Pomona Grange hosted its annual Picnic at Edenburg Park recently.
Michael Adams, the President of the Hamburg Grange, as well as the President of the Berks County Grange, described that the unique opportunity that the Grange offers is that “other than churches, it’s the only civic organization that the entire family can join.”
Grange members of all ages and their families gathered together for two meals, fellowship, and games in the Edenburg Park pavilion the afternoon of June 21. Approximately 70 people assembled to uphold the tradition of the Berks County “Pomona” Grange picnic, which has been held for about thirty years. Attendees of the picnic enjoyed two meals of covered dishes that were donated by members, in addition to beverage and food items that were supported by specific clubs.
The Berks County Grange is made of 11 local Granges whose members can be anywhere from age 5 through adult. Some localities have Junior Granges available for children ages 5-14, and the membership at the regular clubs in those areas begins at age 14.
According to Adams of Hamburg, who chartered the Hamburg Grange 10 years ago, the basic premise of the Grange is community service. At both the county and local levels, fundraising is prevalent in order to provide money for local agencies or individuals in need. As an example, Adams discussed the popular pot pie meals held by the Hamburg Grange that have funded community projects like the Save Our Strand effort. He looked ahead to upcoming plans to collect canned goods for the Northern Berks Food Pantry, and free pot pie dinners for veterans and active military personnel in honor of Veterans’ Day. On an individual basis, the Hamburg Grange has an emergency fund to offer $100 to families in the borough who have been evicted from their homes due to fire devastation.
The Berks County “Pomona” Grange celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2016, making it a true Berks County family tradition. The County Grange supports the senior citizens of Berks in their mission to assist residents of Berks Heim to attend church services every Sunday. Local Granges commit to a week each month and work with the staff at the home to help about 75 people access Sunday services weekly.
Andrew Kieffer of Bethel is the Vice President of the County Grange and joined the Marion Township Grange in honor of the heritage started by his grandparents, who were also Marion club members. Kieffer confirmed that family and fellowship are the most important aspects of his membership and relayed how his parents met in a Grange softball league, solidifying his family commitment to the Grange. Kieffer described how he supports Junior Grange members as a counselor at the State Grange Camp.
The Pomona Grange will hold the Pomona Consignment Auction at the Leesport Market on August 26th and several Granges will be represented at the Reading Fair in the “Cookery”. For more information about upcoming Grange events or to become a member, contact Michael Adams, 610-562-5933.