E-Newsletter June 13, 2013

Another Successful Fly-In at the Grange

By Victoria Whitehead
National Grange Volunteer

On June 2 to 4, a broad range of issues were up for discussion during the 2013 National Grange Fly-In including rural access to broadband, the Farm Bill, the Postal Service, and proposed changes relating to the Second Amendment.

During the few days, 23 members met with more than 40 Congressional representatives.  They also took part in briefings and events such as the presentation of RAM with the first William Saunders Award for Rural Awareness and heard Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), a member of the House Agriculture Committee, speak about the Farm Bill.

“We are incredibly pleased this year, as we are every year, with the progress made during the Fly-In,” National Grange President Ed Luttrell said. “Grassroots action is a cornerstone of the Grange’s policy, and that’s why the Fly-In is so important. It is a literal demonstration of the Grange’s mission, voicing the opinions of our local communities on a national scale.”

Kansas Grange member Mandee Strawder said members of the Grange have a phenomenal opportunity with events like the Fly-In to make their voices heard.

“I came to Washington to remind my legislators that it is their job to speak well on behalf of rural residents of Kansas and across the United States,” Strawder said.

South Carolina State Grange President Jerry Martin said participating was a mark of pride.

“It’s important that legislators understand issues for rural folks and I was proud to represent the Grange when speaking on that position with the senatorial staff,” Martin said.

In addition the Grange also hosted several informative talks.

Members began the Fly-In by listening to Joel White, President of the Council for Affordable Health Care Coverage, discuss the status of the Affordable Care Act. White answered questions and provided background that several members then used while speaking with their elected officials to strengthen their advocacy efforts.

On Monday attendees Peterson spoke, surprising many when he said if we are even to see the passage of a Farm Bill this year, it may be the last one.

“If we can’t get the votes then I think we’re done until the next election,” Peterson said during his luncheon address at the National Press Club. “But this might be the last Farm Bill.”

Carl Meiss, Pennsylvania State Grange President, said that statement surprised him.

“To hear a Representative say we may never get another Farm Bill made me feel like what we did at the Fly-In is even more important, educating often urban representatives about the importance of, and challenges of, agriculture,” Meiss said.

Attendees cheered loudly after watching the RAM Super Bowl commercial “God Made a Farmer” before Carlos Jimenez, Director of Chrysler’s Mid-Atlantic Business Center, accepted the first William Saunders Award for Rural Awareness.

“This commercial was not about RAM, but about the way RAM validated and honored the values of farmers and farm families,” Luttrell said before presenting the award Jimenez. “It made a nation pause and reflect on the work that goes into feeding America and much of the world and started a conversation in small towns and large urban centers.”

Jimenez said the company was proud to shed light on the work of farmers for the entire nation.

“This commercial sharply elevated the imagery urbanites have of the farming community,” Jimenez said.

The Fly-In finished off with a discussion on the future of rural broadband hosted by AT&T, an issue that many Grangers raised in meetings with their representatives.

“The Grange has a long-standing interest in the areas of rural broadband. Not enough people realize the impact it can have on the lives of isolated farmers and families,” Legislative Director Grace Boatright said. “How many people really think about the fact that a modern tractors runs on GPS? Or that for children in remote areas an education delivered over the internet could be the most effective option.”

“We were so pleased to hear such an informative speech from AT&T about the future of rural broadband. Not only did it provide excellent information and material for our Grangers in their congressional meetings, but it also helped to reassure some of our well thought out concerns,” Boatright said.

As State Sessions start, great time to remind members of Grange policy process

As our State Granges begin holding their conventions, it’s always good to remind everyone about how Grange policy becomes established and what the process entails. The Grange is a true grassroots organization and therefore all of the Grange’s policy is produced from the bottom up. As a member of the National Grange, you have the right to involve yourselves in the Grange policy development process and I encourage each of you to do so. Only with everyone’s involvement and input can we be sure that our Grange policy truly reflects the opinions and values of our members.

The Grange’s policy development process is incredibly democratic in nature, beginning at the local level and slowly working its way through the ranks. It begins when an individual Granger, or small group of Grangers, write up a resolution and take it to their local Grange’s monthly meeting. There, the resolution is read, debated, and hopefully passed. If it is not passed, then I’m afraid it dies there in the local Grange to perhaps be brought up again next year. For those resolutions that are passed at the local level, they are then sent to the State Grange’s Secretary or Legislative Director, although each State Grange is a bit different so you might call the office and ask before you send it.

