The Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties’ Pomona Grange celebrates 100 years in community service this Sunday.
“There are not a lot of organizations that make it to 100 years, especially as a county organization, so it’s something special that we are certainly going to celebrate,” said Grange Master Tom Gwin.
Gwin described the Grange as a bit of a 4-H for adults: Members perform community service with an agricultural focus. On the Washington coast, however, there just isn’t as much agriculture as there used to be, so members have expanded their focus to things such as food banks and raising money for other local charities.
“In this county, we don’t have a whole lot of agriculture left, so it’s more community development and family activies,” Gwin said.
The National Grange is the oldest national agricultural organization, founded in 1867. It was originally a fraternal order known as the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, and today focuses on natural resource stewardship, free trade, and rural services like education and medicine. National talent competition winners Kristy Monahan, also a former Miss Grays Harbor, and Mike West will perform, and a presentation on the Grange’s history will be given. Youth members will present their projects on what the next 100 years of service might look like.
The celebration starts at 2 p.m. in the Olympic View Grange Hall, 466 Old Monte-Brady Road, Brady.
