Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help), May 16, 2019

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A close contest… .

..was decided with a point tally.   Our Celebrity Judges, for our
Grange Baking Contest:  Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting devised a point system involving flavor, appearance, texture.  For the 5 entrants, there were a total of 240 points that could be awarded.  It took careful notes and a calculator to figure out that there was a dead heat for 2nd & 3rd place:   Erin Barry and Delna Boyce tied for that honor…and the first place winner is:  Phyllis Skinner. 
Above, you can see our Celebrity Judges:  Alec Ellsworth (with associate judge Axel), Lynn Spencer, and Jacqeline Rieke.  They are comparing notes and points, prior to breaking out the calculator.   All the cakes were tasty, they said–and we got to sample the remainders at the Community Potluck dinner after the judging.
Contestants were awarded chef’s hats (like the one modeled with great forbearance by Erin’s son Colin in the bottom photo), made by dedicated sewing masters Charles Martin and Richard DeCosta, who used to sell them at the Coffee Corner Restaurant in Montpelier.   All 3 hats featured special fabrics, as did the handmade potholders also, made by Charles and Richard.  They find fascinating food-related patterns, which have long been a big hit as graduation presents for New England Culinary Institute students!
We thank all the contestants for their participation–watch for an announcement of the recipe for the 2020 contest!

Updating our meeting format:  more time for programs and discussion

Devoted readers like you, who have been following the reports of our meetings, will know that for a while we have been talking about how to improve the format of our monthly meetings to encourage involvement of more people.   Recently, we have focused on the cramped time we end up with for the “programs” we offer.  These can range from a presentation by an outside organization or person (like the info session on Central VT Internet), to a participatory event (like sing-alongs), to special Grange events like the baking contest reported on above.  Our current schedule of Grange business meeting from 4:15 to 5:30 leaves only 1/2 hour for the program, before we have to start the Community Potluck dinners which follow at 6:00.
Following our April meeting, Merry Shernock (Treasurer & Rental Agent, who has also set up most of the programs for the past few years) put together a proposal, which we discussed an adopted unanimously.  Here’s the plan:

• In odd-numbered months, starting in September, we’ll have a full Grange meeting, using our current version of the Grange Ritual.  As we have been doing, we’ll discuss developments in Agriculture, Legislative, Health and other areas that are of interest, the plans of the Friends of the CCG Hall, and other suggestions “for the Good of the Order”.  Of course we will continue to incorporate the group singing which is a real attraction for many of us!
  • The next odd-numbered month is July, when we’ll have a barbecue meeting/potluck dinner–outside we hope! (As I write this on May 14th, the snow which fell last night has just melted…)
• In even-numbered months, we’ll have an “Executive meeting” from 4:30 to 5:00.   Without the sashes and formal set-up we use for full meetings, we’ll discuss the business of running the Grange–reviewing Treasurer’s reports, Hall maintenance and improvements needs, etc.  We will still incorporate some group singing, which helps us feel connected!
  • From 5:00 to 6:00, we’ll have much more time for programs of various sorts, with more participation.  Questions and discussion by members and the public are usually the most interesting and involving part of these programs.
• We will not plan to have a meeting in August, but the Executive Committee can meet if needed to make decisions, as always.
• We are seeking a “Program Coordinator”, who will be in charge of setting up those programs.   Merry and Liz Benjamin have started to discuss a “job description” for this volunteer position.  Keep reading these Notes for more information!

In other news from our meeting…

We had our usual lively discussions of current events–for example the ongoing debate in the Legislature about school districts who have not agreed to the merger plans drawn up as part of Act 46.  This is an issue with repercussions that affect local school districts in a variety of ways, and illustrates the complexity of making broad-scale policy changes.   These discussions, where people bring their individual stories and reactions to public issues, and we listen and discuss respectfully, trying to balance small-scale and larger-scale results are valuable forums for me (and I think all of us at the meeting) to learn about controversial policies in a way that is different than listening to or watching news reports.
We also had our monthly report about Health Concerns, presented by Phyllis Skinner, RN, who has other accomplishments besides her baking prowess!  She reported on research that studied the impact of use of dietary supplements–like fish oil capsules and multi-vitamins–that many of us take.  So far, studies comparing death rate show no effects from these supplements. 
In more serious health news, a medication-resistant fungus called Candida auris shown up in some patients in U.S. hospitals.  It has been a world-wide concern for some time, but now is considered a threat to patients with compromised immune systems, those who have had broad-spectrum antibiotic and antifungal medications, and those with venous catheters and other tubes going into their bodies.  More information is available from the CDC website. 
Phyllis does make sure to include some good news–this month literally a sweetener:  if your brown sugar has hardened during storage (as hers had), you can revive it by putting it in the microwave, with a damp paper towel over it, in a covered container–and briefly heating it–try 15 seconds at a time.  Take it from the baking contest winner!
Our meeting also included discussion of ways to get the news out to our regular tenants–if you are part of one of the partner organizations who rent space from us, I’d love to know how I’m doing–email me with comments positive or negative!   And spread the word to others in the group that  they can easily sign up on the Grange website. 