Once the resolution is with the State Grange, it will be assigned to the committee that oversees that resolution’s particular subject. For example, resolutions pertinent to agriculture will be assigned to the Agriculture Committee. The committee then has several options regarding the resolution. It can be deemed present policy, adverse, a state issue, or it can be adopted. In addition, it can also be withdrawn by the submitting party should the resolution be deemed irrelevant, adverse, etc. The committee can also choose to include the resolution in its Policy Statement rather than pass it as new policy.

After the committee has finished its deliberations, all resolutions are taken up and debated on the floor of the State Grange session, just as it was at the local level. Once more, the resolutions are either passed or killed on the floor of session. The resolutions passed at state session should be sent to me, the National Grange Legislative Director, and I will ensure that it is brought up at National Session in November. There, it will once more be assigned to a committee and if passed, it will be read, debated, and voted upon by our National Grange Delegates, who will either pass it or kill it on the floor. If passed, it becomes official National Grange policy, to be printed and distributed in our National Grange Journal of Proceedings and other relevant publications.

As you might have noticed, the National Grange staff actually plays a small role in our policy development. Policy must flow from the bottom up, never the top down. This is the nature of a true grassroots system and one that makes our organization wholesome and unique when compared to other Washington DC non-profits. If you have a disagreement with current Grange policy or wish to see the Grange cover some new policy, then I encourage you to write a resolution and submit it for debate at your next local Grange meeting. You never know where things will go from there. It might just be the next big issue that I take to the Hill on the Grange’s behalf. If you need assistance in writing a resolution, please visit our National Grange website at vps70863.inmotionhosting.com/~nationalgrange/policy/writing-resolutions. There you will find tips on writing solid resolutions that work.

National Grange releases comment on passage of Senate Farm Bill

By Amanda Leigh Brozana | ab******@************ge.org
National Grange Communications Director

National Grange on Tuesday released a statement regarding the 66-27 passage of the Senate’s Farm Bill, saying while hopeful we now wait again on the House for action on the nearly $1 trillion piece of legislation that affects every American directly or indirectly.

“While we’re happy that the Senate passed their version of the Farm Bill, we can’t help but feel a slight sense of deja vu.  Last June we saw the Senate pass their version of the Farm Bill but the House didn’t even get theirs to the floor,” National Grange Legislative Director Grace Boatright said.

House leadership has said the expect the Farm Bill to come before the floor next week.

“I’m hopeful that the house will pass their version of the bill this month, but realistically, we are still a long way from getting American agriculture a full five-year Farm Bill,” Boatright said. “We all have to keep working to let our elected representatives know how important the Farm Bill is to producers and consumers.”

National Grange President Ed Luttrell said the Farm Bill is an essential piece of the puzzle in stability in the market.

“Farmers are affected by so many variables, so a Farm Bill is important because it offers stability in the face of natural disasters, market shifts and so much more,” Luttrell said. “Every American enjoys benefits from a Farm Bill, from stable prices at the grocery store to continued research into best practices of farming and nutrition science. We look forward to the House taking action, but understand the two bills are still far apart and advocacy to find compromise is important.”

Specifically, the House and Senate bills show about a $16 million difference in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).  SNAP includes funding for more than 15 percent of Americans who currently receive what was formerly known as food stamps, along with money for reduced school lunches and other nutrition assistance programs.

Kelley Farm tickets on sale now

By Jessica Cope | jc***@************ge.org
National Grange Executive Assistant & Meeting Planner

Tickets for the once-in-a-lifetime event, the Exemplification of the 1873 Degrees at the Oliver Hudson Kelley Farm in Elk River, Minn., on July 13, 2013, are on sale now and only $6 for Grange members!

If you purchase your ticket before Saturday, June 15, you will receive it in the mail prior to the event. You can purchase it through the date of the event and at the Farm the day of.

The event starts at 10:30 a.m. with an introduction by our National Master Ed Luttrell and continues with the exemplification of the eight degrees – four each for men and women – by Grange Youth from all across the country.

Under-tent seating will be available for the first 500 ticket holders who arrive that morning.

The event is rain or shine and vendors will be on hand to sell food – from cotton candy to barbeque pork. The Grange Store will also be open with a limited selection of Grange items, including special edition event items.

One month left to submit Deaf Awareness Grant applications

By Samantha Johnson | sj******@************ge.org
The National Grange Sales, Benefits & Programs Director

All State Granges are eligible to apply for Deaf Awareness grants from the Grange Foundation for the purpose of supporting deaf activities at the local, Pomona or State Grange level.

Grants may be awarded for any project that enhances deaf education.  Creativity and uniqueness of the projects will also be factored into the selection process.  The Grange Foundation is looking for projects with not only an impact on deaf education but plans that involve members working with deaf community in some way.  The Foundation will give preference to Granges who are doing more than fundraising.

