The Grange was an actual social group for rural folks that began back in the 1800’s. Its purpose was to support, inform, and raise political awareness of the farmer and the rural impact on America. The Grange is the name given to our men’s group.
The Grange meets once a month and provides a topic of interest specific to the male residents of your facility. You might decide to serve some refreshments during the meeting. The most popular that we have found include Coke or Pepsi, a light beer, and half sandwiches or peanut butter and jelly or a cold meat such as salami or bologna.
The Grande can be conducted in much the same was as Tea Buds with a topic presented along with a plant or weed and then a snack that differs from month to month.
Topics are varied but one thing remains consistent. To have a good activity with maximum participation, present items related to the topic, related pictures, and be prepared with specific open-ended questions.
Milking Time:
-milk stool, bucket, kickers, separator arts, pictures from magazines or the internet
Varmints:
-old traps, pictures of varmints, funny stories, fur prices from the 1940’s
John Deere tractors:
-small models of JD machinery, pictures, brochures from your JD dealer, JD promotional items
Threshing:
-quart jars with bouquets of ripe grains, baskets with threshed grain, photos of threshers, pictures of threshing machines
Old Barns:
-photographs of old local barns, stories of barns used for dances, unique barns in the county, styles of barns, work done in a barn, painting a barn
Duck hunting:
-decoys (old and new), empty shotgun shells from various gauges, hunting jacket, pictures of ducks and funny hunting stories
Pick-ups:
-models of pick-ups, photos of personal pick-ups (maybe owned by staff), photos of old pick-ups, short history of pick-ups
Work Horses:
-pictures of the different breeds, pieces of harness and wagon hook-ups, pictures of field work being done with horses
Windmills:
-photos of local windmills, pictures of the old wooden windmills, motor brands, water tank styles, dippers, coal water heater, chopping ice for ice cream, bullheads in the water tank
Horsefest:
-activity staff teamed up with a fellow employee who not only had horses but had a son in rodeo. For our group, we had a saddle, reins, bridles, throwing ropes, and various other tack as well as a young man who demonstrated calf roping. The men handled all the tack and the ropes.
Old Cameras:
-old cameras were presented and the men were able to handle them all. Cameras included an old box camera with glass negatives, a wooden camera, an old Brownie, a newer 35 mm, an original Polaroid, a digital camera, and a phone camera. This was a popular meeting.
Kerosene Lanterns and Lamps:
-several lanterns were presented, a parlor lamp, a bedroom lamp, an old barn lantern, a train brakeman’s lantern, several different styles of lanterns and lamps of different sizes
Country School:
-old school bell, old report cards, ink pens and bottles, old texts, pictures of country school houses, pictures of a pot bellied stove, and water crock
Bird houses:
-homemade houses, basket houses, gourd houses, multi-dwelling houses, can houses, nesting boxes, pictures of birds that use houses
Dried weeds make a great centerpiece for a men’s group plus they add a conversational topic. Start gathering in the fall:
-Red Sumac, Prairie Grasses, Sage Brush, Fox Tails, Wild Oats, Leafy Spurge, Canadian Thistle, Milk Weed, Cockle Burs, Cat Tails.
-Also gather some wheat and barley as they make great centerpieces as well!
