Profile of a newsmaker: North Stonington Grange member helps mark 100th anniversary
By Norwich Bulletin (5-13-08)
MAY 13, 2008 --
In the news: Scott Bill Hirst led the effort to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the North Stonington Grange No. 138 with a special cancellation available at the town’s post office.
About the cancellation: Available through the end of May, the cancellation features the Grange seal within an outline of the town’s borders. Hirst worked with town officials, including First Selectman Nicholas H. Mullane II, as well as with the local postmaster.
About the Grange: The North Stonington organization was first formed in the late 1800s but went dormant for several years until reforming on Jan. 11, 1908. It has the fourth-largest Grange membership in Connecticut, is home to the first agricultural fair of the season, and hosts various other animal shows and Little League games. Historically, the national organization was active in rural electrification and rural mail delivery movements.
Quotable: “The Granges used to be a prominent part of every community,” Mullane said. “People are spread very thin.” “Basically,” said Hirst, a third-generation Grange member and master of the New London County Pomona Grange No. 6, “I just like to put the word out about the Grange and I’m quite interested in history.”
