Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help) December 15, 2025

We’ll be singing in the Grange on Saturday!
Come and join the chorus!

• Making and serving hot chocolate
  • One person to purchase milk, sugar & cocoa–we’ll pay for the ingredients, of course!
  • One person to bring up cups from downstairs, to mix up the hot chocolate, and to serve it when we take a break for refreshments.
  • One person to clean up, and to wash the cups when we’re done.
• One person to clean up the cookie-serving, wash plates, etc.
• One person to provide some craft-making for kids

December meeting report:  reviewing finances and rental rates, and more.

• We reviewed the study of the Grange’s finances conducted by the Executive Committee–many thanks to Patty Giavara for compiling the data.  While we’re basically healthy, constantly rising costs are starting to threaten our cashflow over the last couple of years.
• It’s been at least 10 years since we raised rental rates, even slightly.   The Executive Committee recommended a small increase, to compensate for the increased expenses for everything from heating fuel, to electricity, to snow-removal and repairs.
• The Executive Committee also discussed how important our long-term renters are for the mission of the Grange, and our desire to not over-burden the non-profit organizations that provide important services to, literally, thousands of Central Vermonters.  The proposal is to discuss with these groups how much they can manage pay, to help us financially, with the long-term goal always being to keep the Grange Hall an affordable home for so many cultural, religious and community service activities, as well as the local families who use the Hall.
• The meeting voted to adopt the recommendations of the Executive Committee:  for our Rental Agent to put in place slightly higher rates for new Hall renters, and to discuss with our valued, long-term renters how much they can contribute to keep us going.
• We also discussed the plans for purchasing some replacements for the metal folding chairs that we have used for decades.   Since we received a very generous donation from North Branch Grange, in honor of Charles Martin, specifically for padded chairs, I have been looking at choices for this type of chair.  We recruited volunteers for a committee to select chairs to buy samples of, so that we can get feedback on what combines comfort with affordable cost and best use of the storage space we have in the bins under the stage.   Stay tuned for developments!
• We also thanked Patty Giavara for donating a quarter-page ad in The World, the weekly newspaper in Central Vermont, and for putting together a great list of Grange-sponsored events in December.  You can see it here.  Over Patty’s objections, we voted to reimburse her for the $60 auction bid she made in a fund-raising raffle, which “won” the ad she then donated to us!

No dogs with rabies!  Just some dam fishy stories.

The “Community Program” following our brief Grange meeting on Dec. 6 was presented by Clark Amadon, President of the MadDog Chapter of Trout Unlimited.   The name comes with a geography reminder:   the Dog River and the Mad River are in adjoining valleys, and both flow north into the Winooski!   Trout Unlimited is a national organization, founded in 1959, that recognizes that if people want to fish, they need to protect the streams where the fish live.  This local chapter is particularly devoted to improving and maintaining the water quality of the watersheds for the two rivers, plus other streams in Northern Vermont and the Northeast Kingdom.
You can see the slide show which accompanied Clark’s presentation at this link on the Grange website.  There are pictures of tree-planting, dam removals, riverbank protection, “Trout in the Classroom” activities in schools, fly-fishing camps, and much more.   Check it out, and get involved if you can!
Their website also has information about this local chapter.

IAQ project update

The box shown on the left, an Iso-Aire RSH1000, is a ceiling-mounted air purifier–and we’re soon going to have one mounted on the ceiling in the Main Hall!   This unit is just part of the project.  It will filter the inside air through a HEPA 99.99% filter, and circulate the filtered air around the Hall.  The filter removes virtually all particles down to .3 microns–below the typical size of COVID-19 virus droplets.   This unit is a different version of the Iso-Aire RSF1000, which is located in the Lower Level.  It will replace the 4–“Room Air Filter Boxes” we’ve had hanging in the Hall, and will filter as much air as 2 of those, while running at only half-speed, and much more quietly.
As I write this, the unit is being shipped, with an ETA of Thursday, Dec. 18.   DOES ANYONE HAVE A 2-WHEEL OR 4-WHEEL DOLLY capable of holding 140 lbs., which we could borrow to transport the air-purifier from the delivery truck to the Hall?
We hope to get this unit hung within the next week.   The electricians will install a “smart outlet” in the ceiling, into which the unit can plug, early in January.
Meanwhile, the ERV is to be installed next week.   Peak Mechanical will be working in the attic and the Main Hall on Dec. 22-24, and we’ve been told that installation should be complete early in the week after Xmas!  This will provide fresh, outside air, filtered and warmed (if necessary), to supplement the filtration of the indoor air by the Iso-Aire unit.
Read on, in the article below, to find out how we’ve been able to make this project (and many others) happen, and how you can help.

