L E G I S L A T I O N

Legislation is an important component of the Grange. It is a well documentedfact that the Grange is at its optimum when we are fighting for something webelieve in as a whole. - An example:

When t he Grange i s t he S t ronges t

WE ARE NOT DONE YET!

The stock market crash of October 1929 and thebankruptcy of a large electric company on Novem-ber 2, 1929 followed by many other electric com-panies from 1929 to 1932, wiped out the lifesavings of many individuals. The pillars of financerang with a hollow sound as the FTC investigatedthe utility companies. The newspapers of the dayfed the general public with continuous stories offinancial manipulation and profiteering. If we hadtaken the time to review one of the Grange’s mostnotable achievements (among many) we may haveavoided a lapse in memory or judgment whateverthe case may have been, and perhaps we couldhave prevented the repercussions of deregulation.

The link between the Grange and PUDs and co-opsdates back before the Great Depression. Rural ar-eas cut off from many of the luxury items their ur-ban cousins enjoyed found themselves with littlerecourse. This is where the Patrons of Husbandryfound their greatest strength, defending the fami-lies in isolated areas.

Washington was the first state in the nation topass a bill allowing voters to form PUDs. A monu-mental task when you consider what the memberswere up against and what the private utility com-panies stood to lose. Fred Chamberlain in his bookwrote how the Grange set up headquarters in theRailway Exchange Building in Seattle to work ongathering signed petitions as they labored forPUDs. When they arrived the following morningthey found the office raided and missing petitions.They then moved the petitions to safety depositboxes, but some of the volunteers would take the

*Washington GrangersCelebrate a Century- byGus Norwood

*OregonCattleman/GovernorCongressman - Memoirsand Times of WALTER M.PIERCE, Edited andExpanded by Arthur H.Bone.

* Columbia River Power ForThe People, a history ofPolicies of the BonnevillePower Administration, byGus Norwood

*Oregon State GrangeBulletin, October 2002

*Oregon State GrangeBulletin, September 20, 1944,“PUD-Congressional InquiryNeeded”

ROADS & HIGHWAYS

In the 1870’s& 1880’s there wereseveral privately owned toll roads. TheGrange worked hard to get them takenover by the State and operate as freepublic highways. In 1882, the Grangerecommended that road laws beamended to have the building andrepairing of roads financed by specialand poll taxes “to be collected as othertaxes are collected.”

Oregon State Grange Bulletin, October 5,1948, pg 12

READINGSUGGESTIONS

In 1931 a deflationary spiral began, causing conditions in farming, mining and logging into afinancial tailspin. The Grange membership never went below 19,000 during the Great De-pression.

petitions to the power company, andreturn with photo copies of the origi-nals, rendering them useless. Despitethe opposition more than 60,000 sig-natures were collected to send Initia-tive No. 1 to the Legislature, allowingrural communities to form PUD’s.The Legislature failed to act and themeasure went to a statewide elec-tion, where it passed in 1930 with54% of the vote.

In Oregon, the privately owned utili-ties would not extend service to therural areas. Oregon was right behindWashington in adopting the forma-tion of PUD’s and in 1931 the OregonLegislature implemented ORS 261.

The Grange was still teething when it beganto demand better representation.

In 1890 the Grange asked for the adoption ofthe Australian ballot system of voting. Thelegislature adopted the system in 1891 andamended in 1895.

In 1902, the Grange was able to have theconstitution amended to permit the peoplethemselves to initiate legislation and invokethe referendum on acts of the legislature.

In 1902, the Grange was able tohave the constitution amendedto permit the people themselvesto initiate legislation and invokethe referendum on acts of thelegislature.

1904 - the direct primary law wasinitiated and the power ofnomination of candidates forpublice office was given tothe people.

1908 - voters were nowpermitted to recall publicofficials.

Out of an 1885 resolutioncame the 17th amendmentto the Constitution of theUnited States.

Charles M. Gardner inhis book “The Grange –Friend of the Farmer” had thisto say: “the Granges ofWashington, Oregon andCalifornia have put uptremendous fights in statelegislatures, and on variousreferendum propositions, tosave their water and forestpossessions.

In most cases Grangevictories have won, althoughundoubtedly many moresimilar struggles will bewitnessed in the future”

During the 2004 Oregon State Grange

session we find several adopted

resolutions regarding timber and

water rights.

