New energy for local group

For the first time in over 20 years, a grange meeting was held this month at the Whitepine Grange. This gathering was to initiate new members and to hold elections to establish officers for the Grange Post #102. The group asked Don Burrell to attend and to initiate the new members.

Burrell is a long-time member of the Thompson Falls Grange. He started with the Grange in 1966 and has held most positions that one can have in the Grange. He has participated in the National Grange and even had the honor of enacting the chaplain's part one year. According to Jan Manning, the one hoping to revive the Whitepine Grange, he is the perfect person to do it.

The Grange welcomed over a dozen new members. "Congratulations to all of you, may God help us," Manning said after the initiation and election of officers. The group laughed. After the meeting business concluded, Peggy Carlson, who has been a member since 1967, gave a short presentation. She read a speech comparing life to a jigsaw puzzle. "Anything in life worth doing takes time," she said, explaining that the variety, such as is found in the colors, shapes and styles of the pieces of a puzzle, is the "spice of life" and what makes it interesting. This 15-20 minute presentation is similar to others that can be expected in future meetings.

Carlson has for much of her time in the Whitepine Grange acted as the secretary and was voted into the position again Tuesday night to train new member Patty English. Manning was voted in as president, with Carrie Greene vice president and Kathy Hill treasurer.

The Grange, nationwide, started in 1867 as a lobbying force for farmers. Since then that organization has expanded to include hundreds of state and local chapters. According to Manning, the group's hay day was in the 1930s, when the United States' workforce was approximately 40% agricultural. Manning says that number now is closer to 2%.

The Whitepine Grange used to be especially influential, according to Manning. The building was constructed in 1962, but after enrollment dropped in the mid-1990s, "We lost our neighborhood gathering place," she said. The group was inactive for more than 20 years. The building has since been used as a school, a polling place and for various other events, but it eventually fell into disrepair.

Manning became familiar with the space while she was looking for somewhere to hold dog training classes about four years ago. "Once I was in there teaching classes I kind of fell in love with the building," she stated. Manning started a nonprofit called Friends of the Whitepine Grange in order to help fix up the old building and maintain it. After years of improvements, the first official meeting in over 20 years was held last Tuesday night.

The group wants to get the local Grange organization going again, or "revitalize the Grange," as Bill Beck explained. Beck has been a Grange member for many years and participated with the Plains Grange. After decreasing participation there, the Plains Grange closed its doors and Beck transferred his membership over to the Thompson Falls Grange.

Some ideas Manning has mentioned for fundraising and getting the word out about the Grange include renting out the space to the community, potlucks, fundraisers, renting the meeting space and more. After the repairs, the place now has a full kitchen, basement, bathroom and back porch which the grange and renters can use. And all the improvements have been done by volunteers.

The group holds meetings, open to the public, the third Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. The next meeting will be August 17. "I think they will like the hometown feel and that it belongs to them," said Manning about others considering joining the Grange. Joining costs $35 a year, and members are sworn in. Members are allowed to use the space for free and vote during meetings. For young members, there are also scholarships available and opportunities to participate in the National Grange events. Adult membership begins at age 14, but Junior Grange accepts those that are younger. "We want to promote the Grange to future generations. It supports family values and is a grassroots organization," said Manning.

Meetings are held at the Whitepine Grange building, located off Highway 200, at 9 Faro Lane, between Trout Creek and Thompson Falls.