Matching grant funding from the Friends!

Long-time readers won’t be surprised to be reminded that the Grange can’t accomplish projects like this Indoor Air Quality one without the backing of the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall.  We’re able to make this one, the overall cost of which is about $50,000, happen because the FCCGH applied for a grant to cover half the cost.  It actually took a few attempts to get the grant awarded.   The Friends can’t do it alone either–it’s thanks to the generosity of many supporters in the Grange community (members, Hall users, and more) that the Friends have also been able to raise the matching funds needed pay the other half of the project cost.
Right now, the FCCGH’s Fall Appeal is underway.   I’m pleased to report that the Treasurer thinks we are “on track” to make our fundraising goal for this campaign.  You can help us get there!   All the information on how to donate, including a PayPal link, is on the Donate page on the Grange’s website.  Just click that bright yellow link, and you’ll find the Paypal link, the postal address, and information on the many projects that have been accomplished by the Friends, the Grange, and our many supporters who have donated in the past.  There’s also a link to view the Fall Appeal letter we sent out.  Please join the other generous donors–any amount helps, and lets us know how important the Grange and the Hall are to you.

If you’ve borrowed 2 of our tables, PLEASE RETURN THEM

We’ve realized that we are missing 2 of the 30″ x 60″ folding tables that we store in the “Table Closet” in the Main Hall.  It’s easy to tell they’re ours:  each is labeled “Property of Capital City Grange” on the bottom.
We had to replace 2 “borrowed” tables that never came back in 2024, also–it cost us over $150.   We cannot afford to have items like this “walk away”!

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help) December 4, 2025

December 6 program:  preserving and improving Vermont’s streams and rivers

What’s the connection with mad dogs and trout?  Why does the VT Fish & Wildlife service say “fish grow on trees” and “mess is best”?   You can find out from the President of the Trout Unlimited “Mad Dog Chapter” by coming to the Dec. 6th program from 5:00 to 6:00.   Clark Amadon will introduce us to the work of this chapter, and the benefits their work brings to central Vermont.   This chapter’s been around since the mid-1980s, and they’ve taken part in numerous projects to improve watersheds in our area, as well as to promote responsible fishing.  If you’re interested in stream health, dam removal, women in fly fishing, or “trout in the classroom”, you can ask questions and learn about it at the Grange this Saturday.   Their website also has information about this local organization,part of a national Trout Unlimited which was formed in 1959.

And of course, there’s a potluck after the program!

Everyone’s invited to the Grange’s monthly “Community Potluck Dinner” starting at 6:00 PM, after the program!  As most of you probably know, we typically have a wide variety of dishes, both home-made and store-bought.   People bring their special casseroles, meat dishes, vegan dishes, bread and cheese, desserts, soups and more.   If you want to bring a bag of chips and hummus you picked up on the way, we’ll eat that too!   All completely free and open to the public, of course!

December meeting agenda:  reviewing finances and rental rates, IAQ project progress report, benefit success, and more.

• Discuss the Executive Committee’s suggested changes to rental rates, based on a review of our financial status.
• We’ll finalize plans for our annual Holiday Sing-Along on Dec. 20.
• We’ll hear about the progress toward installing an ERV in the attic, and an air purifier in the Main Hall.
• Discuss progress toward a policy for future exhibitions on the walls of the Main Hall.
• Hear about the ad which Patty Giavara placed in the “World” local paper about Grange events (you can see it here).
• How can we get some volunteers to help out with Red Cross Blood Drives on Jan. 16 and May 15?
• And we’ll talk about how to select new chairs for the Grange Hall!

