I attended the VT State Grange meeting on Saturday, Oct. 18th, along with Merry; Marj Power went on Friday the 17th. We dealt with various resolutions, some of which we discussed during our October Grange business meeting. On Friday, the retiring State Grange Master gave an address that mentioned a controversy involving the National Grange organization and the California Granges. Intrigued by this, Merry has done some investigating, including contacting the Sonoma Valley Grange (www.sonomavalleygrange.com), which she had visited on a trip earlier this year to California. Then, she was interested to find out more about an active Grange whose Hall is a vital part of the community. Now, she was interested to find out more about the issues that led to the National Grange claiming that the California State Grange was illegitimate, and suing to close the State Grange and re-start it.
At our meeting on Nov. 1st, Merry will tell what she has learned about this controversy, and the issues behind it. Come learn about Green Granges, the question of whether Grange Halls should be saved, and more!
Article by Tim Swartz