Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help), October 29, 2020

Every year, the VT State Grange holds a meeting…

…which usually lasts 2+ days, and is held at the Capitol Plaza hotel.   Like everything else this year. the 2020 event was different!  Our Grange Hall hosted a one-day version of the meeting, with layout and procedures changed to provide maximum safety for all concerned.
Attendance was only about 50 people, all attendees wore masks pretty much all the time, seating was spaced for 6 foot “social distance”, and delegates and State officers were careful to sanitize and wash hands, table-tops and the coffee-maker’s handle.   The exhaust fans over the stage ran the whole time, with windows opened at the top at the other end of the Hall to allow fresh air to come in.  I was very pleased with the positive attitude which the State Grange approached us, and the way we worked through best practices when doing the planning.  State Grange officers worked with me on Friday to unroll the floor mats, and to set up chairs and officers’ “stations”.  Former State Master Errol Briggs had a 6′ stick to make sure spacing was good–and didn’t have to use it on anyone!   The attendance was well below the VT State guidelines which allow up to 50% of the Fire Marshal occupancy limit.   For our upstairs Hall, that is normally 129 people with chairs and tables, so 50% would be about 65.
The business of the State Session was taken care of pretty much as usual–but in an expedited manner.   Committees were designated to deal with proposed Resolutions, and most “met” virtually before the session to examine and make recommendations about adopting them.   Results about all the resolutions are posted on our website:  http://capitalcitygrange.org/2020-vt-state-grange-resolutions-results/
We also elected officers, as is done every 2 years.   Instead of Grange delegates parading in lines up and down the Hall to publicly place voting slips in baskets on a central table, the Stewards walked around and picked up ballots from everyone.  By doing this, we avoided unnecessary exposure to each other.   This is a good example of how we worked to reduce risk for all of us.
The afternoon session (after a break for everyone to eat their own “brown-bag” lunches brought from home) included a Memorial service to honor 27 VSG members who died during the past year–including Marj Power and Les Skinner from our Grange–see the nearby photo showing the VSG Chaplain Jenny Nelson lighting candles as part of the service.
Other work done included approval of the annual budget, approval of committee reports for the last year, and other “housekeeping” which every organization needs to do.   We were all pleased to fit this into “only” about 7 hours of meeting, instead of spread over the usual 2+ days.   While we will all be happy to meet without masks and “social distance” when we can, it felt good to pull this off.
I can also report that VSG members who had not seen our Hall were impressed!  Many have visited before for committee meetings we have hosted–most of those had not seen our renovated lower level, and they all admired those changes!   We have appreciated the help which the State Grange has given us, by providing no-interest construction loans for this and other projects.   The VSG also gave us a 15-year mortgage loan for our 2008 new entrance and new bathroom (on the main floor) project! We were also pleased to receive a significant donation from the State Grange for use of the Hall, which we can certainly use this year.  We appreciate all the help we get from the VSG!

