Join us for our Monthly Second Thursday Potluck & Programs

A reminder that in 2026 we will be meeting on the second Thursdays of each month. Potluck 5:30-6:30, then meetup and activity from 6:30 to 8pm. Our next gathering and activity will be on Thursday, June 11th starting at 5:30pm. Please bring a dish to share.

• Resilience through Radio - Get ready for a demonstration of ham radio. Maybe we can even speak to Grangers in other countries! Learn about how Amateur Radio can strengthen community connection, support self-reliance, and mutual aid, encourage local solutions to local challenges. Experience this real-world example of neighbors helping neighbors.

  5:30 Potluck

  6:30-8pm Evening Program

Grange Members, Prospective Members, and Friends of the Grange welcome! If you’re interested and not yet a member, email info@rockfordgrange.net for an invite and details : )

Please note that this Program on Thursday, June 11th has a related, follow-on activity as part of a Community Resilience Partnership with the Rockford Grange and Radio Amateurs of the Gorge (RAGs), on Saturday, June 27th beginning at 9:00am (for 24-hours of operation) in the Westside Fire Department and the Rockford Grange. More information below…

About the June 11th Program

Resilience Through Radio:

Staying Connected When it Matters Most — Communication Preparedness for Families, Neighborhoods, and Communities

What would you do if the power went out, cell service became unavailable, or the internet stopped working?

How would you check on family members, communicate with neighbors, or get reliable information during an emergency?

Join us for an engaging and practical evening exploring one of the most overlooked aspects of preparedness: communication.

As part of our Community Resilience Partnership, the Rockford Grange's Second Thursday Program on June 11 will focus on communication preparedness for families, neighborhoods, and communities. Through stories, demonstrations, and practical examples, we'll discuss how people stay connected when normal communication systems are disrupted and what steps individuals and families can take to prepare in advance.

Topics will include:

• Building a family communication plan

• Staying connected during power outages and emergencies

• Communication options ranging from simple family radios to amateur radio

• Real-life stories from people who have relied on alternative communications during disasters and other unexpected situations

• Practical ways neighbors can help neighbors when normal systems are unavailable

Participants will learn that communication preparedness is not all-or-nothing. Whether your goal is simply keeping in touch with family members during an emergency or learning about more advanced communication options, there are practical steps everyone can take.

The evening will also include live demonstrations by members of the Radio Amateurs of the Gorge (RAGs), showing how radio communications can continue to operate independently of cellular networks and the internet. Visitors will have an opportunity to see equipment in action, ask questions, and learn how volunteer communicators support their communities.

This program is intended for everyone—not just radio enthusiasts. Families, retirees, newcomers, students, community volunteers, and anyone interested in preparedness and resilience are encouraged to attend.

Then, on June 27–28, visitors are invited to experience amateur radio firsthand during the annual Field Day event hosted by the Radio Amateurs of the Gorge at the Rockford Grange and Westside Fire Department. Temporary off-grid radio stations powered by generators, batteries, and other emergency power sources will operate continuously for 24 hours, demonstrating how communication can continue when conventional infrastructure is unavailable.

Whether you are interested in preparedness, community resilience, technology, or simply becoming better connected with your neighbors, we hope you will join us for an informative and enjoyable evening.

About the June 11th Presenter - William (Bill) Stenson -

Bill Stenson's fascination with radio began as a child, listening to foreign voices, ethnic music and Morse code on an old shortwave receiver. Those signals revealed a world far beyond the one outside his window and sparked a lifelong passion for connection and discovery.

An amateur radio operator for nearly 50 years, Bill has lived and worked between Japan and the United States for much of his adult life. While in Japan, he served in leadership roles with the Tokyo International Amateur Radio Association (TIARA), an organization that helped foster international amateur radio activity and friendship during an important period in the development of reciprocal licensing between Japan and the United States. Today, he is active in amateur radio emergency communications and community preparedness, and promoting amateur radio in the Columbia Gorge.

His current interest is helping build stronger, more resilient communities through amateur radio and neighborhood-based volunteer response networks.

Nearly seven decades after first turning the dial on that old radio, he is still listening.

Follow-On Amateur Radio Field Day - June 27-28 - Please note that this Program on Thursday, June 11th has a related, follow-on activity as part of a Community Resilience Partnership with the Rockford Grange and Radio Amateurs of the Gorge (RAGs), on Saturday, June 27th beginning at 9:00am (for 24-hours of operation) in the Westside Fire Department and the Rockford Grange. This is an ARRL Field Day - to create off-grid radio stations where no internet or cell networks are required. This event is open to the public; anyone can get on the air. It also serves as a demonstration of communication possibilities during emergencies.

Thursday, June 11th from 5:30 - 8:00 pm

Other Upcoming Programs to Look Forward to…

Second Thursday in July, July 9th - Information and Arts-Based Activities - Connecting with Nature Spirits and Elementals - Help us get in the spirit of our upcoming Faerie Costume Ball. Grange Potluck & Program.

SAVE THE DATE!

AND (starting in June)…Prepurchase Tickets Online for this Summer Extravaganza!

Rockford Grange Faerie Costume Ball

Saturday, July 25th from 6-9pm

A fun-raiser for the Rockford Grange

Advance Tickets $17+ for adults, $20 at the door

Children 16 and under, $5

Inviting Nature Spirits and Elementals, including Sprites, Elves, Nymphs, Naiads, Gnomes, and more!

You are invited to come creatively! Activities will include enchanting music, Prizes, Treats - A Grange Fairy Parade - Faerie Terrariums, Face painting, Fairy Cookie Decorating - and More!