Sanders County Ledger - Your Best Source For Sanders County News

by Ed Moreth

A Plains organization is closing its doors after 82 years of service to the community. Plains Grange No. 101 held its final official meeting at its hall last Tuesday. The grange will use the next two months to get its finances ready to turn over to the state grange officials and to find a home for much of the kitchenware, furniture and miscellaneous items at the hall on Lynch Street. 

The Plains grange received its charter in April 1937, but in recent years they've had trouble achieving enough membership to remain an active organization, according to Grange bylaws. Although the grange owns the building, bylaws state they must have a minimum of 13 members, hold monthly meetings and have a minimum of seven members for a forum, which many times has been difficult, especially in the winter.

"It's been a struggle to get members," said Master Charles "Ole" Oelschlager, who has led the fraternal organization for the last two years. Young people have no interest in joining, he added. All 14 members are senior citizens - the youngest at 70 and the oldest nearly 90.

The group unanimously voted in favor of closing its doors at the March meeting, said Fred Cavill, who's been with the grange since moving to Plains in 1967, serving as master three times, once for some 20 years. "We could have struggled on, but it was time," said Cavill, who said there were over 60 members when he first joined. 

"It started as a farmer's organization, sort of like a union. The farmers were getting over charged by the railroad, so they banded together to get cheaper rail cost," said Ray Salomon, a grange member since 1946, when he was only 14 years old. When his grange folded in Polson a year ago, he joined Plains Grange No. 101. The first grange was created in 1867 and is officially called the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry. According to its official website, it is the oldest American agricultural advocacy group. When it was founded, the group lobbied the government to lower railroad rates and for free rural postal service.

In Montana, the mission of the grange was the support of farmers and ranchers, but it has changed over the years, eventually becoming more of a social function for ranchers, farmers and general community members. "The culture changed in the community and in the whole country," said Cavill, a retired U.S. Forest Service member and still an active rancher. Cavill said there are a lot fewer ranchers and farmers today and some of the present grange members have no affiliation with the agriculture business. 

Cavill said they would have closed up shop in the spring or summer, but members Bill Beck, Judy Hulme, Salomon and his wife, Darlene, wanted to attend the state grange convention in Kalispell in October, which meant the charter had to continue through the year. Beck is on the state grange executive committee and Darlene Salomon holds the Pomona title, which covers the county granges. The Salomons and Beck plan to stay with the grange organization, possibly one of three remaining granges in Sanders County in Hot Springs, Thompson Falls or Whitepine. 

Plains Grange No. 101 will turn its building over to the state grange in December. They would like to donate the furnishings to other nonprofit groups. The nine members at the last meeting unanimously voted to give the Bingo equipment to the Plains Paradise Senior Citizens Center. The roughly 3,000-square-foot building, which includes a basement, was built in 1937 and is in sound condition, according to Cavill. The Masonic Ponemah Lodge 63 also used the building and will have to find another location for its meetings. The state will likely have the building appraised and sell it. Cavill said they might try to revamp the Plains Grange by bringing in younger membership.

Oelschlager believes the community will miss the grange. Part of the organization's vision statement is to be involved in the community. Over the years the grange has donated thousands of dollars to other nonprofit groups, including schools and churches. It routinely donates money to the Sanders County Sheriff's Office for children's Christmas presents and food.

Each year, they provide a scholarship to Plains High School and purchase dictionaries for the elementary school as part of the grange's Dictionary Program  "Words For Thirds." They've also purchased school supplies for teachers to provide to students who can't afford supplies, said Oelschlager, who added that they've donated funds for the Plains pool, the Paradise Center, Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), VFW Auxiliary, Plains Paradise Senior Citizens Center, Cancer Network of Sanders County and the Amundson Sports Complex walking trail. Part of the money comes from the rifle raffle they have each year. This year, they raised over $2,000. The winner of the Henry 22-caliber rifle last week was Johnny Thompson of Paradise.