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Summertime potluck: food, fun and fundraiser

August 19, 2024 by Tova

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help) Sunday August 18, 2024

The Montpelier Senior Jazz Ensemble played for our barbecue/potluck/picnic, on the ADA Entrance Porch!

 We dodged the rainstorms
for an excellent picnic!

After watching the rain storms come and go during the week before our scheduled outdoor meal on August 3rd, we were pleased to be able to hold it without a drop falling!  A good-sized crowd (estimated at 50-70) brought tasty dishes of all types to share, and enjoyed the burgers, hot dogs and vegan burgers we cooked and served–and the ice cream cones!   We had music played by the Montpelier Senior Jazz Ensemble–but we let them stop playing so they could eat too.   We had some burgers & hot dogs left over, which Patty Giavara took to Another Way in Montpelier, so they certainly didn’t go to waste.  Many thanks to me and Kurt and Patty Giavara for cooking on the grills, plus the group of volunteers who washed up all the dishes after the dinner, and helped to put away tables, chairs and leftovers!
Patty, who is also Chair of the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall also made the pinwheel/fan tote board shown in the picture below, for the kick-off of the annual Challenge Fundraiser.   The “fans” represent the fresh/outdoor air ventilation that we plan as the next major project to improve our beloved Grange Hall.    This fundraiser is sponsored by the Friends and the Montpelier Contra Dance, which has been a major part of supporting the FCCGH and the Grange for many years.   To see a list of the major projects (and to find the PayPal donation button where you can chip in), check out the Donate page on the Grange website!
Why do we call it the “Challenge” fundraiser?  Because 9 or 10 extra-generous donors from the contra dance community stepped up before the picnic to pledge $2,000, as a Challenge to the rest of the dancers (and all Grange Hall users) to match that starting boost to the campaign.  As you can see on the tote-board, we’re making progress, with the fundraiser scheduled to finish up at the Aug. 31 Montpelier Contra Dance.  For that, we’ll decorate the Hall with lights, and supply ice cream at the break in the dance!    As always, the MCD does not raise the admission price for this festive dance, we just ask those who can to chip in for the Grange Hall.
All the photos of the picnic were taken by Jonathon Blake, many thanks for these great records of the event.

Grillers and eaters combine with great summer weather to celebrate the Grange

Volunteers hold a dishwashing party after dinner!
We use the Grange’s vintage dishes/plates/glasses for our dinners, so we don’t have to throw away lots of disposables–the people who pitch in make the difference.

Help us match the Challenge!
Help us improve indoor air quality!

The money we raise from Grange Hall users–including the contra dance community–will be used to match a grant we’re applying for.   The “Recreational Facilities” grant is funded by the Legislature, and is designed to help community facilities that help people keep moving and having fun with physical activities.
The outdoor air ventilation system we’ve gotten quoted is designed to
  • Provide fresh air to the Main Hall, even when it’s too cold to open the windows.
  • Provide filtered outside air (when Canadian wildfires are sending smoke our way, and when pollen counts are high)
          Want more info?   Contact me or Patty!

September 7 Grange meeting:  elections and visitors!

Our monthly meetings resume on the first Saturday of September, at 4:30 PM–put it on your calendar!
Elections:  As in every even-numbered year, 2024 is a Grange Election year, for all levels of the organization.   We have some vacancies in the officers of our Grange–and some of us who have been officers for many years would love to have others take on some of our responsibilities!  I will be very happy to share information about what the various duties are, just get in touch!   We have a cooperative and supportive group of active members, and we are able to come to consensus on most matters.  We’d love to get more diverse input!
Visitors:  I’ve been contacted by some of the members from Caledonia #9 Grange, located in East Hardwick.   They are considering ways to make their meetings more open to new folks, and want to see the simplified Grange Meeting Ritual we adopted in 2009 in action.   At that time, we dispensed with having members give the password, and also reduced some of the time spent on repeating rituals.  We retained the clear meeting structure for keeping informed about what’s going on, and considering ways to better serve our members and the community.  We look forward to hearing what the “Caldedonians” think!
We’ll also be finalizing plans for the VT State Grange Annual Session, which will be held at our Hall on Oct. 25 & 26.   Our meal-planning subcommittee will be reporting on plans for providing lunches and dinners on both days–delegates will be paying, and we’ll be cooking and serving the meals in the Lower Level!
Please join us for this first meeting of the Fall, and for the Community Potluck afterward, from 6:00 to 7:00 in the Lower Level!

