Sallal Grange’s history found in it’s members, both young and old

Published 1:14 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008

In 1952, Fred Fischer was recruited to help build a hall for the Sallal Grange off 432nd Avenue Southeast in North Bend.

The building still stands and Fischer is still a member of the Sallal Grange.

“When the job was done, some of them twisted my arm and that’s how I got there,” he said. “It’s a good fraternal organization.”

Fischer and other Sallal Grange members will be honored today for their commitment to the Valley organization.

The Grange, also known as the Order of the Patrons of Husbandry, started as an agricultural and rural community organization in 1867 in Washington, D.C.

The North Bend chapter started in 1930, with the first meetings held in various community halls and churches at a time when some membership dues were paid with firewood.

Just two years later, 18-year-old Dorothy Pickett joined along with her husband, Lester.

“It was primarily just a group of farmers,” she said. “And we were farmers, just like everyone else.”

She later went on to marry Oscar Miller, a former mayor of North Bend, and has been an active member ever since her first meeting. Miller has held every office in the Sallal Grange and attended state conventions in 1997 and 1998.

Miller, the oldest member of the Sallal Grange, will be honored Thursday for 70 years of service to the chapter.

“The Grange is my life,” she said. “It’s just like my second family.”

Some members of the Grange have seen its local and national mission evolve into lobbying and grassroots activism. Nationwide, it has 300,000 members in 3,600 chapters in 37 states, and is a strong voice in politics.

Resolutions may be initiated by any chapter and can be voted on at state conventions. Resolutions that pass are lobbied for in governments, both local and national.

Although the Grange has a strong presence, membership has waned and local meetings usually draw sparse crowds compared to the 30 to 40 members who used to show up in the 1950s and ’60s.

“People are just getting too busy, and a lot of the members are getting old,” said Sallal Grange secretary and treasurer Donna Greathouse.

But some youths are becoming involved in the organization. A Junior Sallal Grange for children ages 5-14 is sponsored by the Sallal Grange and works to prepare future “grangers.”

Amber Robey, a 14-year-old from North Bend who became involved with the Junior Grange when she was 9, is the most recent, and youngest, addition to the Sallal Grange.

“It gives kids something to do and keeps them out of trouble,” Robey said. “It’s a good way to make friends.”

For her, the mix of young and old members in the group offers a dynamic she can’t get anywhere else.

“I like to be around people of different ages who have different experiences,” she said. “I’m not really into politics right now, but I’m getting involved to learn about them because I am going to need to know it for school.”

Greathouse hopes the newer members can add to the history already created by the group. Members’ dedication to attending meetings over many decades shows a level of commitment she says is uncommon.

“A commitment they made a long time ago still means a lot to them,” she said. “You don’t find that a lot anymore.”

* The ceremony honoring longtime Sallal Grange members will be held at 7 p.m. today, Thursday, Oct. 17, at the Grange Hall, 12912 432nd Ave. S.E., North Bend.