Olympia, May 1 -- A strong desire to make their Grange hall more appealing and useful to the community led to a series of renovations that earned Lewis County's Baw Faw Grange the first place spot in this year's Grange Hall Improvement Contest.
Other Granges placing in the contest included Glenwood Grange, Klickitat County, second; Woodland Grange, Cowlitz County, third; and Skagit Valley Grange, Skagit County, fourth.
Members at Baw Faw pointed to their hall improvements a perfect example of “The Domino Effect.” What started out as a simple replacement of a cabinet and broom closet with a community computer center ended up as a near total improvement of the entire building.
Baw Faw was chosen last year as one of the locations to host a community access computer center, a State Grange project funded by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in conjunction with the Grange Foundation Fund. It was decided the best place for the new computers would be in the kitchen area but a broom closet and old cabinet had to be removed to accommodate the equipment. While working on that, it was determined that the old, noisy and inadequate heating system needed to be replaced. Members of a church that regularly used the building had noted that the old heating system wasn't doing an adequate job and air quality was poor.
But installation of two new oil-fired central heating furnaces required remodeling of the bathroom near the kitchen. During construction of a new inner bathroom wall it was discovered there was a plumbing leak which meant flooring in the bathroom had to be replaced. The new furnaces dictated much rewiring, including a new service panel and wiring to accommodate the Boistfort Volunteer Fire Department's generator. That generator would be used in case of a major community crisis, when the Grange hall would be used as an emergency shelter.
Other improvements included a new supply closet, cleaning of stage curtains, a new propane supply line to the kitchen, some window replacements, new roofing and doors.
Members are in the mood to continue with hall improvements and view the process as a “work in progress.”
Baw Faw, one of the state's older Granges, was organized in 1874 and reorganized in 1912. It is located in rural Lewis County near the small town of Curtis.
A rough parking lot motivated members of Klickitat County's Glenwood Grange to search out innovative ways to make the Grange property safer and more functional. A couple of people had fallen on the rough ground and weeds made the property unappealing. An open drainage ditch across the lot also invited trouble, members felt. Their efforts earned Glenwood Grange a second place award in the Hall Improvement Contest.
A grant application was made to Robanco Land Fill, a nearby firm that returns some of their profits to Klickitat County communities. When members learned their application had been approved, work began. A culvert and drain replaced the open ditch, and the lot was blacktopped. Glenwood members got busy with brushes and repainted the exterior of their hall and landscaping was added to the part of the property not devoted to parking lot.
Glenwood's building is the only meeting hall in their tiny community and it is used extensively by groups other than the Grange. Organized in 1890, the present hall was built in 1995. Glenwood Grange also had assistance from the Glenwood Community Council and the Economic Development Board.
Woodland Grange in Cowlitz County returns to the list of Hall Improvement Contest winners after taking first place last year. Ongoing extensive hall renovation work earned the Grange a third place award this year.
Last year's contest recognized Woodland's work to make their second floor accessible for Grange and community meeting use. To do that members had to rebuild interior stairs, install exterior fire escape stairs, and conduct extensive main floor bathroom renovation. The previous year members had replaced windows.
In 2002 work continued and this year's award highlights the second floor renovation. That project started with removal of old ceiling tiles and replacing them with sheetrock. In addition, a restroom on the second floor was renovated, electrical service was upgraded, a new heater was installed and metal safety crash bar doors were put in. A newly made exterior sign was fashioned by members Darcy and James Yount.
Woodland's building was originally built in downtown Woodland as a hotel. It is hoped that the massive second story hall will serve the community well and members look forward to increased use – they even hope for occasional dances. Woodland Grange is another community access computer center.
Skagit Valley Grange members, this year's fourth place winners, were discouraged about their hall's electrical wiring. Sometimes electrical appliances in the kitchen had to be carried downstairs and plugged into an outlet in the main hall and then carried back up for dinner. A new circuit panel allowed three circuits for kitchen plugs, eliminating the up-and-down-the-stairs routine.
Other interior projects included installation of acoustical panels, new drapes and insulation.
Outside, the leaking roof was repaired and the parking lot was improved with gravel. The hall is located four miles outside of Sedro Wolley.
Baw Faw Grange will receive a plaque and a check for $500 for their first place award. Second place receives $300; third place is given $200; and a $100 award goes to the fourth place entry. Each Grange that enters the contest receives a large metal Grange logo sign suitable for use on the outside of the hall or at the entrance to town along with other club and lodge signs.
Awards will be officially presented at the State Grange convention in Omak on June 26.
There were eight Granges seeking the prizes in this year's contest. In addition to the winners, others submitting entries were Meridian Grange, King County; Ralston Grange, Adams County; Alder Creek Grange, Klickitat County; and Sequim Prairie Grange, Clallam County.
The contest rewards winning Granges for work done on their building during the previous year. Complete contest rules are published in the annual Program Handbook.
The Grange Hall Improvement Contest is sponsored by the Grange Cooperative Group consisting of the Washington State Gange, the Washington State Grange News, CHS Cooperatives, the Grange Insurance Group and Marketing General Agents.
"Members of the Grange Cooperative Group are pleased to see that so many Grangers are involved in substantial upgrades of their halls," said Dave Howard, president of the Grange Cooperative Group. "Members of other Granges are encouraged to be working on their halls right now, documenting their efforts with photographs, so they can enter the contest next year."
All contest entry scrapbooks will be on display during the June convention of the Washington State Grange in Omak.
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