Today is National Coffee Day. I have to admit that I enjoy a
good cup of coffee with nothing added. It may seem strange, but the reason that
I began drinking coffee was due to the Grange. As a teenager, I started
visiting other Granges to meet other youth and because it was a lot of fun.
I learned quickly that many Granges at that time didn’t
provide anything to drink but coffee, and the water was much better after being
boiled. Soon I developed a taste for coffee and a cup of Joe is still not only
a safe drink, but an enjoyable one that I look forward to.
Today, many coffee shops will run specials and giveaways,
with the goal of gaining some new loyal customers. Do you realize that every
month nearly 2,000 Granges located in 40 states plus the District of Columbia
offer specials and giveaways to attract and retain members?
Grange specials are not just a free or discounted cup of
java, they are based in who we are and what we offer. Just as you can add
flavors and ingredients to coffee to flavor it to suit your taste, so each
Grange has a different and unique flavor based upon the members.
Share a moment, or a lifetime, with good people who see value
in the principles of Faith, Hope, Charity, and Fidelity. Be with people who
want to see you reach your full potential as a person through education, fun, and
friendship.
Experience the power of unity in improving your community
through empowering the individual. Each member has full voice and vote in what
each Grange does in their community, which is a truly American philosophy. The Grange motto of “In essentials, unity;
in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity” clearly states the Grange
view.
Enjoy a cup of coffee, or maybe more than one, today. Then
remember that when the coffee cup is empty, your Grange friends will still be
there with you, helping, encouraging, and maybe even making another pot of
coffee.