November 7th meeting:  planning to renew our property tax exemption

Back in 2016, our Grange worked out an exemption from property taxes from the Town of Berlin, where our Hall is located.   At the Town Meeting that year, we presented our desire to be an even better community resource for the Town.  As part of that, we committed to offering at least 2 “free rentals” of our Hall per month, for Berlin residents and Berlin organizations.  We explained the totally non-profit, volunteer-run nature of the Grange, and described the many non-profit, family and community events we host (in normal times!).   We were very pleased when the Town Meeting agreed to give us a 5-year exemption–but of course that time period will expire next March.
Before the exemption, our taxes ran about $7,000 per year.  Since we got the exemption, we have been able to break even much more easily–and have also been able to invest money in maintaining and improving the Hall.   Some of the projects which the Grange itself was able to afford include replacement of the electric storage-tank water heater with an on-demand one, a long-overdue pumping of the septic tank, driveway repairs and other work.    And we were able to contribute $5,000 to the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall, which planned, financed and managed the renovation of our lower level which took place this past winter.   I don’t think any of these would have been possible without the exemption!
We have also built ties with the Berlin Town government and many Berlin residents.    Among the many free rentals have been Town Planning committee meetings and hearings held at our Hall, Town potlucks and socials, Berlin Farmers’ potlucks, a Berlin church group having potluck dinners, many private birthday parties, baby showers, Berlin Volunteer fire department dinners and many others as well.  We are especially pleased to have hosted the organizational meetings for the residents of the Weston Mobile Home park just south of us on Rt. 12, who joined together to form a “Resident-Owned-Co-op” to purchase the park following the devastation of Tropical Storm Irene.   The Board of the ROC  has continued to meet at our Hall since that was set up–at no cost since they are Berlin residents!   In total, I counted 103 “Berlin free rentals” on our website Calendar from March of 2016 to March of 2020….when everything pretty much stopped.
Our Grange meeting on Nov. 7th, from 4:30 to 6:00 PM will focus on ways to spread the word to Berlin residents and Town government about how we have served the community, and how much we deserve to have the exemption continued.  Certainly our survival during this period of very low rentals would have been close to impossible if we had to deal with tax payments as well!   It remains to be seen what shape the Berlin Town Meeting will take next March.  If you have friends or relations in Berlin, and can contact them to urge their support, that will really help!   Anyone who wants more information can contact me directly:  swartztim15@gmail.com.
This will be among the issues we’ll discuss; we’ll be happy to welcome you in person at the Grange Hall–or by Zoom!   The Zoom link & meeting ID are posted on the Grange website Calendar:  http://capitalcitygrange.org/event/430-600-grange-meeting-main-hall/2020-11-07/.
We wish we could segue to a potluck dinner following this meeting, but that will not be safe for a good while more, based on the current public health situation.  We will keep you posted on when this changes, as soon as we can!   For now, please join us in obeying VT guidelines, and let’s flatten that curve, again!

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help), October 5, 2020

What does it take to stand up to bad behavior?

1. Ambiguity:  Not knowing just what you should do–which can also be strongly influenced by the inaction of those around you.
2. Who is responsible?:  Especially in crowd situations, it’s easier to wait for someone “official” to take the lead, someone who supposedly knows the right thing to do.
3. Considerable costs:  There can be significant (non-monetary) costs that can hold you back–including safety fears, consequences for your professional status, and rejection by your social group.

1. Training and practice:  Various groups put on role-playing training in ways to speak up in difficult situations, like objecting to people telling racially insensitive jokes.  Trying out hard conversations in supportive groups gets us used to speaking up. Here in central VT, SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice is one such group.
2. Foster empathy:  Learning about the real costs to persecuted groups can make you appreciate how much smaller the risk of speaking up is, compared to the harm that may be allowed to happen.   Catherine cited the famous poem by Pastor Martin Niemoller starting “First they came…” as an object lesson (follow the link to learn more).
3. Ethical leaders:  When it’s appropriate, bring in people in your community–or in the wider social world–who are leaders of a team, a community, or other social group.   In some cases, they who can influence others who may not listen to you.   Sometimes it takes someone who is already an acknowledged authority to change someone else’s mind.
4. Find a friend:  fostering a social group that supports one another in the importance of speaking up for social justice, or other causes will help you understand you are not alone.
5. Change the culture:  This is the ultimate goal–and these changes can happen quickly, even starting with a small group.   Humans are strongly influenced by the attitudes they perceive around them–Catharine used the example of campaigns that say “most of your neighbors vote”, rather than saying “it’s your civic duty to vote”.  The much larger influence of the former approach has been well-researched!

Kids Trade & Play:  This Saturday!   Sign up for your “shopping” slot!

Auction closes–memories shared and money raised

       The online auction of Marj Power’s dance skirts, T-shirts and many other items closed last Wednesday, Sept. 30th.   Many thanks to the many people who bid on the items, which raised over $1,500!   After expenses, the total will be split between the Grange and the Old Labor Hall.
Only one skirt and one T-shirt remained un-bid-on at the end, and satisfied customers came and picked up all the items on which they posted winning bids this last Saturday.   If anyone wants the last couple of items (see below), offer a donation, and we’ll see if we can make an arrangement!
Many thanks yet again to the many people who worked to get this together, especially lead auctioneers Elizabeth Templeton and Ruth Ruttenberg, who managed the website postings and the distribution from the Grange Old Entrance porch.   Ruth is completing the accounting and division of the proceeds, deducting website, Paypal and credit card fees.   The funds raised will be a big help for the 2 organizations for which Marj put in so many volunteer hours and her boundless energy over the years.   Equally important is the sharing of our memories of working with, dancing with and being inspired by Marj–and getting Marj’s dance skirts into the hands of people who will make sure her memory will be back on the dance floor as soon as it is safe!

