Brothers and Sisters of the Connecticut State Grange,

As much as we have some successes in our State Grange, we also have many struggling Granges.  While many struggle, some continue to get by while others are hanging by a thread.  I will repeat what I said in my 2024 President's Address:  We need to change the way we do things as doing what we have always done does not seem to be working universally.  I would re-enforce the fact that we have successful Granges and I would encourage all to look to them for help, ideas, and inspiration. There is no one size fits all solution to success for the Granges.  One bit of evidence that Grange is changing is seen in the observation that some Granges stick very closely to the ritual for running their meetings while others use some if it and yet others have put it to rest.  While I prefer to see some use of the Opening and Closing ritual and the Grange Order of Business, I do see that some members have rejected its use for whatever reasons.   One could say that the Grange IS changing as we speak by virtue of the effects of its members.   I would caution those Granges that this deviation from the prescribed manner of running of our meetings does place your chartered status per the IRS as a 501.c.4 or 501.c.8 fraternal organization at risk of revocation as a technicality of those provisions.  That said, I do not know who if anyone enforces this, but neither would I like to find out.

In the recent election of Mountain Laurel Pomona #15, Dave Roberts will replace me as President of the Pomona and I move over to the Executive Committee.   I continue as Lecturer of Bethlehem #121and Secretary of Oxford #194.  Timing has allowed me to attend more of the Bethlehem meetings, but other commitments and events dictate that I miss some of the Oxford meetings.  This has been a good year for visitations and special events like the Music Night at Hillstown #87, the Wallingford #33 140th Anniversary Program, the Mystery Ride with Vernon #52, and the Beacon Valley #103 136th Anniversary where President Joanne Cipriano received her 75 year membership award and various other citations.

Todd Gelineau put together a dedication program for the Grange Plot in Peoples State Forest with the assistance of Dave Roberts and others, held August 24 and followed by a dinner at Riverton Grange.

Finances continue to be concern for the Connecticut State Grange and your Board of Directors does its best to act as stewards the of the Order.  In the long run, we must cut our costs of operation and increase our income.  The best way to do this is to grow membership.  There has been some controversy this year over the financial condition of the Grange and what some thought ought to be done with that apparent wealth.  This issue has been explained to the membership in detail by the State secretary Todd Gelineau.  Meanwhile we have seen once again another example of what the spread of untruths on social media can do.

MEMBERSHIP

At the close of the first quarter, we had 30 Granges in Connecticut and while some saw membership gains, more saw losses leaving the state with a 2.2% decrease in membership.  Growing our Community Granges is the only way we will survive.  Attracting new members is a constant endeavor which demands that your Grange remain RELEVANT in its community and thus able to attract interest and members.   By being vital and relevant, you can be CONNECTED to your communities, thus the idea of a CONNECTED LIFE.

Preston City #110 relinquished their charter and the remaining members joined in with North Stonington #138.  The status of Cawasa #34 is in limbo as we continue to try to determine the legal status of their 501.c.3 scholarship fund corporate entity.

In order to aid the Lecturers and promote fraternalism among Grangers, State Grange Lecturer Dave Roberts holds regular Lecturers' Roundups to promote various programs and aid the Subordinate and Pomona lecturers in providing programs.  Also to promote fraternalism and help Grangers with promoting Grange and its activities, Publicity Co-Chair Terri Fassio holds regular Social Hours, usually quarterly, to provide useful information to us.  Several of her programs have highlighted the new Grange book which will be released at this State Session and available for pre-order.  Thank you Terri!  Also in the vein of bringing us together, the Family Activities Committee under Dawn Percoski and fellow committee members sponsored the August Family Festival at Hillstown Grange Where the State Grange contest entries were exhibited and judged.  This event also featured a pancake breakfast.  Dave Roberts culminated the process of locating the State Grange Plot in Peoples Forest in Barkhamsted, organizing the clearing of land and re-placing the memorial plaque on a boulder in plain view.  The rededication ceremony was held on the afternoon of August 24 and followed by a dinner at Riverton Grange.  Dave also holds his regular Lecturers' Roundups to help our lecturers and members, as well as to promote various programs and general fraternalism.  Thanks Dave for all this work.

NATIONAL GRANGE

On October 22, just after State Session, Winchester Grange #74 hosted a visit from National Grange President Chris Hamp and First Gentleman Duane.  It was an honor to their Grange and an enjoyable evening which Maggie and I attended.

I attended the 158th National Grange Convention in Bettendorf, Iowa and held at the Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf right on the Mississippi River. The opening banquet luncheon was on a riverboat Monday and very well attended. Vice President Ted Powell was again my fellow delegate.  One contentious issue was that of a dues increase.  My assignment was to the Citizenship and Taxation Committee.  In a few weeks we embark on an ABC Cruise (Aruba-Bonaire-Curacao) for the 159th National Grange Convention.  I will chair Citizen and Taxation this year.  This will be new for me never having been on a cruise and never having been to the Caribbean Sea or any of its various islands.