Grant applications are due to the Grange Foundation by July 12, 2013.  Applications should be mailed to the Grange Foundation, Attn: Samantha Johnson, 1616 H. St., NW, Washington, DC 20006 or emailed to sj******@************ge.org.

All applications must include the following information:

Name of State Grange
Name and Address of Contact Person
Date of Submission
Name of the Project
Description of the Project
Anticipated number of people involved
Anticipated impact on the Grange (State and/or Local)
Anticipated impact on the Community or State
Other anticipated results of the project

A maximum of three grants will be awarded this year and Granges may receive up to $500 to cover the costs of the project or program.

If you have any questions about the grant, please contact Samantha Johnson by phone at (202) 628-3507 ext. 109. or email at sj******@************ge.org.

To learn more about recent winners, please visit www.grangefoundation.org.

Convention registration will open July 1

By Jessica Cope | jc***@************ge.org
National Grange Executive Assistant & Meeting Planner

Registration for the 147^th Annual Convention will be available online July 1.This year’s event in Manchester, NH, will feature a celebration of the 125^th Anniversary of the Junior Grange, exciting tours to meet the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales and a bigger, better Idea Fair full of extra workshops and vendors.

We hope to see each of you there!

FREE CD’s available for Granges from Programs Department

Lecturers are you looking for program ideas? If you are then you should check out our free CDs that include the “Methamphetamine: A Menace to Rural America”, The Oliver H. Kelley Farm, “The National Building: 50 Years of Service”, Dogs for the Deaf, and “The National Grange Building Rededication Ceremony: The Essentials”. Also, available for free is the 2013 Resource CD: Medicare Part D: Prescription Coverage in the 21^st Century one we did with our partner Phrma; and as part of the National Grange History Series Webisode 1: The Grange and Rural Free Delivery.

We have brand new cd focused on the history of World War II developed for our Patriot’s Program. Our first cd, which we released in March was “Women in WWII”. On the disc you will find a power point with graphics and notes that will help you develop several programs. We are currently working on more cds and our next one will focus on “Programs during the War” and “Propaganda Posters during WWII”. I hope to have this one ready for our members by July. The last cd that will be part of this series will focus on Granges during WWII and the WWII National Monument.

If you would like to get any of these cds you can contact me at sj******@************ge.org or 202-628-3507 ext. 109.

Membership Guest Column: ‘We cannot quit seeking new members’

You read my words and hear me talk about membership growth year after year, month after month, week after week and if you are around me, day after day. In this article, I am going to give you some examples of why membership growth is so important using my home Grange, Turkey Hill Grange, experiences.

A member joined us in 2004. She learned quickly about Grange and participated in our activities. She volunteered for and was elected to the Secretary position in 2007 and has served with such distinction that our bylaws were changed to allow her to serve beyond our 4-year term limit.

A member joined in 2004 and has conducted 15 professional-quality, three-performance, dinner theater productions and a 5-day children’s theater mini-camp.

A member joined in 2005 and does tons of work with our weekly summer time BBQ sales – she is currently serving her fourth year as our Flora. In 2008, a couple joined us and took over the fledging Boy Scout Troop we sponsor and developed it into a thriving and very active group. As two year members, they took on the responsibility of leading our 2010 annual Wurtsmarkt, coordinating approximately 100 workers serving 1000 meals. She was elected as Vice President for a year and was installed as our President this year!

A couple joined us in 2009 and she has been our Chaplin for 3 years and her husband has contributed many hours of electrical work for his Grange as well as lots of hours helping Pomona #21 assist a sister Grange with electrical work.

Another couple joined in 2009 and while working in the kitchen at several functions, saw a need for replacement drink pitchers and replaced 20 well worn old pitchers. He is a communications expert and has fixed many communication problems and updated our communication systems.

A 2010 new member is a regular at the weekly BBQ activity. She organized our first quarter auction, raising $2,625 for a community service project assisting Hurricane Sandy victims.

A couple joining in 2011 and is very active in the Thursday BBQ project. She was our Pomona for a year and has been elected to the Executive Board. They were the Team Leaders of our Chicken Dinner this April.Another couple joining in 2011 are tremendous assets to our Grange. He is owns a construction company. He has repaired several wall areas needing re-plastering. He constructed the entrance roofing, including brick pillars. She established our website and is our Webmaster.

I could list dozens more examples of new member contributions to our Grange. The point I want to make here is: our Grange successes today are largely the result of our past successes in recruiting new members.

We must have new members to carry on, we cannot do it alone.

