Join Us As We “Celebrate Grange” At Our 136th Annual Session

By Tom Gwin
State Grange
Master/President

As we converge in Lewis County at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds in beautiful Centralia/Chehalis for our 136th Annual State Grange Session, all Grange members are invited to join us for all or a part of this year's session.

The majority of our Grange activities will be held in three buildings: the Community Events Building, the Grandstands, and the 4-H Building. All three buildings are in close proximity and in the midway area of the fairgrounds. Grange participants should enter the fairgrounds through the south parking area. Parking is available on the fairgrounds. RVs will park in the carnival area, with overflow camping in the South Campgrounds.

We will utilize the Community Events Building for our delegate sessions, workshops, degree exemplification, and memorial service. Registration and the display areas will be next door in the Grandstands (actually under the grandstands). Workshops will be in both the Commercial Building and the 4-H Building. The hospitality room is in the 4-H Building. The Junior Meeting Room will be in the 4-H Building, while the Youth Group will meet under the Grandstands.

We will “Celebrate Grange” with the official opening of the session on Wednesday, June 24. In addition to the delegate sessions, where one can see State Grange policy being developed, there are plenty of opportunities to celebrate the hard work by our members. The work of our talented members will be on display throughout the week in the display rooms. Group efforts will be included in the display area with contest entries in Grange Hall Improvement, community service, and many others.

Unfortunately, we find it necessary to cancel the Livestock Judging Contest at this session. Due to the unavailability of livestock animals, we will reschedule this event for the fall at one of the county fairs. More details will be available during the state session.

We are continuing with the display of youth educational posters and the public speaking contest. A note of interest for those considering the public speaking contest. We will accept video submissions of speeches for the competition this year. Read the information in the youth section of this issue and in the State Grange Program Handbook.

Another new Grange promotional activity will be the display of Grange hats and shirts. Each Grange is asked to provide an entry in each class. Grange members at the session will vote on their favorite and cash prizes will be awarded to the winners. Hats and shirts will not be returned to your Grange. They will be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Granges are reminded to turn in their one-page “Grange in Action” report. The reports consist of one page with the Grange name and state, accompanied by 3-5 photos of the Grange’s activities with captions. The activities must have taken place since September 1, 2024. The reports will be on display and then forwarded to the National Grange for recognition. We will also be utilizing these reports in our state display at the National Grange Convention in November. This program is an excellent opportunity to celebrate the varied projects undertaken by Granges across our state.

Your state officers selected the themes for each day of the session. Officers, delegates, and members are encouraged to dress following the themes. This year’s themes are: Wednesday – Grange Gear; Thursday – Tropical day; Friday – Junior Grange Red Tennis Shoes; Saturday – Western Day.

The session will officially open on Wednesday at 7 p.m. After the opening ceremony, a few items of business will be conducted. We have invited several local dignitaries to attend to welcome the Grangers to Centralia and Chehalis. The welcome speeches will be followed by a reception hosted by the State Grange officers.

The business session will move into full swing and take much of Thursday and Friday. The session will include officer report and the report and action on committee reports. We will begin the election of State Grange officers and have a variety of speakers on Thursday morning. The family living department will hold their annual luncheon on Thursday at 12 p.m.. The event will be next door at the Senior Center.

Business sessions will continue on Friday of the session. The State Grange Officers BBQ will be held on Friday evening. The dinner will be followed by the Live Auction, with the proceeds going to support the various Grange departments.

The Saturday schedule has been revamped. The postponement of the livestock judging contest opens some time on Friday for the delegates to continue working on business. The presentation of Quilts of Valor will be at 11 a.m., followed by the presentation of the Grange Leadership Award at 11:45 a.m. The fifth and sixth degrees of the order will be exemplified on Saturday afternoon. The Celebration Banquet is on Saturday evening and will be held next door at the Senior Center. Following a scrumptious dinner, we will further celebrate the achievements of our State Grange Foundation Scholarship recipients. Granges will be recognized for longevity and their outstanding community service work. The membership department will draw the winners of the Membership Incentive Program.

Sunday, the final day of the session, will include the Memorial and Church Service in the morning, followed by the completion of business. Our Junior and Youth Grangers will open the Saturday afternoon session. One of the final items of business will be the installation of State Grange Officers at 3:30 on Sunday. The session is scheduled to adjourn by 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Thank you to the Grange members of the Southwest District (Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Kitsap, Mason, Lewis, Pacific, Thurston, and Wahkiakum counties) for their outstanding work in putting the convention activities together for the benefit of all Grange members. Your efforts will allow us to join together to “Celebrate Grange” and will assist in preparing us for another exciting year of Grange activities.

