Silver Springs woman selected for National Grange Communications program
Carolynn Chamlee of Silver Springs, a member of Battle Born Stockton Well Grange #29 in Northern Lyon County, has been selected as a participant in this year’s National Grange Communication Fellows Program during the 156th Annual Session of the National Grange in Sparks, Nev. this November.
National Grange Communications Director and Fellows Program Coordinator Philip Vonada announced the selection in August. Chamlee joins four other Grange members from across the United States in this prestigious hands-on program intended to develop skills in communications, engagement, programming, and membership. Fellows will produce content for the daily convention newsletter, interviews, and content for National Grange social media channels and stories for Good Day! magazine, while enhancing leadership and communication skills.
Upon completion of the program, Chamlee hopes to use her skills to grow her local Granges, as well as to assist with the development of a Nevada State Grange and work alongside members of the National Grange.
Chamlee has been a Grange member for three years and currently serves as Lecturer for Battle Born Stockton Well Grange, where she leads six of their projects offered and manages shows, contests, and events the Grange hosts each year.
Chamlee’s passions include horses, goats, photography, writing, and spending time with family. Being a member of Grange has allowed her to continue to share these passions with youth, including her 12-year-old daughter Laurinda.
She can often be found managing shows while getting kids in the rings on time, schooling the animals, and getting herself in the show ring. By sharing the show experience in and out of the ring with her daughter, she is able to enjoy more time with her and learn from the experience together as a family.
“I’m looking forward to working with Carolynn and all of this year’s class of Fellows,” said Philip Vonada, Communications Director. “Each of them brings unique experiences to the program, and will be strong assets for their local Granges, and the Grange nationwide.”
National Grange President Betsy Huber adds, “The Communication Fellows program connects Grange members with diverse backgrounds but common interests. This year’s Fellows are a true representation of what the Grange is and can be.”
With a strong history in grassroots activism, family values, and community service, since 1867 the Grange has been America’s premier fraternal organization that advocates for rural America and agriculture and brings rural communities together.
Founded in 1867, the Grange is a fraternal, nonpartisan organization with roughly 140,000 members across the nation in over 1,500 local chapters. Open to anyone age 14 and older interested in agriculture, rural concerns or bettering their community, the Grange never endorses candidates but works on issues made policy of the organization through a grassroots vetting process.
Grange members provide millions of hours of service and dollars in donations annually based on the needs identified in their local communities. From providing dictionaries to third-grade students often unserved or underserved by broadband internet, to hosting candidate forums to providing handmade caps for newborns, Grange members find ways to improve the lives of their neighbors both in service and through advocacy efforts.
Learn more about the Grange and our grassroots policy and priority issues, the service of our nearly 150,000 members across the nation to improve the quality of life in their communities, and where you can find a Grange local to you by visiting www.nationalgrange.org.