Put it on your calendar for next Thursday!

It will be GAME NIGHT from 7:00 to 9:30 PM in the Lower Level of the Grange, so put it on your list of things to do.  A variety of board games will be available, or bring your favorites!   There will be people who want to try new games, people who like the old standards, and everyone will have fun!

And put this on your calendar for Dec. 20!

It’s our annual Holiday Sing-Along!  As we have in the past, we’ll have lyrics to a number of songs projected, and Grange Musician and song-leader Matt Nunnelly at the piano to accompany singing along!
We’ll have singing from 4:30 to 6:00 PM, with a FREE COMMUNITY POTLUCK to follow!
If you have songs that you’d like us to include, please reply to this newsletter with a good set of lyrics, so we can have them ready to go!

ERV:  electricians are on the job!

These boxes are “disconnects”, which will allow the ERV installers to connect the wiring for the duct heaters and the ERV, when they arrive in a couple of weeks!   Not shown is a sub-panel that had to be installed in the furnace room, to make space for the circuits required for the ERV to be installed in the attic, as well as the for the future project we plan for the Lower Level!
This project, and other Grange improvement projects are made possible by grants from the VT Arts Council and the State of Vermont, and the funds for matching donations that our generous community of Grange Hall users donates.   Those funds are managed by the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall, our 501(c)(3) non-profit “sister” organization.   Right now, the Friends is conducting a year-end appeal for donations that will support the next ERV installation, as mentioned above.   If you’d like to donate, please go to the “Donate” page on our website.  We appreciate all of the hundreds of people who donate to the FCCGH, including the “Challenge Fundraiser” every August as well as the annual Fall Appeal happening now!   We literally could not do these projects without all of you folks who give small and large donations, and knowing we have your support keeps us going.

Indivisible Calais thanks the Grange for a successful benefit!

We were pleased to hear that the contra dance benefit which the Grange co-sponsored was a rousing success!   Over 100 dancers donated a little over $3,000 to Indivisible Calais, all of which went to Migrant Justice, to help them defend the rights of migrant farmworkers in Vermont.   Besides the support of the Grange donating our venue, other donors covered the payments for the band, caller and sound.  This cooperative effort paid off well!  Thanks to all who came and donated!

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help) November 20, 2025

November 1st meeting:  reviewing finances, Red Cross blood drive plans, financial and rental discussion & State Grange meeting

As expected, we had plenty to talk about at our meeting.   We welcomed Brenda Rousselle, a former Master of the State Grange who visited our meeting, as part of her work as part of the State Grange executive committee.
  Red Cross Blood Drive:  The discussion of the upcoming Red Cross blood drive we are hosting on January 16th came up as we discussed health in general.  Treasurer and Rental Agent Merry Shernock has coordinated those in the past, but now has too many other commitments to continue.  For the short term, Tim Swartz will coordinate the next drive–but will be looking for others who would like to become part of this important community service.  See below for more specifics.
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Project:  this large project has gotten started, with the installation of 2 louvers on the South gable end of the Hall–over the original entrance.  See the picture above!  They’re not yet connected, but installation of the ERV will start in early December.
Replaced freeze-proof outdoor faucet:  Tim also reported that we had to replace the dripping outdoor faucet, before freezing weather arrived; that is complete, and the expenditure was approved.
Treasurer’s Report:  Merry reported on the current balances in Checking and Savings accounts, and asked for guidance on the CD which was to roll over on Nov. 14.   After discussion about our commitment (made in September 2024) to be willing to commit $3,000 to help the FCCGH complete the IAQ project, and the possible purchase of padded chairs for the Main Hall (with the help of a $3,000 donation given to us by North Branch Grange in memory of Charles Martin), we voted to ask her to hold on to $5,000 from the CD, and to use her discretion to roll the remainder over to a new 9 to 12 month CD.
Rental and cash-flow report:   Merry also reported that bills have been increasing steadily–for supplies, utilities, and especially our building and liability insurance.  We will also be seeing increases in our electrical bill, once the ERV and air purifier are installed.   She noted that our rental rates have not been raised for over 10 years.  Our rates for our Hall are relatively inexpensive compared to other venues in the area.   After discussion, the meeting agreed it would be appropriate for the Grange’s Executive Committee to meet to discuss the anticipated budget and rental rates, and to make recommendations to a full Grange meeting, to be voted on.
 Holiday Sing-Along:  We also decided on a date for the annual sing-along we have hosted for many years:  Saturday, Dec. 20, starting at 4:00.  Our Grange Musician, Matt Nunnelly will lead and accompany from the piano; we’ll project lyrics on the screen so that we’ll all be singing the same words!  There will be snacks and hot cocoa, and we’ll put on a potluck dinner after the singing, starting at 6:00.
State Grange Annual Session:  As reported in the last Grange Notes, our hosting was applauded and appreciated!
At our November meeting, Tim reported on the decisions made at the State Session.  One which will affect us is the decision that all Community Granges must take part in presenting at least one of the “4 Degrees” of Community Grange membership each year, as a way of reinforcing the tradition of Grange ritual.  We can join up with another Grange to make it easier to do these; we’ll be talking about how to implement that.  If anyone wants to learn more about the Degrees, email Tim.