Parkapalooza at CCG

With the wet weather of the last couple of summers, the Parkapalooza concert series has arranged with us that the Capital City Grange will be their rainy-night back-up venue.   They came to us after the July 2023 floods to set this up with us–and it finally happened on Aug. 8th of this year!    The photo above shows Red Hot Juba performing on our stage that evening.   They said the venue was great, the parking excellent, the setup straightforward, the music was rocking, and catered food was served on the ADA entrance porch.  The only feature we couldn’t provide was the giant Slip ‘n’ Slide that usually accompanies the concerts in Hubbard Park.  Their only disappointment was that not very many people showed up.   Two of those who did make it were Patty and Kurt Giavara; Patty took the picture shown here.
We are credited as one of the “Presenting Sponsors” for the series, and are happy to make it possible for the music to go on, even if the weather isn’t cooperative.    There’s one more concert left this summer, on Aug. 22, at 6 PM at the Tuning Forks outdoor stage near the Old Shelter in Hubbard Park in Montpelier–or if it rains, at the Grange Hall!   Check out all the info at the Parkapalooza website!

Mysteries at the Grange Hall

Every now and then, some strange things happen.   There have been three, recently:
  1. Batteries:  About a month ago, I got a call about 9:00 PM from a renter who was unable to lock up one of the Grange doors, though the code we had given them worked perfectly on the other one.  From their description, I figured out that the batteries in the lock must have died.   I drove to the Grange, confirmed my diagnosis, and went down to the Lower Level, where, last year, I had stored a 20-pack of AA batteries for the door locks and the battery clocks.   Imagine my surprise when the entire package was gone!  I scrambled to get to the one convenience store in Montpelier that was open at nearly 10 PM (as it had gotten to be).   I bought 4 expensive batteries and got the lock working again.   Does anyone have any idea how those batteries disappeared?
  2. Fire extinguisher:  About 2 weeks ago, I found one of our fire extinguishers lying on the ground outside the Hall–completely discharged.  There was no sign of any fire or the powder from the fire extinguisher–inside or outside the Hall.   I am getting the extinguisher re-charged, which at least is not toooooo expensive.   Does anyone have any idea when or how the fire extinguisher was taken from its bracket at the bottom of the fire stairs, discharged, and left?
  3. Tables:  At our Aug. 3 picnic (reported on above), we found that we only had 5 of the 7 tables we have stored in the Table Closet in the Main Hall.   Luckily, a couple of Grange members were able to bring their own tables to provide space for the many people who joined us for the outdoor picnic.   Has anyone “borrowed” those 2 tables?
        I would be very interested to find out the answers to any of these mysteries…none of them really bad things, but all ones that I would like to avoid in the future.  All replies will be kept anonymous!

Filed Under: Grange Notes

Barbecue potluck feast this Saturday!

