Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1914-11-27

munities IN Wnicn ihey Are Eo-
cated-Typical of Grange Endeavor.
BY J. w. BARROW.
If the grange exists for anything at
all 1t is to serve. Service should be
its slogan-service to its members and
to the community. There Is no other
reason for the oranges being than that
1t is to help somebody in some way,
and that somebody may be among its
members or some one outside its men,
bership; 1t may be collection or num-
Der of individuals who constitute the
community. In some way the grange
must prove its right to exist by rem
dering community service, and this it
does through educational, social and
financial channels. This larger serv-
ice, which will be largely altruistic in
character. is the grandest service that
the grange can hope to render.
l have used the term community
service" What is community? 1t
has been defined to be that territory,
with its people, which lies within a
team haul of given center, and this
center land | am speaking strictly of
the rural community is usually vii
lage, small or large, sometimes so
small as to comprise only q few
houses, a store, a church, n school and
n blacksmith shop. Beyond this locally
prescribed community circle the influ-
ence of its leading rural personalities
does not extend; within this radius in
dividual affairs are of quite common
knowledge. Social intercourse Is very
largely restricted within this circle,
and families are accustomed to ex-
change visits with each other ten
times oftener than they go outside this
community to visit While this defini-
ton of the community or the individ-
uars larger home must of necessity
be quite flexible in most strictly rural
sections. yet 1t is in reality but a great
er household and the unit of social or
ganization of local country life 1t is
with this people that the grange must
directly deal, and to them it must ded-
icate its largest service. Nowhere else
can its influence be so strongly en-
phaSized. Its lasting work must be for
and among the people where it Lives.
moves and has its being"
To illustrate what | mean by COM
munity service let me give some in
stances, typical, yet real. of what
oranges all over our land have actually
done for their respective communities
To improve the appearance Of its
town grange appropriated from its
treasury money for cash prizes to be
given for the greatest front yard i'm
provement made in the village during
the year. The prizes were awarded
In the fall on the report of an inspect
ing committee, and it is said the whole
town caught the spirit of improve
ment. The front yard contest" was
made an annual affair. The appear
ance of the town was transformed.
A village had a library, but it far
from realized the possibilities of such
an institution. 1t had a choice lot of
books, but they were poorly housed
and had no semblance OF being cata-
logued. The grange led the way to-
ward having suitable quarters fitted
up and the books put in proper shape
for convenient handling. Then came
coy reading room, then an increased
appropriation for library purposes, and
| finally the grange set on foot project
for new library building. enthused
the public over the plan. led in enter
tainments for the library benefit, and
In due time the library was CON-
pleted.
Another grange interested itself in
getting a telephone project through
In fact many oranges have been re-
sponsible for the prompt introduction
of telephone service in rural districts
But this grange set two active can
vassers TO work from each subordinate
grange in the county. Within two
weeks they had secured pledges for
over 100 telephones In half a dozen
towns, and the problem was solved,
and solved by the grangers OF the
country. They got their telephones a
year or two earlier than they would
have If they had waited for some one
else to start the enterprise.
In small country town there were
number OF young men whose only
place of resort was the village store.
The members OF the grange saw the
need and provided for it. They open
ed up an unoccupied room in their
hall as reading room for the young
men and supplied it with papers and
magazines Later a piano was pur-
chased, and other conveniences were
added This was three or four years
ago, and now nearly all the young
men belong TO the grange. recognizing
what 1t did for them.
In another small town the only
means OF water supply were the wells
on each mans property. A very dry
summer came along. and every well
failed The situation was critical.
There was a grange in that town. and
hn A