Updated schedule for the next acoustic panel work party

We had hoped to be able to put together the next set of acoustic panels this Saturday, but due to an out-of-town funeral, and the following weekend being Memorial day, we now have scheduled it for Sunday, June 2nd, from 2:00-5:00 PM.
After the Friends of the Capital City Grange (FCCGH) put up the first batch of acoustic panels on the wall opposite the stage, some improvement was audible–but not enough.
So–encouraged by the excellent turnout of helpers at our panel-assembly-and-panel-hanging work party, the Friends are planning another round.
This time, we’ll be building panels that will about double the wall area covered.   We will build panels to cover parts of the East and West walls, after consulting with an engineer with acoustic experience who is part of the dance community.
We’ve ordered the acoustic batts, and the fire-resistant, acoustically transparent fabric to wrap the panels and frames.  The materials will be paid for out of the generous donations which Grange supporters gave to the FCCGH in the 2018 end-of-year appeal, like the first batch of panels.   Materials will be prepped by Kurt Giavara and Tim Swartz, and we’ll have another assembly party once we have materials ordered–we hope on Saturday, May 18th.   We’ll contact those who came last time, but if you want to be involved, please send an email to:  Tim Swartz to let us know.  We’ll keep track of how many people can efficiently help.
Keep your eyes–and ears–open for the next developments!

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help), April 29, 2019

Celebrity Judges join us for the annual Grange Baking Contest

Every year, the Grange has a nation-wide contest to test the skills of Grange members.  Our Grange has broadened the contest to include anyone who wants to enter–we will give a free membership to any non-Grange member that takes the first place!  
So–at 5:30 PM, following the Grange business meeting, we welcome anyone to bring their favorite version of this year’s Grange Baking Contest:  Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.  Perhaps you have a family recipe that always wows your friends?  Always disappears when you bring it to share at potluck dinners?   The pictures below may give you some inspiration if you need it–I found a remarkable number of types of spice cakes when I did a quick Google-search.
For the judging, we need 6 pieces to go on a plate (we have lots of those!), and the recipe on a 3×5 card.  Put your name on the other side, and we’ll tape it to the bottom of the plate, to keep the contestants anonymous…..then the judges begin their incredibly scientific process of choosing the best 3 cakes.    This year, our panel of local “celebrity judges” includes: Lynn Spencer Art teacher, at the Berlin Elementary School, and curator of the exhibit of kids’ art which has beautified the walls of our Hall for the last few years. Alec Ellsworth Director for Parks and Trees, for the city of Montpelier, and also a well-known local fiddler.   Alec plays Cajun and country songs and tunes with “Chaque Fois”, along with Katie Trautz Jacquelyn Rieke a.k.a. “Nutty Steph”, proprietor of the Middlesex business of that name, which makes and sells granolas, chocolates and CBD products.

We will award “interesting” prizes to the 3 top finishers, and the first-place winner can go on to further contests at the “Pomona” and “State” levels of the Grange, for even more prizes and glory!

We will have a Grange meeting before the contest; at our last meeting, we came up with a pretty solid proposal to make our Grange meetings more attractive to those outside the “hard core”, by changing the Grange meeting schedule.  Our idea is to have brief “business meetings” on alternate months, followed by a longer “program”, which will feature a speaker.    Having a longer time available will allow for the vigorous discussion and question/answer period that have been part of our most successful programs.   We may also have a participatory activity like the sing-alongs which people have enjoyed, or the “Life Hacks” sharing of great techniques to make daily life easier.  
Stay tuned for the upcoming schedule–including a summer barbecue dinner, and more.
Of course, after the meeting and the cake-judging, we expect you will want to stay for the Community PotluckDinner, starting at 6:00 PM.  Bring your favorite dish to eat along with spice-cake leftovers! 