This Friday:  a benefit contra dance!

• Peter McFarlane, on fiddle, mandolin and low whistles, who also directs the VT Fiddle Orchestra which rehearses at our Hall every Wednesday evening.  Peter also builds cedar-strip canoes, and co-founded the Champlain Valley Scottish Fiddle Club.  He also plays with the Frost and Fire band.
• Viveka Fox, on fiddle, plus djembe and bodhran percussion, and also runs the VT Fencing Alliance.  She’s played North American, Scottish and Irish music from childhood; she’s also part of Frost and Fire.
• Rick Klein, on guitar, provides the powerful rhythm that combines with the great music to keep dancers dancing to the beats.   Rick is also a woodworker and is a licensed skipper, as well as a Nordic ski racer.

December 6 program:  preserving and improving Vermont’s streams and rivers

After a brief December Grange meeting, at 5:00 PM we’ll have a program about Trout Unlimited, presented by Clark Amadon, president of the Mad Dog chapter.   This chapter is named after the two rivers in adjoining valleys. They’re not focused just on fishing, but on the well-being of the fish and the watersheds–their motto is “Take care of the fish, and the fishing will take care of itself”.  They’ve partnered with the Friends of the Winooski River and the VT Dept. of Environmental Conservation to remove dams on local streams, and held workshops on stream health, as well as on introducing women to fly fishing.   You can find out more about them on their website–and by coming to the Dec. 6 program!

Blood Drive at the Grange:  Jan. 16
Volunteers needed!

In the previous Grange Notes, I appealed for someone to take on the role of Grange coordinator for Red Cross Blood Drives.   So far, I’m the only one; I’m willing to take on this role for our next scheduled one, on Friday, Jan. 16 from 10:30 to 3:00.   Now, I’m looking for volunteers to welcome donors at the door, and to take on tasks like cleaning the donor beds, and distributing snacks and beverages to donors.   We’ll provide training, of course.   To sign up, Please get in touch with Tim Swartz by clicking this email link!  This work can not only help the Grange in its community service mission, but also can literally save lives!
To sign up to donate blood, click this link, click “See Times” on the page that comes up, and choose what works for you.  There’s lots of information about donating on the Red Cross Blood website.

Closing Sunday, Nov.30
Peter Schumann art show

Since August 21, we’ve had a display of prints and posters made by Peter Schumann, the director of Bread & Puppet, their Resurrection Circus, museum and their puppets which Vermonters know from many parades and celebrations.  This exhibit will be taken down on Sunday, Nov. 30.   If you haven’t seen it, please stop by before then.

