National Grange

JULY 2008 - BE THE EXAMPLE

I have a twelve-year-old daughter, and like most preteens, she looks up to the sixteen to eighteen-year-olds with the idea that she wants to be like them. There are also those seven to nine-year-old girls out there that look at my daughter and say they want to be like her. I have the hardest time trying to explain to her that she is setting an example for those little girls that look up to her, just like she looks up to the older teens. I try my best to show her that some of the girls she looks up to are good examples and others are bad. Each has its own lessons. She needs to decide then which kind of example she wants to be to the younger girls that are looking up to her.

You see, each one of us needs to set a good example in the Grange. We need to consider whom we look to as examples in the Grange. Are they good ones or bad ones, and what do we learn from them? Now then, who is looking to us as an example? If you have new members, they are looking to you to see how to act, talk, and conduct business in the Grange. Our youth in the Grange need good mentors that will show them the right way to do things and who will encourage them to act so they can grow in the Grange and hopefully be even better then we are. The non-Grangers out there are really scrutinizing our each and every word and move. If we are good examples, we have a chance to get them to join, but if we are bad examples, then we have virtually no chance of them even considering joining.

Don’t you want everyone in your Grange to take action and ask somebody to join? Wouldn’t it be great if there were somebody that would plan the next booster program for your Grange? What about you? Yes you! Why not? You have seen it done before. You are more than capable. Why don’t you show everyone what a great booster program is? Why don’t you ask your non-Grange friends to join? You could set a good example for others to follow in your wake.

Just one person taking action can inspire others to do the same.
-- Leslie C. Aguilar

Do you hate the way that some Grangers run down the Grange and its members? How about you? Do you speak well of the Grange? Do find good positive things to say about other Granges and their members? You should. You should encourage others to do the same. Sometimes it is how we talk and act that influences others and the way they talking and acting. You can be an example of how you would want others to talk about the Grange.

To say "well done" to any bit of good work is to take
hold of the powers which have made the effort and
strengthen them beyond our knowledge.
-- Phillip Brooks

Setting a good example in all that we do in life will make those around us happier and want to be with us, even encouraging them to strive to be good examples, too.

MAY 2008 - BE POSITIVE

If you were to look into the mirror and take a look at your Attitude what would you see? If you now put on your Grange glasses would you say you have a good attitude about the Grange? Would you say that you have a good attitude about the people in the Grange? What about it’s Officers/Leaders? What about it’s activities? Now it is time to face the cold hard truth: What do others see and hear when they look at you concerning the Grange?

I always like to make the analogy; if you see someone walking down the street and they have a long face, staring at the ground and just generally looking lost what do you think? You think they have had a bad day, gotten some bad news, or just upset about something. Now what if you see someone walking down the street and they have a bounce in their step, a smile on their face and they are waving to folks and saying hello to who ever catches their eye. You would say that person is having a good day, happy about life, and someone you would like to talk to. Well, it is the same with the Grange.

If folks here us complain about our meetings, talk bad about our fellow brothers and sisters (we are a fraternal order), or just act like it is a chore to be a Grange member, how many folks would join if you asked them? Now if they hear us saying good things about our meetings, talking about how much fun we had with the good people at the Grange and how wonderful it was to work doing the activities for the Grange, how many folks would join if you asked them? I know for a fact the percentage would be higher in a positive case.

Your Attitude is the single most important tool you have to convince people to join the Grange. Attitude is the foundation to all that we do in the Grange. We need to be positive, open and welcoming, and have that “can do” or “find a way” type of attitude. We need to be team focused. And most of all have fun! If you talk good about the Grange, people are going to want to know more. If you say good things about your fellow Grangers, they will feel more comfortable when they come to Grange functions and Grange activities. If you act like you are having fun working for the Grange and have that satisfied feeling about your time spent at the Grange others will not be so reluctant to participate with us in our activities.

Now when you ask them to join you have just eliminated any excuse they may have had about the organization. Then you can focus solely on them and their needs. You can tell them they are missing out on a lot of fun, fellowship and making new friends. You can tell them that they to can feel that positive feeling of doing something good.

We choose our attitude every morning when we get up. We choose if we want to be kind, say “please”, open the door for others, help some one, and turn in the wallet/purse we find at the mall. We can choose if we want to be happy in the face of adversity. We can choose if we want to speak positive about our Grange and Grangers and the Grange work we do.

So when you are looking in the mirror and evaluating you attitude ask yourself; “Would you like to join the Grange?” “Do you trust the Granger in the mirror?” Do you see a positive Grange image? Make the right choice every time you do or say something “Grange.”

MARCH 2008 - GETTING THE WORD OUT

Whether we are letting our local membership know what we are doing or we are trying to let people outside the Grange know about us there are definite do’s and don’ts.

Let’s start with the media; Newspapers (daily, weekly or monthly), Radio stations, and Television stations (including cable networks). You will want to get to know your local editors, Talk show hosts, and station managers. Creating a relationship with them can be a huge asset when it comes time to getting something important out to the public. Having them recognize you and/or the Grange will give you much needed priority over other lesser known people and groups. You must always be prepared with a good, honest and positive message. Never ever get sarcastic! Remember, news people are always looking for a quote and if you say something sarcastic that very well may be used in their story. Lots of the media provides free advertising for non-profit community groups, so make sure you contact them with all your activities and get them posted. It is a great way of reaching lots of people and getting acquainted with the right people that work in the media.

Posters and flyers are another thing that all Granges need to use when “Getting the Word Out”. Make your posters and flyers colorful and entertaining. Make them “eye catching”. Be careful not to make them too busy so people get lost in the message but just include enough information so they know what you are trying to convey.

Window displays, banners, and billboards can be much bigger projects that need more time, thought, and effort to put together. Get a team of members together when planning these types of projects. It makes it more fun and usually a better finished project is the result.

Brochures and newsletters are something that every Grange needs to have for themselves. They are more personal and also allow us to target our audience. We know who they are to go to so we should know what we want them to see.

What about our dances, parties, fair booths, parade floats, and etc? Aren’t they considered “Getting the Word Out”? You bet they are! And they are a very important one at that. Check out the 2006 and 2007 “Idea Books” on the National Grange Website for more great ideas .

In all these different forms of “Getting the Word Out” one thing that should always come out, is our POSITIVE ATTITUDE and our PASSION FOR THE GRANGE! Let’s get ready for Grange Month in April by planning how we are going to “Get the word out” about the Grange!

We will be discussing the “ Idea books” and all of the above ideas on Team Speak March 11th at 9:00 pm EST. Everyone is welcome to join us. For hookup instructions contact: