Upper Lake >> Since June 1938, the Bachelor Valley Grange has been serving as a meeting hall and event space for the close-knit community of Upper Lake. But not long ago there was talk of closing the space. The members had been running the place for quite some time — the president had held that position for 12 years — and they were all growing tired. They were steadily losing members and no new people were joining. Two years ago they’d even shut down a regular pancake breakfast, lacking the manpower to put it on. Funding was also dwindling.
But venue choices are already limited in Upper Lake, and many knew that if the Bachelor Valley Grange shut its doors, that wouldn’t be a good thing. So when some parents heard about the potential closure, they decided to do something about it. Since they were already involved in the local community, part of groups like the Parent Teacher Organization, the Boosters Club and the Community Council, they understood the ins and outs of successfully running an organization. Plus, they simply had a lot of energy.
“What was important was that we didn’t want the grange to close,” said Melanie Sneathen, a new member of the Bachelor Valley Grange. “We are a small community, people rent it to have festivities. If we lost that it would definitely impact the community.”
Ashley Dooley stepped up to become the new president of the grange. Her peers became the new members. A vice president and treasurer were sworn in, while the secretary opted to stay on. The older members who had been with the grange for years continued their membership, but relinquished control. Now they can actually enjoy what they’ve spent so much time and effort building.
New leadership took over in January, and they hit the ground running. In just a few short months they established regular events, such as family-friendly film screenings. Every first Friday of each month from 1-3 p.m., North Coast Opportunities and the Redwood Food Bank arrive with a truckload of food, which they hand out for free. The grange sponsors that event, and charges NCO nothing.
They’ve also changed rental prices. Instead of charging $600 to rent the space all day, it’s $200. For non-profits and members, that price drops even lower, down to $100.
“That has really opened it up to our community,” said Dooley. “We need to make it accessible and a big part of making it accessible is making it financially accessible.”
So far, their tactics are working. Every weekend for the past couple months, the Bachelor Valley Grange has been booked solid.
In addition to rentals, the new grange members are also actively updating the hall’s appearance, both in person and online. They’ve installed a new security system, they’re sprucing up the floors and facade, working to place a sign outside the building, and they’re growing their social media presence, which was nonexistent a few months ago.
This Saturday the new group will be hosting their biggest event yet: Wild West Day. With a parade, dancing and live music, and of course plenty of food, the event takes place each year on Main St. in Upper Lake. It’s always a highly anticipated day for the town.
Granges began in 1867 as a farmers association. It was a way for the community to come together and help one another. For example, if a local farmer needed help on his or her farm, people would head over to the grange and work out how they could provide assistance for their neighbor. Granges were essentially the original community halls, and while they may have moved away from strictly farming business, that hyper-local focus has never changed.
Today, the Bachelor Valley Grange supports a quilting club, who sews and distributes 80 quilts each year to local charities. The grange also awards scholarships to Upper Lake High School seniors, and though they couldn’t give much this year, Dooley and the other new members are hoping to give more in 2018.
“We have been very busy. We are very ambitious and we have a lot of plans,” Dooley said. “We want to see things moving really fast. We want to have the community see the change and get excited right along with us.”
Their meetings, which are open to the public, have also not changed much over the many years. They still get together every month to discuss the community’s needs and work out the ways in which they can help those groups and individuals who require it. That’s the grange’s biggest focus right now: figuring out what Upper Lake wants and needs from them.
“Our vision for the grange is to bring it back to what it used to be,” said Dooley.
It’s a $30 fee to become a member with the Big Valley Grange, and that money goes toward the maintenance of the hall. Anyone interested in joining can attend a meeting to get a feel for the group. Meetings are every first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at 9355 Government St. in Upper Lake. For more information, find the Bachelor Valley Grange on Facebook or contact Dooley at 272-4162.
Wild West Day takes place Saturday from 10 a.m. -4 p.m.
Jennifer Gruenke can be reached at 900-2019.