July 30, 2024 by Tova

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help) July 29, 2024

Coming up on Saturday:
barbecue/potluck/picnic

Every year, we host an outdoor meal at the Grange, to enjoy our Grange Hall together and share some tasty summertime foods.   So far, the weather has cooperated!  This year, our social feasting is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 3rd., with dinner starting at 6:00 PM.   And if the weather doesn’t cooperate, we’ll have move the feast indoors, so you can put it on your calendar in ink.
The Grange will supply barbecuing foods:  burgers (beef and vegan) and hot dogs, plus buns and condiments–and also ice cream and cones!   You’ll be glad to know that those will not be grilled… We’ll have a couple of grills and cooks, and a separate burner for the vegan burgers.   We ask attendees to bring a side-dish to share–salads, veggies, chips ‘n’ dips, breads and cheeses, watermelon or whatever you want to share.  The Montpelier Senior Jazz Ensemble will be playing jazz standards for your entertainment.
We’ll be doing setup of chairs, tables and the Grange’s vintage plates, forks, knives and spoons, starting by 5:00 pm, and we’d love to have some help!   Please email swartztim15@gmail.com if you can pitch in.  We’ll also need some cleanup & dishwashing help after the meal!
At this dinner, we’ll also be kicking off our Challenge Fundraiser, when–along with the Montpelier Contra Dance–we challenge the dance and Grange community to match pledges by some generous donors.   The goal is to raise money for major projects to improve our beloved Grange Hall, working with the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall.  This year, we plan to work on getting some fresh-air ventilation for the Hall, to improve air quality and reduce CO2 levels all year ’round.  We hope you will donate to this fundraiser, which will run through August, and culminate at the Aug. 31st Montpelier Contra Dance as we try to match $2,000 already pledged by “challengers” who want to help the Grange Hall get even better.
You can get a jump-start on the fund-raiser, by clicking on the Donate button at the bottom of the Donate page on the Grange website! Below see happy picnickers at the 2023 barbecue!   Let’s hope for equally good weather!

Sweating together, we filled in the holes

In the most recent Grange Notes, I reported on the erosion of the top of the driveway from the July 10 rainstorms (see the top picture below).  Today, I want to celebrate how much difference just a couple of volunteers can make.  Soon after I appealed for  help repairing the top of the driveway on July 12, I got offers of help from Joe Blakely and Carl Etnier, and their help made all the difference–it was a lot more work than I wanted to take on.  We also got a remarkably fast gravel delivery–more on that below.
The pictures below will tell a lot of the story.  We started on Sunday afternoon about 1:30–not ideal as far as avoiding the hot, muggy weather!  But Joe, Carl and I kept drinking lots of water, and taking breaks as needed; we rebuilt a couple of waterbars on the driveway on the Rt. 12 side, dug out the silt trap for the culvert, and filled the big eroded hole.

At the end of a couple of hours on Sunday, we realized we really needed some more gravel, to make it possible to flatten out the sideways slope of the top of the driveway.   I got in touch with Matt Dwire, who has been keeping our parking lot and driveway in good shape for quite a few years–and was surprised when he was able to deliver a couple of cubic yards of gravel on Sunday evening!  I’m sure he’s busy with the aftermath of the July 10 downpours.
On Monday morning, Joe Blakely was able to come over again, joining me at short notice, and between us we spread the new gravel out, reducing the steepness to reduce further erosion.   It’s impressive what a couple of volunteers can do to make a difference.  Joe has since done a bunch of pruning on the driveway.   If you want to be on a list to help out  with jobs like these, please let me know!

 

 

Dancing at the Vermont Grange Center

I’m pleased to report that fun was had on

July 18, when our Grange sponsored a dance event for the campers and staff at the Junior Grange camp, held

at the State Grange Center in Brookfield.   Below, you can see the range of ages–from 6 upward.  We really appreciate caller Erin Smith, and the North Branch Trio (in the bottom photo), consisting of Grant Ornstein, Susan Reid and Kenric Kite, who provided the music.

Would you like to put your mouth
where our money is?

