Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-12-18
Grange Hall a Social Center.

| 10 take UP new lines and push the in
terest further into the schools of the
| town.
| Grange Hall Social Center.
| | have had considerable to say dur
| ing the year in regard to making the
| Grange Hall social center as far as
| possible for the town in which it is
| located and not few of the Oranges
/ have opened their halls for exercises
other tlian Grange meetings. The
school children have been made well
| come, work for the church and for 9th
| er local organizations has been en-
couraged and through this movement
Which may be called Grange Exten-
sion work, our principles and pur-
poses have been presented before the
people, and our influences have been
broadened. I hope the work may con :
tinue in fuller measure next year.
1 am every day becoming more con-
WINGED that many Oranges are not
doing what they ought in promoting
the social features of the Order l am
quite sure this is a serious drawback
to the encoura cement of the young,
and the healthful growth of the
Grange. l have noted carefully con-
ditions as | have often found them
and much to M regret l am led to
believe that in parts OF our State,
Patrons are taking their Grange life
too seriously. The real purpose of
the Grange is not to teach agriculture
but to better agricultural conditions
by welding old and young together in
human sympathy, and by improving
social life. Then, it holds, most cer-
tainly, that the Grange hall should be-
come as far as possible, the social
center Of the community in which it is
located. ## ffzt EFa
I have said frequently that / would
have every member have a good
time" at every Grange meeting. We.
mostly, regulate our coming and go
ing by our desires, and no one goes
anywhere time after time, from pure
sense of duty. I was present recently
at Grange meeting where the chill
dren of members were admitted to the
hall during a recess, Uneer the di
rection of the Lecturer, they romped
and played and laughed a time. and
then joined in childish exercises that
brought pleasure TO all, and tears of
joy to ut least one young, hard
working mother. Ana wasn't it worth
again. There was no gloom anywhere.
Everybody had q good time. We shall
all so to the next Grange meeting.
That evening in Grange hall has left
a pleasant memory with everyone, and
turned the minds and hearts of those
children toward the Grange as part
of their future lives.
Community Service.
Notwithstanding the great work the
Grange has done along various lines
there are still fine. cultured people in
every community, some of them our
best farmers, who bave not yet learn
ed that the Grange stands for more
than the frequent suppers, which is
all they see. They have withheld from
membership and the strength and in
fiuence that would come through their
talent and interest is lost to the Order.
These people can best BE reached
through some local undertaking CT
real Cplift character
In every community there is some
local condition that can be improved
and the Grange can exercise a wide
influence. What about the darkness
of your village streets or the poor
may be a grand opportunity for Grange
discussions and possibly for the form
ing of a committee for the raising or
funds and some advance work. Do you
have in your community a plain, bare,
rectangular school house, built many
years ago, with no sanitary system OF
ventilation and the old box stove in
the center? Is your school yard I'M
slightly with weeds and rubbish? Do
you have a good teacher, or do you
have a village school graduate who is
using her time and your money to
prepare for higher education or her
wedding clothes? Think on these
things. then move on the citadel of in
difference and interest your Grange
in self Improvement. The only up
lift that can be made lasting must
come from within.
The country cemeteries are often
objects of criticism because of their
illkept and untidy Condition Surely
there can be no difficulty in enlisting
public response to these movements
in any rural community and thereby
increasing Grange attendance and pub
lie interest that shall lead to an in
creased membership, All these move
ments need is leadership, why not the
Grange
An unexpected feature of the eve
ning's program was an address by
United States Senator Obadiah Gard
ner. in which he made a spirited re-