The Knox County Pomona Grange met on Monday, May 16, at Wayne Grange hall. Middlebury Grange was the host with 21 members and two guests present. Master Ned Campbell called the meeting to order in place of Lonnie Totten.
Legislative Chairperson and State Master Sue Roy talked about the new podcasts that she and Margaret Ann Ruhl are working on. We have two podcasts on YouTube and soon to have them on the website. It is called the Buckeye Patrons Pulse Podcast, thanks to Cindy Campbell for the name. We have recorded 5 so far and will be working on 2 more. The hopes are to do two a month. Roy has applied for a grant from Pharma to help with a PowerPoint presentation. We need to "Toot our Horn" to get members excited about grange.
Etta Arnholt, Membership Chairperson, announced that she has another new member wanting to join Pomona Grange. We need to do this before the State Grange convention, so this person can take the Sixth Degree.
County Deputy Cindy Campbell did an update of all that has happened since our March meeting. The 6th Degree was presented on March 26 at the Knox County Memorial Building. Thanks to Connie Powell and Denise Barton for being the walking candidates. On April 2 was the State Dartball Tournament, held at the Old Fredericktown High School. There were nine teams participating. Knox County's Middlebury Grange won 2nd place. The granges sold lunch for the tournament and Campbell thanked all that helped serve and provided food. Willis Smith, Dee Smith, Etta Arnholt and Pricilla Arnholt along with Campbell attended the Spring Fling hosted by the Family Activities Committee. There were two different places you could go to see the activities you can make for this upcoming grange year. We had the Farm-City Dinner on April 18 at the Ramser 4-H Building. Everyone seemed to enjoy this new venue, except for Cindy Campbell, who had the stress of seeing everything got done on time, plus M. C.'d the event. A donation was voted on to give to the 4-H Center for the use, since they didn't change for the use of the building. May 1 was Rural Life Sunday, held in Westerville with the State Chaplin Les Widder leading the service. Total of 15 people attended the event. The Deputy's Conference was held on May 14 at the Flying Horse Camp in Mount Gilead. All the State Directors gave a report on what they are doing this grange year. The need to get more members into grange was discussed. In the last quarter, we had 45 members leave or passed away with only 7 new members. A reminder that the Ohio Grange Charitable Foundation is no longer an organization and please do not donate money to it. Donations can be given to the Ohio Grange Patrons of Husbandry Foundation, which does scholarships to college students attending an Ohio college and majoring in agricultural careers. Over the past several years, the Foundation has helped 12 students.
Upcoming events are the Ohio State Grange talent contest. Registration is due by June 1st with the contest being held at the Ohio State Grange Office on June 18th. July 9th will be a work day at the Knox County Fairgrounds to get the pop stands ready for the County Fair, starting at 9:00 a.m., if you want to help. Fair booth displays are to be put up on Wednesday, July 20 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and/or Thursday, July 21, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cindy Campbell asked for each grange to bring something memorable to put in the Pomona Grange Booth at the Fair.
In the far future, National Grange Conference will be held in the quad states with Iowa being the host in 2024. Ohio is one of the quad states and will be asked to help with the hosting. More to come later.
At the Ohio State Grange baking contest, Knox County had 5 entries. Congratulations to Connie Powell from Monroe-Dan Emmett Grange, for her 6th place for the Youth Potato Chip Cookies; 4th place to Etta Arnholt from Monroe-Dan Emmett Grange, for her Hawaiian Nook; the Chocolate Chip Brownies received 1st place and were made by Lonnie Totten from Monroe-Dan Emmett Grange.
Dee Smith reported on the Pop Committee. She distributed letters to each grange with their schedules to help work at the Knox County Fair. Thanks to CES Credit Union for the sponsorship of a golf cart to be used at the fair during fair week. Because of the schedule changes, we will not need to rent a covered barn to sell pop at the Hog Barn. We will use the trailer.
Old Business, Sue Roy passed around a sign-up sheet for Lonnie Totten as he wants to put together a choir for the Ohio State Grange talent contest. You have to have 4 or more to be called a choir.
New Business. Sue Roy announced that we will have a booth at the Ohio State Fair. The Fair is July 27 to August 7 and if you want to work at the fair, she can get you admission to the fair and a parking pass. Roy also reminded all the granges to get started on their resolutions for the Ohio State Grange. It is not too early to get them to the Ohio State Grange office.
The Lecture, Willis Smith Chairperson talked about May 16 as National Days. It is National BBQ Day and Cindy Campbell read about the origin of BBQs; Margaret Ann Ruhl read about Mimosa Day; Dee Smith read Something Good for your neighbor Day; Deb Hamilton read National Birthday as it was Dee Smith's Birthday. Willis Smith read that Springtime is the 1st Degree of Grange.
Announcements of Donna Marous having neck surgery; remember Lonnie Totten as he recuperates from COVID and Congratulations to Margaret Ann Ruhl for receiving Hall of Honor from Fredericktown Schools.
Next meeting will be June 20 at Harrison Grange starting at 7 p.m.
Submitted by Margaret Ann Ruhl, Reporter.
