“We are extremely pleased to bring this event to the Grange, which is undergoing improvements to the facility and its programming, buoyed by the energy of recent new members,” exclaims Grange President Doug Sheperd, who has been a Grange member for decades and whose daughter assisted with the annual Grange Agricultural Fair prior to starting her freshman year at Vassar. The new group is hoping to bring a resurgence to the Grange. Sheperd goes on to explain: “We receive no public or private funding and must raise revenue through memberships, hall rentals, and events. The public and membership can support us by attending our events, helping run them and by donating.
The Cannon Grange hall was built in 1899 when granges were the social centers of many rural communities, where farmers, after a long day of ploughing the fields, could gather with families for fun, entertainment and a sense of community. Indeed the Grange is trying to add community events from film festivals The Cannon Grange Hosts Halloween and Holiday Film Festival (hamlethub.com) to live events to Bingo Nights, which are all in the works.