This cover story from the Vermont Community Loan Fund Summer Newsletter makes our mouths water–and even more so because we’re supporters!   The Capital City Grange, like all responsible organizations, maintains a “rainy day fund”.  While we hope the need never arises, it’s prudent to have some money we can call on if, for example, a windstorm blows off part of the roof, or some other sudden need pops up.  Some of our funds are in a CD, and part of our rainy day fund is invested in the Vermont Community Loan Fund, which lends to non-profits, small businesses (including pizza bakers), child care facilities, affordable housing, food co-ops and many more organizations.  We earn an interest payment, and we would be able to withdraw the investment if we needed the money.  We believe this investment matches the Grange’s values as a supporter of local economies and institutions.   If you want to learn more about the VCLF, you can check out the whole newsletter at this link, or their website:  investinvermont.org.

Filed Under: Grange Notes

The Grange Hall is fine after the rain, but…

July 24, 2024 by Tova

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help) July 12, 2024

Our hearts are with the many people who are struggling with the aftermath of the “anniversary storm”

Like many others, this weeks torrential rains brought hard memories from the floods of July 10-11, 2023.  This year, the worst of the rain seems to have dodged the Montpelier area, instead hitting nearby communities including Plainfield, Barre, Waterbury and many more.   We know that many people have flooded basements–again–and/or are cut off by washed out roads–again.   I’m sure that some of the regular readers of the Grange Notes are busy digging out their homes–or helping their friends and neighbors dig out and dry out.
If you have a little extra energy that’s not absorbed in these sorts of jobs, please consider a smaller clean-up job that needs to be done at the Grange Hall.  As you’ll see in the photos below, we’ve got some erosion of the driveway at the top (though the rest of the driveway is in fine shape!), and a very filled-up silt trap.  The silt trap was built by long-time Hall maintainer, Lewis Neill, when he single-handedly installed a new culvert under the driveway in 2011–when he was “only” about 80 years old.   Lewis is now living in a nursing home, but I’m sure he’d like to be helping to dig someone out if he could!
I’m willing to do some of the work, but I’m not as vigorous as Lewis was–and I’m only 73!   I’d like to have some help, perhaps this Sunday afternoon (July 14), to dig out the silt trap, fill in the eroded hole, and re-establish some of the water bars that used to direct runoff away from the driveway.  I can bring a wheelbarrow and a couple of shovels, and we have one (lightweight) wheelbarrow in the attic of the Grange Hall.   Is there anyone out there with a little time and energy to join me?  Please send me an email–the usual swartztim15@gmail.com and let me know.
Of course, this sort of repair work should take a back seat to helping your friends and neighbors to recover from the flooding.  Take care of them first!

Our next big social event:
Picnic/barbecue/potluck in August!

Last year, we attracted around 80 or 100 people to our potluck–a really popular event.  We are getting the word out, to match that again!  Check out the photo below to see some of the crowd.  It’s a great way to expose people to the Grange as an active and friendly community organization, and to make personal connections.
As we did last year, we’ll provide burgers, hot dogs and bean burgers, a couple of grills on which to cook them, and condiments to put on the dogs ‘n’ burgers.  We’re also planning to buy ice cream and cones!   We will count on you to bring other tasty dishes and “sides”–chips, salads, cookies, other desserts, bread, cheese–or whatever you would like to share!
We expect to use all our folding tables–so if you have one or two more you can bring, that would be great!  We’ll also need some people to help set up tables and folding chairs outside, bring up plates/bowls/cups/etc., and of course for washing dishes afterward.
We’ll also be announcing the beginning of the annual “Challenge Fundraiser”, in which the Grange community of members and friends, especially the  Montpelier Contra Dance, raise money for the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall (FCCGH).   The Friends are currently raising money to use to match some “Congressionally Directed Spending” that Senator Bernie Sanders has included in an appropriations request, to help the Grange add some fresh air ventilation to our Grange Hall.   This will be a big project–and one which will make the Hall more comfortable and cleaner.   Reply to this email to learn more!  And be prepared to donate to this fundraiser, which will run through August, and culminate at the Aug. 31st Montpelier Contra Dance as we try to match $2,000 already pledged by “challengers” who want to help the Grange Hall get even better.
You can get a jump-start on the fund-raiser, by clicking on the Donate button at the bottom of the Donate page on the Grange website!

