. Ray is the Deputy for Pres. Huber in Dauphin
and Cumberland Counties and will continue to assist her and her
staff in starting the new Grange in Shippensburg.
The next meeting for
organizing this new Grange is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Thursday,
June 29 and will be held at the Shippensburg Historical Society
office on King St.
Everyone present at the
first meeting planned to recruit more potential new members and
bring them along to this meeting. "We only need 13 charter
members, to include at least 4 women, to start the new Grange,"
said National Grange Membership Director Luttrell. "With Lizzie's
enthusiasm and influence, I have no doubt that we will have a new
Grange in Shippensburg in the very near future." The public is
invited to attend this meeting to learn more about the Grange and
what it can offer to the area.
Middle Spring Grange #1728
had been in the Shippensburg area at one time. It opened in
March, 1917 but closed its doors in June of 1985.
The Grange is the oldest
organization of its kind in the United States. Formed nationally
in 1867 and chartered in Pennsylvania in 1873, the Grange was
originally an advocacy
group for agriculture.
Today, the Grange is a family fraternal organization dedicated to
the betterment of America living through community service,
education, legislation and fellowship. The Grange includes
members of all ages from their Junior Grangers (ages 5-13), Youth
Members (ages 14-23), Young Adults (ages 21-35) and Regular
Community (Local) members (age 14 and up). The Grange represents
approximately 15,000 Pennsylvanians across the Commonwealth.
The PA State Grange office
coordinates legislative policies presented by the nearly 310
community Granges throughout the Commonwealth and contracts with a
full-time lobbying group, Wolff Strategies, to present these
Grange policies to the Representatives and Senators in
Harrisburg. Today, the Grange promotes not only agriculture, but
also family issues, government issues, educational issues, as well
as transportation and utility issues. It is truly an organization
dedicated to representing ALL Pennsylvanians yesterday, today and
tomorrow.