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Grangers Gather in Michigan for the
143rd National Grange Convention |
The 143rd National Grange Convention was full of fond memories for all the Grangers that attended. |
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By Jennifer Dugent, Communications Director
The halls of the historic Amway
Grand Plaza hotel filled with
voices and laughter of Grangers
who had gathered for the 143rd
Annual National Grange Convention.
Members had traveled from
all across the country to Grand
Rapids, Michigan for the occasion.
The National Grange Staff
and Midwest Region Host Committee
had worked hard to put on
a Convention that was sure to be
a memorable one.
The focus of the Convention was
growing the Grange, and plenty
of tools and workshops were provided
to members to aid in this effort.
Attendees could pick up PR
Manuals, Communications Toolkits,
Youth Materials, and much
more at the Idea Fair to help them
grow their Granges and promote
what their Grange is doing in the
community. An exciting highlight
was the unveiling of the National
Grange’s first Web Commercial,
which was played for attendees
at the Celebration Banquet. This
commercial can be played at fair
booths, recruitment events, and
posted on blogs and websites.
Two years ago a new slate of National
Officers, headed by then
National Grange Membership Director
Ed Luttrell, were elected to
the challenging task of modernizing
the Grange, uniting the organization, and increasing membership. This year Delegates were
able to evaluate the progress of
the past two years and agreed
that, lead by National President
Ed Luttrell, the organization was
going in the right direction and an
increase in positive attitude and
passion were on the rise. Most
officers, including President Luttrell,
were reelected--besides
those who had term limits.
Delegates also debated and voted
on important legislative topics
and Grange procedure changes.
Some of these issues included Cap and Trade, federal spending,
healthcare reform, and child
predators.
Earlier in the week, President Luttrell
presented the attendees with
his Annual Master’s Address. He
spoke about agriculture, ethics,
and other current issues. Amidst
this polarized political world, Luttrell
offered up the Grange as a
non-partisan, neutral place where
people can discuss issues in a
non-adversarial mode. He portrayed
the Grange as one of the
“few places in American communities
that can bring together as
diverse a variety of views while
striving to keep friendships and
personal relationships after the
discussion.” He pointed out that
the Grange does not affiliate with
any political party and does not
endorse individual candidates
for political office. He went on to
say that the Grange is not afraid
of getting into the big issues and
often, due to its non-partisanship,
bucks the prevailing trend. He
even referenced former Grange
member Robert Frost’s “The
Road Less Traveled.” “We often
walk a lonely path with our nonpartisan
principal, a path we have
walked for 142 years, but we bring
people with different perspectives
and beliefs together to build our
communities, our states and our
nation” Luttrell concluded.
Of course the Convention was
not all work and no play. Attendees
were able to tour places like
the Gerald R. Ford Presidential
Museum, Fredrik Meijer Gardens
& Sculpture Park, and Van Andel
Museum Center. Michigan’s own
Cedar Creek Cloggers entertained
members at the Celebration
Banquet. Grangers from all over performed at the Evening of
Excellence talent show.
Old friends of the Grange returned
for the Annual Convention,
including Robin Dixon from Dogs
for the Deaf, Bob Quist and Ann
Bercher from the Oliver H. Kelley
Farm, and Jake Terpstra from the National Foster Parents Association.
The National Grange values
the partnerships with these organizations
and wants to continue
helping their causes. Robin Dixon,
along with her working-dog
Bonsai, worked with the National
Staff to film a video about Dogs
for the Deaf, which will be available
to Grangers in 2010.
A few new events were added
to the schedule this year. A few
special members were honored
in a “Heroes of the Grange Luncheon”.
A presentation in honor of
past National Officers was given
during session. Past National Officers received a special pin as
recognition for their service to the
Grange.
Plans are underway for the 144th
National Grange Convention in
Charlotte, North Carolina. It is
sure to be a can’t-miss event, so
get ready for some “Down Home
Fun!”
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| New Opportunities in 2010 |
 The 143rd National Grange Session
is over and 2010 beckons us
with many opportunities.
In looking back at the past two
years I am amazed at the number
of members I’ve had contact
with. They have energized me
and keep me enthused and optimistic.
What the National Grange
Team (officers, staff, and volunteers)
has accomplished for our
membership is incredible!
For every success in the past
two years, the team has come up
with at least two new ideas for the
future. Even with the fiscal challenges
we’ve faced on the name
protection issue, the movement
forward continues to build and
grow.
Due to the efforts of the team,
I’ve seen members change their
attitude from a negative perspective
to a positive belief in the past
couple of years. I’ve heard from
many Grange members about
new members, new leaders, and
new activities that have transformed
their Grange. Every day
just seems to build upon the successes of the previous day.