Did you know in 1999 the Oregon StateGrange went on record to oppose anypropsed sale of the Bonneville PowerAdministration.

The same year a resolution opposingconversion of existing freeways to TollRoads in the Portland area was adopted.

A VOICE IN GOVERNMENT

Natural

SERVICE

VolunteerMatch offers a variety of tools and services to help you recruitnew volunteers, manage volunteers and prospects, and become a greatplace to volunteer.

Try Out Their Learning CenterWhat does it take to be a great volunteer program? Spend some time today to learn how to effectively involve volunteersin the important work of your organization.Visit their website: http://www.volunteermatch.org/nonprofits

Reveals that 76 percent of U.S. adultswho volunteer report that volunteer-ing has made them feel physicallyhealthier, and 78 percent report thatvolunteering lowers their levels ofstress, leading to feeling better thanadults who do not volunteer. Thestudy also illustrates that employersbenefit from employees who volun-teer in terms of better employeehealth and in professional-skills de-velopment that employees use in theworkplace.The study reveals four key benefits ofvolunteering that make a positive im-pact on people’s health:

Health: volunteers say thatthey feel better – physically,mentally and emotionally;

Stress: volunteering helpspeople manage and lower theirstress levels;

Purpose: volunteers feel adeeper connection to commu-nities and to others;

Engagement: volunteers aremore informed health careconsumers, and more engagedand involved in managingtheir health

“Service is the rentwe pay for being.It is the very pur-pose of life, andnot something youdo in your sparetime.”Marian WrightEdelman

“The greatest joys inlife are found not onlyin what we do and feel,but also in our quiethopes and labors forothers.”

Bryant McGill,Voice of Reason

To read the full Doing Good is Good for You: 2013 Health and Volun-teering Study, visit http://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/SR

“Those who are happiest arethose who do the most forothers.”

Booker T. Washington,

“Service to others intheir time of need isa privilege and anhonor.”

Harley King

“I don't want my life to bedefined by what is etchedon a tombstone. I want itto be defined by what isetched in the lives andhearts of those I'vetouched.”Steve Maraboli, Life, the

Truth, and Being Free

to pay his bill, the barberagain replied, "I cannotaccept money from you;I'm doing community ser-vice this week." TheCongressman was veryhappy and left the shop.The next morning, whenthe barber went to openup, there were a dozenCongressmen lined upwaiting for a free haircut.http://www.backwoodshome.com/humor/jokes143.html

Later, a police officer camein for a haircut and, when hetried to pay his bill, the bar-ber again replied, "I cannotaccept money from you; I'mdoing community servicethis week." The officer washappy and left the shop.The next morning when thebarber went to open up,there was a "thank you"card and a dozen donutswaiting for him at his door.A Congressman came in fora haircut and when he went

One day a Washington,D.C. florist went to a barberfor a haircut. After the cut,he asked about his bill, andthe barber replied, "I cannotaccept money from you; I'mdoing community servicethis week." The florist waspleased and left the shop.When the barber went toopen his shop the nextmorning, there was a "thankyou" card and a dozen roseswaiting for him at his door.

A fire started on some grass-lands near a farm. The countyfire department was called toput out the fire.

The fire was more than thecounty fire department couldhandle. Someone suggested thata nearby volunteer bunch becalled.Despite some doubt that thevolunteer outfit would be of anyassistance, the call was made.

The volunteers arrived in a di-lapidated old fire truck. Theyrumbled straight towards thefire, drove right into the middleof the flames and stopped!

The firemen jumped off thetruck and frantically startedspraying water in all directions.Soon they had snuffed out thecenter of the fire, breakingthe blaze into two easilycontrolled parts.

Watching all this, the farmerwas so impressed with the volun-teer fire department's work andwas so grateful that his farmhad been spared, that rightthere on the spot he presentedthe volunteers with a check for$1,000.

A local news reporter asked thevolunteer fire captain what thedepartment planned to do withthe funds.

"That ought to be obvious, " heresponded, wiping ashes off hiscoat. "The first thing we're gon-na do is get the brakes fixed onour fire truck!"

At the end of life we will not be judged by howmany diplomas we have received, how muchmoney we have made, how many great things wehave done.We will be judged by "I was hungry, and yougave me something to eat, I was naked and youclothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.”

