The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1920-04-01
"REMINISCENCES OF
DORSET GRANGE
Paper Read Al the Thirtieth Anniser-
ssry of Dorset Grange, No. zsi BY
Bro. John N sheldon.

ny lctNt NhAu bf1s h1H-'tt WI NAg
s.ftter Of tie Vermont State Grange.
came with the Beard, and at the close
II the FIRST session Of the Board gave
"a short talk in which he set forth the
objects and benefits Of the & ange with
the result that a couple Of days later
a grange Was organized, forty five
representative n,en and women hIy-
ing pledged tier names as charter
members.
II were to attempt to record all
the interesting events that have taken
place in the grange these thirty years
il would fiji large volume, but ] will
sndcavor not TO weary you.
Greeting:
"All hail, ye noble husbandmen, and
matrons wise and true.
United in fraternal ties. we gladly
welcome yeu;
Tic patron heart will swell with pride
when greeting patrons dear,
And the warm grip that patrons give,
shows kindred spirits near.
o heeting time: where hast thou
fowng
o shadowy years: where has thou
gomez
The years they eome-they GO a
las: we see strange visions as they
pas5. within these thirty years, 90
strangely mixed with smiles and tears.
What fearful battles have been fought:
what marvellous victories have been
won, and noble deeds Of daring done:
We look around--ah: some have
gone.
We look aggin-how old we've
grown
We look again-anothe~ view;
Can this be true2 That these are
our children We see that thirty years
ago, around the parent knee, just
danced and laughed in childish glee,
but now TO men and women grown,
ready to do the work the Worthy Mas
Ter and Worthy Lecturer calls them
20 do.
AS we look about we see but few
who were with us thrifty years ago,
as / cast my eye along the roll Of
cnarter members almost wonder why
a. few Of US are left to represent the
original forty five.
While time viii not permit me to
mention the good work and deeds Of
all those who have passed Oh 70 the
unseen world and their reward i
seems to me fitting and proper that /
snould mention enc who for rs Of
the 80 years has been 80 cloeely as
sociutcd with US in grange work, one
whose cup Of usefulness in and out Of
the grange was fail % ovcr-howing
a.gays n the lead when there was
work 10 be done, with friendly greet
ing she made every one welcome, no
member will ever be more priced or
mere missed in the grange, than She
WHO was familiarly called ma Sim
mons. who has been called % her
eternal home as the reward for her
good works on earth.
The celebration Of the silver we'd
ding Of Brother and Sister Simmons
by the grange was red letter day
for the happy couple. After we'd
d'ng feast. prepared by the sisters Of
the grange, the Worthy Lecturer fur
n.shed literary program Appropriate
to the occasion.
As pause to glance over the roll Of
charter members and note that mere
half dozen Of us have continued in
good standing to the present time il
is a reminder Of the constant changes
going on. as the years go by. and how
little these changes are noticed as they
pass, but when an occasion like the
present causes us TO review the past
events in the life Of the grange that
will be Of interest, ! warn you my
memory is not equal to doing justice
TO the subject Of the grange.
Some Of you can remember when II
was the custom 70 hold picnics IN
"Waido's Grove" Here was held the
first picnic of our grange, ] thiak in
ss when Mt Anthony and Valentine
granges were invited 60 be our guests.
ri Anthony brought the Rupert band
with them, = furnish music FOR the
occasion. and Dorset procured Bro.
Messer. " n Of The State grange,
and Col 9lgham as speakers of the
day. some of our local ;l'en' uas also
in evidence The gathering vas q
great success in every particular and
let me say right here FOR the benefit
Of outsiders that whcn the grange has
Sc, cut 10 do something Il has aimed
Tor the top notch. and they have sci
dom foll short.
No; very long after the piouic came
the first grange fair I think Bro