September 2003 marks the end of our first year as Rochester's Raging Grannies -- and what a year it's been!  In these past 12 months, we've raged almost 50 times, hosted the Eastern Raging Grannies Regional Gathering (with special guest Granny D), and attracted both local and national media coverage more times than we can count.

And that's just for starters!!!

We've raged against war, the WTO, the Cuba blockade, war toys, attacks on our public libraries, consumerism, the downtown bus garage, corporate control of the media, the PATRIOT Act, and George Bush.  We've raged for peace, election finance reform, farm workers' rights, fair trade, fair elections, and environmental protections.

We participated in national mobilizations in Washington, DC, and New York City, and raged

at rallies and teach-ins in Fairport, Canandaigua, Buffalo, and other local communities.  We marched in the Rochester Memorial Day and Labor Day parades, and have appeared uninvited

at the local St. Patrick's Day parade, the Lilac Festival, the Park Avenue Festival, the Public Market, and at meetings of our City Council and County Legislature.

We've worked out many of the kinks that normally beset new organizations, thanks to the mentoring of those Grannies from other cities and towns who have been raging so much longer than we have.  We now have a very workable set of guidelines to steer our gaggle, a working web page, and a membership of 50 of the most beautiful and courageous women south of the Lake Ontario shoreline.

We've made wonderful friends from throughout the world, affirmed ourselves as valuable contributing members of our world community, supported each other through the heartbreak

of war and more personal heartbreaks and setbacks, spawned a new gaggle or two or three, provided support -- and a few laughs -- for our sister and brother peacemakers, and might even have made a difference in the minds and hearts of those who heard us rage!

At the time of this writing, as we enter our second year, we are getting ready for the coming month's (October's) events:  To rage at a local community peace festival, to perform at a local high school for students who are studying about the history of song as protest (and help them write their own protest songs), to rage in support of a contingent of migrant farm workers traveling through Rochester as part of the national Immigrant Worker Freedom Ride, to rage against the closing of our local VA Hospital, and to travel together on Oct. 25th to Washington, DC, for the National March Against the US Occupation of Iraq.

We hope to see you all there!!!

Report contributed by Granny Vicki Ryder

	last updated: 18 DEC 03 Web Granny Designs