About New York
State Grange
Interested in learning more about Grange?
A Grange display with personnel to answer questions
and distribute literature will be at the following:
Winter Farm Show at the New York State Fairgrounds
in Syracuse from February 25 - 27;
Empire Farm Days in Seneca Falls from August 10 -
12.
The New York State Grange was founded in 1873. There are more than 240
local Granges in New York State with a total membership of over 7,000.
The State Grange has members serving on many state committees. The State
Soil and Water Conservation Committee, the Council of Agricultural
Organizations, the Rural Schools Association are a few. The State Grange
meets each year in October to set legislative policy and legislative
agenda. The 2010 session will be in watertown, NY. The
State Grange maintains a presence at the New York State Fair, at Empire
Farm Days and the Winter Farm Show in Syracuse.
The Grange is primarily an organization for small rural communities. We
are advocates for responsible government at all levels. We are a family
organization emphasizing strong family ties
as a basis for a healthy society. As a fraternal organization we feel that
a strong community is based on developing a friendly positive relationship
among its citizens. Helpful cooperation between members of a community
makes it self-sufficient and prosperous. A community where citizens know
each other and communicate on a regular basis will run smoothly and work
for the total benefit of the community as a whole
Membership in the Grange organization is available to anyone who is
interested in participating in making better communities. The Grange began
as an agricultural organization at a time when agriculture was the primary
occupation of rural citizens. Today the Grange still closely mirrors the
makeup of our rural communities. Agriculture is still important to the
Grange and its members know that the
economic welfare of rural communities is still strongly influenced by the
economic stability of agriculture.
2010 New York State Grange Officers
|
President |
|
Oliver Orton |
|
Dutchess |
|
Vice President |
|
Stephen Coye |
|
Albany |
|
Lecturer |
|
Sharon Croucher |
|
Ontario |
|
Steward |
|
Gerald Batsford |
|
Cortland |
|
Assistant Steward |
|
Richard Wilcox |
|
Livingston |
|
Lady Assistant Steward |
|
Sarah Gearing |
|
Columbia |
|
Chaplain |
|
Martha Woolley |
|
Chautauqua |
|
Treasurer |
|
Kenneth Smith |
|
Deleware |
|
Secretary |
|
Virginia Conner |
|
Cayuga |
|
Gatekeeper |
|
Allen Henderson |
|
Onondaga |
|
Flora |
|
Amy Knowles |
|
Steuben |
|
Pomona |
|
Cindy Bullock |
|
Cortland |
|
Ceres |
|
Joanne Shea |
|
Oneida |
|
Executive Committee |
|
Dennis Hill |
|
Delaware |
|
Executive Committee |
|
Roberta Severson |
|
Onondaga |
|
Executive Committee |
|
Richard Church |
|
Tompkins |
|
Executive Committee |
|
Roger Halbert |
|
Otsego |
|
Pianist |
|
Irene Fassett |
|
Otsego |
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New York State
Grange Master, Oliver Orton
I joined Stanford Grange No.
808 in Dutchess Co. at age 14 and after college served as Master
for five years. I also served as Master of the Dutchess Co.
Pomona Grange for six years. I was elected Gatekeeper of the NYS
Grange in 1971 and moved up through the chairs to Assistant
Steward, Steward and Overseer by 1983. My wife (nee) Karen Weber
(Genesee Co.) and I served as councilors at Junior Grange camp
for five years and we were married in 1982. I dropped out of the
State Officer rank in 1983 as we planned to have a family. Ryan,
now age 23, is a member of the NYS Grange youth team and
Allison, 20, has served as both a State and National youth
officer. Appointed State Junior Director by State Master Bert
Morse, I served in this capacity for 19 years until 2006. In the
spring of 2006 the Executive Committee asked me to accept the
appointment as Overseer of the NYS Grange. I was formally
elected to the office in the fall of 2006, and was elevated to
State Master (President) in Alexandria Bay, NY at the 2007 State
session.
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