Getting physical with chair choices

 As described in the last Grange Notes, we’re considering purchasing new folding chairs for the Grange Hall.  The need is based on many years of hearing complaints about the metal folding chairs being cold–especially during winter–and not very comfortable, combined with continued breakage of the cross-bars on the chair frames.   I’ve had quite a few of those welded back in place–and have then had to spray primer and paint on the repairs, which never blend in with the original color.  Many of us have felt that having more comfortable and nicer-looking chairs would add to our attractiveness as a place for meetings, conferences, memorial services and other events where participants spend time sitting in groups.
At this point, we have samples of 3 types of chairs, as shown in the first photo.   Evaluation sheets on clipboards have shown some mixed feelings about each of them.   I received a recommendation for another type of chair from Grange Hall users that used the “FlexOne” chairs at a CDSS dance camp, and I have now ordered a sample of one of those, and another chair made by the same company.  I hope to have these available for “test-sitting” by the Aug. 3 Barbecue Picnic, and we’ll be looking for opinions to be expressed about all of the chair types!  The evaluation sheets ask about specific features–like ease of folding, seat height, seat width, sturdiness, etc.  Please fill these sheets out, and the responses will help us to make a decision whether to buy one of these.
Please note that we could also decide not to purchase new chairs–enough for the upstairs Main Hall could cost from about $3,000 to $6,500, so this is a big decision.   We will be considering long-term durability, comfort and warranty as we discuss these choices at our Sept. 7 meeting.
A couple of notes:  the idea of buying 2 or 3 types of chairs has come up:  unfortunately, that will significantly increase costs (much less quantity discount), and will make stacking the chairs in the storage bins much messier, as all types stack differently.   Color choices are likely to be quite limited.  Also, we know that no one chair will be the best for everybody.  This will not be an easy decision!

Tomorrow:  Kids Trade & Play
at the Grange Hall!

Every now and then, we remind you about great regular events that our Grange sponsors.    Tomorrow is one of those–the monthly kids and family clothing exchange, from 9:30 to 11:30 AM on every 2nd Saturday.  We usually get over 100 people in and out of the Lower Level–kids and their parents/grandparents/caregivers.  They pick from the many bins of inspected, sorted by size clothes for kids from infant to Junior 10-12 size, plus some women’s and maternity clothes, and games, and toys and some “gear” for families.   Organizer (and Grange member) Erin Barry asks for a $5 donation per family, if attendees have it, to cover expenses–but no one is ever turned away.  Families are welcome to take all that they can use.  I have the fun of sitting at the Welcome table, and hearing how many people appreciate this group and the work they do to keep kids clothing very affordable, and out of the landfill.
This week, we will especially welcome families who lost clothing and other items in the floods earlier this week.  Please spread the word that we are here to give things away!
Erin is always happy to have more volunteers to help do setup, sort and inspect donated clothes during the event, and clean up afterward.   Email her to arrange to help, or show up tomorrow!

Come to camp and dance with the kids:
Next Thursday, July 18!

In past years, our Grange has sponsored dancing at the VT State Grange’s Fall Festival, held at the VT Grange Center in Brookfield.  This year, we’ve been asked to put on a dance for young Grangers from across the state, at the Grange Junior Camp, on the evening of July 18, next week, 7-8:30 PM.
We’ve been able to recruit a caller who loves to call for kids, Erin Smith (see below, left), plus the North Branch Trio to play.  The trio is led by Susan Reid, a long-time central Vermont fiddle stalwart (below, center), Kenric Kite, another local fiddle (below, right), plus Grant Ornstein on guitar (no photo available).
It will really help if we can get a few more folks to join us to dance with the kids–who range from 6 to 15 in age, and likely don’t have much experience.   If you’ve been to our cold-season family dances–Dance, Sing and Jump Around–you know that dancing with kids is energetic, fun and full of smiles.  You don’t need to be an expert, just willing to listen to the caller, and help the kids enjoy moving to the music!   It won’t be a “contra dance”, but will involve simple dance figures that are easy to learn.   Questions?  Please get in touch by replying to this newsletter or emailing Tim Swartz at swartztim15@gmail.com.   Or you can just show up at the VT Grange Center, 308 West St., Brookfield VT  05036.

