Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, President (with everyone’s help) for February 2, 2018
Grange meeting: Saturday Feb. 3rd, 4:30 PM: financial choices, projections for the future, and a presentation from Central VT SURJ
We’ve been working on more planning ahead for our Grange than we’ve done before–because it feels as if we have a strong future! The generosity of the people of Berlin, in exempting us from property tax until 2021 has let us achieve a positive cash-flow, so rather than try to scrape by, we can try to predict our needs. I’ll be presenting our expenses over the past several years, and some projected expenses that will come up over the next 1 year, 5 year and 10 year periods. We also have a request from the FCCGH for a significant contribution to the lower level renovation project. Help us evaluate how to balance our current needs, preventive maintenance and rainy day fund needs.
At about 5:30, we’ll get a presentation from Madeline Sharrow from Central VT SURJ. This local branch of a national movement is working with white people, who form, of course, the very large majority in our state, to help us all learn how we can support positive changes to the racist legacy of the past, to work toward a more equal future.
At about 5:30, we’ll get a presentation from Madeline Sharrow from Central VT SURJ. This local branch of a national movement is working with white people, who form, of course, the very large majority in our state, to help us all learn how we can support positive changes to the racist legacy of the past, to work toward a more equal future.
Community Potluck after our meeting, as usual!
At about 6:00, we’ll have a chance to chew over the meeting, and also the assortment of delicious dishes brought to share. Bring your favorite appetizer, main dish, snack, sauce, beverage, bread, spread or dessert treat–and watch it disappear. It’s a chance to chat with people you may already know, or may have always wanted to get to know, or didn’t know even lived around here! Please join us–like all Grange events, it’s open to all, and free!
Dance Saturday night and Sunday afternoon with David Kaynor!
Saturday: Well-known caller, dance organizer and community dance leader David Kaynor will call for the CDU dance from 8:00 to 11:00 on Saturday evening, after the Grange meeting and potluck, with friends George Wilson, Bill Olson and David Guertin providing great dancing music. We expect the usual crowd of dancers of all types! Sliding scale admission!
Sunday: David comes back to call a special community celebration dance! The Grange is hosting a special event to congratulate the residents of Weston’s Mobile Home Park, just south of the Grange Hall on Rt. 12, who have just formed a co-op and purchased the park! Assisted by Annik Paul and the Cooperative Development Institute, the park now belongs to the people who live there. They have come a long way since Tropical Storm Irene flooded the park in 2011–new mobile homes, plus some “tiny houses” now fill the 83-space park. On January 3rd, they became the 12th (out of 241 parks in VT) to be purchased by their residents, and run as a co-op. Read more in this Times-Argus article: https://www.timesargus.com/
We’ll have a cake with coffee, tea and refreshments starting at 1:30 PM, with the dancing beginning at 2:00 and going until 3:30. Music will be provided by members of the VT Fiddle Orchestra, which David Kaynor directs. All dances will be taught, and it’s a great opportunity to try out community social dancing. Bring your kids, your friends of all ages and help us celebrate this community milestone! And you can get home before dark! We are asking for a $5.00 donation from everyone except the Weston’s residents, to give some gas money to David and the VFO.
Sunday: David comes back to call a special community celebration dance! The Grange is hosting a special event to congratulate the residents of Weston’s Mobile Home Park, just south of the Grange Hall on Rt. 12, who have just formed a co-op and purchased the park! Assisted by Annik Paul and the Cooperative Development Institute, the park now belongs to the people who live there. They have come a long way since Tropical Storm Irene flooded the park in 2011–new mobile homes, plus some “tiny houses” now fill the 83-space park. On January 3rd, they became the 12th (out of 241 parks in VT) to be purchased by their residents, and run as a co-op. Read more in this Times-Argus article: https://www.timesargus.com/
We’ll have a cake with coffee, tea and refreshments starting at 1:30 PM, with the dancing beginning at 2:00 and going until 3:30. Music will be provided by members of the VT Fiddle Orchestra, which David Kaynor directs. All dances will be taught, and it’s a great opportunity to try out community social dancing. Bring your kids, your friends of all ages and help us celebrate this community milestone! And you can get home before dark! We are asking for a $5.00 donation from everyone except the Weston’s residents, to give some gas money to David and the VFO.
Watch the Grange Notes for more events:
- Baking workshop!
- Non-profit, community-based, fast internet!
- Baking contest!
- Project updates!
All coming up soon at your Community Grange!