Hiding Taxes

I found a new tax in Washington DC. When I bought my lunch the person running the cash register asked me if I wanted a bag. It seemed like a silly question to me as I had a sandwich, a bag of chips, and a drink and it was to go, so I said yes. As I paid my bill, I saw a posted sign that notified me that bags now cost 5 cents due to a new District of Columbia law that became effective January 1.

I have now done some research and found that DC now requires all businesses that sell food or alcohol to charge five cents for a plastic bag. Not only does it require payment, but the bag must be made from #2 or #4 polyethylene and the bags must be printed with a phrase that encourages recycling (such as “Please recycle this bag.”) Paper bags must contain a minimum of 40 percent post-consumer recycled content and have the printed message also.

The business gets to keep 1 cent unless they offer a rebate for customers providing their own bag and then they get to keep 2 cents.

The 3 to 4 cents left of this new tax will go to the new Anacostia River Clean Up and Protection Fund which will be administered by the District Department of the Environment (DDOE). They have announced that they plan to use it to clean and protect the Anacostia and other local waterways, conduct public education campaigns about the impact of trash on the District’s environmental health, and continue to provide reusable carryout bags to District residents.

Of course as with most government mandated programs, there are some bags that will be banned and other bags from certain businesses that are exempt from this tax.

The real question is not how this impacts the District of Columbia, but why is this a standard way of raising revenue for many cities, counties, and states? Hiding taxes for causes in fees that people don't perceive of as taxes doesn't promote support. The Grange believes in good stewardship of our environment. We would support many efforts to clean up rivers, reduce trash and litter, or even to educate people about their options. However, government often forgets that there are multiple ways to get the message out and to create effective solutions.

Especially in tough economic times, just charging more for taxes and letting a government agency address the topic doesn't seem prudent. Did the city really evaluate their priorities and find nothing of less importance to discontinue? Did they really find that this issue was of such critical importance that a new tax needed to be created?

I know it is only a nickel. If you buy one bag a week it is only $2.60 of which the government will get about $2.00 of. The question I have for those who ask, "why complain about a nickel?" How many nickels, dimes, quarters, and dollars are already being used for worthwhile causes with taxes that are hidden? When I pay my income tax I know how much it is. When I pay my property tax bill, I know who gets every part of it. When I buy an item and there is a sales tax, it is there for me to see. The problem is that government officials realize that people don't want to pay more taxes so they are hiding them in plain sight as user fees, bag fees, or have them included within the price of something we purchase.

This D.C. five-cent bag fee will have no impact on most Grange members. The question for each member is how much money do you spend each year without realizing it is a tax from your government and which is often dedicated for some specific purpose? Do you feel that you are paying your fair share? Is your money being spent wisely and for important services? Are you going to bring even one issue to your Grange this year?

Conference in Vermont

I sat through the meetings at the Northeast Leaders conference in Vermont this past weekend. The unofficial theme of the day appears to be youth and growth. Why would a group of Grange leaders be talking about young people and Grange growth?

It is because these two topics are intertwined and work on either issue often leads to improvement in the other. Youth are at the point in life where they are learning and growing every day. They absorb new information like a sponge and most are open to trying almost anything that looks like an opportunity. These traits that young people possess are the same traits that we are teaching members to use so that they can attract new members and to grow their Grange.

Young people are looking for opportunities to learn new skills. They want to know how to run a meeting, how to shepherd an issue through the process to create a change, or how to influence others. Building a team to accomplish big tasks, setting large goals, or picking a project that impacts communities is daunting for all age groups, but youth don’t know what they can’t do and often jump at that opportunity.
In addition, most young people want to be thought of as adults. They want to be taken seriously by the older folks and be considered equals. In our organization we give 14-year old members the right to be adults and we give them responsibility and authority as members.

This group is an important part of the Grange as they bring energy and enthusiasm to our organization. As part of a Grange team they add an important ingredient to the mix of experience and knowledge that our long-time members bring.