The article below came out a few days after the April 13th edition of this monthly event.   Reporter Stephen Mills  interviewed organizer Erin Barry and other volunteers and families–see below!

Times-Argus reports on “Kids Trade ‘N’ Play”

Trade & Play a big hit with families

• By Stephen Mills Staff Writer
• Apr 16, 2019

BERLIN — “Bring in your old, go out with the new,” is one of the mantras of the monthly Kids Trade and Play community program to swap, recycle and reuse often-costly children’s clothing, shoes and toys.

Held on the second Saturday of the month at the Capital City Grange, just across the Montpelier city line at 6612 Route 12, the program has become a big hit with area parents to outfit growing kids in new sizes and provide a vibrant community social gathering for families and friends.

Erin Barry said she based Kids Trade and Play on a similar program that began eight years ago in Santa Cruz, California.“Then I moved here four and a half years ago and I said I needed to start it here,” Barry said as she manned the entrance and accepted the $3 entry fee to cover expenses.

Once inside, everything is free for the taking, and scores of mostly women swarmed over dozens of tote bins with different sizes of clothing. There were also shoes and toys and a range of a mother’s needs, such as breast pumps and maternity wear, as well as women’s clothing available.

Barry said she first approached the Grange with the idea, and praised its officials for the support she received.

“They gave me some storage space in the back which was key so I don’t have to carry the stuff home every month,” Barry said.

Barry said she put the word out she wanted donations of children’s and maternal items.

I also started a Facebook page and I posted on Front Porch Forum,” Barry said. “So, I collected a bunch of things and asked some friends to help me out.”

Barry said she bought the tote bins, which are labeled with the different sizes from infant up to junior 10-12.

“The buckets are always being refilled, so people can look through things again and again,” Barry said.

“We started in March of 2015 and it’s been growing every month since and there are still people coming who have never been before,” Barry said. “Now we have somewhere between 80 to 100 adults coming and around 50 children who come every month.”

Barry also provides scones and coffee and tea she makes at home. “I really want it to be a social event so people do stay the whole two hours,” she said.

A big hit for the kids — and their parents who are rummaging for finds — is a play area with books and toys that kids can take home.

A back table has small equipment with car seats, play mats, and boppies or slings that parents can use to breastfeed or carry their child.

“It’s great recycling for the earth,” Barry said. “There are so many materials that a baby seems to need and what do you do with it when you don’t need it anymore in your house? So, it’s a resource for our community to share and recycle.”

Agency of Agriculture official Alex Depillis, of Montpelier, was visiting with his son, Gabriel Nathaniel, aged 2, who was trying out all the toys in the children’s play section.

It’s play for him, coffee and scones for me, and clothes, both give and get,” DePillis said. “So, it’s all a great mix, and I can see some of my friends and we can sit and talk.”

Judy Buchanan, of East Montpelier, was visiting with her daughter, Elena, aged 3, who was ensconced in a tent fort in the children’s play area.

“I like that it’s a place that you can get rid of things,” Buchanan said. “So, you bring things and you can get things and you’re not buying new stuff; it’s all used stuff being recycled.

“The kids are really only in the stuff for a very short time, so to spend a lot of money to get a lot of new clothing is expensive,” Buchanan added.

Buchanan also liked the social interactions between adults and between children.

“It’s fun,” Buchanan said. “Elena saw a friend from her pre-school in East Montpelier which was fun for her. It’s a nice time to get with the community and interact with others.”

Hannah Hansard, of Montpelier, was visiting with her son, Atticus, 3, who was fascinated with a kid’s size ride-on race car that he could take home but eventually settled on a small karaoke mic and pre-recorded music toy.

“When Atticus was born three years ago, he was much larger than expected and he grew very quickly, and I had no clothes for him,” Hansard said. “Erin had just started Trade and Play, and I came and I clothed my child for the first few months of his life.

“I volunteered for a while, and I enjoyed all the people who come out — I’ve tried to build my tribe here,” Hansard added. “I love coming out here to get not only his current size but the next size up, which makes me feel more secure about the future.”