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help), September 28, 2020

October meeting will be short and simple, followed by our first Program of the Fall!

We are back to meeting on the first Saturday of the month in October; as an “even-numbered” month, we will be having a Grange meeting without the ritual and paraphernalia that we use in odd-numbered months, and lasting from 4:30 to 5:00; we’ll review where we stand financially and with rentals.   We will also have a brief discussion of the VT State Grange resolutions that will be voted on at the State Session on Oct. 17th.
You can join us for the meeting, from 4:30 to 5:00 PM on October 3rd, either in person (we’ll all be wearing masks, and maintaining the “social distancing” that we have learned is helpful, or us via Zoom.  The Zoom link is available here on the Grange website listing.
Our shortened meeting will make time for good discussion of the “Program” which our Grange Lecturer Carl Etnier has put together:
Amherst College Professor Catherine Sanderson will be talking with us–via Zoom–about an issue in all of our lives–in public and in private.   Her research interests have led her to consider the question of why bad behaviors of various kinds are so seldom challenged, leading to their persistence and even growth.   She will also discuss “practical strategies that we can all use to speak up and take action”.   You can learn more about her at her Sanderson Speaking website.
If you want to join us in person for this program, please be sure to wear a mask and be prepared to social-distance; or you can join us by Zoom (as will our speaker).  The Zoom link–different from the meeting–is posted at this program listing on the Grange website.
We wish we could segue to a Community Potluck after this program, but of course that is not possible under the current health and safety guidelines, so keep practicing your recipes at home, because we’ll all be hungry for them when we can finally get back together!  We encourage our Grange members and our many friends to keep the discussions going–these are important issues for all of us!

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help), September 18, 2020

September meeting:  Lots to discuss!

We’re doing our monthly meeting on the 3rd Saturday, as we usually do in September (because Labor Day Weekend is not a good time for many of us), so we hope you will join us tomorrow, Sept. 19th, from 4:30 to 6:00.   We will have a small gathering in person, but welcome anyone who prefers to join via Zoom as well!   The Zoom link for the meeting is in the Grange website Calendar listing–just click the link there!
One of the main events will be the Grange ceremony to honor both Les Skinner and Marj Power, “Draping the Charter”, designed to mark the passing of Grange members.  The Grange has many ways to mark significant moments in the lives of members–and to make them memorable.  This will provide us a formal opportunity for reminiscing about Les & Marj and their (substantial) contributions to our Grange.  Many of us have strong memories of both of them, and we look forward to sharing some of those, as well as having the ritual observances.  Grange Musician Mat Nunnelly will provide some music, including singing some songs in honor of our late members–unfortunately, group singing is another activity that is prohibited to avoid chances of spreading infection.
       We will also be able to celebrate together another successful fundraiser to support the Grange in these perilous times–the CDU translated their usual early fall fundraiser to be an online concert featuring Pete’s Posse, instead of the usual series of exuberant dances, and supporters responded, easily passing the $4,000 goal.  We had publicized the expected loss in rental income, and the need for help from Grange community members, and we’re touched–and inspired–by the response from people who love the Grange and the Grange Hall.  Many thanks to the CDU, to Pete’s Posse, and to the many donors!
As usual, there is no shortage of ways we can use the money raised.  Besides paying the bills and avoiding draining our savings during this low-income period, we are also looking into options to increase ventilation of both the basement and the upstairs Hall, as part of mitigating risk of COVID-19 transmission.   I hope to have some preliminary “budget” information about options we could pursue, from at least one of the HVAC contractors who toured the Hall with me in the past few weeks.   We will also discuss the possibility of finding some grant money to help us improve the health and safety of Grange rentals, and what policies to implement to make sure event at our Hall are as low-risk as possible.
Related to that discussion, we’ll look forward to the VT State Grange “Annual State Session”, normally held at the Capitol Plaza hotel on the 3rd Saturday in October.   This year, the State Grange asked us a few months ago if we could host an abbreviated event at our Grange Hall, and plans are underway for that meeting, on Oct. 17th.   I have met with the State Grange Executive Committee (via Zoom), and discussed ways to limit attendance, and risks.   The expectation is that the maximum number of people will be around 50, all to be “socially distanced” and wearing masks; there will be no shared snacks or meals–all will be asked to bring “bag lunches”–and there will be big reduction in the ritual and marching which is traditional at these meetings.  All attendees will be asked screening questions, will get temperature checks (non-contact thermometers are being acquired) and will give contact information on entry.  If the weather is at all cooperative, we will open windows in the Hall, and turn up the heat if necessary to increase ventilation while maintaining comfort.  The VSG has been very cooperative in these discussions, and all agreed that health and safety will be the highest priority.  It is only because Vermonters have done such a good job following public health recommendations that this sort of meeting is possible at all.
We’ll also take a look at the “Resolutions” which will be voted on at the State Session–these are posted on our website at:  VT State Grange Resolutions; I’ll bring a few copies to the meeting as well.   We will also discuss who will be our Delegate(s)–which leads me to:
Grange Elections:  in even numbered years, we need to elect officers for our Community Grange (it’s required for all Granges, including State officers).  We are very open to anyone who would like to run for one of the officers’ chairs; the offices include Gatekeeper, Steward, Assistant Steward, Lady Assistant Steward, Lecturer, Chaplain, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, President, Musician, Pomona, Ceres, Flora plus 3 Executive Committee members–please contact me for more information on the specific duties!   If no one else sticks up their hands, the odds are good that the incumbents will serve another 2 years…
We wish we could segue to a Community Potluck after this meeting, but of course that is not possible under the current health and safety guidelines, so keep practicing your recipes at home, because we’ll all be hungry for them when we can finally get back together!

