On Sunday, February 10th, members of the Litchfield community are invited to attend a special Open House at Litchfield Grange Hall to learn about Litchfield Grange and the significant impact it can have in the community.

The Open House begins at 1:00 PM.  Litchfield Grange Hall is located at 435 Bantam Road (Route 202), opposite The Litchfield Inn.  

The Cherry Brook Chimes Bell Choir under the direction of Mary Lou Keefe will provide the entertainment for the afternoon. The choir originates from the First Congregational Church of Canton Center and has 5 octaves of bells and three octaves of chimes.

Connecticut State Grange President Jody Cameron and Grange representatives from across the area will be speaking on the benefits of the Grange to the Litchfield community including fellowship, community service, contests and activities, events, agricultural and legislative initiatives, children and young adult programs, and more.

Litchfield Grange Hall was built and dedicated in 1953.  Through the years the group has presented an annual agricultural fair, hosted concerts and lectures, held tag sales and community dinners, and was well-known for their popular holiday cookie walk. The Grange was formed November 13, 1889, with 45 charter members.  The organization grew quickly, to at one time having more than 200 members.  

Community service projects have been the backbone of Litchfield Grange, where members have invested thousands of hours yearly to local projects, such as presenting scholarships and numerous community citizen awards, sponsoring a campership at Camp Berger Summer Camp each year for a local deserving child, donating to the local food pantries, donating baby hats and blankets to hospitals and more. Litchfield Grange even co-sponsored a Barn Dance to help raise money for a Litchfield resident who lost their family farm in a fire.  But despite all of the Grange's good work, members were growing older and tiring.  

Members recognize that an infusion of energy is needed to bring Litchfield Grange back to its community service roots, and so as Litchfield Grange members celebrate their 124th anniversary in 2013, the group has launched a new growth initiative, beginning with the Open House on February 10th.

"Litchfield Grange is the perfect example of a Grange changing with the times and staying relevant," said Todd Gelineau, a member of the Connecticut State Grange Growth Team. "Now they need to grow their membership so that they can have an even greater and more significant impact in the community they service."

For more information on the activities of Litchfield Grange, or for membership information, please contact Connecticut State Grange President Jody Cameron at president@ctstategrange.org, or call the Connecticut State Grange Central Office at (860) 633-7550.  

Information on the Granges in Connecticut can be found online at www.CTStateGrange.org