Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, August 19, 2017
It’s that time: the Friends put up a Challenge
Every year, August brings the Challenge Fundraiser, to support improvements for our Grange Hall. Many of you know that the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall has been helping to finance and plan major and minor improvements for our busy Hall, as the name suggests. This 501(c)3 non-profit corporation can take tax-deductible contributions, and has a great track-record in getting grants that have made possible the “new” floor we’ve just re-finished (see below), the energy efficient windows upstairs and down, and the new bathrooms and emergency exit downstairs! How many remember the old ones?
Well, now it is time to contribute to help fund the next round. The FCCGH is working on plans for improving the acoustics of the Hall and better ways to provide great sound for the dances and other events–and to replace the Old Entrance doors, re-side the North wall, and more. Generous Grange supporters have put up $1,500–and challenge you to chip in to match the pot! The money will provide a substantial part of the matching funds we need to raise for the grants the FCCGH plans to get. All money donated to the can at the front desk at the CDU dances (and other events), or handed to any Grange member, or donated via Paypal at: https://capitalcitygrange.org/
There will be extra FUN in the fundraiser on Sept. 2nd, when the CDU dance will feature a dessert potluck, and much encouragement from Mary Wesley and the Irregulars, who will be calling and playing for the dance, respectively.
And don’t forget–Rob Nichols has raised another big crop of healthy and beautiful house-plants, offered for a $5.00 donation (or somewhat more for the big ones). You can’t beat that deal!
Well, now it is time to contribute to help fund the next round. The FCCGH is working on plans for improving the acoustics of the Hall and better ways to provide great sound for the dances and other events–and to replace the Old Entrance doors, re-side the North wall, and more. Generous Grange supporters have put up $1,500–and challenge you to chip in to match the pot! The money will provide a substantial part of the matching funds we need to raise for the grants the FCCGH plans to get. All money donated to the can at the front desk at the CDU dances (and other events), or handed to any Grange member, or donated via Paypal at: https://capitalcitygrange.org/
There will be extra FUN in the fundraiser on Sept. 2nd, when the CDU dance will feature a dessert potluck, and much encouragement from Mary Wesley and the Irregulars, who will be calling and playing for the dance, respectively.
And don’t forget–Rob Nichols has raised another big crop of healthy and beautiful house-plants, offered for a $5.00 donation (or somewhat more for the big ones). You can’t beat that deal!
Can you name all of these sinks?
Foam, sweet foam?…well, maybe not sweet.
If you have used the sinks in our Grange Hall over the last few years, you have likely noticed that we have had a mixture of “pink lotion soap”, in wall-mounted dispensers, and foam soap in home-style dispensers on the counters. It’s been kind of a mess! So we have finally invested in some foam dispensers that mount on the wall, and can use bulk soap! Many thanks to Ann Pearce, who helped us get started on trying foam soap–and pointed out that it uses soap diluted by over 2/3, so we save money and mess, too!
Finishing up the floor
When our crew worked on the floor re-coating on July 30th, we didn’t have quite enough time to get the whole floor done. The last strip on the west side of the Hall was completed by me and Tyson on Sunday, August 13th. Tyson has been putting in community service hours helping with Grange maintenance and improvements. In the photo he is completing the hand-sanding of the strip. Below, you can see him applying the Waterlox tung-oil based finish, and me rubbing it dry. It’s been great to have Tyson’s help, and the cooler weather has made this work much more pleasant!
Another project completed!
Tyson also worked with me a couple of weeks ago to complete the enclosure of the space under our Main Entrance with wood lattice. I think it makes quite a difference in the look! Merry Shernock is planning more improvements with flower beds, climbing vines–and do you have any “landscape boulder”-type stones you want to bring to the Grange Hall? Or a pickup you could help us with picking up stones? Contact Merry at: rentals@capitalcitygrange.org to find out what we need donated, and tell us what projects you want to work on!
Meetings R Us
Berlin Planning Board & VT State Grange appreciate our facilities
Berlin discusses the future: The top 2 pictures show the August 9th meeting of the Planning Board, which held a public hearing on priorities for the renewal of the Berlin Town Plan. This is a requirement for all towns–to have an official plan to guide decision-making for the next 5 to 10 years. It was interesting to be a part of this process, though I’m not a Berlin resident.