To learn more about Kids Trade and Play, email Erin Barry at birthsinnerlight@yahoo.com.

stephen.mills@timesargus.com

Next (quiet) steps for improving the acoustics

After the Friends of the Capital City Grange (FCCGH) put up the first batch of acoustic panels on the wall opposite the stage, some improvement was audible–but not enough.
So–encouraged by the excellent turnout of helpers at our panel-assembly-and-panel-hanging work party, the Friends are planning another round.
This time, we’ll be building panels that will about doublele the wall area covered.   We will build panels to cover parts of the East and West walls, after consulting with an engineer with acoustic experience who is part of the dance community.
The materials will be paid for out of the generous donations which Grange supporters gave to the FCCGH in the 2018 end-of-year appeal, like the first batch of panels.   Materials will be prepped by Kurt Giavara and Tim Swartz, and we’ll have another assembly party once we have materials ordered–we hope on Saturday, May 18th.   We’ll contact those who came last time, but if you want to be involved, please send an email to:  Tim Swartz to let us know.  We’ll keep track of how many people can efficiently help and confirm the date and time soon!
Keep your eyes–and ears–open for the next developments!

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help), April 1, 2019

Grange meetings–not just for April Fools?

At our next meeting on April 6th, we’ll be having a couple of guests from a Massachusetts Grange, located in Westport, in the southeast corner of the state.   Barbara and Ed are visiting family in the Champlain Islands, and will stop off to see our Grange, attend our meeting, and hear how we are keeping our Grange active and successful.  They will also hear how we are continuing to struggle to do just that!  
Our main topic at the meeting will be a continuation of our March discussions of how to get more folks involved, including ideas for possibly restructuring our meetings.  We’d enjoy hearing the ideas of anyone who wants to talk to us–about why you do come to meetings, or why you don’t.  Or why you do like organizing projects at the Grange, and how you can help us find more people to do that.    We’d love to talk to you at the meeting…and of course have you stay for the Community Potluck afterward.

In case you wondered what a Grange Meeting looks like…

Here are a few pictures from a meeting earlier this year, showing a few of us wearing our sashes, talking about Grange business, getting ready to play for one of the songs is always an enjoyable part of the meeting.

Potluck for dozens of hungry people

Join us for potluck dinner this Saturday at 6:00, following the Grange meeting.   We get a good crowd, and lots of tasty dishes that range from meat to vegetarian to….dessertarian!   The more people we have, the more choices we have.  We know you are going to eat something for dinner on Saturday, so why not join us?   Donations have included chicken casseroles, roasted root vegetables, breads, cole slaw,  chips, pizza, spreads, cookies, crown roast, green salads, pies, sodas, cider, milk, brownies, baked beans, macaroni, dal, fruit–we never know.  
Surprise us with your favorite dish to share–we can guarantee a number of empty stomachs that will welcome it!  We invite everyone to join us–whether you come to the Grange meeting or not, and whether you plan to stay for the contra dance that happens later in the evening or not, we will be happy to share our food and our socializing.

Another tasty Indian Cooking workshop draws a capacity crowd

Chicken Biryani, Dhansakh Dal and Kachumber The pictures above show some the dishes that made our mouths water on Sunday, March 24th.  Grange member Delna Boyce taught 15 of us how she cooks her tasty combination of recipes, and explained the ingredients for all of these dishes:  Chicken Biryani, Dhansakh Dal and Kachumber.
The top picture shows just a sampling of the whole spices she uses–Star Anise, Cinnamon sticks, a few kinds of Cardamom seeds, and a couple of others I didn’t write down!  She also brought pre-mixed masalas–spice blends she brought back from India on a recent trip.   The combination of the spices with onion gravy, green chilies, garlic, yogurt, tomato, plus saffron, cumin, coriander, some lime juice, basmati rice–it all added up to very tasty main dish of Chicken Biryani.  It was served with sliced hard-boiled eggs decorating the top.
Besides this, she made a dal, or legume dish.  This was made from Toor Dal (pigeon peas), Moong Dal, chopped up Hubbard squash, zucchini and eggplant, tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin and Dhansakh masala powder.  Some turmeric and lime juice added another set of spicy tastes to the plates.  You can see it in the large black pot in the top right photo.
The third dish was a Kachumber salad–sliced onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes and mango, with coriander leaves, seasoned with salt and more lime juice.  
Delna explained some of the steps as she did them, and then urged us to ask questions while the Biryani finished cooking.  She explained the wide variety of spices, telling us which ones we might be able to get at the Indian food store on Williston Road, and which she had to bring back from India.  She also told us what we can substitute, and how she combines ingredients from more standard recipes to get the more complex flavors she likes.  Delna is not a doctrinaire “my way or the highway” teacher!
Despite our original plan to aim for 12 class members, we ended up with 15–which shows how popular these sorts of classes are.   We ask for a $20 donation to cover the costs of ingredients, heating the Hall etc., which is pretty cheap for a great bill of fare like this, including a dinner at the end, and some leftover dal for most if not all of us!
We can do more workshops like this–if we get the right combination of willing volunteer teachers and help organizing.