The Governor Has Acted!

By Jesse Taylor
Legislative Lobbyist

Since the passage of the budgets in late April and the subsequent sine di gavel, the Governor had several weeks to go through the documents and determine what actions he might take. Washington is one of 44 states that allow for line-item veto power in their state budget. This authority, granted by state constitutions, is used in times of budget deficits and when the governor believes the legislature has stepped outside of its bounds of discretion.

Article III, Section 12 of the Washington State Constitution is where this power lies, and it has been used regularly in the past by nearly all Governor’s at least on small scale items and rarely for larger vetoes. In Washington State the governor can veto entire bills, entire sections of a bill, or specific appropriation items in bills that contain multiple sections or items. For appropriation bills, the veto can target individual line items, but it must encompass an entire section or appropriation item, not just parts like individual sentences or phrases. In 1974 our state passed a constitutional amendment (SJR 140) restricting the governor’s veto power to prevent vetoing less than an entire section of a bill, except for appropriation items. This was intended to curb practices where governors altered the meaning of legislation by vetoing specific words or sentences. This action directed more power to the legislative body.

Line-Item Veto Actions by Governor Ferguson

Ferguson vetoed several dozen spending provisions within the 1,366-page operating budget, totaling approximately $25 million in cuts plus billions in future savings by delaying spending. These vetoes targeted programs deemed non-essential or unaffordable given the state's significant budget deficit and anticipated federal funding reductions. Here are some of the vetoed items:

1. The Garage ($300,000) - The Garage is a café providing after-school tutoring, counseling, and case management services for high school students. Ferguson vetoed $300,000, representing about one-fifth of the program's budget.

2. Mentor Washington ($1.55 million) - This program supports mentoring for at-risk youth through contracts with the Department of Children, Youth, and Families, with about half of the funds allocated to a pilot for foster youth.

3. Hospitality Center of Excellence at Columbia Basin College ($408,000) - Launched in January 2025 with $257,000, this center aimed to strengthen ties between culinary programs and hospitality businesses, developing workforce education strategies. The Legislature allocated $408,000 for two years of operation.

4. Forest Practices Board: $1.1 million allocated for rulemaking was vetoed, as the board does not anticipate rulemaking in the next four years.

5. Department of Agriculture: $358,000 for a program promoting Washington-grown farm products was eliminated.

6. Department of Agriculture (DEI Unit): $258,000 for a vacant equity adviser position in the diversity, equity, and inclusion unit was not filled.

7. State Conservation Commission: $365,000 for a proposed tribal liaison position was not funded

8. Offshore Wind Studies: $816,000 for a study on offshore wind projects and $731,000 for a tribal-state panel to study ecological impacts were canceled.

9. Department of Health Warehouse Lease: $2.4M over four years was saved by ending a pandemic-era lease on an unused warehouse

10. Special Commitment Center: $4M was saved by closing a 24-bed unit at the Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island due to declining populations.

11. Public Health Funding: Funding for foundational public health was reduced from $155M to $133M annually, saving tens of millions of dollars over four years.

12. Childcare Rate Increases: A rate increase for childcare centers was phased in over four years instead of being implemented all at once, saving $144M.

13. TANF Program: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funding was maintained, but the governor recommended limiting general fund investment to $82 million for the next biennium, down from $128 million in the previous biennium

Grange Convention

I look forward to seeing you all at the 2025 Washington State Grange Convention. I will be doing several workshops with topics including Legislative involvement, the 2026 Capital Budget process and Sponsorships. We will also have an agent from the Department of Commerce to walk us through the expenditure process for 2025 Capital Budget Grant recipients. See you in Lewis County!

By Grange News Staff

Grange members from across Washington State will be meeting at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds in Centralia/Chehalis for their state organization’s 136th annual convention, June 25-29. The convention returns to Lewis County for the first time since 1986.

The majority of those gathering at the convention site – the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds – are delegates elected to represent their local Granges. The bulk of their time will be spent in meetings, making decisions that will set the course of the organization for the coming year. Besides delegates, there are scores of volunteers who will have other responsibilities during the week, and many other members drive in to participate in special events, listen to guest speakers or simply to get together with old friends. It is anticipated that more than 500 people will either participate all week long or join in for at least a day or two.

Officiating at the business meetings will be State Grange President Tom Gwin of Humptulips Grange in Grays Harbor County.

Preparations for this year’s event have been under the direction of a district convention steering committee led by Phyllis Ogden of Cowlitz County. She has been assisted by a host of volunteer sub-committee chairmen and committee members.

