Thank You and Catching Up

I would like to start this month’s article by thanking Bethlehem Grange and Mountain Laurel Pomona for a fine reception that was held for Sharon and me at the Community Hall in Bethlehem, on Dec. 9.  It was a great turn out of Grange family and my family for an afternoon of good food and friendship.  I also received cards and emails from Grangers who couldn’t make it that day which was well appreciated.  This turned out to be a wonderful day for Sharon and me.  Thanks once again for putting on such a nice reception.

I met with the Legislative Committee in December to work on the Connecticut State Grange Legislative Policy Guide for 2019 that will be passed out to our representatives in Hartford.  Gordon Gibson will be our liaison again this year.  Gordon does a great job in representing the Grange on legislative issues.

The resolutions that the Connecticut State Grange sent on to National Grange for action were as follows:

Medicare Coverage in Convalescent Homes - Passed

Legible Directions on Food Preparation Products – Withdrawn

Grange Youth Department – Rejected

Junior and Youth Budget – Withdrawn

Keeping the Jr. Grange Badge Program – Withdrawn

Sale of Grange Property – Current Policy

On the three withdrawn resolutions from Connecticut – the committee chairpersons came to me and said they were going to reject the resolutions.  I withdrew those but the Granges can go back and review them.  On the sale of Grange property, I managed to get the resolution back on the floor for discussion.  Most delegates agreed that $1,000 was too low but they also thought that 10% of the sale was too high.  After much discussion the resolution was rejected.

As I am writing this article, I was notified by National Grange that the 2018 Farm Bill passed in the House and the Senate.  It is an $867 billion Farm Bill that is now headed for the President’s desk for his signature.

In 2019, the General Deputy and Pomona Deputy will begin to schedule inspections for the three Pomona Granges.  They would like to schedule the inspections for late spring or early summer.  A special meeting can be set up for a degree inspection.

For the Subordinate/Community Granges, a questionnaire will be sent out to all Granges to fill out and return to the State Master along with your Executive Committee report and the Steward’s Inventory Report.  I am looking to get these out sometime in February or early March.  You should be working on your Executive Committee reports in the center of last year’s Blue Book.  I know some of the Granges have filled them out and have sent a copy to the General Deputy.

Just a quick update on the Northeast Leaders’ Conference, which will be hosted by the Connecticut State Grange on March 29 and 30, 2019.  Registration will be from 5 to 7 P.M. on March 29 at the Holiday Inn, Norwich (Where we meet for State Session).  We will have speakers lined up for this conference.  Todd is working on meal prices and a banquet price.  So, keep these dates open. We would like to have a representative from each Grange in Connecticut to attend.

By the time you read this article, it will be mid-January and the days are starting to get longer.  Do you remember the old saying, “As the days begin to lengthen the cold begins to strengthen!”

Looking ahead to 2019

The elections are over and we have elected a new Governor and Lieutenant Governor and now they will be putting together the heads of departments.  I wonder who will be the next Commissioner of Agriculture in Connecticut.  Will the current commissioner, Steven K. Reviczky be re-appointed or will another be appointed?  We’ll have to wait and see.  We as Grangers need to watch and make sure the Department of Agriculture is not put into another agency.  We must keep this department its own entity with its own Commissioner.  We should also watch that the staff in the Dept. of Agriculture is not cut and se need the livestock and milk inspectors in the field to help the farmers.  Our legislative committee will be watching and lobbying against these changes they are proposing.

The new Pomona Granges seem to be well-established and are all planning meetings for 2019.  Try to get out to your Pomona meetings and visit one of the other two Pomona meetings in our state.  I have heard the attendance at our Pomona meetings have been good but could always use a few more.

At the state level, the committees seem to be getting together and putting together their plans for the upcoming year.  The CWA has already held their three regional Pomona meetings for November and I hope they were all well attended.  The Legislative Committee has also met at the Grange office.  They put together their legislative program.  I know the agriculture committee has some new ideas for the coming year.  I have added more members to the Youth Committee - they are Melissa Coleman from Riverton Grange and Jaimie Cameron from Ekonk Community Grange.

We are also working on putting together a program for the Northeast Leadership Conference which will be held in Connecticut in 2019.  We are planning on holding the conference on March 29-30 at the Holiday Inn Norwich in Norwich, CT.  We will be starting at 7:00 P.M. on Friday evening and on Saturday the time will be announced.  On Saturday evening there will be a banquet.  This conference is open to all Grange members so try to keep this date open.  There will be more information on this conference coming soon.

Sharon and I returned from the National Grange convention held in Stowe, Vermont as of this writing (December, 2019).  Sharon and I were busy working on committees and attending the sessions.  Sharon was on the Education and Health Committee and I served on the Conservation Committee working on resolutions that were brought up on the floor during the session.  More about the National Convention can be found in the CT Granger newspaper.

Sharon and I would like to wish all our Brothers and Sisters a safe and happy New Year to all our members and friends.

Introducing new CT State Grange President George Russell

The 134th Annual Session of the Connecticut State Grange is in the books. 2018 was an election year and a new slate of officers was elected. I had the privilege of being elected as your new State Master/ President. 

I would like to thank the Delegates of the Connecticut State Grange for having the confidence in me to lead your State Grange for the next two years. For those who do not know me, here is a short profile of my family and Grange, and organizations I belong to.

I live in Canaan, Connecticut along with my wife, Sharon Russell. We have been married for 35 years. We have three children, two boys and one girl and six grandchildren. I retired this past summer after 55 years of being employed at Freund’s Farm. I was the herdsman on the farm and had a small herd of cows that I milked at the farm.

I joined Laurel Grange #210 in 1971 and when it closed in 1997, I joined Riverton Grange #169. I’ve been a member of the Grange for 47 years. I’m a Past Master of Laurel Grange and a past Master of Mountain County Pomona No. 4. At the state level I was Agricultural Chairman, Deputy, General Deputy, Gatekeeper, Assistant Steward and Overseer. I was the dairy superintendent for the Connecticut Agricultural Fair sponsored by the Connecticut State Grange for 30 years.

Other organizations that I have belonged to include the Housatonic Valley FFA Alumni. I helped to organize and was the first President of the FFA Alumni. I am also a member of Farm Bureau, Litchfield County Dairy Committee and Genex A.I. I was also an alternate delegate and delegate for many years. I presently belong to the National and New England Holstein Association.

With this short profile, you can see I am a strong supporter of agriculture, especially the dairy industry.

I am still looking for Grange members who would like to be on a committee for the State Grange. Please let me know if you are interested. It’s a great way to support your Connecticut State Grange and get involved.