Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, November 27, 2016
Grange Meeting on Saturday, Dec. 3rd–getting ready for the winter, and a holiday sing-a-long with a difference!
Followed by a Community Potluck Dinner!
Our monthly Grange meeting will build on our decisions in November, and will look forward to the future. We will give thanks for the people who have worked on improving the community and the Grange–I’ve listed a few lower down in these notes, but it will just be the tip of the iceberg. Who do you think we should honor?
We’ll also get an update of our Community Service report; our November meeting featured a presentation by Patty Paola, Volunteer Coordinator from the Home Share Now organization, which has partnered with the Onion River Exchange to provide volunteer opportunities. Patty explained about the Home Share program, which matches people needing affordable housing with seniors (55 and older, and/or disabled) who need help to be able to live independently in their own homes. Needs and abilities vary with individuals, both home seekers and home providers. Volunteers “fill in the gaps”, getting matched up with the help of Patty. Examples of services that could be needed include:
We’ll also get an update of our Community Service report; our November meeting featured a presentation by Patty Paola, Volunteer Coordinator from the Home Share Now organization, which has partnered with the Onion River Exchange to provide volunteer opportunities. Patty explained about the Home Share program, which matches people needing affordable housing with seniors (55 and older, and/or disabled) who need help to be able to live independently in their own homes. Needs and abilities vary with individuals, both home seekers and home providers. Volunteers “fill in the gaps”, getting matched up with the help of Patty. Examples of services that could be needed include:
- Meal preparation
- Help with grocery shopping
- Transportation to Dr. appointments
- Shovel snow from a walk
- Light household chores
- Bringing people to social events–like the Grange programs and potluck dinners!
Volunteers are screened–including a background check (at no charge). Patty also discussed the benefits of volunteering, which have been documented in multiple studies–better health, increased feelings of self-worth–and the satisfaction of “making a difference”! Contact Patty to learn more: Phone: (802) 479-8544 or email: https://info@homesharenow.org
Our December 3rd meeting will feature the first reports produced by the QuickBooks program the Grange has purchased, to manage and monitor our income and payments. At our November meeting, we accepted the official resignation of Les Skinner, and officially elected Merry Shernock to the post of Treasurer.
We’ll enjoy a sing-along starting at about 5:30, with Grange Musician Matt Nunnelley leading us in familiar songs–as well as some less “traditional” ones that we think will fit in the holiday season. This is a chance to exercise your vocal cords and harmonic talents–as my son’s Cub Scout leader used to say, it’s not important to sing well, as long as you sing LOUD! Here are some of the songs on the list:
My Favorite Things
Jingle Bells
Hallelujah (the Leonard Cohen song)
Over the River and Through the Woods
This Little Light of Mine
The Christmas Song (Which includes “chestnuts roasting….” to get us ready for….
The Community Potluck Dinner, which will start about 6:00. We invite people from all around Central Vermont to join us for this as well as the singing. Help us put on an especially good spread by bringing your favorite dish to share. After dinner, of course, you can also stay for the next CDU dance at 8:00!
We’ll enjoy a sing-along starting at about 5:30, with Grange Musician Matt Nunnelley leading us in familiar songs–as well as some less “traditional” ones that we think will fit in the holiday season. This is a chance to exercise your vocal cords and harmonic talents–as my son’s Cub Scout leader used to say, it’s not important to sing well, as long as you sing LOUD! Here are some of the songs on the list:
My Favorite Things
Jingle Bells
Hallelujah (the Leonard Cohen song)
Over the River and Through the Woods
This Little Light of Mine
The Christmas Song (Which includes “chestnuts roasting….” to get us ready for….
The Community Potluck Dinner, which will start about 6:00. We invite people from all around Central Vermont to join us for this as well as the singing. Help us put on an especially good spread by bringing your favorite dish to share. After dinner, of course, you can also stay for the next CDU dance at 8:00!
Parking lot and driveway–re-graded just in time for winter!
