Jefferson resident Pat Brewer was elected Maine State Grange Master at their annual session on Oct. 21 in Skowhegan. Along with presiding over the state Grange, Brewer and his wife Kathy Brewer – elected State Flora – will represent Maine at the 145th annual national Grange convention in Tulsa, Okla.
“It’s an honor to represent the state,” Pat Brewer said during an interview at his home grange in Waldoboro. Brewer is the master at Meenahga Grange. “I’m going to try to represent as best I can.”
As State Grange master, Brewer is the head of the State Grange, which votes on resolutions passed up from local Granges and send them on to the National Grange. Those resolutions relate to all the Grange’s practices, which focus on helping the community, agriculture and legislature.
“It can be a daunting task, but with the right people underneath you, any Grange can survive,” Brewer said. “If I get into a pickle, I’ll have people around to help me out.”
His work as State Master will be particularly important for the 138-year-old organization, because this is a time when Grange halls throughout the state are closing or consolidating with other halls.
In Lincoln County alone, four Grange halls have closed in the last few years. The first to go was the Seaside Grange in Bristol Mills. The Jefferson Grange, which served the south end of Jefferson, followed. A couple years ago, as attendance declined at the Nobleboro Grange, they chose to combine with the Meenahga Grange in Waldoboro and this past year Progressive Grange, also in Waldoboro, followed suit.
The Bunker Hill Grange in Jefferson ceased to be a Grange, although their membership remains strong. It is now the Bunker Hill Community Club because many of the newer members are less interested in the rituals and degree work that are traditional staples of the Grange.
For Brewer, the Grange has been a major part of his life. He joined as a young man because his father was long-time member and he had a lot of friends in the Grange. He met his wife at the Grange and they’ve been married for 22 years.
When Brewer was young, the Grange youth social events were well attended.
“A bunch of us kids had a great time,” Brewer said. “Then I guess society changed. There are very few youth in the Grange these days.”
Brewer, like many others in the organization, says decreasing youth involvement is to blame for the Grange’s decline. Statewide Grange membership was once around 60,000. Now it’s down to about 5000.
Brewer said he hopes to increase membership, maintain the Grange’s family-friendly practices, and energize the Grange. He also hopes to draw attention to the Grange with community support efforts.
“We do a lot for the community, but I think we can always do more,” he said.
Brewer was clear that he doesn’t want the position to further his own goals, but instead wants to represent the Grange as a whole. “I believe the man shouldn’t seek the office, the office should seek the man,” Brewer said. “The Grange is about representing everyone, not just one person. I hope I can do the Grange proud.”