We cannot quit seeking new members – each of us need to sign up one new member each year– it is an ongoing thing, seeking new members never stops!

Good luck in your quest to grow your Grange!

June 13 is another opportunity to showcase Grange

By Amanda Leigh Brozana | ab******@************ge.org
National Grange Communications Director

June 13, is the seventh month we are encouraging members to take part in the #13Second Campaign. This membership tool asks that all members on social media networks take a few seconds on the 13th of every month to share a personal reason why they like being a Grange member or a quick statement about the Grange as a positive social force in communities. Then, end the statement with “Ask me how to join” or some other proactive statement and “tag” it with #13Seconds.

Make sure to send your #13Second message to the National Grange to be entered into a contest for a Grange Store gift certificate by posting it to the National Grange Facebook page or emailing it to am*****@************ge.org with information on where you posted the message.

Grantham Grange, NC, first to submit ‘recipe’

By Amanda Leigh Brozana | ab******@************ge.org
National Grange Communications Director

Congratulations to Joyce Hood and Grantham Grange #968, NC, for being the first Grange to submit a “Recipe for Success.”

The Recipes for Success, solicited from every Grange at every level, is a one- to two-page narrative detailing a successful effort in one of the following areas: membership recruitment, fundraising, community service, communications/publicity, event planning, lecturer’s program, advocacy effort, or other area.
Recipes include your Grange information, the “ingredients” (how many people were involved/does it take to do such a project; how much money did the project cost; what was the labor or other resources involved; how much time did it take, etc.) and the “yield” or a short narrative about the project and its outcome.
All recipes will be bound in a 3-ring style notebook that will be available beginning at the 147th Annual National Grange Convention being held this year in Manchester, NH, from Nov. 11-16.

For being the first, Grantham Grange will receive a $50 gift certificate from the Communications Department for use in purchasing Grange promotional supplies or materials from the Grange store.

All Granges who wish to submit “recipes” should do so by September 15.

Recipes should follow the format listed below and be submitted by email or hard copy to the National Grange Communications Department (ab******@************ge.org).  We encourage Granges to submit photos with their recipe.

Name of Project
Type of Project (fundraiser; advocacy effort; membership effort, etc.)
Grange Name, State, Number
Submitted By

# of People: (a range is fine)
$ Required: (again, a range is fine)
Other Resources Required (Ingredients):
Time Required:
Skills Necessary:

Mix: (This should be about 200-500 words and tell – as a recipe does – the steps of the process from brainstorming to completion)

Notes/Hints: (here is where you can put information like “if you try this project, it may be best to invite a State Deputy” or “You may have to learn about different types of insurance in your area for such an event” or whatever)

Yield:

New Grange in progress: Springdale, Ark.

Do you know anyone in the Springdale or Fayetteville, Arkansas area?  National Grange Membership/Leadership Development Director Michael Martin will be holding an informational meeting on Monday, June 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the Springdale Grange Hall located at 5777 S. Butterfield Coach Rd. Please encourage your family or friends or your social media acquaintances to attend if they are in the area.  Share through Facebook or Twitter!

Did you hear?

By Amanda Leigh Brozana | ab******@************ge.org
National Grange Communications Director

Maine State Grange has a new president. Vicki Huff was installed by NH State Grange member Arthur Merrill earlier this month.

Contact Information:

Recipe of the Month: Cream Cheese Brownies

One 4oz package German’s sweet chocolate
5 tbsp butter or margarine
1 c. sugar
3 eggs
½ c. plus 1tbsp unsifted flour
1 ½ tsp vanilla
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ coarsely chopped nuts
¼ tsp almond extract (optional)

Melt chocolate and 3 tablespoons of butter or margarine over a low heat stirring constantly. Cool.

Cream remaining butter or margarine with cream cheese until softened. Gradually add ¼ cup sugar, creaming until light and fluffy. Stir in 1 egg, 1 tablespoon flour and ½ teaspoon of vanilla until blended.

Beat remaining eggs until fluffy and light in color. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating until thickened. Fold in baking powder, salt and remaining flour. Blend in cooled chocolate mixture. Stir in nuts, almond extract and remaining vanilla.

Measure 1 cup chocolate batter and set aside. Spread remaining chocolate batter in a greased 9 inch square pan. Pour cheese mixture over top. Drop the measured chocolate batter from tablespoon onto cheese mixture. Swirl mixtures together with spatula just to marble.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool. Cut into bars or squares. Cover and store in refrigerator.

Yields 20 brownies.

Submitted by Freda Stimpson, White Oak Grange No. 18, Warren, ME.