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Time Travel to 1621 Succeeds, Help Grange

Many days of hard work went into preparing the feast in the South Camano Grange kitchen. Here, 16 year old volunteers from the High School Culinary Arts department help experienced Grangers. Photo by: Barbara Allen

By Rev. Barbara Allen,
South Camano Island Grange #930

Our Grange was in crisis! We needed something to let our community know that we were still there. A new slate of officers approved my plan to travel in time back to 1621 to the first historical meal most of us think we recognize, the Harvest Feast shared by the Plimoth Colonists and local Indians.

As newly elected Program Director it seemed to me that if we continued to do what we’d been doing, occasional spaghetti dinners with live music and pancake breakfasts the last Saturday morning ten months of the year, that our membership might drop to a level such that we could lose our charter.

Something unique was needed that could generate free newspaper coverage and capture community attention, curiosity, imagination, and lead to participation!

I’d been inspired when visiting Thomas Jefferson’s estate, Monticello, by his extensive agricultural program, which included developing new varieties of fruits and vegetables, gourmet menus, and a book in the gift store: “The Virginia Housewife” which may be the first cookbook published in the Colonies. I thought it might be fun to do an authentic, historically accurate, themed meal. As we approached Thanksgiving, I began researching the story of this holiday, and learned that the meal we think of as traditional today, didn’t exist in 1621 at that first Harvest Feast shared by the Colonists and Natives. (It was not a Thanksgiving dinner, but rather a three day partying event.)

With further extensive research on the internet, and help from Kathryn Curtin of the Plimoth Organization in Plymouth, Massachusetts, more and more truth came to light, and, a sumptuous menu of authentic foods, cooked using only those methods and ingredients available in 1621 Plymouth was developed. This menu also posed challenges, as it was unlike anything we eat today except for three dishes: Pease Pottage, Roast Turkey, and poached white fish with sauce.

In 1621, the Colonists had no wheat, flour, cattle or milk for example. They relied only on what they could gather from their Atlantic shore, grow, hunt, forage. The only viable crops then were Indian corn which was ground into meal, and squash varieties. Greater variety would come later.

We were taking a financial risk in paying for printing on parchment-like paper and purchasing major groceries, but, by waiting until November 1st, and then November 12th, to obtain necessary ingredients when their prices would be lowest, we might make it work. On the flipside it meant exhausting preparations that could not begin until a week before the event. I don’t recommend this approach, but would, rather, advise other Granges to do their turkey purchases frozen, a year before, and cook whatever they could months in advance and freeze. We managed to get all of the squash needed donated the day after Halloween by a local farmer.

I created fliers and posters using “Microsoft Word art”, choosing an appropriate type face, carefully spacing and composing information, then, submitting a draft to the local School District for their approval, in the hope that since this was a program of benefit to all students, they’d send a flier home with every grade school student, over 2,000 of them. They liked the idea, had me insert their standard disclaimer to the document, approved it and sent a copy home with each child.

In addition, fliers were distributed, placed in public places, posters went up, tickets were printed, numbered, and deposited for sale at our local bookstore outlet. Sales were slow at first. We worried, but, carried on preparing for 200 guests, envisioning a lot of leftovers frozen for later Grange dinners.

The extensive work of preparing the feast fell primarily to four older women. I realized that we were now not only authentically re-creating an almost forgotten authentic historic feast, but re-living what the original Plymouth colonial wives went through. History tells us that only four mature women survived that first terrible winter, and it was to them that feast cooking fell. They likely had help from some of the men, and some youths, which was our experience as well.