Check it out–Saturday, April 13, 9:30-11:00 AM!

Kids Trade ‘n’ Play–seeking more good clothes for kids! Erin Barry, who started this monthly clothing & toy exchange, is asking for some donations–read her message below!

Dear Community-

Kids Trade and Play is hoping to bump up our collection of clothing for children sizes newborn to Junior 10. 

 ‘Tis the season for shopping and what better way for parents to get this task done while drinking coffee, eating scones, socializing and only spending $3 per family–and taking home all the clothes you want?!

We, the volunteers of the program, are putting a mid-month call out there for donations.

We are accepting clean clothes and shoes in great condition. Also coats will be taken at this time too.

We can arrange to have you drop your donations off at one of our homes, get it picked up by one of our team, or meet in town somewhere if you can’t make it. You can respond via email:  birthsinnerlight@yahoo.com

Thank you for Reducing, Reusing and Recycling! We can do this together.
With Gratitude, The Kids Trade and Play Team (2nd Saturday of every month at the Capital City Grange, 9:30am–11:00am)
Erin Barry
KIDS TRADE & PLAY Coordinator
(831) 337-8632
Montpelier, VT
MOTHER * ARTIST * HEALER”
Be the change you wish to see in the world” -Gand

Dance, Sing & Jump Around
Sunday, April 14, 3:00 to 4:30PM Fun for all–bring or borrow a child, or come by yourself, and enjoy traditional family dances, play party games, songs, all with live music!  Calling by Liz Benjamin and Stan Carlson!
Free for kids, suggested donation of $5 for adults, but no one will be turned away.

Welcoming kids of all ages and jumping abilities.

Challenge yourself:  can you have this much fun? 

The sound of one hand clapping… That might sum up the response to the first batch of acoustic panels, which were assembled and hung on the south wall of the Main Hall, opposite the stage.
While some of us feel we can detect a reduction in the “reverb” of the Hall, it hasn’t been enough to make a significant difference, judging by the feedback from some users (the Barre-Tones women’s singing group, and sound-guys from the contra dance).   More sound absorbency seems to be needed. 
So–encouraged by the excellent turnout of helpers at our panel-assembly-and-panel-hanging work party, the Friends of the Capital City Grange (FCCGH) is planning another round.
This time, we’ll be building panels that will about triple the wall area covered.   There will be narrow panels over all the windows in the Hall, and 4′ square panels between the windows.   The materials will be paid for out of the generous donations which Grange supporters gave to the FCCGH in the 2018 end-of-year appeal, like the first batch of panels.   Materials will be prepped by Kurt Giavara and Tim Swartz, and we’ll announce another assembly party once we have materials ordered–sometime in April.   Keep your eyes–and ears–open for the next developments!

Grange Notes from Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help), March 17, 2019

Drinking safely at the Grange Hall

At the Grange, safety is a priority!   Rental Agent Merry Shernock decided it was time to keep tabs on the water which comes from our deep well at the Hall, so in January she brought a proposal to the Grange meeting to get it tested again.   She had one test done several years ago, and our water tested very well in terms of having no bacterial condemnation at t hat time.    This year, she contacted the Dept. of Public Health, and the helpful people there helped her figure out what we should be testing for, as a public building where people drink the water.   In the end, we tested for bacteria again, plus for heavy metals and radiation.   We also got a radon detector, which is sitting out of the way on a shelf in the kitchen for a few months.
We are pleased to report that we are waaay below all the limits on every contaminant.
So drink up!    There is no excuse to not keep your body hydrated when you are at the Grange Hall!

What Do You Hear?

