Reprinted with permission from the January 10, 2025 edition of Grange Today!
The National Grange is thrilled to announce Rebekah Hodgson as the new Junior Grange Director. A dedicated Jonesboro Grange #357 member in Jonesboro, Maine, Hodgson brings a deep appreciation of Grange values and a passion for community service to her new role. Rebekah’s journey with the Grange began with her grandparents, Helen and Edward Brooks, who were active members of Robbinston Grange in Robbinston, Maine. Her own involvement took root about six years ago when she joined Jonesboro Grange to help save it from closure, inspired by her father’s determination to preserve its legacy.
Since then, Rebekah has been an enthusiastic advocate for Grange activities, making her mark through projects like the Crush Cancer Lobster Crawl 5k, Candyland, the free 10,000 Easter Egg Hunt, and Grinch at the Grange.
Outside of her work with the Grange, Rebekah is a K3 preschool teacher and K4 preschool assistant, a Girl Scout leader, and a licensed commercial lobster fisher—a skill she’s honed since age 10. She currently lives in Illinois with her husband Garrett, an active duty Coast Guard Chief, and their two children, Jase (7) and Kennedy (5). Her family shares her passion for the outdoors and community engagement.
As Junior Grange Director, Rebekah has ambitious plans for the year ahead. She aims to foster stronger bonds between Junior and more senior members, spark interest in new Junior Grange chapters, and deepen young members’ love for the Grange through creative, engaging programming. Inspired by her connection to the ocean, she plans to incorporate aquatic-themed activities into Junior programming, especially at this year’s National Convention aboard the Carnival Horizon.
Rebekah’s vision for the Junior department centers on empowering young members to be future leaders of the Grange. “Junior members are the voice of tomorrow,” she said. “By utilizing their energy, passion, and eagerness to learn, they can create meaningful change and preserve the traditions that connect us all.”
Her advice to those hoping to engage more young people in the Grange? “Find out what interests them and incorporate that into your Junior Grange! Show them the joy and sense of family that comes with being part of the Grange through welcoming, free events and fun-filled meetings.”
National Grange President Christine Hamp is confident that Hodgson’s creativity, leadership, and dedication will inspire the next generation of Grange members, ensuring the organization’s legacy continues to thrive.
“Rebekah’s engaging energy and excitement are exactly what we need to create meaningful experiences for our youngest members,” said Hamp. “I can’t wait to see the positive impact she and her team bring to our Junior Grange Program.”
Hodgson will be assisted by the Junior Advisory Team, consisting of Emily Hartsell (NC), Makayla Piers (RI), and Gayle Reyburn (PA). Email junior@nationalgrange.org for more information.
Notes from National are gleaned from an email provided by Phil Vonada, National Grange Communications Director.
Subscribe to the National Grange’s Good Day! Magazine. Only $16 a year gives you access to our print or digital subscription. Learn more about the magazine at http://www.nationalgrange.org/goodday or the digital issue at http://www.issuu.com/grangegoodday. The October issue is hitting mailboxes this week.
Subscribe to Grange Today! at http://www.nationalgrange.org/subscribe. Grange Today! is released on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of every month, full of news and information from Granges around the country. We hope to engage and inspire Grange members from coast to coast through this newsletter.
We are also looking for people to submit their Grange’s news so we can feature them in the newsletters or in Good Day! Magazine.
The National Grange’s biweekly podcast, “The Grange Hall,” is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or iHeartRadio. You can also listen on PodBean, the National Grange website, or watch on YouTube! Be sure to like and subscribe! If you have comments or questions, or if you’d like to recommend a member of YOUR Grange to be featured, you can contact us at grangehallpod@gmail.com.
Many National Grange events are recorded and archived. If you missed an online event and would like to view it, please visit the National Grange YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/nationalgrange.
Follow National Grange on Social Media! We’re on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube! This is generally the quickest and most up-to-date location to find out what’s happening at the National Grange.
I hope you’ve seen that the National Grange announced that registration is open for the 2025 National Grange Convention. The 159th Annual Convention will cruise from Miami to Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao from November 8-16, 2025. I know there are a lot of questions about this, so we’ve created one-sheets on registration and a simple FAQ that are available on the National Grange’s website. More information, including how to book your stateroom, is now available, and other details will be released soon, but it’s not too early to begin planning!
Notes from National are gleaned from an email provided by Phil Vonada, National Grange Communications Director.
Rebekah Hodgkins from Jonesboro Grange attended the National Grange Convention this year and is now a Seventh Degree Member. She also reports that she won Third Place in the Fair Category of the National Grange Photo Contest, and Kennedy won First and Third Place in the Pet Category.
“The folks I connected with were wonderful humans… it was so nice to be with other Grangers and I felt ‘at home.'”
Notes from National are gleaned from an email provided by Phil Vonada, National Grange Communications Director.
There is still time to register for the 158th National Grange Convention in Bettendorf, Iowa, November 12-16, 2024. Information and registration links can be found at http://www.nationalgrange.org/158thconvention.
Subscribe to the National Grange’s Good Day! magazine. Only $16 a year gives you access to our print or digital subscription. Learn more about the magazine at http://www.nationalgrange.org/goodday or the digital issue at http://www.issuu.com/grangegoodday. The October issue is hitting mailboxes this week.
Subscribe to Grange Today! at http://www.nationalgrange.org/subscribe. Grange Today! is released on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of every month, full of news and information from Granges around the country. Through this newsletter, we hope to engage and inspire Grange members from coast to coast.
We are also looking for people to submit their Grange’s news so we can feature them in the newsletters or in Good Day! magazine.
The National Grange’s biweekly podcast “The Grange Hall,” is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or iHeartRadio. You can also listen on PodBean, the National Grange website, or watch on YouTube! Be sure to like and subscribe! If you have comments or questions, or if you’d like to recommend a member of YOUR Grange to be featured, you can contact us at grangehallpod@gmail.com.
The National Grange Social Media Calendar is available. This is intended to be a guide for State and Community Granges of topics/events that may be used to enhance social media. By no means is it a suggestion to post ALL of these things, but if you’re looking to get out of a rut or expand your social media reach. This could also be a great resource for Grange Lecturers/Program Directors who are looking for new programming ideas.
Many National Grange events are recorded and archived. If you missed an online event and would like to view it, please visit the National Grange YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/nationalgrange.
Follow National Grange on Social Media! We’re on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube! This is generally the quickest and most up-to-date location to find out what’s happening at the National Grange.
I hope you’ve seen that the National Grange announced that registration is open for the 2025 National Grange Convention. The 159th Annual Convention will cruise from Miami to Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao from November 8-16, 2025. I know there are a lot of questions about this, so we’ve created one-sheets on registration and a simple FAQ that are available on the National Grange’s website. More information, including how to book your cabin, is now available, and other details will be released soon, but it’s not too early to begin planning!
Notes from National are gleaned from an email provided by Phil Vonada, National Grange Communications Director.
