Our Mission
Be a vibrant part of Charlotte’s changing community through expanding programs and service activities.
Restore and maintain the Grange Hall as a community hub, with programs and activities serving a wide range of residents and needs.
Initiate and support community education, learning and mutual support in food production and access, and other agriculture-related issues.
Share creative arts and music.
Strengthen community understanding and appreciation of the natural environment and our relationship with Nature.
Enable healthy activities for all ages which promote personal development, community cohesion and resilience.
Provide timely and reliable information on issues related to the community’s ability to evolve and thrive resiliently.
Promote civic engagement, civil dialog, social interaction, and FUN!
The Grange is a membership organization that was founded in 1867 by Oliver Kelley to alleviate rural isolation. The “National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry” (its full name) is the oldest U.S. agricultural advocacy group. It quickly evolved from a social club into a political force, pioneering cooperatives and lobbying for the "Granger Laws" to regulate railroad rates, empowering farm families. It continues to advocate for rural communities at the national level in the areas of agriculture, rural infrastructure, healthcare, and community development.
The Charlotte Grange is a community or “subordinate” Grange. Community Granges are where members meet, build community ties, and work on local initiatives. These groups work to enhance their communities through service, education, and social activities, often operating from a community hall like we do in Charlotte.
The Charlotte Grange strives to honor our agricultural roots and help build a resilient future for all. Membership is open to all residents aged 14 or older in Charlotte and neighboring towns.
Grange Traditions
The Charlotte Grange lost institutional knowledge of Grange ceremonies and rituals as our elder generation passed away. We are working with the State Grange to bring some ritual back into our gathering structure. This internal process involves examining the core values and traditions of the Grange organization, the make-up and interests of our Charlotte community, and prioritizing operating in a manner that honors our roots and is welcoming and inclusive. Our group is most importantly committed to continuing the work we do in Charlotte to create opportunities for local folks to come together in service and social connection.
Faith, hope, charity, and fidelity are the foundational principles of the Subordinate Grange. We interpret these core values by considering seasons of agriculture: faith when it comes to planting seeds (or intentions) in the spring, hope through hoeing and pruning away unhelpful weeds (or thoughts) in the summer, charity when sharing the harvest in the fall, and fidelity through maturity and commitment to longer-term goals in the quieter months of winter. Learn more by reading this article.
Business Meetings and Lectures
We gather as a membership on the third Tuesday of every month from 6:30-8pm at the Charlotte Grange Hall. Half of these gatherings are business meetings, half are lectures or talks. Business meetings are the place to hear committee reports, discuss important organizational topics as a group, and gather with the most members and associate members all at the same time. Though anyone is welcome to attend business meetings, it tends to be attended solely by members, associate members, and active volunteers. Lectures are opportunities to learn and discuss topics relevant to the history and work of the Grange and our community building and service efforts. The wider community is welcomed to these talks.
Committees
Much of the work of the Charlotte Grange is done in committees. The Program Committee coordinates the programming and events run by the Charlotte Grange, is led by Terra Heilenbach (terrasenter@gmail.com), and meets on the fourth Friday of the month at 8:30am. The Building Committee manages the upkeep of our Grange Hall, is led by Katie Devoid (Katie_devoid@hotmail.com), and meets on the second Friday of the month at 11am. The Finance Committee prepares our budget and conducts an annual audit, is led by Ruth Uphold (ruphold@me.com), and meets as needed. The Grange Matters Committee works on topics related to our connection with the larger Grange organization, is led by Alicia Cooper (alcoopvt@gmail.com) and meets as needed. We encourage Grange members and volunteers to consider joining a committee! The Leadership Committee is composed of our elected officers: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer and meets on the first Friday of the month at 10am.
Membership and Ways to Be Involved
Interested community members are encouraged to engage with the Charlotte Grange at the level that fits them best. Full Members pay annual dues, take the Grange “Obligation,” are eligible to vote on Charlotte Grange matters, are eligible to hold an office in the Charlotte Grange, and are eligible to participate in and/or chair committees. The obligation professes commitment and adherence to helping the Grange flourish as a positive presence in our community. Associate Members pay annual dues, are eligible to participate in and/or chair committees, but are not eligible to vote or hold office. Financial Supporters support the Charlotte Grange and/or the Friends of the Lyceum Schoolhouse through financial contributions of any amount and are eligible to participate in committees. Volunteers support Charlotte Grange efforts by volunteering, powering the year-round initiatives we support in the community and are eligible to participate in committees.
With the exception of Member vs. Associate Member, these options for participation are not mutually exclusive! We expect that members will also be active volunteers, and that some financial supporters may wish to be involved as volunteers or members as well. 2026 dues are on a sliding scale between $30-$50 per person or $60-$100 per couple. Of these, $10 per person is directed to the State Grange, and $20 per person is directed to the National Grange. Any additional funds will be retained by the Charlotte Grange in support of our operations and programming.
Become a Member - Join the Grange
We welcome community members interested in joining the Charlotte Grange!
We like to have an active Grange Member meet in person with an interested community member to get to know them and their interests and to share more about the Charlotte Grange and specific ways to get involved. We also encourage interested folks to attend a business meeting to better understand what we do. After the conversation and business meeting, folks wanting to become members or associate members will fill out a membership form and pay dues. We will vote new members in and hold an obligation ceremony approximately every other business meeting as needed. To learn more or make a date to have a conversation, please email Tai at charlottegrangevt@gmail.com.