Speakers have been announced for the Legislative Luncheon and the Salute Agriculture Luncheon at this year’s National Grange Convention.
The Legislative Luncheon, to be held on November 7 will feature Idaho State Senator Bob Nonini of Couer d’Alene. Senator Nonini is serving his third term as a State Senator, having previously serving in the state legislature since 2004. The senator currently is on the Senate Education Committee and Transportation Committee. He was appointed to the Idaho Higher Education Task Force in January 2017. Nonini, a life-long resident of Northern Idaho, is a small businessman and employer since 1985 in the insurance and investments area. He is a Grange member and is also active in the American Legion and the Rotary Club.
The Salute to Agriculture Luncheon, to be held on Wednesday, November 8 will feature Washington State Senator Mark Schoesler. Senator Schoesler represents the 9th Legislative District, which spans part or all of Adams, Asotin, Franklin, Garfield, Spokane and Whitman counties. Senator Schoesler was elected to the House of Representatives in 1993 and served for 12 years. He was elected to the Washington State Senate in 2004 and today is in his second term as the Senate Majority Leader in the Majority Coalition Caucus. The senator serves on two Senate committees: Rules, and Ways and Means. He also serves in an appointed position on the Select Committee on Pension Policy. Senator Schoesler is a fifth-generation dryland wheat farmer in Ritzville, the seat of Adams County, on land his family has been farming since the 1880s.
Both luncheons will be held at the RL Hotel at the Park in Spokane. Tickets are $25 each and are available from the National Grange.
The Washington State Fair attracted the participation of ten Granges at their 2017 fair, held September 1-24 in Puyallup. Granges competed in two separate categories for the honor of being named the Grand Champion Sweepstakes winners this year.
For overall display, Lewis County Pomona Grange nosed out Humptulips Grange for Grand Champion honors this year. Lewis County scored 974 points out of 1000, while Humptulips scored 973. Third place overall was awarded to Skagit Valley Grange with a score of 967 point, while fourth place was awarded to East Hill Grange with 961 points. Mason County Pomona Grange finished in fifth place with 958 points. Sixth place went to Fruitland Grange, seventh to Ohop Grange, eighth to Collins Grange, ninth to Thurston County Pomona Grange, and tenth to Meridian Grange.
The Grand Champion for the arrangement of the display was also awarded to Lewis County Pomona Grange, followed by Mason County Pomona in second, Humptulips in third, Skagit Valley in fourth, Thurston County Pomona in fifth, East Hill in sixth, Fruitland in seventh, Ohop in eighth, Collins in ninth, and Meridian in tenth.
The Washington State Junior Grange program also participated in the fair with a display booth this year. Junior Grangers from King and Pierce Counties put the display together.
The Washington State Fair attracts over one million visitors annually to the fair, held over the four weekends in September.
2017 Was A Good Year; 2018 Can Be A Great Year
The summer of 2017 went down as one with little moisture and higher than average temperatures. When we were at the convention in Ocean Shores in June, who would have thought that we wouldn’t see rain for over two months? The lack of rain led to extremely dry conditions across the state, even over here on the normally damp Olympic Peninsula. Wildfires were common in all areas. We can only hope that all of members, neighbors, and friends came through the dry conditions unscathed.
Summer has also seen changes in several of our leadership positions in our organization. It is with great pleasure that I announce our new lobbyist for the State Grange Is Heather Hansen. Heather is an animal science graduate of WSU and has worked as a lobbyist in Olympia for several years. She served as our Grange lobbyist in the 1990’s before organizing her own lobbying group. Heather grew up as a member of Alpha Grange and later was a member of Lincoln Creek Grange. Heather will continue to represent her other agricultural oriented clients: the WA State Fairs Association, the WA State Nursery and Landscape Association; and the WA Farm Forestry Association.
In a separation of tasks, the Legislative Director position will now be replaced by a Legislative Committee. Former State Grange Executive Committeeman Rick Nelson will be chairing that committee. Anyone interested in service on the committee with Rick should contact me at the State Grange Office.
It is with a great deal of sadness that I announce Shavanna Burlingame’s resignation as our State Grange Membership Director. Shavanna has opted to go back to work full-time and is not able to fulfill the duties required of the director. Our new membership directors are John and Cecelia Hamilton. John most recently served as the Deputy State Master for Ferry and Okanogan Counties and Cec was the State Director of Family Living. Both have expressed the desire to take on this new position and wish to see the Grange grow in all directions!
Many of you are aware that our new Family Living Director, James Bryant, suffered a stroke on August 31. He has since been released from the hospital and rehab. He is continuing to undergo speech, physical, and occupational therapy. We should know more of Jim’s status in the near future.
In just a few weeks, the 151st Annual Convention of the National Grange will be held right here in our own state. There is a wide array of opportunity available for all Grange members to participate in the convention. A complete convention schedule, including meal functions and speakers, is available on the National Grange website: www.nationalgrange.org
After a summer of camps and fairs, Granges are busy planning booster programs, fund raising events, and holiday happenings. Plan your events wisely, keeping in mind that every event is an opportunity to promote membership in our organization. Be sure to order your banners, membership applications, and flyers from the state at headquarters. Our new updated materials are attractive and will make your job of attracting new members easier.
Here's to a successful autumn of successful Grange activities in every Grange!