I learned many years ago not to
take anything for granted. I was
honored that the delegates chose
to make few changes in the officer team with most changes due
to term limits. The Session went
well and I heard many compliments.
I know not everything went
perfect, but the team adapted and
overcame every problem. Jessie
Cope, convention planner, did a
great job with planning and coordinating
her first Session.
What does the future hold for
your Grange? Is your Community
Grange waiting for someone
to tell them what to do? Most
likely, it’s going to be a long wait
as we can’t come to very many
doors. Even many State Granges
have difficulty in getting into every
Grange due to the number of
Granges. Waiting for someone
else is not the Grange way and I
would suggest that you look at all
your options to grow your Grange.
National Grange has greatly expanded
their efforts to communicate
with our members and
Granges. The only catch is that you have to meet us part way. We
do conferences, YouTube videos,
podcasts, email alerts, information
on the website, blogs, Facebook
groups, and more. However,
our members need to look for
this information. Members, family,
and friends can access this information
and share it with those
who don’t have computers.
For many years I’ve heard, “What
does the National (or State)
Grange do for us?” Let’s start
asking, “Have we checked with
the State and National Grange for
ideas?” After all, we’re not going
to tell you what to do anyway. The
Community Grange is the key to
our organization and the benefit
to them is having a State and National Grange as a resource and
umbrella to aid in their success.
Your State and National Granges
enable you to be a part of a vast
National organization that can assist
you in many ways. We give
your Grange a broad structure
through our rules, the advantages
of our tax status, we can give
you access to several 501 (c) (3)
organizations, access to training,
resources, materials, and ideas.
2010 will be the year that your
Grange will achieve success. Regardless
of whether that success
is one more year of many years of
achievements or the first year in
a while, together we will achieve
success. It is really hard to stop
a Grange member who believes,
as they will find a way to triumph.
As you plan for the New Year,
your National Grange will continue
to be there to share ideas,
suggest new methods, and help
reinforce the traditions and principles
of our organization. I believe
Grange success is yours for the
taking! 2010 will be our year!
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| Junior Grange Activities at National Grange Convention |
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| Ashley Mohn, 2010 National Junior Grange Ambassador |
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| Joshua Dixon, 2010 National Junior Grange Ambassador |
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| Bubble making at the Grand Rapids Children's museum |
If you missed the 2009 National
Grange Convention, you really
missed out on some outstanding
fun. The Juniors’ activities started
on Thursday of Convention with
lots of activities in the Junior room.
This year’s theme was a tropical
beach party. We had monkeys and
tropical palms decorating the room.
Our theme at Convention highlighted
our 2009 Junior Grange theme,
“No Child Left Inside.”
Each state in the region was asked
to donate items for a goodie bag.
Every Junior that attended received
a wonderful goodie bag full
of treats which included a Kelley
Farm jump rope, pencils, magnets,
and lots of other goodies. In addition,
each state in the region made
craft kits for the Juniors to work on.
We had lots of fun making sock
puppets, balloon farm animals,
Christmas decorations, and the ever-
popular fuse beads. If making
craft projects were not your thing,
we had games all over the room.
There were board games, as well
as parachutes, bean bag toss, and
much more. The Junior room was
packed with non-stop activities.
Much thanks goes to each state in
the region for supplying all of the
wonderful activities and projects.
Way to go Midwest Region! Also,
a huge thank you to Opal Dyer
and Patty Dyer for taking on the
co-chairing of the Junior events at
Convention.
Well if the Junior room was not
busy enough, we were out and
about Grand Rapids. On Thursday
we visited the Children’s Museum
of Grand Rapids. Juniors
enjoyed surrounding themselves in
bubbles, making music, and even
getting up in a tree house. What
fun!! On Friday we enjoyed a pizza
lunch at the Grand Rapids Van Andel
Museum. Very yummy. Then
every Junior got to ride an indoor
carousel while overlooking the
Grand River. What an experience!
In addition, Juniors visited the
session floor on Friday morning
of the Convention to participate
in a presentation. This year in
keeping with our theme of “No
Child Left Inside” we invited the
National Grange delegates, National
Grange Master, and guests
to go to the beach with us. Even
Ed Luttrell got right into the spirit
with a festive green grass skirt.
Then we all sang a rousing song
of Mama shark, baby shark. We
even had a few blown up tropical
palm trees and monkeys joined
us in the fun.
On Saturday morning we had a
wonderful Junior Grange Breakfast.
