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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Wolf travels hundreds of miles to northern Arizona Odd Fellows hopes to rebuild historic lodge as community center Get Up & Go: Nov. 22 Emergency services Public meetings for Nov. 24-28, 2014 Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services Monica pens letter to judge Woman says she was abducted while jogging on Johns Peak Road Portland woman struck by vehicle last week dies in hospital Emergency services Politics and Elections Buckley again named Ways and Means Committee co-chairman Latest count shows Measure 92 supporters narrowing deficit Granlund cartoon: GOP wrecking balls Ballot measures played little role in mobilizing voters in state Senate race 'Euphoria' over pot initiative Education Homelessness is growing problem for Medford students Les AuCoin recommended for SOU board Good news for SOU: Enrollment's up Mom gives school lobby a makeover Crater students present play about Thoreau's night in jail Environment Birders sought for bird counts Grow 'em before you plant 'em Since You Asked: Biomass One makes steam-generated power Organic squash creates a bountiful harvest for ACCESS Prospect-area cow death likely not a wolf kill State News Resent ballots, late results likely to trigger GMO recount Nike plans 1.3 million-square-foot headquarters expansion Federal report shows Coos Bay LNG terminal would be large carbon source Oregon GMO measure may be headed for recount Oregon immigrants, activists celebrate Obama plan Nation - World Obituaries Robert C. Roden Death Notices Tina Marie Williams Sandy Fay Julie Lynn Keller Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Sports Latest Stories West Salem knocks off Grants Pass Blazing hot Spartans save best for last Oregon State slips past Oral Roberts No. 1 Kentucky shoots past Boston Varsity 541 College Sports Oregon State slips past Oral Roberts No. 1 Kentucky shoots past Boston No. 25 Utah routs UC Riverside Oregon defeats Toledo Raider men, women ready for NAIA Championships Pro Sports Blazing hot Spartans save best for last Stenson leads McIlroy by 2 at European Tour finale Cousins, Gay lead Kings past Bulls Lewis inches closer to big prize Community Sports Results / Standings Business Latest Stories Blog: Wild Times in Southern Oregon Ride & Drive: 2015 Honda CR-V Christian's Pharmacy eyes weekend changeover Blog: Medford Center no longer a "forgotten child" Dear Monty: Violation of HOA rules creates conflict Real Estate News Dear Monty: Violation of HOA rules creates conflict Farmers file suit over GMO crop ban Financial webinars offered for veterans and their families Home prices rise across Jackson County People In Business People in Business, Nov. 18 People in Business, Nov. 8 Transportation Medford airport passenger counts sky high in October Erickson reports third quarter profit Lithia reports $34.5 million third-quarter profit Agriculture Farmers file suit over GMO crop ban Lawsuit seeks to overturn Jackson County's GMO ban or net $4.2 million for farms Latest count shows Measure 92 supporters narrowing deficit Revenue rises for Harry & David's parent company Where do all those leaves go? Opinion Latest Other Views: Legislators shbould avoid feel-good distractions Frank Mulligan: They say fame is fleeting Granlund cartoon: Buffalo snow Kent Bush: Obama challenges GOP on immigration Maddocks: Voters’ approval of voters falls to record low Editorials Other Views: Legislators shbould avoid feel-good distractions Our View: Signs of controversy Our view: Richardson got the coverage, not the win Court ruling may envelop Cover Oregon Our View: Kicking the can down the road Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Nov. 21 Letters to the editor Letters to the editor, Nov. 19 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 18 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 17 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: County voters rebuffed judicial appointment process Fix health care reform, don't scrap it Reflections on the election in Oregon and beyond Measure 89 provides equality for women Eagle Point needs public transportation Lifestyle Latest stories Barry Lewis: No purchasing poinsettias before the Pilgrims and the parade County resident no longer at risk for Ebola Bolt Mountain short but sweet Looking Up: Looking for the Double Cluster Blog: BOOK IT! FRIDAY:Keep the Streak Alive Food Community blog: Finish off Thursday's feast on a lighter note Corn pudding like a ray of sunshine Keep it simple with Thanksgiving wines Homes for the holidays Community blog: Bourbon-bacon pie crust perfect with pumpkin Home and Garden Mortgage insurance: Your questions answered Home Help: Spruce up your home with quick DIY painting projects Beyond curb appeal: When it pays to stand out Use the hidden meaning of color to enhance your home 17 things you never knew about turkeys Health County resident no longer at risk for Ebola Health Watch: Holidays can trigger allergy attacks Dr. Jeff Hersh: Tackling Ebola and flu concerns Dr. Murray Feingold: Is there a good time to get sick? Community blog: