Grange Month 2021

Brothers and Sisters,

We are so excited as we draw closer to Grange Month 2021 and we hope you are, too!

The past year has truly been a test of so many of our Grange values – faith, hope, charity and fidelity – and an exercise in perseverance. Last year, we introduced the theme “Cultivating Connections,” hoping Granges would use it to highlight the many connections made by being part of our organization. From fellowship and a sense of belonging to networking opportunities and a greater connection with our land, our food and our world, “Cultivating Connections” can be interpreted in a multitude of ways.

As the pandemic hit and so many of our cultural norms were turned on their heads, the sense of connection became so much more important, and the efforts to cultivate them essential. We are again using “Cultivating Connections” as our theme, and we encourage you to find ways to overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic, the divisive political climate and all the other problems you may face in our world today. The Grange grew from a founding idea of connecting a fractured public and cultivating those relationships to ensure we move forward together for a better future. We are called on to do that again today in our communities in large and small ways.

It is also imperative that we cultivate our connections within the Grange. I encourage each of you to reconnect with fellow members to renew that sense of fraternity and welcome; to strengthen bonds with neighboring Granges in your Pomona; to connect each member with your State Grange and National Grange by providing details on how to get newsletters, announcements and more. There are so many opportunities and resources available not just for you but for the future members of your Grange. Creating links or cultivating the relationship you established by taking the oath of membership will provide you great benefit and show you just how much your Grange membership can mean in these uncertain times. Take the time to learn about contests and programs, changes to bylaws, recommendations for meetings and ceremonies, that can help your members grow to their greatest manhood and womanhood and develop or share talents, and so much more.

I’m calling on each of you to be an essential resource for your members and your communities and live up to the legacy of the generations of Grangers who came before you. Invite your community to follow your lead and blaze the trail to a brighter 2021 and beyond, beginning in this Grange Month.

Fraternally,

Betsy E. Huber
President, National Grange