This year’s session is being hosted by Granges in the Southwest District that includes Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz. Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Thurston, and Wahkiakum Counties.

Prior to the official opening session on Wednesday evening, June 25, several activities will occupy delegates and others. All committees will meet prior to the session via Zoom to consider reports and resolutions submitted for delegate consideration. The committees will closely examine all resolutions referred to the convention by local community Granges. In some instances, the committees could draft additional resolutions. All those reports will be referred – with committee recommendations – to the delegate body for further debate during the session. The resolutions cover a wide variety of topics from internal organization matters to policy issues that will occupy the organization’s Olympia and Washington, DC, lobbyists in coming years.

Young people (teens and above) will begin their convention activities on Wednesday morning, electing and installing their own slate of officers.

Following the opening session on Wednesday evening, the Grangers will host local dignitaries for words of welcome, followed by a welcome reception.

The work of the convention will begin in earnest at 8:30 a.m. Thursday morning when Gwin opens the session. Immediately after opening, he will deliver his annual report to the delegates. Following a short break, the delegates will begin their business session with reports from the various delegate committees. After a lunch break, the session will continue through the afternoon. Thursday evening is reserved for Grangers to enjoy dinner out, build fellowship, and to explore the area surrounding Centralia and Chehalis.

The business session will continue Friday morning. The delegates will consider additional committee reports. The afternoon will feature the Junior Grange Ice Cream Social. Youth and Junior Members will also compete in their public speaking contests, with the winners receiving the honor of representing our state at the regional level. The delegates will continue their work through Friday afternoon.

Friday evening will feature a new activity. State Grange officers will host a “Barbecue Picnic”. The picnic will be followed by a live action, which financially supports Grange departments in their work.

Youth and Junior Grangers will also compete in their public speaking contests, with the winners receiving the honor of representing our state at the National Grange Convention in November.

Business sessions will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday. At 11 a.m. the Grange will recognize a group of military veterans at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Each veteran will be recognized with their own Quilt of Valor. The Grange and the QOV program will make the presentations. The Grange Leadership Award, the highest honor bestowed by the State Grange, will be presented at 11:45 a.m. on Saturday.

The Grange’s Fifth Degree will be exemplified on Saturday at 2:00 p.m., followed by the conferral of the Grange’s Sixth Degree at 3:00 p.m. That evening, the Grange Celebration Banquet will be held. The banquet will include the presentation of several membership awards and the recognition of the 2025 State Grange Scholarship winners. In addition, Granges will be recognized for 150, 125, and 100 consecutive years of activity. Awards for community service and membership development will be presented.

Sunday morning will begin with the Grange Memorial and Worship Service. The event, under the direction of State Grange Chaplain Carolyn Hojem, will honor departed Grange members and serve as a worship service for all members. Following the service, the Grange will go back into regular session, completing the business of the organization.

The Sunday afternoon session will be filled with presentations by the Grange youth and junior members. The young people will be recognized. Awards presented for their Grange work over the past year. Following their program, the Grange will install their newly elected State Grange Officers, followed by the completion of final business. The session is scheduled to adjourn at approximately 5 p.m. on Sunday.

There are many opportunities for fun and recreation at the convention. There is an ice cream social on Friday, youth tours and activities, banquets, workshops and, of course, the impressive Grange displays. Most members attending the convention for the first time are amazed at the large quantity and wide variety of handiwork submitted by Grangers and others across Washington state. Tables will be filled with samples of needlework, quilts, sewing, craft creations, works of art and photography. These displays are open to the public beginning Thursday afternoon. The displays are under the supervision of the state lecturer and the directors of family living, youth, junior Grange, and community service activities.

State Master Gwin urges all Grangers to consider spending at least one day at their state session. Members who live in the area are encouraged to attend any or all the events. They may also bring along their prospective member friends to the open sessions.

The Annual State Grange Session rotates to various locations around the state. The session will be in Mount Vernon in 2026 and in Yakima in 2027.

By Grange News Staff

Sequim Prairie Grange is pleased to announce the reopening of its Grange following a three-month renovation period by hosting a Pancake Breakfast. Grange members assembled around the newly installed grills to observe the preparation of the first servings of pancakes, eggs, and ham. The aroma of freshly cooked breakfast overshadowed the lingering scent of fresh paint.

The kitchen underwent a comprehensive remodel, including the installation of new grills, high-temperature dishwasher, sinks, cabinets, and quartz countertops. Additionally, new flooring and windows were installed. Beyond the kitchen, the coffee room, meeting room, and both the men's and women's bathrooms received complete overhauls. Our wonderful community was very supportive of the renovation and clearly appreciated the breakfast that was served, as it was a huge success.