That brings us right to the topic of Grange growth. Our members are searching for tools that will teach them how to attract new members to join and how to get members to step up as new leaders. State Grange leaders are looking for communities that need a Grange either with a new Grange or with a reorganized former Grange. All of these create growth in our Grange.

The way we are going to be successful is by working together and forming teams to accomplish the goals and tasks that face us. The more young people that we get involved on our teams, the more diverse and talent the teams will become. Success is a direct result of members working together and not worrying about who gets the credit. We need to reinforce the understanding that that credit is shared by all and success is the real reward.

I am so energized by what I am hearing from the members of the Northeast region. It appears that members and leaders are all focused on the same basic premise of involving youth and creating Grange growth. While each state has its own identity and methods, they have unity of focus and purpose.

Conferences and meetings give each member the chance to pick up some new energy and excitement while they learn a few new ideas that involve young people in their Grange and how to create Grange growth in their own Community Grange.

I hope you get the opportunity to attend an exciting Grange conference in your area. Focus on young people and Grange growth and 2010 will be a great year!

Last Sunday I did an installation of officers at my Grange. Listening to the comments and looking at the turn out, it is apparent to me that many members have forgotten why we do an installation.

First and foremost, installation is to remind the officers of the importance of the position they have been elected to serve in. For a new officer it gives them the opportunity to hear what the formal duties of their office are. For someone who has been re-elected a number of times, it is a reminder of what that officer needs to be doing.

There are several other reasons that may be easy to overlook, but are truly important.

While each officer is installed as an individual, the ceremony is for the entire group of officers. It is a team event, no officer is too important to have their own ceremony, no officer is so unimportant that we skip them. It is a reminder that as Grange members and officers we are interdependent and if we are going to achieve success, it is done together. A Grange that treats certain officers as important and ignores others, does so at their own peril. We elect an officer team to share the burdens and challenges of leadership among a group of members.

The installation ceremony is a public ceremony and we should be inviting non-members to come and witness the pride we have for the organization and for those we elect as our leaders. It is an opportunity to share some of our history, our principles and values, and the spirit of fraternity. For us it is a reminder of these things that we may take for granted.

The members should view the ceremony as an opportunity to get together and celebrate. That celebration should be one of achievement for those officers who have the chance to welcome in their successors. It should be a celebration for new officers as they get to to grow, learn, and become better leaders as they lead the Grange forward. Most importantly, those members who are not officers can join in celebrating a new Grange year as marked by new officers.

We now have two installation ceremonies that can be used. Regardless of which you choose, perform the installation with pride and have fun doing it. The officers will appreciate a smile from the installing officer and the serious duties of each office will not be diminished by all enjoying the brief presentation when done to the best of our abilities.

Don't worry about perfection, worry about the meaning of the words. Review the ceremony in the Manual and reflect on the opportunities it offers you Grange. Use the Installation of Officers ceremony as a positive opportunity to renew your excitement and energy for the Grange and your commitment to being part of the Grange team.

New Year's Resolutions

I've never been one for making a lot of resolutions on New Years. One view is that most of us don't keep them long enough to see any change and if you need to change something why wait until the start of a new year? The other side of the coin is that if you never decide to change something that is bothering you, you most likely will never change it.

Last year, I put in an article that it was important to set goals and one of mine was that I was going to paint a car. As the last day of the year is ticking down, I know that I was only able to make about a day and a half of progress on that project. This is one case of circumstances stopping that goal from being fully achieved. I will say that I am closer to finishing than when I set the goal.

If you're going to set forth some resolutions for yourself, ask yourself what do you want? What would be the desired result from a resolution?

I know that I want 2010 to end with a number of results. I want to spend quality time with my family during the year. It would be great to have a carshow ready classic car at the end of the year. I want to see our Grange team achieve great success this year. In looking forward, there are many things that can be placed on this list, but these three are the most important to me.

Family and the classic car thing are personal to me and in this post I'll talk about our Grange team achieving great success. Grange success is not just a personal issue, it is an issue for thousands of other Grange members.