POMONA GRANGES

In my mind, I see a continuing need for Pomona Granges to connect the Community Granges to the State Grange.  With less visitations going on among the Subordinate Granges, this is the one regular opportunity that brings people together from different Granges on a regular basis.  As the first four degrees are rarely exemplified these days, the new members are exposed only to the Fifth and Sixth degrees at Pomona Grange and State Grange respectively.

While the Pomona inspections for Mountain Laurel #15 and Eastern Connecticut Pomona #14 were held the same day in May for several years, Mountain Laurel decided to move its inspection to the August 23 meeting to give members joining later in the year a late year opportunity to take the Fifth Degree before State Session.  It also makes the inspection schedule for the Deputies easier.

There has been no new move by National Grange to re-establish the Pomona Study Group.  At a more local level we continue to support the continuance of the Pomona division for the reasons stated above without any further input from National Grange.  We even held Pomona Roundtable discussions here in Connecticut on Zoom, organized by Terri Fassio, that attracted National Grange Attention to keep this topic alive and in view.

EDUCATION

The Connecticut State Grange continues to support education by way of its scholarship and loan program.  Thanks to Dawn Percoski and Nancy Strong for serving on the Education Committee. We have had the opportunity to aid several young Grange members in pursuing their higher educational objectives by virtue of these programs.

This year, I was not invited to attend the FFA Leadership Training Luncheon as I was last year. Checking their calendar of events, it appears that is was not held this year.   Likewise, I never received notification of the meetings of the Frank Roswell Fuller Scholarship Committee this year either.

Due to the historical connection between the Grange and FFA and 4-H, we will always stand in support of vocational agricultural education.  Training new generations of farmers and agriculturally connected workers is a high priority of the grange due to the contribution of agriculture to the economy of the state and nation.

AGRICULTURE

This year, as previously, State Grange Legislative Director and Past State Grange President Noel Miller and Vice President Ted Powell manned the booth for Ag Day at the Capitol with help from Lecturer Dave Roberts.  They talked to the public as well as various elected representatives from State government.

By virtue of my being a member of the Connecticut Farm Bureau and Connecticut Audubon Society, I receive legislative alerts regarding bills relating to farming and the environment as they come before the Senate and House of Representatives of the Connecticut General Assembly, and also bills in the Senate and House of Representatives of the US Congress.  Consequently, I submit a lot of letter to our State ns National representatives.  Some bills of interest as they relate to local agriculture are:   (1) Public Act 25-33 (SB 9)-Environment, Climate Resilience, and Restricting Neonics and Second Generation Anti-coagulant Rodenticides; (2) Special Act No. 25-12- An Act Concerning Riparian Areas (HB 7174); and (3) Public Act 25-125 (HB 5004)-Protection of the Environment & Development of Renewable Energy Sources.

At the close of the 2025 legislative session, Governor Ned Lamont signed into law what has been dubbed  a Mini Farm Bill to help Connecticut agriculture.  Highlights include:  a farmer investment tax credit on buildings and equipment; a farm machinery property tax exemption increase, hoop house code relief from requirements for permanent structures, certification system for agricultural drone use, agri-tourism liability protections, grants for shipping container farms, prohibition on sale of soil or fertilizer amendments containing bio-solids or wastewater sludge containing the chemicals known as PFAS, and shellfish regulation updates.

Another issue of agricultural importance is the subject of invasive non native plants.  One of our members in CT has asked me to push for the CSG to be an educational source on this important problem.  I ask that Granges getinvolved in this rea of education by hostingprograms for the public on invasives and what can be doneto control them. 

OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

I thoroughly enjoy working with the State Grange Board of Directors under the leadership of Sister Alma Graham. Each brings something unique to the table.  Ted Powell has been a great help in spear heading the Grange inspections and keeping me informed of items of concern around the state. Jody keeps the finances up to date and informs us all on trends and concerns.  Todd keeps the State Grange office running efficiently and completes the reports as required for the State Grange.  Nancy Strong brings her knowledge of running a foundation and to the table.  Thanks to Noel for his work on the New England Grange Building and along with Ted for the carpentry work done there.  Noel does his best to keep me in line out of his love for the Order.  I need that.  As always, Noel, George, Jody and Ruel are always willing to pick up the phone when I call and give sage advice from their years of experience and accumulated knowledge.  Thank you to all of you for your hard work for our Grange.

CLOSING COMMENTS

This year, in January, I attended the Northeast Leaders' Conference in Danvers, Massachusetts.  That was a productive event, between the workshops and the interesting field trip to the local vocational agricultural school which was around the corner from the hotel.  In February, the National Leaders' Conference was in Sonoma, California which I had to attend virtually.  Again, there was a multitude of valuable workshops.  The best was "On Being Un-Offendable",� put on by Vic Stevens and Scott Lyle.  Out of it came a valuable lesson we should all consider adopting into our personal philosophy of life.

In closing, I do believe every Grange should sit down together and analyze its Mission and Vision by first exploring the questions:  What is our purpose? And What do we do?  If you're going to go somewhere, after all, you do need a roadmap, right?

Fraternally,

Robert A. Buck State

President