There Really is Bad Publicity

This morning I received notice that another Grange in Oregon has an article in a large newspaper talking about the decline of the Grange. Why do members who are experiencing success in their Grange speak of their Grange in a positive light but members who are giving up speak of the "Grange" as being in decline?

I get frustrated at myself, the State Grange leadership, the Pomona Grange leadership, and our long-time dedicated members when those long-time members talk to reporters and tell them all the negative things that they see. Then I remind myself that these members have given up and see no hope or future for their Grange. They must be assuming that because they haven't had success, no one else has either. Most importantly, they are not looking or listening to what is happening around the country.

The problem as I see it, is that much of our membership never looks at the big picture. Their view of the Grange organization is of the local Grange. Pomona, State, and National are viewed as almost different organizations having little relevance to them. Do they get regular communication from other Granges or the Pomona? Does the State Grange send them information or is the perception that they just want the quarterly report? Do any members of that local Grange read the communications, check the websites, or just ask for help from the State or National Granges?

I understand that National Grange can not visit each Grange, nor can we do more than provide communication through our publications, website, and many training sessions. While we have expanded our communication tool box dramatically over the past couple of years, it is still dependent upon our members to chose to open the paper or email, click on the website, view the video or blog, listen to the podcast, or show up at a meeting.

How does an organization with over 2,500 units teach their members that there is bad publicity? When a member is quoted that the Grange is dying, declining, or failing who does it hurt? It hurts all of us. Remember no one wants to join a dying organization, and the reality is that we're not dying!

There are potential members in every community. Each person has a different awareness of the Grange, some have barely heard of the Grange while others have a perception of the Grange. While their perception may not be accurate, that is the starting point for your Grange if you want to recruit them.

Newspaper stories can open doors to potential members or they can close doors. What our members say about their Grange to reporters will influence what they write in the paper or say on the radio and TV. I'd settle for a balanced story. We have some Granges failing, but we also have new Granges, and many Granges experiencing success. However, it is our job to tell the media about the good as well.

Publicity is important to your Grange. Bad publicity will hurt you, good publicity will help you. I challenge each member to share their ideas on how we can teach the members of each Grange about the importance of publicity. I ask because each member has the opportunity to contribute to the health of the Grange and this issue is critical.

Now that I've expressed my frustration with bad newspaper stories, I want to state, in my 35 years as an active Grange member, I have never seen such optimism and excitement among our members as I am seeing today. I know that it is tough for a State Master to deal with a Grange that has never asked for help and now wants to close. However, many states are building revitalization teams to aid these Granges and are achieving remarkable successes.

Don't dwell on the negatives, focus on the good things you can do. Vent when you see a negative story, but find a way to build a positive future. Listen to what others are saying, but create the future you and your members want. That is what Grange members do!