Tickets cost $15 for adults, but dining was free for children under 6 years of age accompanied by a ticketed adult. Admission included all food, live entertainment from a local group, The Old Time Fiddlers, who played appropriate music from that time period, and two Mayflower descendents who spoke candidly about their occasionally less than saintly ancestors. Each of the menu offerings was introduced with a short history of the dish, including ingredients used, and the reality of subsistence living and survival of the first Colonists shared. In keeping with history, hand sewn muslin cloth napkins were at each place setting and spoons, but no forks. Participants were encouraged to do as these first Colonials had done, eat with their fingers, and sometimes if need be hold food with a corner of their napkins. The program began a bit after 2 p.m., ran a little less than 3 hours, after which many remained to visit and enjoy the afternoon while Grangers, with the help of volunteers from the local high school, tidied up.

We had a full house, received a donation of two additional long tables, which were filled immediately with diners, and had nothing but praise for the event which was attended by everyone interested in what that first feast offered, including grade school teachers who brought their students to the event, and then hoped it would be repeated the following year. The Grange cleared about $1200, and was promised a donation of a propane generator and hook ups so that the building could be better prepared to serve as an emergency shelter if needed. All in all, an unqualified if exhausting success.

To the best of our knowledge no other restaurant, entity or organization had offered this historic culinary opportunity anywhere in the Pacific Northwest. It’s a program other Granges could duplicate if they wish. What we learned could be shared to make the process easier.

We had outstanding coverage with three advance press releases and two photographs published in the local weekly newspaper, and two feature articles in the nearby Everett Herald, which sent a reporter and photographer to cover the event. Coverage was also available online.

The poster/flier and menu format I developed could be adapted for use elsewhere. There are some dishes that wouldn’t be missed in future events, although authentic. The only beverage served was water, because that’s all they drank at the first feast. (There wasn’t enough barley planted for brewing beer, at that time.)

Of course, it’s important to understand that for our Grange to attract ongoing attention and numbers, there will need to be follow up programs that are newsworthy, imaginative, of historical and educational interest, and fun for all ages. Program proposals for 2008 were submitted at the December business meeting, and will be discussed at the January meeting. These included event programs that will be unique, as well as some that will be reminiscent of the best of what Granges are about, historically. (All of the 2008 proposed programs will be easier to do than the 1621 Harvest Feast).

Hopefully with a pro-active public relations approach we’ll attract new, additional members, and inspire existing members to participate more often.

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National President Ed Luttrell (Right) with Vice President Jimmy Gentry in front of the Whitehouse
5 Priorities for the New Year   Increase active membership at each Community Grange   Develop new leaders by creating opportunities at the local level   Revitalize existing Granges   Build new Community Granges   Strengthen the Grange Family Structure

As we start a new year, we first need to take a moment to appreciate all the blessings we have. We belong to an organization that has strong values and stands for what is best in American society. As Grange members each of us can propose and advocate for any policy or change that we believe will benefit our community. We can express ourselves with freedom and we have the responsibility of being accountable for our actions. Most importantly, we have friends and family who will stick with us through thick and thin.

We need to recognize all the good things we have going for us in the Grange. 503 Community Granges had a net gain in membership last year. Thousands of people joined our organization in the past year because they saw something that interested them. Young and old, each new member brought their unique perspective and ideas to the Grange that they joined. Tens of thousands of members participated in Grange meetings, activities, and events during the past year. Hundreds of thousands of people were positively impacted by our legislative, community service, educational, fund-raising, and fun Grange activities and events.

As 2008 begins to unfold before us, the second thing we need to do is to decide where we want to go as individuals and as a Grange. A crucial lesson is that those who know where they want to go are the ones who get there. People who want something usually achieve it, and those organizations that know what they want to accomplish always make progress toward their goals. Take time this year to set some goals in your Grange. Add something new to your activities or revitalize one of your traditional events.

Especially set a goal to invite someone new to each of your Grange activities. Let them see the importance and fun of what you are doing and that will increase the chance that they will see something in your Grange that is attractive to them. Once they see your enthusiasm and something that is interesting to them, your asking them to join your Grange is an easy task. Look at asking people to join as a favor to them. If you are getting benefits from your membership, why not let others share in the good things in your Grange.

