By Rick Grotton,
Membership Committee Director
207 582-5915
Brothers and Sisters, for many months now, this column has been giving to you ways to approach gaining new members. Hopefully, this advice has worked well with your Grange. Just remember the following:
There is no “I” in Grange or in team. No one should be a dictator or make rules based on their own ideas. This causes animosity and disrespect. Everyone has a duty, and all members are important no matter the office held. WE are the Grange, and our ideas need to be heard and discussed. Otherwise, we will be losing more Granges.
Be active. Plan events and help your community. Let people know you are alive and well.
Let the committees do their work. If you are the Master/President of your Grange, please do not give committees an agenda. Let them come up with ideas to present at meetings. The Master/President is a facilitator, not the ruler. This applies to all levels of the Grange. Do not overstep your authority. “My way or the highway” is absolutely unacceptable and should be avoided. Anyone who rules this way does not have the interest of the Grange in mind. Let all members become involved. Not all of us are leaders and those who do lead need to do it for the Good of the Order (GOTO), not because they say so.
We need to develop new leaders and inform them of the rituals and traditions of the Grange.
Stay positive. Keep doing your good works.
Help one another. Teach your new members and welcome them. Answer their questions.
Visit other Granges and work with them. The days of visitation and mentoring have faded and need to be revived. Share with other members your successes, and if a Grange is struggling, it is the duty of the Pomona to help them. It seems like Granges are “doing their own thing” and do not visit or attend State Grange. We need every one of you to keep us alive.
Resolutions are an important part of the Grange procedure. Instruct members on how important it is to come up with resolutions and how to write them. Confer with your Deputy on instructions for floor work and other procedures. It is their duty to help you.
Major changes are happening to us, and we need to keep up and change too. We are severely lacking youth and younger members. Focus on bringing them in as members.
Remember, each and every member is vital to our Grange growth, and membership should be your major priority. Bring ’em in, feed ’em, teach ’em, and enjoy your meetings. It is what a good Grange member is expected to do.