Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1903-08-13
THE GRANGE
Conducted by J. W. DARROW,
Press Correspondent NeW York State
Grange
THE POMONA GRANGE.
An Important Link In the Chain Be
tween Subordinate and State.

An Important Link In the Chain Be-
tween Subordinate and State.
Especial Correspondence
The Pomona grange is the county
grange; its Jurisdiction is the county.
Thus 1t becomes link, and very i'm
portant link, in the grange chain, be-
tween the subordinate and the state
oranges.
The Pomona, like the state grange,
has usually no fixed place of meeting.
Whether 1t shall have or not depends
wholly on conditions. There is one
advantage in the Pomona's alternating
its meetings with the subordinate
granges-it makes it possible to gain
a larger membership on the start. 1t
goes to certain members who might
not come to it if located at dis
tance from them. The crucial point
Is to get them interested at the first;
then they will attend. But as a rule
there will be larger attendance if the
Pomona be centrally and permanently
located.
If the Pomona holds its meetings
alternately among the subordinate
oranges the entertaining grange is eX-
pected to furnish the hall and entertain
the visiting members The matter Of
entertainment is, however, sometimes
bugbear to small oranges. We know of
a county where the attendance on the
Pomona meeting was so large as to
make it almost wholly impossible to
secure an invitation (D for the follow
ing quarterly meeting. Visiting men,
bers could bring basket lunches, but
this, as a rule, is not altogether salts
ever, when the Pomona is held at a
fixed location, that all the subordinate
oranges should contribute, pro rata, to
the expense of the hall and speakers,
and possibly to have committee from
each grange to solicit refreshments and
to assist in serving the tables at the
dinner hour. No fixed rules can, how
feature.
The Pomona grange should hold at
least one business session in the fifth
degree and there should be one public
session. Much depends on the lecturer
for successful Pomona. The pro-
gramme requires careful preparation;
1t Is the vital point. Persons selected
to address the meeting should feel their
responsibility to be on hand promptly
and have something to say when they
get there. Written papers will serve
the purpose best, although good off
hand speaker is usually more entertain
ing. But there are people who can
talk much and say little and sometimes
they are heard In grange meetings.
There should be plenty of music and
some recitations on every Pomona pro-
gramme. However brilliant the papers
and addresses, there will be a heav-
mess and drag unless an occasional
song or recitation is rendered to ''en-
liven the proceedings" Let there be
solos, quartets, duets and instrument
tai music too, where practicable. Give
music its proper place at all grange
meetings: it's Il good thing to have in
the family" and in the grange.
The Pomona, or fifth, degree should
be conferred In full form at least once
a year, better twice. Let no pains be
spared in presenting the work in the
most effective manner. BY all means
"stage" the degree if practicable. In
troduce pretty drills and marches ap-
propriate to the work and confer the
degree without the manual The added
effectiveness will more than pay for
the extra labor required. j. w. d.