Mother TeresaVolunteer Fire Truck

“Though my work may be menial, though my contribution may be small, I canperform it with dignity and offer it with unselfishness. My talents may not begreat, but I can use them to bless the lives of others.... The goodness of the worldin which we live is the accumulated goodness of many small and seemingly in-consequential acts.”

Gordon B. Hinckley

“If you can't do greatthings, Mother Teresa usedto say, do little things withgreat love. If you can't dothem with great love, dothem with a little love. Ifyou can't do them with alittle love, do them anyway.Love grows when peopleserve.”

John Ortberg, The Me IWant to Be: BecomingGod's Best Version of You

“Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don'thave to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to makeyour subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart fullof grace. A soul generated by love.”

Martin Luther King Jr.“So long as we love we serve; solong as we are loved by others, Iwould almost say that we are in-dispensable; and no man is use-less while he has a friend.”

Robert Louis Stevenson, LayMorals

“I slept and dreamt that life wasjoy. I awoke and saw that lifewas service. I acted and behold,service was joy.”

Rabindranath Tagore

STILL MORE INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES“Beauty is not who youare on the outside, it isthe wisdom and timeyou gave away to saveanother struggling soul,like you.”

Shannon L. Alder

“Love is large, and soforms the heart that embraces itfully.”

LeeAnn Taylor

“Compassion is not something youhave; it is something you share.”

Shannon L. Alder

“Whenever you get opportunity toserve, serve with all your heart.”

Lailah Gifty Akita

“Like the ripples from astone tossed into thepond from the water’sedge, the effects of ourchoices extend infinitelyoutward. Even the small-est of acts reverberates inthe ears of unwritten his-tories.”

Justin Young

“When we promote the well-beingof others God has placed in our livesour service glorifies God.”

Elizabeth George

“The quality of your life is directlyproportional to the positive effectyou have on others’ lives.”

Chris Matakas

“It is not what you leave to yourchildren that matters, but what youleave in them.”

Shannon L. Alder

“When you find yourself in need of spiritual nourishment, it is inthe opportunities to serve others that you will find the abundanceyou seek.”

Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

You don't get paid -So no, you can't quit.

When Opportunity Knocks

Knock knock.Who’s there?The annual fundraising event!

A Volunteer and a lawyer died and went up to theheavenly gates. Saint Peter tells the volunteer to wait alittle while, and lets the lawyer in first. As the gatesclose on the volunteer, he sees the lawyer greeted withfanfare! Music erupts, cheers are had. A choir of angelsdescend from above, and sing of joyous hallelujah forthe lawyer. Finally, the great Lord Himself makes him-self present, and gives a personal greeting and warmwelcome to the lawyer. Things begin to die down, andthe lawyer wanders off to enjoy his eternity in heaven.As the last angel floats away, Saint Peter finally grantsentrance to the volunteer. There is no music, no choir.The last of the crowd are leaving now. Confused, thevolunteer looks to Peter for an explanation."Oh, we get volunteers in here all the time. This was our

first lawyer."https://www.dosomething.org/jokes

You don't volunteer.. You're volunTOLD.

TO OUR VOLUNTEER’S

At night you go to sleep, and in the morning

when you wake up, you know in your heart

that—whatever evils and problems afflict this

world—you are making it a better place. You

are the reason we can all have faith in the

human spirit.

A retired man who volunteers to entertain patients innursing homes and hospitals went to one local hospital inBrooklyn and took his portable keyboard along. He toldsome jokes and sang some funny songs at patients’ bed-sides. When he finished he said, in farewell, “I hope youget better.”One elderly gentleman replied, “I hope you get better,too.”http://unijokes.com/joke-787/

A social worker from Chicago recently trans-ferred to the mountains of West Virginia and wason the first tour of her new territory when shecame upon the tiniest cabin she had ever seen inher life. Intrigued, she went up and knocked onthe door."Anybody home?" she asked."Yep," came a kid's voice through the door."Is your father there?" asked the social worker."Pa? Nope, he left afore Ma came in," said thekid."Well, is your mother there?" persisted the socialworker."Ma? Nope, she left just afore I got here," saidthe kid."But," protested the social worker, (thinking thatsurely she will need to intervene in this situation)"are you never together as a family?""Sure, but not here," said the kid through thedoor. "This is the outhouse!"

http://www.backwoodshome.com/humor/jokes143.html

“In the end, the number of prayers we say may con-tribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers weanswer may be of even greater importance.”

Dieter F. Uchtdorf