LONG
BEACH
GRANGE
A restored building, energetic leaders and DIY resurgence
makes for a strong, community-minded institution
T
he National Grange of the Order The old hall was restored, but that wouldn’t
of Patrons of Husbandry, known mean much if people didn’t use the building,
colloquially as the Grange (the so they set about making the Grange once
word means granary or farm, from again a center of community life.
the Latin for grain), was established
The primary purpose of the Grange is to
in 1867. A fraternal organization and build better community through teaching,
advocacy group for American farm- sharing and serving, so the new leaders of
ers, the Grange grew rapidly. Grange halls the Long Beach Grange set about increasing
throughout the country served as centers membership and providing programs for lo-
of rural community life — until people be- cals. They also began renting the hall for func-
gan leaving farms for the cities. Now many tions, organizations, classes and fundraisers.
Grange halls have been abandoned or turned
“We are providing a service and a place
to other uses.
— a warm, dry place —
No so on the Long
for the community,” says
Beach Peninsula, where a
Gale Ahrens, and signs in
Explore the Grange yourself
small group of concerned,
front of the Long Beach
Find out more about the Long
energetic and well-orga-
Grange Hall make that
Beach Grange at www.longbeach-
nized people have revital-
clear.
ized their Grange hall.
The indoor market,
grange.org. Or go to a Grange
By the 1990s the Long
held the ¿rst and third )ri-
Potluck on the third Wednesday of
Beach Grange had be-
day and Saturday of every
each month, from 6 to 7 p.m. (fol-
come little more than a
month, is a fundraiser for
lowed by a Grange meeting) or the
bingo parlor, and even
the Grange as well as for
Community Potluck (followed by a
that came to an end with
local vendors, who sell a
cakewalk) on the fourth Saturday,
the recession of 2008.
variety of items reÀecting
from 5 to 8 p.m. You don’t have to
That made it possible,
the rural values espoused
be a Grange member to attend.
Grange member Rick
by the organization. You’ll
Haug explains, to revive
¿nd goat cheese, lavender
the organization “as a tra-
soaps and scrubs, cran-
ditional community-based Grange.”
berry vine baskets, home-grown vegetables,
But the building was outdated, expensive eggs, honey, and a lot more. A Christmas ba-
to run, and showed the effects of years of de- zaar and consignment auctions serve much
ferred maintenance. “It’s a large hall,” says the same purposes.
Haug, “and it takes money to heat and main-
“Of all our events, the auction is my fa-
tain the building.”
vorite,” says John Larson. “It’s a kick in the
The group began raising money through pants.”
donations, events, grants and support from
John Dawson, another Grange leader,
local businesses. Building chairperson Gwen agrees. “We get some great stuff,” he says.
Wagner oversaw the installation of new win- “It’s a treasure hunter’s delight.”
dows. John Larson had an energy audit done,
Items that don’t sell go into the “rummage
and the entire building was converted to LED room,” the proceeds of which go to support
lighting. The front entryway was made hand- the Junior Grange Camp in Ocean Park,
icapped accessible; the roof was repaired. Washington, and to provide scholarships for
4 | October 15, 2015 | coastweekend.com
Members of the Long Beach Grange are, from left, William Mundy, Gwen Wagner, Rick Haug, Patty Bagley-Wills, John Dawson,
Gale Ahrens and John Larson.
Thanks to the work of dedicated members, the Long Beach
Grange hall has been restored with new windows, LED lighting, a
new roof and a handicapped-accessible front entrance. Now, the
sturdy building serves as a thriving community meeting place.
‘Of all our events, the
auction is my favorite. It’s
a kick in the pants.’
kids who couldn’t otherwise go to camp
The events don’t stop with fundraisers.
There’s the edible garden tour that raises
cash and canned food for three food banks,
the mushroom gathering class taught by lo-
cal forager and Shelburne Inn owner David
Campiche (who discusses how to do it with-
out saying where). There are “family living”
classes where you can learn arts, crafts, gar-
dening, and home skills like bak-
ing, candy making, food preser-
vation, needlework, quilting and
sewing.
Do you have a talent? There’s
a talent club and contests in
vocal, instrumental, and body
movement disciplines, as well as
Gale Ahrens arranges a display of awards won by Grange mem-
bers in various competitions.
photography, creative writing, painting and
drawing, and crafts that involve wood, pa-
per and recycling. There’s a stamp club and
activities for pre-schoolers. Seniors can play
cards, dance or do tai chi.
Groups renting the hall include line danc-
ers, bridge players, religious groups, and
“.itchen 0usic” on the ¿rst and third Sun-
days, from 1 to 5 p.m., where you can play,
listen and sing along.
Why has the Grange become so popu-
lar? Rick Haug believes that it’s because,
“There’s a resurgence of doing things for
ourselves instead of living out of Wal-Mart.”
Or maybe, as Patty Bagley-Wills says, it’s
simply because the Long Beach Grange is, “a
fun place to go in a small community.”
Coastal Life
Story and photos by DWIGHT CASWELL