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The Hood River News, Hood River, OR., December 9, 1955, page 1

GRANGE NOTES 50-YR. HISTORY AT PINE GROVE
Members Honored At Tuesday Banquet
By G.S. Weber, Grange Correspondent

Rejoicing reigned supreme at the Pine Grove Grange hall on Tuesday evening of this week as a capacity audience of Grangers and their friends were assembled to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the formation of this farmers fraternity.
It was on December 6, 1905, that the 77 charter members of Pine Grove Subordinate Grange No. 356 met at the old Pine Grove schoolhouse, affixed their signature to the official charter, elected their first roster of officers, 16 in number, and were thus officially launched on a career that has endured to the present day. Thus it becomes the first subordinate Grange in Hood River county qualified to celebrate a golden anniversary.
The highlight future of this observance was the bestowing of honors and awards on 4 50-year members; 10 25-year members, 20 surviving members of the original charter list, and 13 surviving past masters out of the total of 22.
The evening's activities began with a pot luck supper at 6:30, which required two sittings in the spacious dining room, under the management of the home economics committee, including Pine Grove's famous coffee-maker, Joe Jarvis, a chore that has been his particular forte throughout the past half century.
The official program was opened at 8 p.m. under the guidance of Walter Wells, Pomona Grange master, and invocation by the Rev. Gerald Gear, pastor of the Odell and Pine Grove Methodist churches. After Wells introduced a number of distinguished guests of the occasion, among whom were Elmer McClure, state master of the Oregon State Grange; Mrs. Alta Johnson, state Grange lecturer, and her husband, Pomona master of Sherman county.
A brief address of welcome was delivered by Allen Moore, the incoming new master of Pine Grove Grange, who pinch-hit for Marian C. Wells, the 1955 master, who is seriously ill in a hospital in Rochester, Minn.
The presentation of awards was made by Earl Moore, the State Grange deputy for Hood River county. Moore began by reading the names of the 77 charter members from the original record book, and he detailed the history of the Pine Grove subordinate Grange until it had erected and dedicated its hall in late 1907. He then presented the awards.
Music for the occasion consisted of a mixed quartet, composed of Helen Croan, Lenore Merritt, Dale Scobee and Wayne Miller, Harold and Kenneth Wells appeared in a vocal duet and Helen Croan sang a solo.
Elmer McClure, Oregon state Grange master, gave the address of the evening. McClure discussed the national farm problem, and stated that he did not have the solution, but that it should be settled on an economic basis and not on a political basis.
The program was under the direction of Mildred Scobee, Grange lecturer; Ellen Moore, acting master; Susie Wells and Mary Moore, home economics chairman.