The meeting included presentation of the process by the 3 Planning Board members, and input from over 30 people who attended. There were people from various parts of the town, and a mixture of farmers, residents who commute to other places in Central VT, and people interested in the Berlin Town Forest, among others. And in the Grange tradition, we started with a tasty potluck dinner!
There was much discussion of how to provide a “Town Center” for this dispersed VT town. Many expressed that the Grange Hall is a welcoming place to meet, especially for residents of the western part of the Town. There was also a lot of interest in a more identifiable focus which would help make Berlin more recognizable as a town. Many there lamented the lack of a Berlin identity–being seen more as “that place between Montpelier and Barre”.
This Berlin Town meeting was hosted for free by the Grange, as are any meetings or events held by Berlin residents or Berlin-based organizations. This is the specific benefit we offered to the residents and the Town of Berlin, when we asked for and received an exemption from property taxes in 2016–which we really appreciate! We look forward to hosting more public and private events–get in touch with Merry at: rentals@capitalcitygrange.org for your free use of our Community Hall, if you are part of the Berlin community.The VT State Grange’s Leadership Training workshop on August 12th was also “rented” at no cost. The bottom two pictures are from that workshop, which I also attended. The event was attended by about 50 Grange members from the northern part of the state; another workshop will be held in Bomoseen today, 8/19. VT State Grange leaders presented about a range of topics:
The meeting included presentation of the process by the 3 Planning Board members, and input from over 30 people who attended. There were people from various parts of the town, and a mixture of farmers, residents who commute to other places in Central VT, and people interested in the Berlin Town Forest, among others. And in the Grange tradition, we started with a tasty potluck dinner!
There was much discussion of how to provide a “Town Center” for this dispersed VT town. Many expressed that the Grange Hall is a welcoming place to meet, especially for residents of the western part of the Town. There was also a lot of interest in a more identifiable focus which would help make Berlin more recognizable as a town. Many there lamented the lack of a Berlin identity–being seen more as “that place between Montpelier and Barre”.
This Berlin Town meeting was hosted for free by the Grange, as are any meetings or events held by Berlin residents or Berlin-based organizations. This is the specific benefit we offered to the residents and the Town of Berlin, when we asked for and received an exemption from property taxes in 2016–which we really appreciate! We look forward to hosting more public and private events–get in touch with Merry at: rentals@capitalcitygrange.org for your free use of our Community Hall, if you are part of the Berlin community.The VT State Grange’s Leadership Training workshop on August 12th was also “rented” at no cost. The bottom two pictures are from that workshop, which I also attended. The event was attended by about 50 Grange members from the northern part of the state; another workshop will be held in Bomoseen today, 8/19. VT State Grange leaders presented about a range of topics:
- gaining members (most important? Ask people to join!–so consider yourself asked! We’d love to have you!)
- handling finances and maintaining controls on money spent, by transparent voting and record-keeping, plus routine auditing to ensure that all is going well
- writing resolutions to be voted on by Community Granges, the State Grange, and (if it involves national policy) the National Grange. It all starts with the basic community organization of the Grange. The CCG has submitted a resolution this year asking for support for a legal way for year-round agricultural workers to immigrate, inspired by Senator Leahy’s bill in the Senate! It will be studied and voted on at the annual State Grange meeting in October.
- Keeping up with State and Federal corporate tax filings and regulations for tax-exempt organizations. The State leaders emphasized that home-town fraternal organizations like the Community Granges still have to meticulously follow the laws. We are non-profit corporations under the umbrella of the State and National organizations, but still have to file in a timely and complete way to maintain our tax exemptions. Good intentions are not enough!
- Ritual and how to better maintain the traditional ceremonies of the Grange meeting. VT State Master Brenda Rousselle, who is the Lady Assistant Steward of the National Grange showed some of what she has learned at their meetings.
The variety of presentations covered a good range of the activities of Granges–I wish I had known some of this when I got plunged into being the Master of our Grange, over 10 years ago now! I applaud the State Grange for spreading this information, which also stimulates questions and highlights resources available to Granges.
As noted above, our Grange donates the use of the Hall for State Grange activities, as part of our relationship with the Grange movement–and also in thanks for the vital construction and mortgage loans the VT State Grange has given us for our big projects. We couldn’t do this without working together!
As noted above, our Grange donates the use of the Hall for State Grange activities, as part of our relationship with the Grange movement–and also in thanks for the vital construction and mortgage loans the VT State Grange has given us for our big projects. We couldn’t do this without working together!