I’m re-including this somewhat grainy picture of Marj & Les, on Jan. 15, 2005, when she got him to join her in the first dance called by David Kaynor, following the mass initiation of about 70 new members for the Grange.
       I’m also very pleased to pass on that David has just been announced as the recipient of the 2021 “Lifetime Contribution Award” by the Country Dance & Song Society!   This is a well-deserved honor.  Here’s the text of the CDSS announcement:

David was selected in recognition of more than 50 years of performing and teaching at camps and festivals across the U.S., humbly mentoring an entire generation of contra dance musicians, tirelessly serving as a leader in dance and music communities of Western Massachusetts, generously sharing tune compositions and writings about dance calling, and supporting generations of musicians and dancers in creating warm, inviting, and welcoming communities though music and dance.

       Besides these contributions to the dance community, Dave also was one of the leaders in involving contra dancers in the Granges where dances are so frequently held.  He served as Grange Master at both the Guiding Star and Montague Granges in Massachusetts, and shared support and advice with me and others getting involved in Capital City Grange, encouraging us to become part of this well-established community service organization.  He was thrilled to be part of the 2005 ceremony–the picture below shows him on our dance floor, teaching the circle dance for which Marj and Les were lining up.

Auction action:  Keeping Marj’s skirts dancing!

       As promised, the online auction of Marj’s skirts, T-shirts, bandannas, handkerchiefs, a couple of pairs of dance shoes, and even a crock-pot set and a camisole and shawls started last Sunday–so we are about halfway through it!   Have you been putting off checking out the items at  https://www.32auctions.com/contradance?  Then now is the time to start!   There are pictures and descriptions of all the items posted there, with minimum bids for each–starting low, like $10 for beautiful dance skirts–with a great history and experience!  You can browse as much as you want, and will need to register to bid (it’s easy, quick and safe), and then you can keep track of how the bidding is going–and keep raising your bid to make sure you get that special item!  Online payment is easy, of course!
In addition to the dance-related items, the Old Socialist Labor Hall, which Marj also loved and helped to rehabilitate is offering T-shirts, sweatshirts, history books and other items.   Proceeds of this auction will be split between the two community organizations.
The auction will run until Sept. 30th; items you’ve won will be available for pickup at the Grange Hall on Saturday, Oct. 3rd, from 3-6:00 PM.   Or we can mail them to you for an additional $12.00.
We encourage you to bid early and often, in memory of Marj, and to support these 2 community organizations that she loved so much.   We certainly look forward to seeing Marj’s skirts, shirts, etc. on the Grange Hall dance floor….someday lots of us will be back there!
Many thanks to Elizabeth Templeton, from the dance community and the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall, and to Ruth Ruttenberg, President of the Labor Hall for their work organizing the auction and uploading all the photos and information!