 

Filed Under: Grange Notes

Singing our way into June & what to sit on at the Grange

June 22, 2024 by Tova

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help) June 21, 2024

June Grange meeting report

Our brief Grange meeting before the Barre-Tones and the Singalong was dominated by talking about chairs.  The blue chair shown in the photo was tried out by many people, and reactions were mixed.   Factors like sturdiness, long-term durability, seat height, back support, and of course color were discussed.
Based on the criticisms of the blue chair, I have ordered (and just received) the “burgundy” chair in the other photo below, which I selected as a more sturdy alternative–albeit at a bit over twice the price per chair.   I was surprised to find that the company shipped a box with 4 chairs, after charging me for one, so we can have 4 people at a time try this one.   I have delivered them to the Grange Hall, with 2 clipboards (one for each type) with forms asking for feedback on specific features that people like or don’t like.  This will help the Grange decide what chairs we might like to purchase.   It will be a large dollar figure (about $2,600 to $4,600 for 130 chairs for the Main Hall), so we will not be rushing into this decision!
Based on early feedback, I expect to order at least one other type of chair for people to test and react to.  Stay tuned!
When we next meet to discuss this possible purchase, to upgrade our Hall’s comfort and attractiveness, I will publicize it to get people to come and have a group discussion–stay tuned, and in the meantime check out the samples, think about the chairs, and fill out the reaction sheets on the clipboards with the chairs.

After the meeting–singing and potluck!

Starting at 5:00, we got entertainment and singing practice with the Barre-Tones!   They arrived before 4:00, and rehearsed downstairs while we were meeting.   When it was time for the Program, the 12 members assembled in front of the stage, and launched into their first song:  Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, sung of course in 4-part harmony.   They explained their mission, as part of an international non-profit organization (Harmony, Inc.) whose purpose is to empower women through education, friendship and acapella singing in the “barbershop” style.
In the next section, they demonstrated how a song arrangement is “built” with close chord structure in 4 harmony parts.   Successively, one singer sang the lead or melody line, then added a Bass line (always lower than the melody), a Tenor line (always higher), then a Baritone line which can be higher or lower–adding the “sparkle” to the sound.  Each of these lines was sung solo, then along with the previous lines–it was a great demonstration of the reasons barbershop harmony sounds so rich and so distinctive.
Then, the chorus did their best to teach the audience how to sing barbershop, teaching individual parts of a “barbershop tag”–a dramatic variation put in the last line of a song.   They demonstrated and then had us all sing 4 different harmonies, and then encouraged us all to choose one and sing them together.   We have some great singers in our Grange, which counterbalanced my (and perhaps others’) lack of skill–the Barre-Tones were impressed with the overall sound.
Next, we heard about the regional contest in April, in which they qualified to take part in an international contest to be held in Louisville, KY in November!  They also achieved the highest score of any “small chorus” in the contest.  They sang one of the songs they performed there:  “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows”.  They encourage any women who enjoy singing to get in touch at the Contact tab on their website, or come to their weekly rehearsals at the Grange Hall, Mondays from 6:30 to 8:00 PM to come and sing with them!
To finish up, we got a mini-concert of 4 more songs–and were encouraged to join in especially on the choruses:   “San Francisco Blues”, “Bare Necessities”, “Orange-Colored Sky” and “God Bless America”.   Then we re-grouped, with the Barre-Tones members sitting with the Grangers, and sang several more “sing-along” songs led by Grange Musician Matt Nunnelly.   With the reinforcement of the singers from the chorus, it was a powerful sound!  We thank them for their presentation and their enthusiasm for the Grange Hall and for singing.
We had another excellent potluck dinner after the Program–see below for the next one, on Aug. 3rd–outdoors!

