By Rick Grotton,
Membership Committee Director
207 582-5915
Some of you who read my columns may be thinking that I may be on some Cloud 9 somewhere with the way I explain how to gain membership. You may think, “That does not apply to my Grange,” “We are too small and do not have community events,” or “What he says does not seem realistic,” or the worst one of all, “We are not interested in gaining new members because we are fine.” Which word, however, appears in each of the above-quoted sentences? Ah, yes, did you find it!! The word NOT!!!! A negative connotation. Negative energy. How do you know the suggestions and hints will not work? If you do not try, they certainly will not work! We all can and must continue to keep our Granges active. New membership is a priority for all organizations. The Grange has much to offer, so let us build on changes and improvements.
The information provided to you is basic and realistic to all Granges and other organizations for that matter. Such information contains the building blocks and principles needed to build a strong organization and needs to be maintained and updated according to your needs without losing the identity of the original basic rules.
Yes, there are Granges in Maine that are not interested in adding new membership. The majority of those have closed due to such, however, there remains a few who want to keep things the way they have always done without outside interference. The Grange is more than just “our” organization. It belongs to everyone who comes through the doors, those whose lives have been changed because of something the Grange has done for them, those who have attended suppers, bingo, and yard sales, and to those who will be our successors who will keep the Granges active and touching lives in their communities for a good cause. Remember to inform others about joining the Grange when talking to them that it applies to ages five and up. Explain the Junior Grange and its function to them. The Grange is a family organization, so advertise it as such.