A couple weeks ago Caroline asked me if I would come with her to Grange State Convention over a weekend. Since I wasn’t lucky enough to go to Grange camp over the summer I was super excited to get the chance to go see what this Grange was all about. When we got to hotel Friday afternoon we were put straight to work creating take home placemats for the banquet, which I might add that anything that involves arts and crafts is right up my alley! That night while we enjoy an enormous amount of desserts from the baking contest earlier in the day, we participated in an auction to raise funds to help Grange member who are struggling from disasters throughout North Carolina. I was really excited when I saw a cake box decked out in NATIONAL BLUE and CORN GOLD!! I must say that I did not mind splurging a little bit to help out a great cause and to get something so adorable! The Grange members even let me march with them which was a completely new experience for me! We practice long into the night so we could perform in the session the next morning for the all the adults. I must say that even though it was my first time marching we did a pretty amazing job. After that session Saturday morning we piled on a charter bus and headed to a local nursing home. We spent the morning there meeting residences and bringing them pansies in flower pots Grange members had painted. After lunch at the mall we returned back to hotel and back to work on our placemats, I think in the end we hand crafted about 200 placemats! That night was the youth’s awards banquet where their success and achievement was celebrated and recognized. Then after that great meal and some yummy chocolate cake the Grange members shared another Grange treat; square dancing! We did the Steal and Oh Johnny Oh until we could barely go anymore. I am definitely glad Caroline invited me, I had a great weekend with some awesome kids and I hope that I might get the chance to do it again!
Beverly Hampton, State Vice President