On February 23rd, an enthusiastic crew of volunteer did final assembly on and hung 18 acoustic panels, 24″ x 48″ on the south wall of the Grange Hall, opposite the stage–see the picture above.  These panels, filled with rockwool acoustic pads 2″ thick, and covered with fire-resistant, acoustically transparent fabric, are designed to reduce “reverb”–the echoes that can interfere with hearing clearly in the Hall.

What do you hear? That’s what we want to know!  Now that we have about 1/3 of this wall covered with acoustically-absorbent panels, is there a change in the sound quality of the Hall?  
We’ve heard from the BarreTones, the women’s barbershop harmony singing group that rehearses in the Hall that they can’t yet hear much difference.   
At the CDU dance on Mar. 2nd, a number of people reported “some” difference, especially near the wall with the panels, opposite the stage.
We’re hoping that this reduces the “reverb” of our notoriously “live” Main Hall.   We want to hear from people who use the Hall for a variety of purposes–dances, meetings, church services, singing, instrumental music, and more.   We’ll reach out to various regular users, and also want comments from everyone who uses the Hall.  Email Tim at grangepresident@capitalcitygrange.org , or Patty, at FCCGHVT@gmail.comand let us know how it sounds to you. 
We’ve got 6 more panels we can hang in the Hall, and we’re ready to build more, and hang them in other parts of the Hall if these do what we hope they will.
The Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall is now looking at plans to add panels on the side walls of the Grange, putting panels above the windows and between them.  This will more than triple the square feet of acousticly absorbent panels on the walls.   We expect this to make even more difference, obviously!
We’ll post info about when we’ll do our next work-day to complete panel assembly, covering with fabric and hanging on the walls when we have it set up–stay tuned!

March Grange meeting moves forward on meeting improvements and more

We spent a fair amount of time discussing ways to attract more people to active involvement in the Grange.   There are–literally–thousands of people who visit the Grange every year for family events, performances, church services, dances, classes, workshops and more.   Yet month after month, we have the same dozen or so people sitting at the Grange meeting, enjoying spending time together, and feeling our way through decisions about how to run a Grange in the 21st century.   We all like getting together–but at some point we are going to need to get some new folks involved, if we are to keep this outfit going!
Our biggest asset, of course, is our Grange Hall, and keeping the building in good shape is one of the main ways that people contribute time and money–see for example the acoustic panel installation reported above.
Providing the Hall for use by Berlin community use, and for rental by people from a much wider area has for a long time been a large part of the “community service” which is one of the primary purposes of the nationwide, all-volunteer Grange movement over the last 150+ years.  In our area, we offer an attractive (and getting more so), affordable, accessible and affordable venue for all sorts of events–just look at the Calendar.

Our monthly meetings are one way to be part of keeping the Grange going.   At them, we follow our version of the Grange rituals, which we’ve simplified to speed up the pace of the meetings–no passwords, reduced versions of the 19th century rhetoric–and we’ve tried to combine our business meetings with open-to-the-public programs on a wide variety of topics, followed by a “community potluck”. 
We’d like the Grange meetings to be events that lots of people are interested in.  We’d like to have more people interested in how the Grange works, and in taking part in the projects we take on, and in helping us make decisions about projects to take on, where to invest money, and whom to support.
We also recognized that there are a lot of people really dedicated to supporting the Grange and the Hall, who don’t come to meetings–the many people who donate to the Friends, who take part in projects–the acoustic panels are the most recent example, the less-visible people like Tova Cohen, who posts all the CDU contra dances on the website Calendar, and many more.

There is also a lot of mostly-invisible work that keeps our organization solvent and running–clearing snow from entrances, communicating with potential tenants, doing the bookkeeping, working with the State Grange to keep in good standing, putting publicity in local media about Grange events, arranging the programs, keeping Grange minute meetings and other records, setting the thermostat for heating the Hall in the winter.    At this point, the same people have been doing these jobs for a long time–for decades in many cases.   None of us are getting any younger, and some of us would like to get a break.  
So how do we get people involved in those sorts of work?   Part of it could be encouraged if more people came to the meetings and see the work going on, or at least the results. 