We are pleased to have a newly improved driveway and parking lot. We needed to repair the eroded driveway, and to improve the parking lot to reduce the chance of more erosion there. We contracted with Matt Dwyer, who previously filled in the gully that was invading our parking lot. Matt works on getting water to spread out and slow down as it runs off, rather than concentrating in channels which can lead to more erosion. On Friday, Nov. 18th he added crushed granite to the parking lot outside the new entrance, and created a shallower, flatter slope to spread out the flow of water through the parking area. He re-graded the driveway to slope gently sideways–to the Hall side at the top, and to the road side farther down. He used his newly acquired compactor to make sure it will stay in place better. We appreciate that he got the work done before the winter storms that started on the 20th! The white in the lower picture is the crushed granite, not snow!
Giving thanks to the people who make the Grange what it is–and what we want it to become!
The recent holiday is a great reason to publicly thank some of those who have made special efforts and improvements in our organization, as well as our property and Hall.
The most visible recent change at the Grange Hall is the re-worked driveway and parking lot–see the pictures and article above! Thanks to Matt Dwyer for keeping us from washing away!
Thanks to Les Skinner, who has graciously stepped down from the post of Treasurer, after 73 years as a Grange officer. As many of you know, Les kept this Grange going for years, acting as Master, Treasurer, Rental Agent, Hall maintenance organizer and much more. Bringing in affiliate members from the Worcester Grange was all that kept CCG #469 afloat with enough Grangers to achieve a 7-member quorum for meetings. Eventually, he convinced Grange tenants from the various dance communities that we had to join in the work of the Grange if we wanted to keep the Hall and the community-building activities it fosters going. He has generously shared his experience since then, and will continue to do so.
Thanks to Merry Shernock, who has taken on being Treasurer, and has recruited Justin Sargent, an accountant (and dancer) to set up QuickBooks for the Grange. Justin has also entered the checkbook records from the first 9 months of this year into QB, so we can start with a meaningful set of records! There is much to learn about the system, and possible ways we can set it up to make and receive payments, as well as tracking rental payments, expenses, and much more.
Thanks to Bill Chidsey, who has done a full annual service on the furnace at the Hall–the same furnace he rebuilt for us a couple of years ago, getting us ready for winter. He also installed WiFi enabled thermostats on both floors, which let us program a week in advance and monitor them. He organizws the volunteer demolition of the old bathrooms, installed a new oil tank in a new location and much more. Because of his responsibilities for his aging mother, Bill has moved out of central VT, and he requested a “demit” at our November meeting so he can officially transfer his membership to Upper Valley Grange in Norwich. We accepted his request, with regrets.
Thanks to Erin Berry, who has grown Kids Trade & Play into an enduring family-supporting event, happening every 2nd Saturday for over a year. It attracts dozens of families, and provides socializing and support, as well as clothes and toys for kids.
Thanks to Patty Giavara, Chair of the Friends of the Capital City Grange, who encourages us to think strategically about finances, paints signs like the Potluck sign now hanging on the side of the Grange sign, and is a hard worker on all sorts of projects.
Thanks also to Nancy Turner, who has taken on the job of interim Treasurer for the FCCGH, as well as being our grant-writing expert and vital board member.
Thanks to Alison Forrest, Marisa Keller, Joe Blakely, Hap, Todd Taska & Lewis Neill (who contributed the rolling scaffold) for painting the Grange Hall this summer, both inside (the entire main Hall!) and starting the scraping and painting of the outside!
An extra note about Lewis Neill–he has constructed a functioning model of a water-powered saw-mill, which has been on display at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier–it’s really cool! Lewis and Maudean Neill are keen historians of the local area, and additional posters about local businesses and historical items are at the KHL now–check them out!
Thanks to John Mallery who filled in admirably as Musician for November’s meeting, when Matt was unavailable. Also, John and Alana Norway collaborated to repair the magnetic hold-open on the fire door at the bottom of the basement stairs last month.
