MEMBERSHIP & LEADERSHIP
Director: Joseph Goodrich 119 South St, Middletown Springs, VT 05757
Tele: 802-235-1520 Email: [email protected]
Membership should be a factor in all our activities with a goal of retaining current members and attracting new ones. Granges are encouraged to develop a special project (or several) for their program year that will be beneficial to their Grange, their community, and their current members. There are many resources available to you for help with gaining and keeping members.
If you have access to the web at home or the local library, there are many websites you can consult for information. Nationalgrange.org and vtstategrange.org are two of them as well as websites for other state Granges across the Unites States. On the National webpage are many downloadable files of information for many different projects as well as membership tools for gaining new members and keeping current members. Go to the Member's page and Login. In that section, you will find many articles about the Grange. If you do not have web access, there are several membership tools that could be useful, and they can be mailed to you. Write or call to request material.
The Vermont State Grange has a supply of Membership Applications for Subordinate and Junior Granges and Membership Packets. The Membership packets should be requested from the current Membership Director when a new member is going to be admitted to the Grange. It contains the Fourth-Degree Pin, a number of flyers that explain the Grange and Grange symbolism, and other useful information about the Grange. There is no cost for these items.
To stay abreast of activities for all Grange members:
The National Grange website and Good DayTM magazine are good resources for Member Benefits. A Membership Benefits brochure is no longer being printed as they outdate quickly.
National Grange and Vermont State Grange websites
National Grange Website: https://www.nationalgrange.org
Vermont State Grange Website: http://www.vtstategrange.org
Needs: Start by understanding why people sign their name on the dotted line and join organizations. It doesn’t matter if you have membership fees or how much your dues are to most people. For a sizable portion of society, it isn’t a concern if you have an initiation ceremony. What will matter to everyone is if your group fills their needs. All people have the same basic needs.
All Granges are encouraged to develop a mission statement. The National Mission Statement is: The Grange strengthens individuals, families, and communities through grassroots
action, service, education, advocacy, and agriculture awareness.
A mission statement defines an organization’s goals in two important ways:
Director: Joseph Goodrich 119 South St, Middletown Springs, VT 05757
Tele: 802-235-1520 Email: [email protected]
Membership should be a factor in all our activities with a goal of retaining current members and attracting new ones. Granges are encouraged to develop a special project (or several) for their program year that will be beneficial to their Grange, their community, and their current members. There are many resources available to you for help with gaining and keeping members.
If you have access to the web at home or the local library, there are many websites you can consult for information. Nationalgrange.org and vtstategrange.org are two of them as well as websites for other state Granges across the Unites States. On the National webpage are many downloadable files of information for many different projects as well as membership tools for gaining new members and keeping current members. Go to the Member's page and Login. In that section, you will find many articles about the Grange. If you do not have web access, there are several membership tools that could be useful, and they can be mailed to you. Write or call to request material.
The Vermont State Grange has a supply of Membership Applications for Subordinate and Junior Granges and Membership Packets. The Membership packets should be requested from the current Membership Director when a new member is going to be admitted to the Grange. It contains the Fourth-Degree Pin, a number of flyers that explain the Grange and Grange symbolism, and other useful information about the Grange. There is no cost for these items.
To stay abreast of activities for all Grange members:
- Read the Green Mountain Granger for ongoing/current news about Grange Activities, Grange Benefits, and Grange Opportunities.
- Invite State Officers to visit your Grange. You have a State Grange Deputy assigned to your Grange. They are always ready to help you learn and grow in the Grange.
- Any time you are out and about doing community service you are a representative of the Grange. Be proud of the excellent work you do and wear a Grange pin, hat, or shirt to show you are proud of the Grange.
- Do you want to do a Membership Drive? An Open House or an Open Meeting with information about your Grange? Prepare a booth for the Local Fair? These are all ways to build your Grange.
The National Grange website and Good DayTM magazine are good resources for Member Benefits. A Membership Benefits brochure is no longer being printed as they outdate quickly.
National Grange and Vermont State Grange websites
National Grange Website: https://www.nationalgrange.org
Vermont State Grange Website: http://www.vtstategrange.org
- Both of the above websites have resources you can use for informing members of upcoming activities and recruiting members.
Needs: Start by understanding why people sign their name on the dotted line and join organizations. It doesn’t matter if you have membership fees or how much your dues are to most people. For a sizable portion of society, it isn’t a concern if you have an initiation ceremony. What will matter to everyone is if your group fills their needs. All people have the same basic needs.
- Level 1: The basic or first level is the physical need for food, shelter, and clothing. Every human must fill this basic need for survival. We are very fortunate that in America these are relatively easy to fill.
- Level 2: The second level is the need for security. People want to feel safe, have an income, protect themselves for the future.
- Level 3: The third level is the need to be social. Belonging to a group that is accepting of you is important to everyone. Being a part of a group is critical to a healthy lifestyle. This level is where many people will join the Grange. How the Grange fills the need to be social is crucial to long-term success.
- Level 4: The fourth level is the need for approval. People need recognition, a sense of achievement or of status. Gaining the respect of your peers for your achievements or effort is significant for most people. The knowledge that you are making a valuable contribution to an individual, the Grange, or the community makes life much more special.
- Level 5: The fifth level is the need to be beneficent. This is where people have developed the confidence to be selfless in their actions. They don’t need rewards or recognition in order to give purpose to their lives as they believe that their actions reflect their life.
- Family - The family group includes all the reasons that a person and their family may benefit from Grange membership.
- Material Benefits: The National Grange offers several benefits
- Education: The Grange is an educational opportunity.
- Fellowship: The Grange membership is an extended family
- Fun: There are many opportunities for fun activities in every Grange.
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- Community Service Projects: The projects that Granges take on range from small one day projects to massive multi-organizational endeavors
- Legislative Action: The Grange is a nonpartisan organization. This means that while we do not take a position on candidates for office, we do take positions on the issues. As a grass-roots organization, Grange policy is set by the local members and works its way up to the higher levels.
- Educational Community Service: Service to the Community is often done through education projects.
- Community Service Projects: The projects that Granges take on range from small one day projects to massive multi-organizational endeavors
- Legislative Action: The Grange is a nonpartisan organization. This means that while we do not take a position on candidates for office, we do take positions on the issues. As a grass-roots organization, Grange policy is set by the local members and works its way up to the higher levels.
All Granges are encouraged to develop a mission statement. The National Mission Statement is: The Grange strengthens individuals, families, and communities through grassroots
action, service, education, advocacy, and agriculture awareness.
A mission statement defines an organization’s goals in two important ways:
- It defines what the organization does for its members.
- It defines what the organization does for non-members (our community)