Annual Convention at Mt. Hamilton was Very Special
by Buzz Chernoff
State Lecturer
"The Wisdom of Pomona" play.The Annual Convention at the Mt. Hamilton Grange this year was very special, and reinforced my belief that there is no better place for Granger’s to gather for work and play than a Grange Hall. There were many new faces with new ideas, and to my delight, younger folks with real life concerns about farming and rural living. One of those new folks was Annie Waters, who presented “The Wisdom of Pomona”. This is a play she wrote, based on Grange ritual, where the lessons of this Grace are revealed in word, song, and costume. It was a beautiful example of Grange ritual, and one that needs to be presented on an annual basis (A video of "The Wisdom of Pomona" can be viewed on the Multimedia page).
On the lighter side, the Mt. Hamilton Grange put on dancing exhibitions that went from high culture to traditional folk. Dressed in gowns and tuxedos, members of the Grange gave a demonstration of ballroom dancing that made me want to rush out and find a dance studio. This was followed by a demonstration of traditional folk dancing. My favorite was one where two bamboo poles approximately 12 feet long were put on the floor and the dancers had to dance between them. Sound easy? Not when there are folks at the end of the poles banging them together in a rhythm. The dancers have to have perfect timing or they will get there foot and leg banged between two poles, which would really hurt. After the demonstration of how it is done, Master Bob was asked to give it a try. While not as agile as the dancers, he managed to last a minute or two, and walked away without limping.
The Mt. Hamilton dancers at the 2010 Convention.
Katie Squire again put on a successful Expo. She said that the number of entries was down this year, but that the quality of the entries was as high as ever. I liked the fact that the Expo was held in the dining area, which allowed folks many opportunities to look over and appreciate the entries.
The Lecturer’s Talent Contest and Variety Show was once again one of the high points of the Convention. In the Youth Category, Lexi and Halle Cardoza from the Pleasant Valley Grange put on spectacular song and dance which won them first place, and a trip to the National Convention in North Carolina. Alys Palomino from the Marshall Grange sang her heart out for second place. In the Adult Category Ryan Sudtell took first place with an amazing 5 minute electric guitar solo that had folks tapping their toes, and owwing and ahhing over his intricate riffs. Gus Olmedo from the Mt. Hamilton Grange took second place with his Elvis impression which included an outrageous costume from Elvis’s Las Vegas days, and Jennifer Telman from the Pleasant Valley Grange took third place with a recitation of the preamble to the constitution. They all did a great job, and split the cash prize of $1000.
Ryan Sudtell performing during the Talent Contest.
Then came the variety show, where the real Grange hams come out. Sharon Taylor of the Rio Linda Grange told another of her many stories that had folks laughing and wondering. Barbara Geiger, the CSG Chaplain, read a children’s story that reminded me of my days in Kindergarten listening to Miss. Clemens read stories. On a completely other note, Trudie Martin and Frank Nichols from the West Yolo Grange did a hilarious version of hillbillies singing “My Bucket’s Got a Hole Dear Liza”. There was an Elvis sighting, and Gus Olmedo came back on stage for a couple of more songs. The evening finished with all the musicians coming on stage and accompanying Takashi Yogi from the Live Oak Grange in a Tuban throat song which somehow morphed into the closing song of the show, “Home Grown Tomatoes”. It was a night to remember.
The next morning, Ryan Sudtell and his dad were having breakfast when Ann Burrows, a 105 year young Granger from the Bennett Valley Grange came up to his table and asked if she could speak with him. He said sure and she sat down and told him how much she had enjoyed his guitar playing, which remember was 5 minutes of outrageous electric guitar. She then proceeded to tell Ryan that he was a very talented young man who clearly loved playing the guitar and that he should pursue his dream, because if he didn’t, he would not have a happy life. She then told him about some folks she knew who gave up on their dreams, only to regret it later. She told him that he must follow his heart and his dream. Good words of wisdom from a 105 year old to an 18 year old. Good words of wisdom for all of us. Thanks Ann – may you keep rocking for many more years.
Happy Trails until the next time . . . Buzz