Grange set to mark 150 years
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The Pennsylvania Grange is gearing up to mark a major milestone -- its 150th anniversary.
Established on Sept. 18, 1873, the organization will be recognized Sept. 18 in the Pennsylvania State Senate. The state House has already designated that day to be Pennsylvania Grange Day.
Since its inception, the Grange has pushed for agricultural and rural reform. While the initial goal was for a cooperative purchasing program for farms, lower railroad rates and rural free delivery by the U.S. Postal Service, today's Grange is so much more, officials said.
The Pennsylvania Grange has about 5,700 members and ranks second in the country behind Washington in terms of members, but first in the number of local chapters, said Matthew Espenshade, state president.
Espenshade describes the Grange as "a family-oriented fraternal organization that advocates for issues important to agriculture and rural communities."
The Order of Patrons of Husbandry, commonly called the Grange, had its origins as a farmers' fraternity in the years immediately after the Civil War, said Doug Bonsall, chairman of the anniversary committee.
"While still very much an advocate for agriculture and rural issues, today's Grange has expanded its focus to a broad array of educational, social, legislative and service initiatives in all types of communities," Bonsall said. "The Grange offers opportunities for participation to persons of all ages -- from children through senior citizens, all working together -- and is no longer a secret organization limiting its membership to farmers."
Espenshade calls the Grange "a place where the whole family can come together."
One of the Grange's long-standing goals is "to develop a better and higher manhood and womanhood" and, in so doing, equip individuals to become productive members of their community, state and nation, Bonsall said.
While Grange membership is up in recent years, it is lower than in the past few decades, Espenshade said. The drop in membership is true in regard to the number of chapters as well, with the state counting more than 200 local and county chapters, a decline from the Grange's heyday.
That decline can be attributed to the cost of maintenance and taxes on Grange halls, and the difficulty in attracting younger members and leaders.
"Many make the difficult decision to close their doors and sell their building," Espenshade said.
Membership has many benefits
Grange membership offers many benefits, including accidental death benefits, insurance programs, vision insurance, discounts on hotel stays, discounted tickets and more.
In the early days, the majority of Grange members were farmers, but that's not the case anymore, Espenshade said.
"When Grange was established, 80 percent of the population were farmers. Today, only 2 percent of the population is involved in production agriculture. Grange maintains its strong agricultural ties, but has evolved into being a voice for rural communities," he said.
Grange members reflect their local community and address the challenges they face, Espenshade said.
For instance, many Grange chapters hold meals to support first responders, are active in local and county fairs and hold monthly meetings to discuss issues of concern. They also offer educational opportunities and programs for members, leadership development and lifelong friendships, which "are the building blocks of the Grange Youth and Junior Grange programs," Espenshade said.
Grange chapters seeking new members
As treasurer of Shavers Creek Grange 353, Laura McCardle, 85, has been a Grange member for 80 years; children can join at 5 years old.
"I am a third generation Granger, they tell me my parents took me in a basket to the Grange when I was an infant," she said.
McCardle said her Grange is down to 27 members but remains active in the community.
"We are involved in giving books and dictionaries to schools. We do the food pantry, make quilts and baby hats for the hospital, make prayer shawls and give them to charitable organizations," she said. "We also participate in the Huntingdon County Fair and Hartslog Day; we sell our cookbooks, which are our main fundraiser."
John Keith, 67, vice president of Lincoln Grange 914, also grew up in the Grange and has been a member for 62 years.
"My mom and dad, Harry and Kathryn Joan Keith, were very active in the local Grange," Keith said.
His Grange today has about 35 members, but only about 10 who are active.
"We try to help the community with services, we put a high priority on that," Keith said.
Elizabeth Diehl, president of Sinking Valley Grange 484, has been a member for 39 years.
"A lady and a man came to our house and asked if we would be interested in joining. We knew nothing about Grange at the time but it sounded like a great organization and we said yes," Diehl said.
Diehl's Grange is down to nine members, a tremendous drop from the more than 200 members Sinking Valley Grange had in the 1990s.
"We have done a lot of good things over the years, but a lot of our members have passed away.
"We focus on community service, we donate money to various organizations that need money, we work with people so we know where the money is going," Diehl said.
Grange chapters are important, members said.
"We help support programs in nursing homes and the VA. Our focus this year is on veterans," said Georgette Mummert.
As president of the Hartslog Valley Grange 365, Mummert said she tries to "find out what my members see as a need. ... We have been focusing on nursing homes and doing things for VA."
It can be a struggle with limited membership. The Hartslog group is down to 17 members, she said, noting she's been a member for 36 years.
"As with most civic organizations today, the Grange is challenged to find individuals willing to become members and provide dynamic, progressive leadership to develop programming and participation at the local, county, state and national levels," Bonsall said. "With its rural focus, this is a particular challenge as more areas become urbanized and fewer residents have a direct connection with rural issues."
Despite the challenges, officials are optimistic about the future of the Grange in Pennsylvania.
"One of the things stressed during the 150th anniversary period has been to encourage local Granges throughout Pennsylvania to provide new and innovative services to the local communities they serve. If a Grange is reaching out to make a positive difference in their community, then the organization will be viewed as an essential partner for the area's welfare," Bonsall said. "The future of the Grange depends on finding the needs in each community and filling a meaningful niche in the life of that community."
"We need to let people know what Grange is," Mummert said. "We have to get more people involved. We need to focus on things the community needs."
The Grange's state convention will be held Oct. 18-22 at the Holiday Inn Morgantown in Berks County.
Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 814-946-7467.