We had Juniors from all over
the United States participate in
Public Speaking, Sign-A-Song,
and Talent at the Junior Breakfast.
Our 2010 National Junior
Grange Ambassadors, Ashley
Mohn from Pennsylvania, and
Joshua Dixon from North Carolina,
were introduced. It was a
morning to make you so proud of
our Juniors. At noon Juniors from
all over the Midwest region presented
the Junior Degree. It was
so well done.
And to top off the activities at Convention,
we concluded with a Junior
Grange auction. Juniors that
participated in activities at Convention
received JG dollars. The
more activities you participated in,
the more JG dollars you received.
Again, items were donated by
each state in the Midwest Region.
You should have seen the bidding.
it was just too much fun.
Well as you can see if you didn’t
attend this years Convention, you
really missed out. But there is
always next year. Soooo….make
plans to attend the 2010 National
Grange Convention in North Carolina.
You are guaranteed a great
down-home great time, especially
in the Junior Grange Department.
| National Grange Honors "Heroes of the Grange" |
| Wib & June Justi, Ted & Zula Bryan, Marge Bernhardt, Jessica Horton, Jack Cottrell, Carl Meiss |
Eight National Grange members
were honored as “Heroes of the
Grange” at the 143rd National
Grange convention held in Grand
Rapids Michigan this week.
These individuals were recognized
for their outstanding contributions
to the Grange.
The first recipients of this prestigious
award are Wib and June
Justi for their work as coordinators
of the Grange Germany/USA
Friendship Program. In 1950 the National Grange initiated the
Grange Germany/USA Friendship
Program (GG/USA). Under
this program, more than 500 farm
youth from Germany and other
ravaged European nations were
brought to the United States and
placed with Grange farm families
for one year to directly experience
the benefits of freedom, prosperity
and democracy.
Mr. Justi coordinated the GG/
USA program from 1950 through
1966 as part of his assignments
as a staff member of the National
Grange. His wife June served
as a volunteer assistant with the
program. Since his retirement
from the National Grange in 1966
Mr. and Mrs. Justi have served
as volunteer coordinators for the
GG/USA alumni program continuing
to achieve the program
goals of building international
goodwill, friendship and understanding.
In a world that continues
to experience continual conflict, the history of the GG/USA
program demonstrates that two
people working with quiet perseverance
can still positively touch
the lives of thousands of people
around the world. After receiving
the award, Mr. Justi stated, “One
word…courage. Please think
of the word courage when you
think of the German exchanges
in the GG/USA program and their
American host families when they
accepted one another at a time
immediately after WWII. This tribute
is for these people.”
Next honored were Ted and Zula
Bryan who traveled to Alaska to
help organize Granges, pausing
only to work at an information
booth at the Kenai Peninsula
State Fair. They are currently one
of the two couples who serve as
the Directors of the Washington
State Membership Department
and are getting new members
and revitalizing Granges all
across the State of Washington.
Ted Bryan stated, “We try to carry
the Grange message and give
people who have never heard of
the Grange the opportunity to be
a Grange member and belong to
this great organization.”
Next honored was Marge Bernhardt,
Connecticut State Grange’s
Lecturer (educational coordinator),
who is unquestionably a
valuable resource for Lecturers
in her state as well as throughout
the New England region. She is
extremely talented and dedicated
to equipping fellow Lecturers with
the things they need to be a valuable
asset to their own Grange.
In addition to her other accomplishments,
she leads a training
workshop every year at the New
England Lecturers’ Conference.
Jessica Horton was the next honored
“Grange Hero” as a Membership
Director for the North
Carolina State Grange for 2 years
where she has been a key asset
in growing the organization. She
has organized 3 new Granges including
the formation of a Youth
Grange. She has also helped organize
a Pomona Grange which
encompasses 3 counties and 4
Granges. Jessica is a constant
support for local Granges by leading
membership rallies, giving
presentations on Grange membership
growth and helping lead
a weekend-long state officer’s
meeting focused on goals set
forth by the National President.
She has initiated innovative public
relations and recruiting efforts
by networking at a local farmer’s
market, county extension office,
and agricultural teacher’s conference.
Next honored was Jack Cottrell,
who for 10 years has been the
manager of a Grange Store that operates during the annual Eastern
States Exposition in Springfield, Massachusetts. The exposition
is the largest fair in the
New England region. The Grange
store specializes in selling over
60 different specialty foods products
and homemade crafts. More
than 75 Grange volunteers annually
donate time during the 17-day
fair to work at the Grange Store,
to manage the sale of raffle tickets
and to be promotional Grange
Ambassadors.