We’d like the programs, also, to be ones that educate Grange members and community members about topics that affect the community–about agriculture (the Grange was started for farmers, after all!), advocacy organizations, participatory music (sing-alongs!), and opportunities for involvement in community services.  We agreed in our discussions that we think that having face-to-face discussion and interaction add depth that is not available by doing research on the Internet.   As our Grange Musician, Mat said, “will it work in my yard?” is a question that can’t necessarily be answered by the internet!
In our experience, we find we are rushing through the meeting and the program, to make time for the potluck before the contra dance set-up needs to start.   It’s hard to find speakers who can provide a meaningful program, with time for the discussion and questions which are often the most informative and enjoyable part.   The opportunity to do that is part of what distinguishes these live programs from electronic options like looking up a website.  

So–one firm idea that came up in our discussions of all these issues is shifting to having longer programs in some months, alternating with full Grange meetings.  The idea would be to promote attendance at more interesting Grange programs, and having more relaxed time at business meetings to go into more depth.  We always enjoy having time for another song together, if we make sure we have the time! 
Just as I mentioned in connection with the programs, we continue to believe that having actual, face-to-face meetings adds to the quality of our connection, and to the decisions we make, which in turn keep the Capital City Grange a vital, committed community organization.
These notes are just my own take on our discussions–we covered a lot of ground, and I’m doing my best to summarize some of what we talked about.
We will be continuing our discussions of these issues, and our ideas about improving our meetings, our programs, and the Grange in general at the April 6th meeting.  Please join us and help us figure these things out.   We know you are interested in what happens at the Grange–that’s why you have read through this long notes!  
P.S.–we will continue to have monthly potluck dinners–and we’re talking about having a mid-summer dinner at the Grange–so keep in touch.  As you can tell, Grangers like to cook and eat!

Traditional Parsi Indian Cooking workshop, next Sunday–few spaces left!

Delna taught some very satisfied cooks how to makes a number of basic Indian dishes last year.   Next Sunday, March 24th, she is back to do a more advanced cooking workshop, from 2:00 to 6:00.   The main dish for this one will be Chicken Biriyani, accompanied by rice, a dal (legume) dish and Kachumba, a vegetable dish.
We can only accommodate 12 people for this workshop, so sign up soon to reserve your spot.   Send an email to Merry Shernock if you want to be on the list!  Suggested donation for this workshop is $20.   This will cover all the ingredients and supplies.   Come as singles, couples, multi-generational pairs or trios, but get in touch quickly! 
Those with dietary limitations note:   this workshop will include chicken, as you might guess, and also cashew nuts, raisins and dairy ingredients.

Coming in May:  even more food!  Our annual
Baking Contest!

In 2019, the Grange Baking Contest will be “Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting–your recipe”–so it’s time to start testing your favorites.   We’ll do the judging at our May Grange meeting, on May 4th.
Below are some pictures of spice cakes with cream cheese frosting which I found on the Interweb.  What will yours look like?   But more important–what will it taste like?  What sort of texture will it have?  Our CELEBRITY JUDGES will be giving their opinion.
Who is on the panel?   This year, we will have:
Lynn Spencer, art teacher at the Berlin Elementary School, an accomplished baker who has made pies for Elly’s Farm Market, and curator of our Berlin student art displayed in the Main Hall.
Alec Ellsworth, fiddler and accordion playe, who plays with Katie Trautz in Chaque Fois, plus on his own.  Alec is also head of maintenance for Hubbard Park in Montpelier.
Jacqueline Rieke, aka Nutty Steph, is the proprietor of the central VT granola bakery and producer of chocolate, including CBD-infused products.
How are you going to wow this lineup?  

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help), February 26, 2019

Working together, for fun and fewer echoes

Thanks to the volunteers who showed up and worked hard on Saturday afternoon, we made fairly quick work of our project.   As you will see in the pictures below, we had a good crew, who divided themselves into teams to cut the fire-resistant, acoustically transparent fabric, fill the frames with rock-wool acoustic batts (also fire-proof), wrap the frames, attach hanging cleats to the backs, and then hang them on the wall-cleats.   Kurt and Tim had installed almost all the wall-cleats the day before.
Our crew included:  Patty & Kurt Giavara, Merry Shernock, John & Sue Morris, Mary List-Wheeler, Stephen Wright, Dana Dwinell-Yardley, Nancy Turner & Thomas Weiss!  Thanks to all of them.
I think that if you talk to any of these folks, they will tell you that it was fun as well as productive to work on a project like this–and we’ll be happy to have more of you readers join us on work-days like this in the future.  The Grange runs purely on volunteers working together–an enjoying it.  We even provide snacks, which you can see Merry setting out in the pictures below!