Thanks to Liz Benjamin, who has generously donated Onion River Exchange Hours to the CCG! We have a starting balance thanks to Liz–and you can donate to us as well!
As you can see, the work of keeping the CCG going, and the Hall in good shape requires lots of hands, hearts and minds–there’s lots that goes on behind what you see–and room for more ideas and energy–contact us or come to a meeting to learn how you can get involved–and I’ll be happy to thank youpublicly too!
The most visible recent change at the Grange Hall is the re-worked driveway and parking lot–see the pictures and article above! Thanks to Matt Dwyer for keeping us from washing away!
Thanks to Les Skinner, who has graciously stepped down from the post of Treasurer, after 73 years as a Grange officer. As many of you know, Les kept this Grange going for years, acting as Master, Treasurer, Rental Agent, Hall maintenance organizer and much more. Bringing in affiliate members from the Worcester Grange was all that kept CCG #469 afloat with enough Grangers to achieve a 7-member quorum for meetings. Eventually, he convinced Grange tenants from the various dance communities that we had to join in the work of the Grange if we wanted to keep the Hall and the community-building activities it fosters going. He has generously shared his experience since then, and will continue to do so.
Thanks to Merry Shernock, who has taken on being Treasurer, and has recruited Justin Sargent, an accountant (and dancer) to set up QuickBooks for the Grange. Justin has also entered the checkbook records from the first 9 months of this year into QB, so we can start with a meaningful set of records! There is much to learn about the system, and possible ways we can set it up to make and receive payments, as well as tracking rental payments, expenses, and much more.
Thanks to Bill Chidsey, who has done a full annual service on the furnace at the Hall–the same furnace he rebuilt for us a couple of years ago, getting us ready for winter. He also installed WiFi enabled thermostats on both floors, which let us program a week in advance and monitor them. He organizws the volunteer demolition of the old bathrooms, installed a new oil tank in a new location and much more. Because of his responsibilities for his aging mother, Bill has moved out of central VT, and he requested a “demit” at our November meeting so he can officially transfer his membership to Upper Valley Grange in Norwich. We accepted his request, with regrets.
Thanks to Erin Berry, who has grown Kids Trade & Play into an enduring family-supporting event, happening every 2nd Saturday for over a year. It attracts dozens of families, and provides socializing and support, as well as clothes and toys for kids.
Thanks to Patty Giavara, Chair of the Friends of the Capital City Grange, who encourages us to think strategically about finances, paints signs like the Potluck sign now hanging on the side of the Grange sign, and is a hard worker on all sorts of projects.
Thanks also to Nancy Turner, who has taken on the job of interim Treasurer for the FCCGH, as well as being our grant-writing expert and vital board member.
Thanks to Alison Forrest, Marisa Keller, Joe Blakely, Hap, Todd Taska & Lewis Neill (who contributed the rolling scaffold) for painting the Grange Hall this summer, both inside (the entire main Hall!) and starting the scraping and painting of the outside!
An extra note about Lewis Neill–he has constructed a functioning model of a water-powered saw-mill, which has been on display at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier–it’s really cool! Lewis and Maudean Neill are keen historians of the local area, and additional posters about local businesses and historical items are at the KHL now–check them out!
Thanks to John Mallery who filled in admirably as Musician for November’s meeting, when Matt was unavailable. Also, John and Alana Norway collaborated to repair the magnetic hold-open on the fire door at the bottom of the basement stairs last month.
Thanks to Liz Benjamin, who has generously donated Onion River Exchange Hours to the CCG! We have a starting balance thanks to Liz–and you can donate to us as well!
As you can see, the work of keeping the CCG going, and the Hall in good shape requires lots of hands, hearts and minds–there’s lots that goes on behind what you see–and room for more ideas and energy–contact us or come to a meeting to learn how you can get involved–and I’ll be happy to thank youpublicly too!