Gratitude Expressed Through Giving To Others Aids Health Hiking Biking Faith Religion news: Pope aims to expedite sex abuse rulings Religion news: Seattle-based mega-church dissolves Religion Briefs 'Walk the talk' Religion briefs Milestones and Achievements Local farmers need more products in grocery stores Ashland honey festival draws swarm of visitors Fundraiser to benefit Medford Senior Center New Arrivals The meaning behind Veterans Day Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories New 'Alice' has some for kids ... and adults The Bohemian Club A new guitar slinger in town Clayfolk Show set for this weekend at Medford Armory Caleb Klauder Band and The Steel Wheels play the Unitarian Fellowship Theater New 'Alice' has some for kids ... and adults 'It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play' opens at Oregon Cabaret Theatre 'Red Noses' a romp through slapstick and pathos SOU presents 'The Drunken City' The power of human spirit Music A new guitar slinger in town Peter Chianca: Top 40 songs even a dad could love The Farr Side: Different artists, common songs Caleb Klauder Band and The Steel Wheels play the Unitarian Fellowship Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon to perform two shows Community Events New exhibits highlight Third Fridays Clayfolk Show set for this weekend at Medford Armory Review: Randall Theatre's 'Secret Garden' still enchanting Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Spookadelic Halloween Funktacular promises a lively dance party Dining The Bohemian Club Thanksgiving comes early at Taprock Word of Mouth: Brunch at Brothers' Restaurant Blue Toba is a cultural experience Back Porch Bar & Grill Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Wolf travels hundreds of miles to northern Arizona ... Resent ballots, late results likely to trigger GMO recount ... New 'Alice' has some for kids ... and adults ... Wolf travels hundreds of miles to northern Arizona ... Resent ballots, late results likely to trigger GMO recount ... New 'Alice' has some for kids ... and adults ... Finding the Grange By BUFFY POLLOCK,for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By BUFFY POLLOCK,for the Mail Tribune Posted May. 29, 2005 @ 2:00 am Updated Feb 16, 2011 at 10:14 AM By BUFFY POLLOCK,for the Mail Tribune Posted May. 29, 2005 @ 2:00 am Updated Feb 16, 2011 at 10:14 AM » Social News Once there was no question about the rural organization's place in the world, but today even longtime members say the Grange must change if it is to survive. As a young child, she found a sense of belonging on its worn wooden floors and in the friendly faces who became like extended family. When she turned 14, now 80-year-old Evalyn Kile was initiated into her beloved Gold Hill Grange. She would attend a slew of barn dances, sit down for countless potluck dinners and initiate both husbands ' she married one in 1944 and the other in 1998 ' as well as guiding her own children through Junior Grange activities. When the Grange was founded in 1867, it played a crucial role in rural America. Farmers came to share growing tips, rally for political causes, form cooperatives and pull together at harvest time. The Grange served as a community focal point for ruralfamilies like Kile's. Today, though, the dozen Grange halls in Jackson County compete with everything from the Internet to after-school sports for the attention of families with little time for or interest in barn dances and Saturday morning pancake feeds. — I guess one of the things is the fact, in days gone by, mother was always home and dad did the outside work, said Kile. Now both people are working and by the time they get home and take care of a family and all, there's just not time they feel they can leave home to do anything. Meanwhile Kile, master for 26 years of the Grange chartered by her parents in 1935, is watching membership dwindle steadily. Grangers once packed her large hall's gatherings, and now the Gold Hill Grange has two dozen members, half of whom are active. It's a story repeated around the county, the state and the nation. Oregon has 213 Grange halls, just over half the 371 operating in Oregon at the peak of Grange popularity in the 1940s. Nationally, membership has fallen from a high of about — million to 200,000. In response, the national Grange organization is encouraging local chapters to find new ways to connect with the community, whether it be through yoga classes, technology seminars or after-school care. A handful of Granges also are doing away with the organization's traditional rituals and passwords in an attempt to make it seem more open to the community. Those Granges that call me and tell me that nobody wants to join their Grange and they're going to quit, when we've gone into those areas and reorganized, we found that those people want to organize but aren't sure how, says John Fine, president of the Oregon State Grange. I'm not going to lie. We have a lot of members who are stuck on tradition and rituals that make new members feel alienated, says Fine. I think those Granges that are becoming more open and inviting people to come in and share their ideas are the