In 2010 the National Grange team will continue to improve our communication with our members. We will offer new opportunities to learn how to be successful as well as continue our tried and true methods. We will add new people to our team at the National Grange level. Teamwork will be one of our major focuses this year.

I view success as new people becoming part of the Community Grange and getting involved. They will become new leaders within our organization and as they grow as leaders, they will bring new leadership to the Pomona and State level. Not only will new members join in, but our existing members will be experiencing new energy and excitement as Grange members.

We will build upon each success just as you build a stone wall, rock by rock from the bottom. The wonderful thing about great success, is that it isn't anything new in our Grange. We have had great successes, we still are achieving great things, and to expect tremendous things in the future is not that much of a reach.

Our challenge is to let existing members, who haven't had the opportunity to experience success, to feel the emotions that success brings. We also are going to share with new members what it feels like to achieve their goals though the Grange.

I hope each member will join me in setting a resolution for 2010 that their Grange will achieve success. It is when we work together as a team that we will achieve our goals!

May each member have a safe and happy New Year celebration and a prosperous 2010!

What does Brotherhood and Sisterhood mean?

I was recently asked what Brotherhood and Sisterhood means in the Grange?

It means many things to different people, but in essence it is the desire to become family with a group of people we want to associate with. We have common ties or bonds that bring us together in spite of other differences. These ties also keep us together when we have disagreements and give us strength in times of trial or trouble.

To be a Brother or Sister in the Grange means our Grange family gives us the authority to express our opinions and to advocate for issues that we are passionate about. We are not bound within the Grange to one viewpoint on political ideas, religious beliefs, or current event issues. Instead we are given the opportunity to work with others to come to a group consensus on issues. We thus gain strength by working together with others to advocate for the issues we share in common without sacrificing friendship over issues we don't agree on.

We become Brothers and Sisters through the Grange initiation ceremony which promotes the highest moral principles through lessons drawn from the farm, the field, and the farm home. This shared experience gives each member a common thread to draw upon. When we differ on topics within the Grange we remember the lessons of friendship, and after the vote is taken we remain true friends and family. Thus each remains true to themselves and yet finds comfort, companionship, and safety in the company of Grange family.

No matter what the passions of your life may be, the Grange allows you freedom to grow as you see fit. As family, each is encouraged to become the person they wish to be. We share a set of moral values that give us a bond that promotes and treasures friendships that can last a lifetime.

There is so much more that Brotherhood and Sisterhood mean to the members of the Grange, but to me it is all about being part of a great family.

Leading from where you are

I've had a lot of dealings with lawyers over the past two years. Name protection, Grange property disputes, members filing charges against others, and a few other issues have all taken some of my time. The internal issues that led to attorneys getting involved almost always involve leaders who either didn't do their jobs, or leaders who didn't believe that the rules applied to them.

Grange leaders are not just the officers, much less the Master/President. I've seen many Granges were the leader was not one of the "major" officers. It is important that Grange officers, especially the Master take the time to check out the rules before doing things as they are are elected leaders.

The National Digest is available free of charge on the website and is also available for purchase through the Grange Store. Each State Grange has the responsibility to make their By-Laws available to each member who asks for it. The positive thing about our system of rules is that if you have a question you ask the Master at the level you are at. If you think that they are right, great. If not, you can appeal (ask the next level)to get the ruling of the next level. Subordinate/Community and Pomona Grange to State to National.

When we don't follow the rules or when we choose to interpret the rules to fit our desires, it often creates a situation where no one wins and our organization loses. Yesterday, I was made aware of a situation where a Community Grange wants to do something that is clearly against the rules. The State Master and I had a long conversation about options that the State Grange has to deal with this problem. I reminded that Master that ignoring the issue is not an option. We are the leaders and must do the right thing, even when it is difficult or unpopular.