Summer is here:  so the Barbecue Potluck is coming up!

As we have typically done, we are not planning a full Grange meeting in July, when it is hard to get people to sit down for meetings.   If there are decisions that need to be made, we’ll arrange an “executive session”.   But we know that Grange members and friends will sit down for a potluck–especially an outdoor one with grilled hotdogs, hamburgers and vegan burgers!    So mark your Calendars for the Saturday, August 3rd Barbecue & Potluck!   The Grange will provide the items to be grilled, plus buns and condiments–you bring a side dish of your choice!  I’ll be sending out reminders as we get closer.

Come dance with the kids on July 18!

This year, our Grange was asked to recruit a caller and band to teach some community dancing at the State Grange Junior Camp in mid-July.   So we’ve arranged to hire an experienced caller for young folks, Erin Smith, and a Central Vermont string band, the North Branch Trio, to play on the evening of July 18, at the VT State Grange Center, from 7:00 to 8:30 PM.   The Center is located at 308 West St., Brookfield VT 05036.   We’d love to have some people with a bit of experience dancing to help us give 15-20 young people, from about 6 to 15 a friendly introduction to simple dances.   Please contact me, Tim Swartz at swartztim15@gmail.com with any questions.

New kitchen work tables!

Another improvement to our Grange Hall facilities:   we’ve now got the two stainless steel tables shown in the photo, replacing the one table which was quite old, made of painted wood with cracked Formica laminate on the top.   This upgrade has occurred thanks to Charles Mayhood, who in addition to being our Secretary has a great eye for bargains.   Charles is part of the committee planning to provide meals for the State Grange Session on Oct. 25 & 26, and is motivated to make the kitchen a better place to work.   He saw these tables for sale on Facebook Marketplace, at a good price of $400 for the pair, and convinced us to proceed with the purchase.  Since they were located in Rutland, I found a friend from Northfield with a pickup truck who was willing to take a trip.   Even better, when we got there and found the assembled tables wouldn’t fit in his truck, he had the needed 4mm hex key socket to remove the legs!
A few days after we got the parts to the Hall, Charles Mayhood and Merry Shernock (Treasurer and Rental Agent) worked together to find new homes for the pots and pans which used to be stored under the old table, in the Blue Door Closet in the kitchen.   The tools and hardware from that closet found a new home on a “new” set of shelves in the Furnace Room.   The upshot of all this work is that we have very cleanable tables, at a better work height, allowing more cooks to have room to prep food for events like the VSG meeting.  Our pots and pans are stored where they won’t get so dusty, and our tools are actually better organized.

Temporary tenants at the Hall

  • May 23rd:  I found 4 eggs in the new nest in the Old Entrance porch roof.
  • June 6th:  4 nestlings, every one hungry.
  • June 8th:  1 mother robin working hard to feed the 4 open mouths.
  • June 11th:  2 nestlings left, the others have fledged!
         And the final 2 had flown or fluttered from the nest a few hours later on 6/11.   We host at least one new robin family at the Hall every year, often one in each porch roof.  They know a good nest site when they see one–even if they get disturbed occasionally by people using the Hall.

Filed Under: Grange Notes

Take a seat at the Grange…but what kind?

