Reflections on National Grange Session

The 143rd National Session is over and as I sit in my office and reflect on it, I am pleased with what was accomplished.

The Special Session on Sunday the 15th went well and the session overview had a lot of great questions asked.

Monday's activities started with the delegate tour and was a time for renewing friendships and making new ones. That afternoon, the committees began their work until it was time for the host banquet.

Tuesday we tried something new and committees met until noon. We had the honor of having eight dedicated Grangers present to be recognized as Heroes of the Grange. I felt it was an honor just to share the head table with them. That afternoon we opened the Session and started working.

Wednesday opened with the Ag Breakfast and our speaker told us about the efforts to improve agriculture in Afghanistan by the National Guard. This is one project that shows the local people that Americans care about them and want to help. The Delegates worked a number of resolutions and made great progress during the day. That evening we had a lengthy and passionate discussion our policy on industrial hemp as well as introductions of each State's delegation.

Thursday brought elections and we continued to make progress in getting the work of the Session finished. That evening we tried another new thing. The spouses of the National officers, or someone selected by the officer if not married, closed the National Grange. The officers stated that this was to show our love and respect for those who enable us to serve the Grange as officers. The business meeting of the Assembly of Demeter was held that evening. Brother Valentine announced that he was stepping down as High Priest and the Assembly elected officers with a new High Priest.

Friday finished the final working day of the Session. We continued to have spirited debate and discussion on the issues of the day. We finished the election of the two officers not completed on Thursday and installation was held at 2:30 p.m. Brother Valentine did an outstanding job as the installing officer. Session closed prior to the scheduled time as our work was done.

Saturday saw the 6th and 7th Degrees conferred and we closed the week with our celebration banquet.

We packed a lot into the week of Session and while we were all tired at the end, the sense of accomplishment, pride, and fellowship was strong throughout the entire week. We made a lot of positive changes in the Rules of the order, added to the ritualistic work, updated our policy in many areas, and recognized many members and Granges for outstanding work.

I am feeling so much pride in our organization. We have so much to be thankful for and our future is so bright. Next year, you need to be in Charlotte, North Carolina, for a Session that promises to be even better!

Veteran's Day

I hope every person in our country takes a moment to reflect on the gift that our veterans have given us.

We have a country where we change our leaders by the ballot, not by the bullet. We have the right to gather and discuss the successes and the failings of our government. We have the right to publicly disagree with anyone. We have the right to be right or wrong as long was we don't harm others. We can associate with whom ever we choose and we can be as unique as we want. We can read anything, share our opinions, and live the lifestyle we desire because of our veterans.

Our military veterans and those currently in the service are the ones that changed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States into functioning documents. The beautiful words that express the desires of men and women to be free would have little meaning if citizens had not answered the call to service and fought to earn the freedoms outlined in those documents. Our founding documents carry such great weight around the world because our brave citizens chose to back up those words with their actions as Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen.

It is fitting that the armistice of the first world war be a time to reflect on the gifts that our veteran's have given us and the sacrifices that they have made on our behalf.

My respect and thanks go to each veteran from those brave men who volunteered to fight in the American Revolution to our courageous men and women who today continue the fight against terrorists who seek to destroy our country and force innocents around the world to adopt their beliefs.

We must never forget the deaths, the changed lives, or the bravery of each veteran regardless of when they served. Peacetime or war, the members of the American military have always stood for the principles of our great nation. Each American family joins today in remembering the sacrifices that have been made to ensure our countries freedoms.

Join with me today in thanking God for so many citizens who answered the call to serve our country. Take the time to thank a veteran and also the ones who serve today.

Farm Animal Welfare

Agriculture, especially animal husbandry, is under attack by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). This past year California voters passed a proposition that may end the egg industry in that state as well as impact many other areas of livestock production. The voters in California have joined with voters in Florida and Arizona to regulate specifics of raising and caring for livestock through the ballot.

Ohio has taken a different path in this Novembers election. The voters passed issue 2 by a 64 to 36 percent margin. Issue 2 establishes a thirteen member Livestock Care Standards Board. No more than seven members on the board may be of the same political party. The Ohio General Assembly would have the power to set the terms of office for the Board members and determine any conditions for the Board members' service. The proposal states that the Board would consist of:

The director of the department of agriculture, who would serve as chair of the Board;
Ten members appointed by the Governor with Senate approval, which must include: one family farm representative, one member knowledgeable about food safety in Ohio; two members representing statewide farmer organizations; one veterinarian licensed in Ohio; the State Veterinarian; the dean of an Ohio college or university’s agriculture department; two members of the public representing Ohio consumers; one member representing a county humane society; One family farmer appointed by the Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives; and One family farmer appointed by the President of the Ohio Senate.

In addition the Department of Agriculture will be vested with the enforcement authority.

Instead of depending upon voters making decisions based upon campaign ads or bumper stickers, which may not be accurate, Ohio farmers will have the advantage of science, best practices, and thoughtful consideration being a part of the process to create the rules that they must live and operate under.

The HSUS has a reputation of being an extremist animal rights organization with tremendous amounts of money to spend to accomplish their goals. From my perspective, after visiting their website, they care more for animals than for the people who's livelihood depends upon the care of those animals.

I would challenge every Grange member to research issue 2 from Ohio and to consider what the possibilities of this issue are in your state. Isn't it better to create an opportunity for farmers and others to work together in creating livestock management practices based on good science rather than face a ballot based upon an emotional argument that might harm a portion of our agricultural economy?

Grange Values and Principles

A member recently forwarded me a website that claims the Grange is, in essence, a satanic organization. Of course it also claims that about all other fraternal orders are also in the same category. All I’ve got to say to such claims is, Bull!

