BETHEL – A conference, “The Grange in Maine,” will be held on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 12 and 13, at the Bethel Historical Society’s regional history center, the Dr. Moses Mason House, in conjunction with the present exhibit, “To Improve the Farmer’s Lot: The Grange in Maine.”

Sessions on Grange history will be followed by the opportunity of attending a Grange meeting that will conclude with a panel discussion of the Grange’s past and role in the future.

The conference will open at the Dr. Mason House Exhibit Hall at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 12 with registration and a social hour. At 6 p.m., there will be a Grange supper sponsored by Alder River Grange 145 of East Bethel and Pleasant Valley 136 of West Bethel.

A welcome and introductions will take place at 7. At 7:15 p.m., Stanley R. Howe, PhD, Maine Grange historian and author of “A Fair Field and No Favor; A Concise History of the Maine State Grange,” will make a visual presentation on “The Maine Grange, 1974-2008.”

Keynote remarks on the influence of the Grange in Maine will be made by Thomas J.H. Reznick, a PhD doctoral student on the history of science at Yale University, at 8 p.m.

Registration and a continental breakfast will take place from 8 to 9 a.m. Sept. 13. At 9, there will be a welcome with introductions.

Jean Hankins, PhD, Otisfield Historical Society, will speak on the topic, “Women of the Grange,” at 9:15. At 10, Douglas Hodgkins, PhD, Emeritus Professor, Bates College, will discuss the rise and decline of Lewiston Grange 2. He will be followed at 10:45 a.m. by Howe, who will take a look at the numerous features of Maine Grange Halls.

Following the session, those attending the conference will leave Bethel for Lakeside Grange 63 in Harrison for lunch at 12:15 p.m. After lunch, there will be an opportunity to attend a Grange meeting conducted by the officers of the Maine State Grange.

At 2:30 p.m., there will be panel discussion on the history and future of the Maine Grange, moderated by Howe. Panelists may include Errol Briggs, Lakeside Grange 63; Hankins; Sherry Harriman, lecturer, Maine State Grange; Hodgkins; James Owens, master, Maine State Grange; and Resnick.

The conference is expected to adjourn at 4 p.m. following a brief wrap-up session.

Attendance is available to anyone paying a fee of $30 for the Friday session, which includes the Grange supper and the registration fee. The Saturday only session is also $30, which includes the continental breakfast, lunch and conference fee.

For those wishing to attend the entire conference, the fee will be $45, which includes all meals and the registration fee. To register, send a check made payable to the Bethel Historical Society in the proper amount to the society, P.O. Box 12, Bethel, ME 04217-0012.

The Grange exhibit will be open through Labor Day. More information is available by calling the society office at 1-800-824-2910.