ones that will stay open. Some of the groups have taken a sharp turn from secretive and stuffy. The Long Tom Grange in Junction City published a calendar of almost-nude male Grangers in 2004, raising some & 36;250,000 for schools in the community. Meeting attendance tripled, and the group published another calendar this year. The Upper Applegate Grange, with New York native Warren Merz at the helm, also has become much busier. Not long ago, Merz says, the Applegate Grange Hall was headed for cobwebs and locked doors like so many others. Then, the 2002 Squires fire struck and an incident command set up at the Grange for nightly briefings attracted some 80-plus residents at a time. That gave us the idea that the Grange can still play a very important role in enhancement of the rural way of life, Merz says. Which means changing things from old geezers walking around telling secret words to each other to being more effective in connecting our community. Now Merz's Grange is assisting the McKee Bridge Historical Society, hosting a wildly popular annual garden sale and offering cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and talks on regional issues. It's also drawing younger families with a range of regular activities. Change is afoot at the Griffin Creek Grange as well. Marilyn Simmonds-Cole and her two daughters have hosted a community Halloween party there for eight years, and this summer, they'll host a day camp at the faded yellow hall. It was a huge step for them to allow that, notes Simmonds-Cole, whose daughters are involved at the local and state level as Junior Grangers. While the organization may look obsolete to some, the Grange remains important in a time when life can be hurried and impersonal ' and a sense of community is harder to come by, says Simmonds-Cole, who at 55 is two decades younger than most members of her Grange. She worries that Grangers who take a hard line about stuffy rituals and tradition will only alienate potential members. At Griffin Creek, for example, Grange leaders have taken the step of allowing family memberships, attracting younger members, but have maintained the organization's secrecy. While the Griffin Creek hall hosted some 100-plus members when Simmonds-Cole joined in 1996, only about 30 remain. Of those, however, Simmonds-Cole says, a light has gone on. The ones who are left know that we need to make changes, and we're working toward that, she says. On the other end of the spectrum, Fine says, a handful of Granges around the region and state have little more than a monthly potluck, an approach that makes it difficult to pay the bills and keep the doors open. Or, in the case of the Central Point Grange, get a leaky roof repaired. We can barely get a seven-member quorum, says Central Point member and county Grange master Wayne Cabler. When he joined the two-story hall some 35 years ago, it had more than 250 members. Sams Valley, where the Grange had recently closed, joined Central Point as well, adding 150 more. Today, the remaining membership hovers around 70, a dozen of whom are active, says the 64-year-old. Aside from divvying annual dues and rental proceeds to community service organizations, Cabler worries the Grange will fail to see much use without drastic changes. People just aren't interested in that kind of thing anymore, he says. They won't leave the television set to do that kind of thing. I've been in the Grange 35 years and I'm tired of tilting at windmills. — Applegate is doing great, but there's just a handful of the membership that's involved. We've got to do something to get fraternal organizations turned around in this country. The lack of interest is larger than the Grange itself, agrees state leader Fine. Membership is on the down slope for most fraternal organizations, he says. If you look at any organization, membership is not what it used to be ' the Grange, Elks, 4-H even Boy or Girl Scouts. ... Statistics say only one person in four is ever going to join anything. But he and other say there's good reason to join, that the Grange provides a sense of community for members, common space for community events and resources for rural families. In a larger sense, the national Grange continues to lobby for causes of rural residents and the agricultural community. While some Granges will ultimately fail to reconnect with their communities, Fine says, a significant number are continuing to come up with new ways to survive ' and perhaps even to thrive. It's not as good as we'd like to have it, but it certainly is happening so I think that's a positive thing, says Fine. I was just at a meeting the other night where the person who holds the office equivalent to vice president is going to be a senior in high school. Part of the perception people have is the Grange is for seniors — but it's got to become an organization that provides things for all people. By BUFFY POLLOCK,for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By BUFFY POLLOCK,for the Mail Tribune Posted May. 29, 2005 @ 2:00 am Updated Feb 16, 2011 at 10:14 AM » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. 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