Grange Action Program

Successful Actions of Dartmouth Grange - MA

Dartmouth Grange has a long history in the Town of Dartmouth in Massachusetts, and their 1840's Grange Hall has been a hub of activity in their town. But like many other Granges across the country, Dartmouth's Grangers were getting older and just putting on a spaghetti supper started to seem impossible. That's when Sam and Julie Manley came back into Grange.

"We had to choose whether we were going to let this great organization die or whether we were going to work to go from being a community liability to being a community asset. We were constantly going to other organizations for financial help to keep up our building. We need our community to come to us for help!"

With new energy, Sam started asking friends and neighbors to join - and got great response with 11 new members right off the bat. "Within a very short time, though, that new batch of members dwindled down to one. That's when it became clear that we needed to get our house in order and make it worth people's time before we made a big membership push."

When a tree fell onto and through the roof of their hall's kitchen, they became even more convinced that getting their house in order was the right approach. But where should they start and what should they do? Should they build a kitchen that would meet only the needs of their Grange? Or might this become an opportunity to meet some needs of their community?

These were big questions that Dartmouth Grange needed help to answer. So they held a community meeting where the idea of a commercial shared-use kitchen was not just born, but also greatly supported by people in the community.

Dartmouth Grange has taken the lead on this commercial shared-use kitchen which will be the only one like it within a 3-hour drive. "We see it as a way to support farming," says Julie Manley, Kitchen Project Manager. "Farmers need ways to create value-added products, and they need a place that's up to code where they can do that. Having a shared-use commercial kitchen available might just keep some of them farming. And there are caterers and other food vendors who have told us they need this kind of kitchen too."

Certainly the Kitchen Project has struck a chord with people in the community, and has helped Dartmouth Grange develop a lot of important partnerships. "There's been an incredible outpouring of support," says Sam Manley. "The Kitchen Project has gotten us out into the community. We've gotten a lot of positive publicity - and a lot of funding! We got grants from our Community Preservation Society, local Agricultural Preservation Trust, state and national Departments of Agriculture. The architect did all the design work pro bono, and our Vocational Education program is doing the actual physical building work."

It's been a long-term effort. "We started working on the Kitchen in 2002, and they are just framing the building now," says Julie. "We hope to have it up and running by the end of 2005."

In the meantime, Dartmouth Grange has had to learn how to operate in a more business-like manner. "Grants and donations raised a lot of housekeeping issues about our governance and how we meet." Sam says that when he was elected Master, he started out with the intention of becoming the "busiest Master in the world. I didn't want to impose on people so I tried to do everything myself. And now I see that was a mistake. People didn't feel needed." In his second term as Master, Sam has changed his ways. "Now my theory is to give people room to fail - and room to succeed. They take on specific tasks with specific deadlines, and we're making them accountable for what they say they'll do. The focus is on leadership - particularly my own." He adds, "If Julie and I were to move to Florida - and Dartmouth Grange would still keep going strong - that's how I'd know we've been successful."

What's a meeting like at Dartmouth Grange? "We've really changed very little. The secretary tacks up the minutes on the bulletin board rather than reading them. We sing maybe 3 songs instead of 6. Otherwise there's not a lot of change," says Julie. "We have a great pianist who fills the hall with music. And our Assistant Steward and Lady Assistant Steward do great floorwork which helps make the meeting entertaining for visitors." Julie holds the office of Greeter. "I help guests know where they should sit, and I give them a brochure we put together. It's a program of the meeting so they can follow along. And it tells the history of the Grange, describes the stations and their functions - and has a calendar of events on the back."

Sam does identify one change. "Meetings go quick. They rarely last longer than 45 minutes. We want to get through our business so we can get to what we call the delightful part of the meeting - our program and the chance to enjoy each others' company."

If you want some tips on raising money, Dartmouth Grange can sure give you some. In just one night they raised $18,000! How? "It took six months of planning, but it was a spectacular event," Sam says of their Harvest Moon Celebration. They lined up restaurants and food vendors to donate free samples of their wares, offered entertainment, and capped the evening with a live auction - all fabulous donated goods and services. "Over 400 people attended! We had so much donated to us. We had music, spectacular decorations, it was an amazing event! People started asking right away if we'd do it again, so now we're going to roll it into our Grange Fair."

But even with all their successes, Dartmouth Grangers feel they've got lots more work ahead of them. "We needed more specific help than we got through Action Grange," says Julie. It's taken a lot longer and been more work than anyone anticipated when Dartmouth Grange sent their team off to be part of an Action Grange Seminar. "That's why I really pushed for us to hire professional facilitators to help us really look hard at ourselves. We chose a woman who has a business and marketing background and a man who is very knowledgeable about all kinds of agri-business. They met with us four times for three hours each session, and they've helped us ask a lot of tough questions."

With the facilitators' help, a core group of Dartmouth Grangers assessed their current strengths and weaknesses by looking at everything they do in terms of people, activities, and structure. "We asked ourselves why we're doing a particular program? How does it feed our strength? How do we present ourselves to the community? And then they gave us some very concrete steps - things we need to do to capitalize on our strengths." One step is to research the possibility of acquiring 501C-3 tax status so the Grange can apply to foundations and other individuals who prefer donating to a 501C-3 organization. Another is to create a Board of Directors among members of the community - people who have the specific skills that are lacking among current Grange members.

And the facilitators helped Dartmouth Grange more clearly tell people about Grange. "We've had a hard time even being able to say what the Grange is. Is it the building? Is it the organization? Is it the ritual? We have to be more than just an organization that meets because people just don't want to come to meetings," Julie says. "And we have to tell them who we are and what we do - quickly and concisely," Sam adds. "Now when someone asks we say, 'We're a family fraternity with a special interest in agriculture and community service.' Of course now we need to work on telling them even when they don't ask!"

What's next on Dartmouth Grange's schedule? They're laying plans to make the most of their shared-use kitchen and then putting their focus on membership. And Sam's not afraid to think big. "We need to be able to offer more to members. I wonder what it would be like to ask someone to join if we could offer a free college education to every member. We sure couldn't do that now. But what if we could? That's the kind of member benefit we really need to work toward."