| DECEMBER 26, 2012 -- A year ago, the Wolcott Grange’s future was uncertain.
The State Grange had revoked the local chapter’s charter due to inactivity. The group didn’t have enough members to elect officers, and its building on Boundline Road, part of Wolcott’s historic district, needed repairs.
Wolcott Grange No. 173, which once flourished with more than 200 members, appeared to be on the brink of extinction.
But a group of new leaders has resurrected the Wolcott Grange, earning national recognition for recruiting dozens of members in record time.
The Wolcott Grange’s charter was reinstated this year, and its membership has grown to about 50.
Grange Master Joe Ouimet says the group is well on its way to reclaiming the prominence of its past.
“My goal is to have 100 members in my first year as master,” Ouimet said.
The facility, at 313 Boundline Road, has been renovated inside and out. Members have redecorated, painted and cleared debris, which they recently disposed of in a massive bonfire.
Although the Grange traditionally has focused on agriculture, the organization is for anyone who wants to get involved in community service — not just those with a background or special interest in agriculture.
The Wolcott Grange has adopted caring for rescue animals as its primary cause. Members involved with the Miss America pageant system have formed a subcommittee called, “Crowns Helping Pounds.”
But the organization will raise money for any cause that its members vote to support.
“We’re open to any charity, we just put it in front of the members and they vote on it,” Ouimet said.
On Saturday, Grange members raised $1,113 for the Sandy Hook Angels Fund by soliciting donations outside of Walsh’s Market on Meriden Road. The fund is for victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown on Dec. 14.
The Grange also has collected hundreds of dog treats, which will be distributed to local pounds so that “every dog gets a Christmas present,” said Ouimet, who is also Wolcott’s animal control officer.
Alexa Farrell, 18, a soon-tobe member, plans to propose raising money for kids with cancer. She is part of a wave of younger Grange members that Ouimet has recruited.
“It’s nice that younger volunteers get to work with older volunteers,” Farrell said.
The Grange accepts both men and women above the age of 14.
Five-year-old Makendra Mowad is too young to be a member, but attends many of the group’s events in anticipation of her 14th birthday.
Her mother, Karen Mowad, joined because of the Grange’s deep roots in town. She believes that her family belonged to the Grange decades ago.
She drove by the facility on her way to work, but never thought of joining until she learned that Ouimet was trying to revive the group.
“I’d drive by it every day, but I’d never seen it or been in it,” Mowad said.
The Wolcott Grange was founded in 1909. The facility itself, which the Grange built in 1921, contains original woodwork and artifacts.
The State Grange loaned the Wolcott chapter $10,000 to help with startup costs, which the chapter will repay through membership dues over time.
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