Leaders who choose to disregard rules for their own goals open themselves up to a lot of risk. Our rules allow one member to file charges against another for improper or illegal actions. Our rules allow the Master, and/or Executive Committee, with jurisdiction to remove the offending officer which puts them into a Grange trial just as any member filing charges does. If legal actions were to be taken, there can be some legal liability to the officers or members for knowingly doing illegal actions.

Our judicial code, chapter 12 in the Digest, sets forth the due process that happens when members or leaders break the rules. I would hope that we would seldom need to use this chapter as we should be able to solve problems and disagreements without resorting to this avenue.

It is much worse for our Grange when members go outside our Order and file lawsuits in civil court or force the State Grange to file the suit to correct an illegal action. The moment that lawyers get involved we lose some control of our destiny and the lawyers and judges gain some control.

The big issue is always financial. The more we spend on legal fees, the less we have for member services, training, and new materials to help the Community Grange. But there is another cost. Lawsuits tend to create divides within Granges and within Communities. Sometimes those divides can endure for decades after the lawsuit is settled.

While there will be occasional situations that require a lawyer, every member can often be a part of a solution that does not include lawyers. Become a Grange leader, regardless of your position, and speak up. Ask questions, learn the rules, and encourage all members to participate in our process. I've seen cases where if a group of members had loudly said no to their peer, no lawsuit would ever have been filed. When you expect the State or National Grange to be the "bad guy" you in effect give permission to the member to break the rules. Remember that we are all a part of the State and National Grange!

We should expect the highest standards from our leaders at all levels of the Grange. They need to do the right thing for our organization as a whole. In spite of the new information I received, I am seeing our membership getting more involved and viewing themselves as part of a great national organization. As each member grows as a Grange leader the future gets brighter. This is a great step to involving lawyers and judges less and less in our internal affairs.

State Masters Pledges

This week in Washington, D.C. has been a whirlwind and I still have two days to go in the office. Today I reviewed the pledges that each State Master made at the Session for their State. There are four areas in which they were challenged to make pledges in. Every State is represented expect South Carolina due to Brother Hammett's illness.

The first area is in new organizations. Out of 35 State Granges pledging, 36 new Granges were promised. Six States pledged two new Granges while five didn't set any goals. 1962 was the last year that 36 or more Granges were organized in one year. Considering that organizing one or two Granges is feasible for any State, this goal is achievable. We all know that it will not necessarily be easy, but we can do this.

The second area is in reorganizations of Granges that have either had their Charter revoked or have disbanded. 29 Granges were promised by the State Masters. Kansas led the group by pledging three and five others have pledged two in their State. Reorganizing at least 29 Granges was also last achieved in 1962. The task of reorganizing is often easier than organizing because sometimes we have assets that are being held for that Grange.

The third area is in revitalizing existing Granges. The State Masters have promised to conduct programs and follow up the successes in 100 Granges. California leads the pledges with the promise to aid 20 of their Community Granges. 18 other states have pledged from two to eight Granges revitalized within their borders. California led the nation last year in successful revitalization efforts and is determined to continue their efforts.

The fourth area is in starting Junior Granges, either new or reorganizations. 38 were promised at National Session. Eleven States pledge two Junior Granges. 1982 is the last year that at least 38 Junior Granges were started. This goal may actually be the easiest to accomplish. I have never seen an effort to start a Junior Grange fail because of the interest of the kids.

These pledges that your State Masters have made are only going to be achieved by teams of members working together. I ask that you volunteer to be a part of a team as we need every member with a passion for the Grange to give what time they can afford. This task will be accomplished by many members giving a bit rather than a few giving a lot. Each member is important to our goals.

I can not put into words the feeling that you get when you are part of a team that organizes or reorganizes a Community Grange. I can verbalize the emotions that seeing a Grange that was failing becoming a vital force within their community. The pride in seeing a new Junior Grange starting out is unbelievable. Those members who have accomplished these things know exactly what I am saying. I want more members to feel all the great things that happen when we achieve success.

Remember that success comes one day at a time, one step followed by another, and one Grange at a time. 2010 is our time for success! Together we will achieve our goals!