The Wyndham Harrisburg-Hershey on Lindle Rd. in Swatara Township will be the host hotel for the 132^nd Annual Session of the Pennsylvania State Grange from Saturday, October 23 through Tuesday, October 26, 2004

This is the 21^st time that the PA State Grange has met in Harrisburg for their annual sessions, beginning with the first conducted in January, 1874, Two sessions were scheduled the following year, first in January, 1875 in Williamsport and the second in December, 1875 in Lancaster.

From 1875 through 1945 the annual session was conducted in either November or December and, except for the years from 1882 through 189 when it was convened in Harrisburg, it has been hosted in various locations throughout the state. At the 1945 session it was decided by delegate action to schedule subsequent sessions in October (so that more of the active farm members could attend) and that began with the 1946 session held in Wilkes-barre.

The annual sessions have been located as far northwest as Erie (four times), southeast as Philadelphia (once in 1916), southwest as Uniontown (two times) and northeast as Scranton (two times).

This year’s session could see in excess of 500 Grange members in attendance representing more than 300 local Granges throughout the commonwealth.

Pennsylvania has the largest number of local Granges nationwide with 334 and the second largest statewide membership of approximately 16,000.

Each local Grange can send two delegates to the session. Resolutions that were submitted by local and county Granges throughout the year are acted upon by the delegates at the State Session.  This delegate action results in the policies, actions, and direction that the Grange will take for the upcoming year in Pennsylvania and could also send resolutions to the National Grange Convention in Rochester, N.Y., next month for action on the national level.

Delegates attending this session will be voting for members to fill all of the Pennsylvania State Grange offices for the next two years.  In addition to voting on resolutions dealing with various legislative and policy issues, the delegates will also be voting on the future of the Pennsylvania State Grange office building located at 1604 North Second Street in Harrisburg.

This building was purchased by the Pennsylvania State Grange in 1952 and has been used to house the offices of the Grange in Pennsylvania since that time.  The building was originally a private home which has been converted to offices on the first two floors and an apartment on the third floor.  Due to rising maintenance costs, the delegates will be asked to decide if the building should be sold and other office space leased or purchased or if the Grange should make the necessary upgrades and repairs and retain it as the Pennsylvania State Grange office.

Another important issue to members that will be acted upon is a proposal for a dues increase, which the State Grange Executive Committee has deemed necessary to balance the budget for 2005-2006. This topic is sure to generate a lively debate among the delegates and members.

In addition to the delegate actions during the session, other highlights will include the Annual Talent Festival to be held Saturday evening at the Middletown Area High School, judging of various contests and programs taking place within the host hotel (including the Sign-A-Song and Public Speaking Contests), conferral of the Sixth Degree at the High School, and the annual All-Grangers Banquet Monday evening in the hotel.

Grange members and non-members will be recognized with various awards at the All Grangers Banquet as well as the naming of the 2004 “Granger of the Year”

The State Session Schedule is attached.

The Grange is a family fraternal organization dedicated to the betterment of rural America through community service, education, legislation and fellowship.  The Grange represents approximately 20,000 rural Pennsylvanians across the state.  It is the oldest agricultural organization of its kind in the United States. The National Grange (Patrons of Husbandry) began in 1867 and the PA State Grange was chartered in 1873.