May 31, 2024 by Tova

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help) May 31, 2024

Grange meeting Saturday, June 1 4:30 to 5:00

We’ll have a shortened Grange meeting before our singing program (which features the Barre-Tones chorus and also sing-alongs with our Grange Musician), so we’ll fit in a few topics in not much time:
  • Planning our August 3rd barbecue & potluck
  • Hearing from our Cooks/Organizers for the October VT State Grange Meeting meals–they will be meeting before our Grange meeting to firm up plans, including produce from local farmers.
  • We may have some suggestions for Resolutions to be considered by that October State Grange Meeting.   The State Session considers and votes on resolutions about Grange, local and national issues–there’s a standard format, and will require a working committee to do some word-smithing.
  • Chairs:  we started discussion about possible replacements for our folding chairs–see below for the beginnings of the process.

How many of you love the metal folding chairs?

That’s what I thought…not many.   For years we’ve heard that it would be great to have some new chairs, and we’ve started the discussion.  So–at our June 1st meeting we’ll get to try out a sample of one of the many options out there for replacements.   The picture shows one of the less-expensive ones, which the Grange has purchased for us to try out.
This particular chair may not be the most durable option, so I’ll also be presenting information about other choices, and we’ll be talking about what we can afford compared to what will hold up fro a long time, and what other samples we should consider buying to try out.   This will be a significant investment–a few thousand dollars for enough chairs for one of the floors–so we’re not going to rush into a decision; this meeting is just the beginning.

After the meeting–singing and potluck!

We’re looking forward to hearing from one of the musical groups that rehearses at our Grange Hall–the Barre-Tones women’s chorus.   Every Monday evening, for quite a few years, 30-50 members of this group have met in our Main Hall, to rehearse the acapella, 4-part barbershop harmony singing they specialize in.   Quartets from this group can be hired to deliver singing telegrams and singing Valentines locally, but they also travel to competitions twice a year.   You can read about their accomplishments at this spring’s competition in Massachusetts, which qualified them to compete in an international competition in Louisville, KY in November, in this article from the Montpelier Bridge .  We’re proud of having this award-winning group as one of the several musical/performance groups that call our Hall home!
After a presentation about their prowess, they will sing some songs, and will also teach us a simple barbershop “tag”–a line that can be sung in 4 parts–that we can sing along with them, so we can feel a bit of what they feel singing together.
Since we’ll have warmed up our vocal cords by then, we’ll be ready for a Grange Sing-along after that, led by our own Grange Musician and accomplished accompanist Matt Nunnelly.   Come check it out!
After this musical Program, we’ll revive our energies with our monthly Grange Community Potluck starting at 6:00.   Please join us for this (free) event, whether or not you’re able to make it to the meeting or Program.  Below is a picture of a typically bountiful spread at one of our past potlucks.  Bring your friends who have never been to the Grange Hall, and let them get a real taste of the Grange.

Thanks for some new painting!

This picture of the stage at our Hall shows some new painting, thanks to Mary Wheeler, Director of the Vermont Youth Theater company, which has held lots of rehearsals (and a couple of performances) in our Hall over the last few years.  This year, she put new paint on the back wall, and also put a coat of brown paint on the baseboards, as you can see in the picture.  This color should show less of the inevitable wear-and-tear of use than the previous white color did.   Mary previously repainted the ADA bathroom on the Main Floor, too–all of which we really appreciate.
I would like to get all the white baseboards painted with the same Saddle Brown color–and the stage ones could use a 2nd coat.  There are other walls that could use another coat of paint to look really good, also.   Are you a decent painter?   We’ll supply paint, brushes, dropcloths and other supplies if you can commit to a few hours of painting.   We count on Grange members and the hundreds of people who use our beautiful Community Hall to help us keep up with the upkeep, and you’ll get lots of appreciation!   Please reply to this newsletter if you’d like to chip in.

 

Filed Under: Grange Notes, Uncategorized

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Contact Us

Tim Swartz, President, CCG#469
802-225-8921 (cell)
grangepresident@capitalcitygrange.org

 

Recent Posts

  • June Grange meeting, and summer plans
  • Spring cleanup–thanks to all the volunteers!
  • Spruce up the Grange Hall and celebrate “burning the mortgage”!

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