I greet you from Cold
and Snowy Northwestern Pennsylvania. As I am writing this we are
experiencing high winds with white out conditions. This is not a day
to be going anywhere which is why I am home on a Sunday morning
doing my Advocate article instead of going to Church.
It is hard to believe
that we are already into the second month of the New Year. Where
does the time go?
The State Officers met
the last weekend of January to make plans for this coming year. We
hope that all of you have made plans for Grange activities for this
year as well as plans to attend activities sponsored by the State
Grange.
While at the planning
meeting, our State Master, Betsy Huber, informed us of goals that
the new National Master, Ed Luttrell, has set. These goals are
1. Revitalization of
Community Granges as a State Priority.
2. Increase active participation at each Community Grange.
3. Develop new leaders and give them opportunities at each Community
Grange.
4. New Community Granges.
5. Re-emphasize and strengthen the family structure through the
Junior and Youth programs.
As you can see from
these goals most of the work needs to start within the State
Granges. To take the first step here in Pennsylvania, for the first
goal, each State Officer was assigned a county or a specific Grange
to mentor in the coming months.
We will be contacting
someone (from the Grange or County) to make arrangements for us to
come and visit. Please allow us this opportunity. We want to talk to
you and get your feedback. Let us know what we can do to help you
out at your Grange, what you would like to see the Grange offer,
what your plans are for your own Granges, etc.
If you are not contacted
by someone but would like one of the State Officers to come and
visit please call Betsy Huber at the State Office and she will
make the arrangements.
The Grange was once a
very thriving organization and it can be again if we all work at it.
Lets get to work and see if Pennsylvania can revitalize our
Community Granges!
Fraternally,
Kelly Van Ord
State LAS