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help) October 30, 2025

November 1st meeting:  heading toward winter, ERV project progress, and more

If you want to hear more about the VSG session and what we all decided, I’ll be giving a more full report at the meeting.  The Grange meeting starts at 4:30 PM, and we’ll close up and head downstairs for the Grange Community Potluck at 6:00 PM, as usual.
We’ll be holding this meeting using the Grange rituals we’ve modified for the opening and closing of the meeting, and for the sequence of the various reports and discussions as laid out in the Grange Manual.  We’ll have a “visiting dignitary” with us, Brenda Rousselle of the State Grange Executive Committee.  We know Brenda well–she’s a former State Master who has come to our Hall to work on clean-up days, has advised us on modifying our ritual, and been part of authorizing construction loans for our large projects.   She’ll be interested in how our ritual work happens, and also in the way we work together to make decisions about our Grange and its future.
I will also be giving a report on the beginning of the construction phase of our Indoor Air Quality improvement project, which got underway on Tuesday, 10/28.   And we’ll be discussing the impact on our costs of the improvements, which will add to our electric bill, while improving the air quality for all users of the Main Hall.

VT State Grange–Annual Session
at the Capital City Grange Hall

About 45 Grange members from all parts of Vermont gathered in our Hall on Friday and Saturday to do the business of the Grange, and to look to the future of the “Order of the Patrons of Husbandry”, the official name of the organization.  Our Grange and the volunteers who signed up to set up the Hall, feed the VSG attendees and to clean up the Hall did a great job, and received many expressions of thanks for a well-maintained Hall and very tasty meals.
Meals were planned by our volunteer chef, Grange member Albert Sabatini, who planned the menus along with Merry Shernock, and oversaw all the prep work, cooking and serving, along with other volunteers.   Merry located almost all the ingredients, mostly from local producers, and picked up many of them herself, from local farms.  She also helped Susan Reid and Albert with preparation and pre-cooking on Thursday before the Friday & Saturday meetings.  We had help with lunches on both days, and dinner on Fridays from:  Jacinthe Pellerin, Erin Barry, Liz Benjamin, Alison Forrest, Betty Copeland, Patty Giavara, Jessica & Melody Falker, Ellen Holmes-Henry, Sue Morris, Susan McKenney, and Amy Handy.  On Thursday evening, Kurt and Patty Giavara helped me and 8 VSG members to set up the Hall, and Patty helped me clean up late on Saturday afternoon.  As always, we can’t do this work without volunteers!

State Grange:  grocery donations

For the State Grange Annual Session, all the Community and Pomona Granges that came were asked to bring donations of non-perishable grocery items, for donation to a local food shelf.   I was able to take 265 pounds to the Capstone Community Action Food Shelf in Barre on Monday.  See the photo at left for the pile of boxes and bags.  They were very appreciative, and said that a big donation like this is especially timely, since the federal government funding for SNAP benefits (formerly Food Stamps, as you probably know) is expected to be cut on Nov. 1.   Capstone has a food shelf which is open 5 days a week, and provides produce, breads, grocery items, frozen foods, and more, for people in Central Vermont.   There’s  more information on this page of their website.
The State Grange always has a charitable donation drive during State Session, as part of the Grange’s commitment to improving the lives of everyone in the community.  It was an honor to be able to help that happen this year.

Grange seeks someone who wants an important project

If you’re looking for an opportunity to make a positive difference in our community, the Grange would love to find someone who can help us put on Red Cross blood drives in 2026.   Our previous organizer has moved on to other work, so we’re looking for someone to be our liaison with the Red Cross folks, to help with publicity, and generally coordinate the drives–scheduled for Jan. 16 and May 15, 2026.  Please get in touch with Tim Swartz by clicking this email link!  This work can not only help the Grange in its community service mission, but also can literally save lives!

Coming up in November:  a benefit contra dance

The Grange is sponsoring a benefit contra dance, which Indivisible Calais is putting on as a benefit for Migrant Justice.  Details are on the poster below.   We decided to be a co-sponsor because we have known about the positive work that Migrant Justice does to promote economic justice and human rights for the undocumented workers who help keep Vermont’s dairy industry going. We have had two presentations by the group since their founding in 2009; some of us have taken part in their efforts to get Hannaford’s Supermarkets to sign on to their “Milk with Dignity” program.  You can learn more at migrantjustice.net.  And put the dance on your calendars!

