Every year, local Community Granges propose resolutions for a wide variety of purposes. These are taken to the VT State Grange’s annual meeting, on the 3rd weekend in October. There, an appropriate committee reviews the resolutions that is in their area–e.g. Agriculture/Environment for resolutions related to dairy farming, crop farming, impact of pesticides, etc.. The committee has the options of:

1. Recommending approval by the whole State Grange meeting
2. Recommending rejection by the whole meeting
3. Re-writing the resolution to clarify the intent of the resolution, to have the resolution call for a more clear action (by the Grange, the VT Legislature, the National Grange, etc.).

Each committee reports to the VSG State meeting about the resolutions it has examined, and on the action the committee has taken. The whole VSG meeting can then:

1. If the Committee hasn’t re-written the resolution, to accept the recommendation to approve the Committees’ recommendation to approve or reject the resolution as written
2. If the Committee has re-written the resolution, to accept the Committee’s version or
3. Amend the resolution with suggestions from the floor, each of which will be discussed, debated, and voted on.

Representatives from Capital City and all the other Granges will go to the State Grange meeting, take part in committee work and in the debate(s) on the floor of the meeting. Each Grange gets to have 2 voting representatives; it is important for Capital City Grange members to let your reps know what you think–approve, reject, or modify–for each resolution on which you have an opinion.

I have attached the 2019 “Proposed Resolutions” below. Click the “Download” button, and a PDF will be downloaded for you to review. Unfortunately, it seems to show up upside down! Turn it over, read it, and please email me with comments!–Tim Swartz, swartztim15@gmail.com