Holiday Traditions Since 1916

I spent some time in the New York State Historic Newspapers database looking for evidence of community holiday celebrations at the Grange. The NYSHN is a great place to get lost in the past, easy to search and hard to stop!  Newspapers like the Essex County Republican, Ticonderoga Sentinel, Lake Placid News and others included short announcements, reports, and references to Christmas celebrations at the Grange starting in 1916 right through the mid-1990s. The Grange chapter hosted holiday pageants and recitations, dances, musical performances, and always had a tree with presents for every child in Whallonsburg. There are still folks around who grew up here and remember Santa's visits to the Christmas parties. These were community-wide events with churches, schools, civic groups and the Fire Department joining in.

Recent holiday celebrations have continued that tradition and help us raise money for our neighbors in need through donations to the food pantries in Elizabethtown, Westport, and Willsboro. They are still a nice way to slow down, gather together, and enjoy time with friends. I hope you can join us on Sunday, December 10 for A Christmas Carol and on Saturday, December 16 for the Holiday Market. See you at the Grange this holiday season.

-Mary-Nell Bockman, program manager

CLICK HERE to see a  larger and more readable version.

CLICK HERE to see a  larger and more readable version.

Position available -- Grange Manager

DEADLINE for applications is Friday, December 15, 2017

The Whallonsburg Grange Hall, a nonprofit, performing arts and community center near Essex, New York, is looking for a highly motivated self-starter with management experience to fill the position of full-time Grange Manager. The Grange Manager is responsible for the overall operations of the Grange and leads the WGH board and its committees in creating, promoting and running our high-quality, year-round programming. She/he helps foster a culture that maintains the highest standards in customer service, visitor experience, and quality in operations and in the facility itself. We are looking for someone who is excited by and committed to carrying out the mission of the Grange and will help us move forward into the next decade of this community project.

The ideal candidate will have strong administrative skills, creativity and strategic thinking and the desire and ability to interact effectively with others. As the sole employee, the ability to independently assess problems and initiate successful solutions is very important. We are seeking someone with excellent skills in managing multiple tasks and deadlines, prioritization, and time management as well as budgeting. Experience in grant-writing and fund-raising is also desired. The ability to work with frequent interruptions and a sense of humor are needed.

The Manager is responsible for outreach and marketing of Grange-sponsored events and the Grange as a whole, including copywriting, collaborating with graphic designers and printers, and digital marketing (emails, website updating). S/he is also responsible for organizing and recruiting volunteers. S/he will build and expand existing relationships with local businesses, organizations, agencies and area residents to develop collaborative partnerships and manage rentals of the building. The Grange Manager position requires some flexibility in work hours to include weekends and evenings as needed.

Strong computer skills in basic Microsoft Office programs and Google Drive are required. Comfort with technology and with duties that can vary from introducing performers to cleaning bathrooms are necessary. A detailed job description is AVAILABLE HERE.