October, the month of Fall Festivals, Fairs and the Connecticut State Grange Annual Session. On October 21st to the 23rd we will be meeting in-person at the Holiday Inn Norwich.  Can you believe it’s been two years since we have met there in-person? As of the middle of September and I am writing this report, Norwich has a mask

mandate. Masks must be worn in any public building. We will have masks and plenty of hand sanitizer on hand to make this a safe three-day session. Let’s all do our part and follow the  mandate  that  is in place in Norwich while you’re visiting their city.

I would like to welcome Steve Coye as our National Representative. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Steve over the last several years on the Northeast Connection and on the New England Grange Building Committee. Steve is the President of the New York State Grange and a member of the National Grange Executive Committee.

On August 31st, I attended an online meeting with the National President Betsy Huber and the National Executive Committee along with the other State Presidents.  We discussed the National Grange Headquarters Building. The  61-year-old, 11 story building needs a lot of repair. Recent updates included a new roof, new boiler and a new air conditioning system but many other repairs that are necessary.  There are a lot of problems like leaking pipes, an aging electrical system and many other repairs that need attention. They are estimating this project will cost $4.5 million in total repairs over the next eight years. A monthly payment for a 20-year mortgage would be $40,060. This would be a cost of $9.61 per member, per year. This is a quick overview of the meeting and the discussions we had. There was also an article sent out to be printed in our Connecticut Granger from National. There will be more discussion on this matter at our State Session.

To end this month’s article, those of you who are attending the State Session, please drive safely and we will see you there!