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We had seven special visitors at preschool today from our local Grange.

The National Grange is the nation's oldest national agricultural organization, with grassroots units established in 3,600 local communities in 37 states. Its 300,000 members provide service to agriculture and rural areas on a wide variety of issues, including economic development, education, family endeavors, and legislation designed to assure a strong and viable Rural America. It was formed in the years following the American Civil War to unite private citizens in improving the economic and social position of the nation's farm population. Over the past 137 years, it has evolved to include non-farm rural families and communities.

The Grange is also a fraternal order known as the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, hence the "P of H" on the organization's logo. Founding members determined that a fraternal organization would be best able to combine loyalty and democratic ideals to provide service to others. The National Grange was one of the first formal groups to admit women to membership on the basis of equality with men. It remains so today.

The 11-story landmark National Grange headquarters building in Washington, D.C. was dedicated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on June 29, 1960, and is the only private edifice in a federal block across from the White House. It serves as a non-governmental headquarters for agricultural and rural families. A professional staff administers policies established annually by democratic Grange processes at local county, and state levels.

They have various programs they must fulfill and visiting our school fell under education. Except for President Dan, the other members who visited us were well into their 70's and had not been in a preschool class for a very long time. They seemed to have a wonderful time playing with Thomas the Train, cooking in the kitchen and building roads. After clean-up time, Miss Doris read two fun stories about caterpillars and butterflies. They brought all the supplies for making tissue paper butterflies and also gave each of the children a beautiful butterfly mobile to take home. They even provided snacks. The funny thing is, Mr. Ken, Mr. Edgar and Mr. Jim had never had juice boxes before and the children had to show them how to take the pointy end of the straw and push it down into the hole. It was really cute. Mr. Ken told his wife, Miss June, that he was coming back tomorrow.
We then sang one of our favorite songs, Herman the Worm, which is about a worm, as you can tell by the title, and not a caterpillar, but close?? Our guests got a good chuckle out of it.
Miss Doris is the lady I mentioned in an earlier thread whose son committed suicide in New York. Mr. Ken and Miss June lost their son last year in a terrible tractor accident. Still, these people go on. They certainly brightened our day and I think maybe we brightened theirs too.