What’s the difference?

That’s what we want to know!  Now that we have about 1/3 of this wall covered with acoustically-absorbent panels, is there a change in the sound quality of the Hall?   
We’re hoping that this reduces the “reverb” of our notoriously “live” Main Hall.   We want to hear from people who use the Hall for a variety of purposes–dances, meetings, church services, singing, instrumental music, and more.   We’ll reach out to various regular users, and also want comments from everyone who uses the Hall.  Email Tim at grangepresident@capitalcitygrange.org , or Patty, at FCCGHVT@gmail.comand let us know how it sounds to you. 
We’ve got 6 more panels we can hang in the Hall, and we’re ready to build more, and hang them in other parts of the Hall if these do what we hope they will.
The Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall thank everyone who contributed to the fundraising campaigns which bought the materials, as well as the hard workers who built and hung the first phase of panels.

March Grange meeting:  join us on Saturday to help us plan ahead Our monthly meeting starts at 4:15 PM on Saturday–we get together to keep track of what we are doing, and to figure out ways of doing it better. 
We’ve got a number of good things happening right now, and we’ll be talking about them:

• Dance, Sing & Jump Around is the family dance for kids & their adults. The Grange decided to sponsor this dance as a Grange activity, and first session at our Hall happened on Feb. 10th.   About 40 dancers of all ages came to have fun!   This is around twice what they had at their original location in Plainfield.   More info at their website:  Dance Sing and Jump Around.  Come by and check out the live music, live calling and fun next time, on Sunday Mar. 10 from 3:00 to 4:30 PM!
• Kids Trade & Play, the clothing exchange for families continues to draw lots of kids and parents who are happy to come in out of the cold.   Stop by on Mar. 9th, from 9:30 to 11:30 AM to check out the offerings of gently-used clothing, toys and “gear” for kids.
• The Acoustic Panel project of the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall is reported on above; we’ll be interested to see if the Grange meeting and potluck are improved by the panels, as part of our evaluation of the project.
• Coming later in March, an Advanced Indian cooking workshop–see below for details

So we have quite a few things to be proud of, popular with lots of folks.   A small crew of dedicated volunteers keeps the whole enterprise running.  We think there is more that can be done!  We have room for more people who actively participate in the Grange, in the sense of developing community service projects, maintaining the Grange organization as a running entity, and managing the Hall. 
We’ll be revisiting these issues, and talking about how we can make real involvement in the Grange more attractive at our meeting on Saturday.  Do you have an idea for a project or community service you want to have happen?  We can help you–we have facilities, and a pool of interested people like you.
We’ll also be talking about ways to structure the Grange meetings themselves to make them more interesting for newcomers, how to allow more time for the interesting programs we like to have, and more.   Come and help us continue our quest to be a Grange in the 21st century!
Even if you can’t come to the meeting, send me your thoughts, ideas–and complaints.

If thinking about the cooking workshop makes you hungry, remember the Community Potluck at 6:00 after the meeting! Every month from September to June, we have an open potluck dinner, to which everyone is invited!  We start about 6:00 PM, and the variety of dishes people bring is wide:  green salads, local meats, Indian dals, vegetables, pasta salads and pasta main courses, chicken casseroles, soups, muffins, brownies, cider, sodas, breads and more have appeared–and disappeared!   Join us to socialize as well as consume, all are welcome! 

It’s time for the next Indian cooking workshop–March 24 Many of you will remember the cooking workshop that Delna Boyce taught last year.   The participants made Parathas, Pakoras, Green Herb Chutney, Aloo Gobi and Mango Lassi, and enjoyed both the cooking and the eating!
Delna has joined the Grange, and has offered to teach another workshop.  She is calling this “Advanced Traditional Indian Cooking”, and it will focus on making Chicken Biriyani, along with Kachumba salad/relish. 
The workshop will be from 2:00 to 5:00 on Sunday, March 24th, followed up by a shared dinner for the participants!
We can only accommodate 12 people for this workshop, so sign up soon to reserve your spot.   Send an email to Merry Shernock if you want to be on the list!  Suggested donation for this workshop is $20.   This will cover all the ingredients and supplies.   Come as singles, couples, multi-generational pairs or trios, but get in touch quickly! 
Those with dietary limitations note:   this workshop will include chicken, as you might guess, and also cashew nuts, raisins and dairy ingredients.