By Rick Grotton,
Membership Committee Director
207 582-5915
Is everyone having a good summer? Rainy and warm. State Session is soon upon us. I am wishing that you send delegates to represent your Grange. I have received no responses for my requests for your thoughts on getting new members.
Everyone should be busy with their gardens and fair displays. My Grange is a small group, but we always try to go public at the local fairs with a fair booth. The public looks forward to seeing these displays, and the agricultural fairs are screaming for more Granges to participate. As an agricultural organization, it is our duty to showcase these fairs and to support farming in Maine. It is a great publicity offering and a chance to talk to people about Grange and its activities.
Again, I will highlight some ways to get new membership.
- Be an active Grange by meeting regularly and participating in community events. Have active committees.
- Be open and prepared to accept new members. We can’t meet with no quorum or members.
- Be diverse. Allow all members to contribute. Do not be a one-person show. Elect good leaders.
- Learn the floor work and your part as an officer. Reading is fine, but do it clearly without hesitations.
- Publicize your events in local free papers, cable, social media, or the area newspaper.
- Have an open house for the community with a free lunch or snacks. Honor citizens with an award for volunteerism, helping your Grange, or any other special honor they have done to help the community.
- Wear your Grange apparel out in public.
- Visit other Granges/Pomonas. Invite others to visit your Grange. The pandemic hurt this but start again.
- Smile! Smile! Smile!