This is a nice article from the Boston Globe about Granges in general, and the Laurel Grange in West Newbury.

For those interested in helping Montague Grange grow and do more in our town, we will be meeting this coming Wednesday, September 16, at 7:00pm, at the hall in Montague Center (adjacent to the town common). Give back to the community you live in. Come one, come all. For more info, check out the Documents page in the Grange section of this website. Newsletters and history.

http://www.boston.co...ing_younger_members/

When Gail Vangelist moved to West Newbury three years ago, she hoped to finally find a long-term location for her horse farm.

Vangelist, 44, who moved the business from suburb to suburb several times as farmland was converted to developments and riding trails disappeared, spent a recent Saturday at the town’s Laurel Grange Hall, donating her animals and time for the agricultural organization’s family fun day.

“I hope the Grange will grow so we keep farms open,’’ said Vangelist, who recently joined the nonprofit group. “In a lot of the other towns we lived in, they forgot about the farms, then all the trails closed, and all the horse farms left. It’s a terrible cycle we’ve gotten into in the last 20 years.’’

But, as farms have disappeared, so have local Grange chapters, succumbing to the numerous sports and activities that occupy families. Once attracting 51,000 members statewide, the organization’s rosters have declined to as few as 10 to 15 in some communities. While clinging to their agricultural roots, the local chapters are looking for a niche in an increasingly cluttered landscape.

“The biggest challenge is to convince people to join us,’’ said Calvin Chase Jr., head of the Massachusetts State Grange. “If you have children in the school system, you are running seven days a week with basketball, baseball, soccer, and the various other activities. It’s just tremendous pressure on families.’’

Chase emphasized that the Grange is one of the few organizations open to anyone, from young children to grandparents.

Approximately 60 people attended West Newbury’s family fun day, held Aug. 1, which included a farmers market, live band, and pony rides, said Peter Carter, president of the local Grange.

“That was a nice-sized crowd for us to handle,’’ Carter said. “When they came, they stayed and enjoyed themselves which was our big goal.’’

And, seven West Newbury residents - including Vangelist - attending the event submitted applications to join the Grange. They were the chapter’s first newcomers since the late 1990s, although the organization drew people from Amesbury, Newbury, Newton, N.H., and other communities as their local groups folded, Carter said.

“Unless you socialize in that type of atmosphere, you might not even know it exists,’’ said Glenn Kemper, the chairman of West Newbury’s Board of Selectmen and one of the Grange’s new members. “There’s no welcoming committee, so them having a well-publicized family fun fair is a good opportunity.’’

Kemper said the Grange is an important part of the town for its history and current endeavors, especially in supporting farming.

The West Boxford Grange, whose 40 members are all at least 50 years old, is also struggling to gain new members, said secretary Kenneth Chadwick, who has been involved since 1945.

“For years, Granges would become entrenched in their old ways,’’ Chadwick said. “Young people would come in and want to do something and you’d hear from the members, ‘Well, we’ve never done that before.’ The organization doesn’t change then and they get left by the wayside.’’

The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry formed shortly after the Civil War to help struggling farmers; they banded together to establish cooperative stores that sold supplies in bulk and lobby against high rates charged by railroads to ship farm products.

Today, with fewer farms in the region, Grange chapters have become a social order that supports various charities, including foster care groups, the state Division of Social Services, local food pantries, homeless shelters, and the Beverly School for the Deaf, officials said.

But, agriculture is still an important cause for Rowley’s Grange, which raises money for state lobbying efforts, said Barbara Gasper, its secretary.

“If you’re a farmer, you’re working 24 hours a day,’’ Gasper said. “They still need our help more than ever.’’

But, the group, which celebrated its 115th anniversary earlier this summer, saw membership decline from a peak of 300 to 50, only 20 of whom are active, she said.

Despite an aging membership, there are signs that the Grange will play an important role in the future. After leaders of Topsfield’s Grange recently considered closing because no town residents were involved, more than a dozen locals expressed interest in keeping it alive.

“It was kind of bizarre,’’ said Matthew Johnson, who serves on the group’s executive committee. “It looked like we were going to close and then a lot of people from the town stepped up and decided to join the Grange.’’

Junior Grange programs serving children ages 5 1/2-14 are also growing. Apple Valley Junior Grange, which draws from throughout northeastern Massachusetts, began in 2000 with a few youngsters but has increased to 17 children, with more joining every year, said Kathy Gibson, Apple Valley’s leader.

The children run the monthly meetings, which include crafts, parties, and charitable activities. Members also earn merit badges similar to scouting and participate in statewide contests including public speaking, art, photography, sign language, and talent shows. Older youths help with activities, learning responsibility and public speaking skills, Gibson said.

“That’s the more constructive part but we also try to make it fun,’’ she said.

Gibson, whose two children plan to continue in the Grange program as adults, said she hopes many youths join Junior Grange chapters near their communities to ensure the organization lasts well into the future.

“You’ve seen the decline in the older Granges but the juniors and youth are building it up.’’