Category: Membership

By Rick Grotton,
Membership Committee Director
207 582-5915

Most of us have heard of a subliminal message and its purpose.  For a refresher, a subliminal message is one that is intended to be embedded in our subconscious mind without our conscious knowledge of what is happening. These messages are commonly used by television commercials and ads, which contain “trigger” words and continuous use of phrases undetectable to the conscious mind in order to influence us to buy their products. In this column, I will use the phrase “increase membership” at various times and embed the phrase in the topic we are discussing. Although it isn’t really the same as I described, it gives the reader a sense of what I am talking about.

We all know that our member numbers have decreased and at times (increase membership) many Granges do not have enough members present to hold a meeting. It disrupts the flow when a meeting is canceled (increase membership) and people begin to lose interest when this happens on a regular basis.  Even to the most dedicated Granger, this is quite annoying and sometimes makes us question why do we bother. Our love and dedication to the (increase membership) order keep us chugging along. We don’t give up easily and our high energies motivate all our members. However, how long (increase membership) can this last? Even the Sun will run out of energy at some time. To avoid burnout, we need to make membership a top priority at every meeting. All members of our Granges are responsible (increase membership) to bring in new members; not a select few or only the State Membership Committee. It is up to YOU (increase membership) to be a part of the membership drive!

Read this message over a few times and let me know how effective this subliminal message has been or even better, read this message often and let the hidden message do its work.

By Rick Grotton,
Membership Committee Director
207 582-5915

I attended the recent Degree Day in Augusta in which 24 new members saw the first four degrees. A big thanks to the members of Androscoggin Pomona for organizing this yearly event. It was great to meet new Grangers and to see present Grange friends from all over the State of Maine. Congratulations to the new members. Hopefully, those who didn’t get a chance to see the degrees this year will attend the next one. There are still many obligated members who should be learning the lessons of the Grange first-hand. In the meantime, keep attracting those new members! 

June is coming, and with that month comes, yes, elections! Elections, believe it or not, are very important for the progress of your Grange. Please consider your new membership when electing officers (if they are interested) to keep them involved. Teach them the floorwork; we all could use a refresher course from time to time. Keep your Grange meetings running smoothly and listen to all ideas, especially from your new members. They do have their reasons for joining. 

Forming committees is also important to the well-being of your Grange. Too many times, there are no reports given on the selected committees or no active committees to report. A membership committee is recommended in each Grange. The membership committee can be a select few or the whole of your current membership. Please report on this committee at each meeting. Some discussions about membership planning and ideas should be shared at all meetings.  

Kudos to all Granges who have a full calendar of events this year. I wish them the best in their accomplishments, and may they continue to prosper and grow!  

By Rick Grotton,
Membership Committee Director
207 582-5915

This is a busy month for all Granges. April is Grange month, so there will be many activities going on at various times throughout the State of Maine. Open houses, giving membership certificates for longevity and degree days are happening. As you may have heard, there will be a degree day at 1 pm on Sunday, April 27, at State Grange Headquarters in Augusta performed by Androscoggin Pomona. If you have any candidates (including those who have been obligated but have not viewed the degrees), please bring them. This may be the only degree day scheduled. Last year was a success, so let’s attend and meet seasoned and new friends. I am pleased to hear positive things concerning Granges having taken in new members recently. Is your Grange one of those?

I will remind all Granges to please read the membership columns at your meetings. Please assign or volunteer a member to do that task. It is important that the information contained in the columns reach all members so that all of us know what is happening. Pomona Masters/Presidents, since all of you are part of the State Membership Committee, I would like you to place a bigger emphasis on increasing membership for Subordinate/Community and Pomona Granges. The more we all emphasize increasing membership as a priority in our Granges, the more likely it is to happen. There are many who would join if we just asked or shared information with them. Members of all ages are
welcomed with younger members especially needed. Who is going to take over when we have passed? Do you have youth in your Grange? I am not talking about young at heart, seasoned members, but those who are 14 to 35 years old. Not many of us do, which is scary. However, we CAN attract members if we put our minds to it. I have proposed to my own Grange a membership competition, the winner to receive a cash prize. What are your ideas? Please share them!!! Let’s all work together to rebuild our membership base.