Next Grange Program: Dec. 6th

The next public program, at the next Grange meeting in an even-numbered month will feature a presentation by the local chapter of Trout Unlimited, the conservation group that works to restore streams, rivers and brooks to natural conditions, for the benefit of the fish–and all the other species on which the fish depend.  One of their important projects is removing dams on local streams; they have partnered with the Friends of the Winooski River and the VT Dept. of Environmental Conservation.  The local chapter, named after the Mad River and the Dog River, has been holding meetings at the Grange Hall for years.

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help) October 9, 2025

Help us give the State Grange a great time
at our Hall on Oct. 24 & 25!

1. Friday lunch set up and service:  10:30 AM to 12:30 PM–2 volunteers needed.
2. Friday lunch cleanup:  12:30 to 1:30 PM–2 volunteers needed.
3. Friday dinner set up and service:  4:00 to 6:30 PM–1 volunteer needed.
4. Friday dinner cleanup:  6:30 PM to 7:30 PM–2 volunteers needed.

State Grange note:  helping us with construction financing!

I’m pleased to pass on the news that the State Grange is greatly helping us with our current Grange Hall improvement project, by providing us with a loan to finance the installation of an Energy Recovery Ventilator system to bring in fresh air to the Main Hall, plus a commercial, and very quiet air purifier.   We’ve been awarded a grant from the VT Arts Council and the State of Vermont which will pay 50% of the cost–but as usual, we won’t receive the grant until the project is completed.   The no-interest loan from the VSG will allow us to pay the contractors; we’ll repay the loan with the grant proceeds.   We greatly appreciate the help!

October 4 meeting program

As discussed in the recent Grange Notes, we had a fascinating program put on by the group that campaigned to get “natural burial” made legal in Vermont, and which now operates the Vermont Forest Cemetery in Roxbury.   The program started with a showing of a documentary film called:  From Earth to Earth:  the Lost Art of Dying in America.  Produced by film students from Ithaca College, this film is currently being shown at film festivals, and has already won awards.
We did ha

ve some technical problems at the beginning of the film, despite a trial run, but I hope that it was visible and audible to the people who tuned in virtually.   The audience in the Grange Hall had to listen carefully due to low sound levels, but still were transfixed.  The film shows footage about natural burial at a couple of other cemeteries as well as showing the first burial at the VT Forest Cemetery, in fall of 2023.  There were also interviews with spouses and family members of those who have chosen this burial method.   It was touching and emotionally gripping, as well as being informative.
The film was followed by a Q&A session with Jim Hogle, who is President of the VT Forest Cemetery.  His daughter, Michele Hogle Acciavatti, founder of VT Forest Cemetery, was scheduled to do so, but was busy with a professional event.  Jim, who has been touring with the film, turned out to be a very well-informed and thoughtful speaker, who answered many questions from the 30 or so attendees.   He, plus Michelle (who arrived during the Q&A) and a couple of other people involved in the project stayed for the potluck dinner afterward.
If you were at the presentation, you heard that there will be an Open House at the VT Forest Cemetery this coming Saturday, Oct. 11th, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM.  It will celebrate the 2nd anniversary of the opening of the VFC.  There will be music, art, poetry and presentations; you can learn more at the VT Forest Cemetery’s website, which also was the source of the photo.

Next Grange Program:  Dec. 6th

The next public program, at the next Grange meeting in an even-numbered month will feature a presentation by the local chapter of Trout Unlimited, the conservation group that works to restore streams, rivers and brooks to natural conditions, for the benefit of the fish–and all the other species on which the fish depend.  The local chapter, named after the Mad River and the Dog River, has been holding meetings at the Grange Hall for years!   They will also be presenting Dog River Day on the Common in Northfield, on Saturday, Oct. 18 from noon to 3:00 PM.  The afternoon will feature walks along the Dog River, and more, put it on your calendar–and we look forward to seeing you on Dec. 6th as well!