To those who have questions about Grange values and beliefs, I am happy to respond.

Does the Grange promote or oppose religion? The Grange was created and remains non-sectarian in rules and basic principles as outlined in the declaration of purposes. The Grange encourages its members to worship the Supreme Being in the way their conscience dictates. Our ritualistic work contains many direct quotations from the Bible and God is mentioned often. We have one officer called the Chaplain whose duties include prayers during the opening and closing of the Grange. One requirement for a Grange to have a legal meeting is to have a Bible open during the meeting. Our rules clearly state that denominational religious matters are not allowed to be discussed within the Grange meeting. The Grange is designed to be a place with high moral values, members are encouraged to be active in the church of their choice, and the meetings are to be neutral ground for all beliefs.

Is the Grange a secret organization? If having a password or membership card is your definition, then maybe. However, if any member can know everything about an organization then I would think that there are no secrets. In 35 years of active membership with leadership positions at all levels of the Grange, I still haven’t found any secrets. I do know many things that only members are supposed to know, which sounds like just about every other organization I am aware of. That is what most people refer to as a privilege of membership. Even this member only information is often readily available to the public if they really want it. If you don’t believe me, just check out ebay.

Does the Grange promote worship or reverence toward Greek goddesses? No. We do have three officers Ceres, Pomona, and Flora whose titles do come from Greek mythology. These three officers get their titles to show our respect for women and our regard for agriculture. These three names do carry direct connection to agriculture and the officers emblems are also tied to that connection. Ceres emblem is the sheaf of wheat, Pomona has fruit, and Flora has flowers. They remind us that women have a critical role in society and that they bring refinement and improvement to our lives. Our organization does not believe that organizations for men or women alone are as strong as one that requires both as equals.

Are there any rites or rituals in the Grange? What the Grange has is our formal ritualistic initiation ceremony for each of the seven degrees. The first four are done by the Community Grange, and the Pomona, State, and National Granges each confer one. The degrees are designed to follow one after the other. The first four are based upon the seasons of the year and the stages of life. The three that follow emphasize specific lessons that all people should live by. Grange work is demonstrated by the use of symbolism. Symbolism is an ancient form of teaching that is effective and often inspiring. As an example, the symbolism of the first degree is drawn from a farm in springtime, childhood, and the seed. The point of the degrees is to give lessons that each can use in their daily lives and to give each member the bond of friendship and fellowship as Brothers and Sisters in the Grange.

I would suggest that we don’t argue with people who are not interested in what we’ve got to say. When people have their mind made up and just want to make accusations, it is futile to try and argue. I do want our members to talk with those who have questions. We should answer questions and where we don’t know the answer, we need to find out what our rules are on that issue. After all, as our Order teaches, we need to continually learn and to strive to improve ourselves.

Planning National Session

This morning was spent meeting with the National Grange staff on primarily National Session. It doesn't seem possible that in about 20 days, we'll be in Grand Rapids. It is always interesting to be involved in planning the Session, it is never boring.

The reality is that the broad planning stage is long over. We are down to nuts and bolts planning and dealing with the surprises that seem to pop up every day. Jessie, our convention planner, is sweating out planning an event that she has never seen, but is doing great.

The lessons of planning are that: first you need the broad plan that serves as a road map. Second you break out the pieces and develop more detailed plans that are specific to each piece. Third, you adapt and change as things come together, or don't. Lastly, you implement your plan.

While it often seems difficult to have fun during this stage, you should also plan to have a bit of fun. Insert little things that will show your humor or allow others to share theirs. Never do everything the same way you did last year. Always seek some way of improving things.

Let everyone on your team be a part of the planning. Don't just work them, let them be a creative part of the planning, either specific pieces or in the broad planning. The bigger your team the more success you can achieve.

While there are still a hundred things to do, I am confident that our staff, officers, and hosts will put on an excellent National Session. We have a great team and you will have a fun, educational, and productive Session when you arrive.

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!

The Grange is not the Meeting

I hear far too often that the meeting is the focus of a Grange. We worry about having a quorum to hold a meeting, we worry about the length of the meeting, and we worry about why members are not at the meeting. Maybe you're worrying about the wrong things?

Meetings are necessary and important, but not for themselves. The Grange is the reason for the meeting. The meeting is a tool to allow members to create action, to learn, and to socialize. The meeting isn't the important thing, it is the tool to do the important things.

The Grange is people, not a building and certainly not just a meeting. Our meetings and meeting structure are time-tested and generally the more you deviate from our normal process, the more time you use doing less.

Instead of worrying about a quorum, try worrying about why people would want to come to your meeting. Do you have fun at your meetings, do you laugh or smile a lot? Does a member who attends usually learn something new? Do your members go out of their way to make a new member or visitor feel welcome and part of your Grange?

Instead of worrying about the length of the meeting, how about worrying about the content of the meeting. Does the leadership of your Grange check to see if committees are going to have reports? Does your Grange have any unfinished or new business that has the members doing something? Remember business is where we create the action that will interest people. Are you skipping some of the orders of business to save time? If so, consider the possibility that someone is looking for that order of business.

Try worrying about the members who do attend before worrying about those who didn't show up. If those who come to the meeting get to leave the meeting with new information, a sense of accomplishment, and some good times they will share with others. The things that they will share will help create the public perception that Grange meetings are worthwhile, fun, and everyone is invited.

Take the time to look at the order of business and the meeting set up structure. You will find that it is one of the best ways to hold a meeting. Members looking at each other and with a clear plan to accomplish the variety of things that a grass-roots organization needs to do.

Remember that the meeting is not the reason for your Grange. The meeting is the tool that allows your Grange to do things. Make what you start at meetings and what you accomplish at meetings the focus of your Grange.