| JANUARY 28, 2011 -- It’s that time again Grangers! Grange Month is fast approaching! I’m sure with the holidays just wrapping up April couldn’t be father from everyone’s mind. I know it seems like a long ways away but before we know it, April will be here and it will be time for Grange Month to begin. During Grange Month, we take the time to celebrate the Grange and recognize all that our Granges do in their communities.
The State and National levels seem to get a lot of attention, but we all know where the true heart of the Grange lies - at the local level. That is why the theme of this year’s Grange Month will be “Connecting Communities through Service.” Each and every year, our local Granges take it upon themselves to improve their communities through service and support, dedication and consideration. They look around, observe the needs and necessities of those around them, and accept it as their personal responsibility to offer their time and resources. And could anyone think of a better way to connect communities than through charity and service?
Last year’s theme of “Now is the Time” challenged Grangers across the country to get moving on the many opportunities to recruit new members, grow their Granges, and make their communities better through service projects. As usual, they completed their tasks with the upmost diligence and care. Just to name a few, the Five Mile Prairie Grange in Washington held its annual Pie Night with over 200 attendees participating, many of them having never even heard of the Grange before. The Grantham Grange in North Carolina took meals to the Greenville Ronald McDonald House, along with a cash contribution and Pop Tops for the kids. The Oakview Grange found a vacant window in downtown Centralia and filled it with items collected, made, and distributed by Oakview Grangers. These three are just a few examples of the many ways our local Granges have volunteered their time and resources to help improve their communities.
However, as wonderful as these activities and accomplishments sound, they take time to plan and implement. Now is the time to start preparing if we are to make the most of everything. Scheduling speakers, gathering food and supplies, rounding up volunteers, finding funds, preparing meals, etc, everything takes time and we don’t have any to waste. You can begin looking for your Grange Month resource packets in the mail by early February.
2011 is sure to be a fun and exciting time for the Grange, and we at the headquarters look forward to helping you grow and mature your local Granges as we expand our members and worthy cause. |
