The Newaukum Grange hosted a dinner Thursday, March 13, to recognize and celebrate 38 members of the grange who had reached milestones in their membership. Twenty-one of the honorees were present.
The event was held at the Newaukum Grange Hall in rural Chehalis near Napavine.
The 38 honorees were invited for a spaghetti dinner before being honored for their commitment to the grange.
Those being recognized for their time with the grange have been members for as few as 25 years and as many as 89, like honoree Irene Tripp, who is currently the longest-tenured member of the Newaukum Grange.
Tripp was at one time a member of the Forest Grange, also in Lewis County, and celebrated her 89 years as a grange member with her son, Ted Tripp, who himself was recognized for 60 years of membership.
According to Carolyn Hojem, the Newaukum Grange lecturer and chaplain for the Washington State Grange, it had been more than five years since the Newaukum Grange had a chance to celebrate its members.
She spent time as a member of another grange in Pierce County before returning to the Newaukum Grange.
“I was coming back and stirring the pot, coming back to the grange after 27 years,” Hojem said. “I wanted to make sure that everyone received their recognition because you can tell how much it means to them.”
The grange hall where the dinner was hosted was first built in 1907 to serve the unincorporated community of Newaukum. The Newaukum Grange itself has been around since before 1907, Grange Grand Master Jerry Owens said.
The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry was first founded in 1867. It's a fraternal organization, meaning a club or society founded on a shared interest, and is considered the oldest agricultural advocacy group in the United States, according to the National Grange website.
The organization was once very popular in rural communities and held significant sway in state legislatures. The Washington State Grange is credited for advocating for things like tax reform and the creation of public utility districts in rural areas.
“Generally, and in the past when the Granges were really involved, they were involved in a lot of legislative things,” Owens said. “Being the master was kind of like being one of the county commissioners. Most of the time, the person didn't hold the position for more than a few years.”
