| December 6, 2022 -- Since Granby Grange #5 last reorganized in 1926, it has been serving the community and region with impactful service for 96 years, while also providing a fraternal organization for residents and businesses alike who are interested in promoting agriculture, conservation, and small town living. In recent years, due to death, members moving away, and the pandemic, Granby Grange membership had dwindled and remaining members were looking for ideas to help rejuvenate the Grange.
Recently, Riverton Grange #169 (Barkhamsted), led by President Dave Roberts (a Granby resident), helped host a revitalization meeting for Granby Grange at the request of Treasurer Carol Innes. Almost
40 community members attended the 90-minute event and about one dozen attendees completed applications to become members of Granby Grange. Roberts explained how the Grange helps strengthen individuals, families and communities through grassroots action, service, education, advocacy and agriculture awareness. Roberts himself is a fourth generation Grange member having joined the Grange 47 years ago, and his daughter Natalee, age 14, joined the Grange recently following in her father’s footsteps. Roberts went on to explain that a person who becomes a Grange member can expect to find in the organization a clear and impressive pathway to membership, outstanding fellowship with leaders and respected citizens of the community, the encouragement to meet and make new friends, and the opportunity to lead and be well led.
Granby has an extensive agricultural history. Because of this history, the Granby Grange was first established in 1875, but was disbanded in 1890 due to a group purchase of bad seeds. Granby Grange was reestablished in 1926 and has continued serving the needs of the community ever since.
Granby Grange meets once per month (usually the second Friday at 7:00 PM) in the Granby Grange Hall at 212 N. Granby Road. The building which today serves as the Granby Grange Hall was built just after the Civil War and originally served as a one-room schoolhouse. In 1902, the town hall moved into the building after an earlier town hall burned down. In 1946, Granby Grange bought the building from the town and moved it 150 feet south to its current location, across from the First Congregational Church.
Ron Cowdrey (current Vice President) will serve as the new President of Granby Grange. Four members of Riverton Grange have agreed to serve as affiliate members and officers of Granby Grange; including Granby residents Jackie Martin, Natalee and Dave Roberts, and Barkhamsted resident Judy Doyle will serving as Program Director. Following the meeting, Judy Doyle put on an informative program on making gnome ornaments. In addition, she gather ideas for future speakers to visit Grange meetings to discuss items of interest to the members and the community
A new membership committee to seek more new members has been established, and some of the members include Carol Innes, Kara Marshall and Dave Roberts. A holiday event will be held at the Grange Hall on Friday, December 9th, at 6:00 PM. And then on Sunday, January 15, at 2:00 PM, Connecticut State Grange President Rob Buck and his chief Deputy Peter Keefe will visit the Grange to induct new members and install newly elected officers.
If you know people in the Granby area who might like to join the Grange, there is still time to join this newly rejuvenated Grange. Just contact Membership Committee member Carol Innes at either annabelletheclown@gmail.com or 860-205-0162 to request an application or for her to answer your questions. The Grange is revitalizing and you need to come see the excitement and opportunity!
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