Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-03-25

membership. Larger membership
| made the long-cherished desire for a
better and more comfortable place
for meeting felt more keenly,' and talk
of building a hall began to be heard
among the members. This matter
was first mentioned in open grange
| in November 1896. Gu Aug. 81,
1897, committee was appointed to
get up a petition for a town meeting
to see If the town would give lot on
which to build a hall. This town
| meeting was held, and it was voted
| to grant a lease of land for this pur-
pose. This offer was not accepted.
| 1t was finally decided to build at the
Corner, on what was known as the
| Chapel lot. This lot was owned by
the Methodist Society, and was given
| by them to the grange. In addition,
| narrow strip on the south was
bought Of G. w. Manter and the Fogg
| family and Russell family gave land
| on the west occupied by their horse
| sheds.
The hall was finished at the ap-
| pointed time and dedicated on Sept.
29th, 1898, with the usual exercises
| State Master Gardner and Bros
; Twitchell and Cook were present,
also the masters of Winthrop, Mon
|
June 20, 1907, was emphatically a
Red Letter Day for Readfield Grange
1t was the occasion of celebrating the
! payment of hall debt. and the burn
ing of the bonds. The attendance,
including members and invited guests,
reached over 800. State Master
Gardner, Past State Master D. H.
! Thing, State Deputies c.. S. Stetson
and Mrs. A. F. Fellows, were present.
| Bro. and Sister Gray came from
Greensboro, n. c., to attend the meet
ing.
Our grange has been the recipient
of many favorS from members who
have shown a deep interest in it's
progress and welfare. We feel honored
in having such friends, and especially
in the bequest of $1,000 from our
highly esteemed and much loved sis
| ter. Huldah B. Poole. who died in
| 1915. 1t is rather an unusual thing
for a grange to be endowed and
gives to Readfield Grange a unique
place among other oranges.
! The hall furniture. consisting Of
secretary's desk, officers chairs and
| tables was donated by Judge Emery
0. Bean and presented to the grange
| by our beloved sister. Mrs. G. c. N.
| Bean, with the request that each Off
J Ger commit his or her part of the
: ritual. An easy chair was given to
| Bro. Reuben Russell by the contribu-
| tions of members of the grange and
it was his wish that it be kept in the
hall and used by anyone in need of a
comfortable chair. The other rocker
! was "a gift to Sister Green.
] The beautiful flag and staff that we
have now in the hall was a gift from
! Past Master Cecil G. Ereer and Sis
| ter Minnie Freer
| One of the steel engravings was
given by Mrs. f. l.. Sanborn, the
, other by Bro NJ. w. Manter. The
, Longfellow picture was a gift from
Sister Estelle Dudley.
! OF our 3S charter members only two
| are living, Bro. w. S. o. Elliott and
| Sister Ellen Butman. But it is not
alone with material prosperity that a
/ true history of Readfield Grange
! should deal In mental and moral
worth it's membership has not been
| lacking. and as long as the grange
exists the names of Butman. Brain
erd, Nickerson. Mace, Russell, Aus
| tin, Gray, Morrill, and Clifford will be
| held in grateful and loving remem-
brance, both for what they have done
and for what they were.
We think that we can truly say
! that our grange has stood for the
| things that tend to better our town,
our State, and our nation, and when
| called upon has not failed to give Its
voice and vote in the furtherance of
| such measures.
In the stirring and critical years
! of the Great War. Readfield Grange
bore no mean part, but gave as she
could of men and money for the SER
| vice.
| In 1926, June oath, this grange en-
| tertained in joint session Kennebec
| Pomona and State Oranges, which
| didates who received the 9Th degree,
meeting held that year in the State.
At this meeting there were 248 cam
] didates who received the 9Th degree,
and the occasion was a source of en-
thesiasm and uplift for those in at
tendance. Thirteen of our 20 Past
Masters are still living. Our present
membership. is $50.
We have tried as best we could
to tell the story of Readfield Grange.
1t is a story Of small beginnings, of
discouragements, of sacrifices; but it
is also a story of perseverance, of
loyalty, of achievement.
1t teaches us that strength lies not
in numbers alone, but in unity, and
real desire to accomplish purpose.
We stand today on the threshold Of
new half century. What we do and
: what we are will make up the history
of the future. AS individual men,
bers. we each have a part in deter
mining what that history shall be.
Let us strive to hold high the
standard of principles embodied in
our Declaration of Purposes, and go
forward with confidence. There is no
limit to what we can accomplish if
we give to the Grange work a steady
pull, strong pull, and pull all to-
gether.