The last “Hero of the Grange”
award went to Carl Meiss, Communications/Public Relations Director
for the Pennsylvania State
Grange. Carl is proactive when it
comes to Facebook, Twitter, and
his own State Grange blog. As
the National Grange Communications
Department takes steps
to move the National Organization
into the 21st Century with
the newest communications technologies,
Pennsylvania with Carl
at the helm, will lead the charge.
National Grange President concluded
the award luncheon by
stating, “I am tremendously honored
to be at the podium to present
these individual as “Heroes
of the Grange.” They each deserve
the award bestowed upon
them and we applaud their ongoing
efforts to live by example and
promote this wonderful organization.”
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| Brian Ebersole: "Always Come Back to Grange |
By Molly Thompson, Program Assistant
 The 143rd Annual National
Grange Convention was a momentous
occasion for Brian Ebersole
from Pennsylvania. It was the
first year he served as a delegate
at the national level. At 32 years
old, Brian was one of the youngest
delegates in attendance, second
only to Michigan State Master,
Chris Johnston. And if you ask
anyone at the National Grange,
having younger members become
active at the national level is proof
that the Grange is heading in the
right direction. Brian exemplifies
the passion and commitment that
the Grange encourages in all of its
members, but especially the Youth
and younger members because
they are after all, the future of this
organization.
Brian began his Grange association
as many members have,
through a family connection. “My
Grange story starts as a young
kid. I was born into the Grange,
into a very active Grange family.
My grandfather was involved in
getting our local Grange started up
and the county Grange fair as well.
And very interestingly, my parents
belong to separate Granges, so
growing up I got double dose of
Grange each month.”
By all accounts he has been active
in the Grange his entire life, starting
out with Junior Grange and
camp, becoming active with the
Youth Grange, and finally serving
at the state level. For his entire
life, the Grange has helped shape
who he has become and what he
does. The grassroots Grange efforts
he has witnessed first hand
have helped shape his passion for
public service. He served in local
politics growing up, followed up by
serving on the Republican State
Committee, and onto his current
position, which is working in the
office of health care reform for
Pennsylvania’s Governor Rendell.
He was first elected as Assistant
Steward and then at the age of 25,
he was elected as Overseer, and
served in that position for 8 years,
until this year when he moved
over to the Executive Committee.
At the time of his election of Overseer,
it was pretty much unheard
of in Pennsylvania for someone
that young to be elected to that
position. He took the position of
Overseer in hopes that he could
become Master once current Master,
Betsy Huber, stepped down.
However, life has given him a
chance to work in public service in
another manner, through his current
position in the Pennsylvania
Governor’s office. However, Brian
is passionate about the Grange
and committed to making sure that
every member, including Youth,
has an equal opportunity to serve.
Brian knows that the average age
of Grange members is climbing
and that it is important to focus on
maintaining and attracting younger
members so that this organization
can flourish. Anyone who speaks
to him can hear the passion when
he speaks about his commitment
to continuing to build and grow the
Grange. “I was so excited when
Ed got reelected and for him to
take that vision that he has cast
to everybody and expand upon it.
Ed has done a great job casting
that vision and now he can focus
on letting people go out and work
on that vision.”
He has no shortage of ideas about
how to continue with the positive
movements the Grange has been
making, but it is clear that his passion
lies within the Youth. “Every
organization goes through cycles,
but we need to focus on keeping
the Youth and keeping our organization
relevant. We need to continue
to promote our young people.
There are going to be passionate
Grangers at every level, but we
have to remember that the youth
today are going to be Grangers 70
years from now and they will still
have that passion to serve and to
pass all of those years of knowledge
on.” He continues on to say, “I think the National Grange has
taken a great step in hiring young
professionals to move into positions
so that they can be there to
share their skills and start advancing
things, like the use of the internet.
National Grange is taking the
right step and leading by example
and hopefully most of the states
will follow,” he says.
Brian and his wife are at the point
where they are starting to think
about a family and he wants his
kids to have all of the opportunities
the Grange has afforded him.
He says, “I want my kids to be
able to go to Junior Camp; I want
them to go to National Grange; I
want them to have the same experiences
as I did. I would not be
where I am today nor could I even
imagine where I would be without
the Grange.”
When Brian was in college, he
worked as an intern under Leroy
Watson, National Grange Legislative
Director and lifelong Grange
member, which served as another
defining moment. “I was an intern
with Leroy and I got to see someone
passionate about the Grange,
who had to go out and do some
other things because of where his
life was taking him, but he always
came back to Grange. And I think
that is what the story of my life is
going to be; I had to get away for a
little bit, but I always come back.”
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