After you’ve looked at the good things in your Grange and decided where you want the Grange to be in the future, the next thing is simply do something to move your Grange down the road. Start implementing the goals and plans you’ve talked about. Appoint committees to determine how to accomplish the goals. Then act on their recommendations. Movement is a positive experience for your members. Action lets them feel good about themselves and their Grange. You don’t have to take big steps, but you need to start moving if you want members to get excited about your Grange.

These three steps are necessary at your Community Grange, your State Grange, and at your National Grange. To aid you, your National Grange has set some basic goals and is already implementing new ideas to move toward those goals. As each State Grange shares their goals to help their Granges, we will be working with them to achieve success together.

This is going to be an exciting year to be a Grange member. It will be a year filled with achievements, both large and small. It will be a time when our members grow and learn as they experience new adventures and try new opportunities. It will be filled with new friends as our Grange family grows in number. New ideas will be brought forward by members and each idea will be part of our bright future.

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I’m so happy and excited to be a part of The National Grange! Becoming part of the team during this time of change is exciting. I look forward to making a significant contribution.

Allow me to share with you a little about myself. I am a native Washingtonian and have lived in the Southern Maryland suburbs my entire life. After studying Biology at the University of Maryland I got my first full-time job as a Catering Assistant with the Key Bridge Marriott in Arlington, Virginia. You can say that’s where the first part of my meeting planning career was born.

Six months into my position at the Key Bridge Marriott, I was approached about a job at the new Marriott flagship property, the J.W. Marriott in Washington, DC. Having an opportunity to work planning high profile catering events was a dream come true. I planned events attended by some of the world’s most fascinating people – Queen Noor, Pavarotti, Margaret Thatcher, President Ronald Reagan, the 1984 United States Olympic medal winners, just to name a few. I don’t for a minute expect any of those people to remember who I am, but I sure won’t forget who they are!

After seven years I thought it was time to experience the other side of event planning. I wanted to be the client. After all, I believe you can be more effective in your job if you know all aspects of that job.

So, I began the second part of my meeting planning career at the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industries, followed by the Aerospace Industries Association and an association management firm. At these organizations I planned events such as annual conferences for as many as 3,000 people, both nationally and internationally, press breakfasts for 50 media members, education sessions, both large and small, spouse programs, board meetings and staff retreats, along with a variety of other events.

In 1997 I felt it was time to learn the last side of meeting planning – the legal side. Six years in a firm here in Washington, DC, that specialized in association law gave me the bit of polish I needed to really be effective in my job.

Finally, spending the last four years outside of the meeting planning business in a for profit company, made me see just how much I missed planning events. The satisfaction of organizing and executing an event that is important to others is very rewarding to me. I’m glad I have the chance to share my expertise and skills with The National Grange. I look forward to meeting you!

I was raised on a wheat and cattle ranch along with my two brothers, Scott and Derek. I am a third generation Granger. My dad, Terry, and mother, Mary took me to Grange before I could walk! I graduated high school from Coulee-Hartline with a class of 22 students and went on to college at Whitworth College in Spokane, WA, were I played football for the Pirates and studied Business Administration. I then returned home to Ranch and farm with my dad.

I married my wife Jacquie in 1993. She knew from the start that I had a love for the Grange. I was a District Youth Director while we were dating and we continued working with the Grange Youth after we were married. I became a State Officer in 1995 and have worked my way through the ranks and now serve on the Washington State Grange Executive Committee. I was appointed Co-o-Membership/Leadership Development Director in 2000 and have gained lots of experience through the years working with the Granges around Washington State.

My favorite hobby is hunting. I have been blessed to have hunted all around the northwest, Canada, and Alaska. I have even taken my love for hunting to a level by guiding other folks so that they can be successful in their hunting dreams. Jacquie and I still live on the family farm where I help out whenever I am not doing Grange work. We have been blessed with two children, Cady and Charlie.

I am very excited about the new challenges that are before me in my new position with the National Grange, and am looking forward to meeting and working with Grangers all around the country.

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