| JULY 2010 - WHAT IS IN IT FOR ME? |
Have you ever been talking with some about the Grange and heard them ask, “What’s in it for me?” Maybe you’ve even thought this yourself.
There are many people out there that are only interested in joining the Grange if they know they’re going to get something out of it. Don’t fret! The Grange has a lot to offer and you can answer that question by quite simply saying, “You get from the Grange what you put in to the Grange.”
Grangers all around the country put countless hours in to Grange projects and programs. We volunteer our time and donate some of our hard earned money. Grangers care about other people, their community, and doing the right thing. So when you hear this “Why?” question posted to a Granger, you’re going to hear, something like, “Because it makes me feel good.”, “I love helping people.”, “It was the right thing to do.”, or “It needed to be done.”
If you are passionate about family, then the more time and effort you spend in family projects and programs in your Grange, the more you and your family will benefit from those efforts. The same is true for just about every other department or program in this great fraternity. The more you put into legislative policy, suppers, the Youth and Junior Grange, the women’s activities, and the meetings, the more you will get out of your efforts. If you want, some of these efforts may even transfer to the county, state, or national level.
The same can be said for those that apply negative energy and are more inclined to criticize the Grange. The negativity, and all that comes with it, can breed more negativity and draws others into doing nothing or worse, fighting internally. But all that bad stuff can be overcome with a positive attitude and with constant and clear communications between all those involved. Remember, the Grange is a “grassroots” organization. Which means, that the everyday, common Granger—YOU!—who attends a meeting, presents a resolution, and persuades people to help in programs that are important to you, can change things! To top it all off, these skills can be translated to helping outside of the Grange as well. THAT is something people can feel proud of and is certainly an answer to the question, “What is in it for me?”
I hope that this has made you think about what you can get out of the Grange. Think about the differences that the Grange has made in your community. What differences has made in you personally? Then you’ll have an answer to “What is in it for me?”
| MAY 2010 - RESULTS, RESULTS, RESULTS |
Every day each of us is faced with a list of tasks to accomplish. When people look back at what you have done, and how effective you were in doing this, they are going to remember the results that you achieved.
Recently, I attended the funeral service of one of my mentors in the Grange, Sister Marie. She had been a school teacher and many of her past students were there. At the service, I heard over and over in a multitude of stories that she would do whatever it took to teach each student. Some students were quick learners, while others learned at a slower pace.; Some could simply read information quickly to understand what was required of them, while others needed to hear it from Marie to understand the concept. Regardless of the situation, what remained was consistent was her dedication to get the job done using whatever means were necessary. She did whatever was required for each student to help them learn.
After hearing these stories over and over, one of her old superintendents’ said, “Results, Results, Results!” Sister Marie was all about the results.
The same could have been said about her role within the Grange. She never gave up on an idea, resolution, or person in the Grange that she believed in. She taught me that I should never give up on anything I believe in or anyone that shows potential. I want to pass on this knowledge to all of you.
Getting new members is a result of our efforts. So, whether it is because of our great history, our activities, our community service, the principles and values of the Grange, or simply asking people to join, we all have to do something to get new members to join to see the results we are looking for. If you want results then it is your job to figure out what each potential member wants and implement a plan to get them to join. We know that the Grange has something for everyone and it is up to you to make others see that the Grange is full of opportunities. Sister Marie never took “no” or “I can’t” or “I’m to busy” as a final answer. She made sure to find and use the correct tools to lead her students and Grangers towards the results she knew they were capable of.
Do you know someone that shows the potential to be a good Granger? Someone that is looking for a place to make a difference? Someone that just needs a place to just fit in? With time, opportunity, and good mentoring, any and all of these individuals could be great Grangers. We all should be looking for a way to get people to join us. After all, we all want the same results – to grow the Grange!
So find a way to get the results you seek. Ask, phone, write, text, e-mail, put up flyers, take an ad out in the paper, get an ad on the radio, produce a TV commercial, or whatever you can think of to reach out to your community. You and your Grange can take a lesson from an old school teacher and good Granger, Sister Marie, and get some positive “Results, Results, Results!”
It is that time of year again when we are all thinking about time. Time past and time to come. We take time to remember what we dreamed and planned, and time to enjoy our accomplishments of the past year. So, now is the time to dream some new dreams. It is time to make some new plans. As members of the Grange we want the time we dedicate to Grange to accomplish something each and every year. We want more members to get involved by helping in our projects, activities, programs and meetings. So, let’s take some time to dream and plan ideas to accomplish that help accomplish our goals.
We all know that we want to get new members in the Grange. One of the things we want from them is their time. I know a couple that would make great Grangers; they are already active in the community. They have three young boys that are in soccer, football, basketball, art classes, and 4-H. This couple helps out with the PTO, the political parties, the school, and all of the local activities like rodeo and parades. So why aren’t they Grangers already? They are already too busy! Then why am I doing all those same things right alongside them and yet I still have time for Grange? I found myself making excuses for them without even asking them to join the Grange. When I did ask them they gave me the answer I was expecting, “We are too busy to join one more thing.” That’s when I answered, “I am doing all the same things you are and I am a Granger.” I gave them a short explanation that the Grange just wants you to work with us on these same projects and bring fresh new ideas to the Grange, so we can benefit from their prospective and add our voice with theirs. You see, once you find people doing the things that you have dreamed and planned for at the Grange, asking them to join and help the Grange get involved with their cause is easy.
Time is a funny thing. I can still picture that old Christmas cartoon that showed the New Year baby crawling in with the sash of the new year, chasing away Father Time, with his long white beard, cane, and sash of the past year walking away. Each year people make resolutions for the up and coming year and those resolutions are like the New Year’s baby. They have all the potential ahead of them, but at the end of the year folks look back and see which of the resolutions came to be and which ones didn’t. This is called experience and is the essence of Father Time. As you dream and plan for the year ahead, don’t forget your experiences and be smart about your resolutions. Make some easy to obtain, others that you make should require some effort, and don’t forget to challenge yourself with one or two that will stretch your abilities and force you to make some changes so that you grow as an individual.
Was your Grange time well spent in 2009? What will we do differently with our time in 2010? How will we spend time at meetings? How much time will we spend doing community service? Do we need to spend time fund raising? Does the Grange need to spend more time on legislation? Maybe we need to spend more time having fun? We definitely love spending time eating!
Thanks for taking some time to read this tip of the month. How much time does it take to ask someone to join the Grange? Not much more than the time it took to read this tip. I think the time we spend in the Grange doing all the many good things the Grange does is time well spent! So, ask someone to join, so they too can get that same feeling of time well spent!
