Public Relations/Membership

Carl Meiss
Director
20 Erford Road
Suite 310
Lemoyne, PA 17043
800-552-3865
publicrelations@pagrange.org
 

CALLING ALL PENN STATE STUDENTS!

If you are attending Penn State Main Campus, we need you! At the time that this Advocate went to print, it appeared that we had the necessary 20 students signed up as Charter Members! We have been working to reorganize the Grange at Penn State, which has been inactive since 1965. We had our first organizational meeting on December 11, 2007 and another on March 19th, 2008. Watch your college email for the next meeting (after summer break). We know there are current Grange members who attend at Main Campus who can join this new Grange as an approved Student Activity Organization on campus. If you are a current student or if you live in the Centre County area and would like to help this new Grange, please contact the State Master at master@pagrange.org or call 800-552-3865. Current Grange members can belong to their home Grange AND the NEW Grange at Penn State #2105!

I received the following handwritten letter in the office a few days ago:


PA State Grange
c/o Carl Meiss

With so much dishonesty in every facet of life, I wish you would publish the enclosed poem in the Grange Advocate. I am a member for 74 years, as I went from Juvenile to Subordinate at Winfield #1105 and then within a year joined Jefferson. I have Parkinson's and Barretts Esophagus so I am house bound.

I am acquainted with Ginny Mangel and John Scott if you need any information about me. My birthday is April 24th and The Lord willing, I'll be 87.

Sincerely,

H. Eugene Kennedy

Here is the poem that Brother Kennedy sent in:

God, give us men!
GOD, give us men! A time like this demands
Strong minds, great hearts, true faith and ready hands;
Men whom the lust of office does not kill;
Men whom the spoils of office can not buy;
Men who possess opinions and a will;
Men who have honor;
Men who will not lie;
Men who can stand before a demagogue
And damn his treacherous flatteries without winking!
Tall men, sun-crowned, who live above the fog
In public duty, and in private thinking;
For while the rabble, with their thumb-worn creeds,
Their large professions and their little deeds,
Mingle in selfish strife, lo! Freedom weeps,
Wrong rules the land and waiting Justice sleeps.
by Josiah Gilbert Holland


Then I received this letter from Ruth Walker of Buffalo Grange #1523, Washington County:
 

Carl,

A Big Thank You for the best ever Regional Meetings.

It was very well planned. You and Betsy did a very good, informative talk.

I was very pleased with Brother Ed. It was exceptional. Being a good, clear, well-spoken man, appearance, personality and a down-to-earth true Granger.

We were impressed. I feel very strongly as our new National Master and Granger, we will go places.

As you know I am a true Granger, it has been my life for 73 years. Along with my church for all my life. Looking forward to July [Family Festival].

Nice seeing you all.

Not neat, but Sincere,
Ruth
 


Thanks to both Brother Kennedy and Sister Walker for your time and wisdom.

No Winners for April Advocate

I was very disappointed this month that I didn't receive calls from either Mary Mills of New Vernon Grange #608, Mercer County or David W. Mattis of Community Grange #2048, Dauphin County. Mary's name was on page 8 and David's was on page 15 of the April issue of The Advocate but neither called to claim their $20.00 Sheetz gift cards. Read carefully because two more names with their Grange numbers are imbedded in this issue. If you read your name, call me at the State Grange office at 800-552-3865 before May 23rd to claim your gift card.

57 New Members in One Month!
Yeeehaaaaw!!! Congratulations! As you can see on the next page, you have recruited 57 new members in the past month! That is absolutely outstanding! Keep up the good work and we could be on track for the best recruiting year in a long time. Let's see if we can stay on track and get more than 600 new members for the year 2008!

Special congratulations are in order for:

Franklin A. Poust of Canasarago Grange #27, Lycoming County;
Arlene Felty, Lewistown Grange #1639, Schuylkill County;
Charles Felty, Lewistown Grange #1639, Schuylkill County;
Linda Hostetter, Hamburg Grange #2103, Berks County;
Mike Adams, Hamburg Grange #2103, Berks County, and;
Scott Kreider, Hamburg Grange #2103, Berks County.

Frank, Arlene, Charles, Linda, Mike and Scott all recruited at least two new members for their Granges and I will be sending $30.00 checks to their respective Granges to cover their 2008 annual dues. If any of these folks are Life Members, then the $30.00 can go into their Grange's general fund. If they have already paid their 2008 dues (which I am sure they have by now), then their Grange can credit their accounts with the $30.00 toward their 2009 dues.

"Well done Good and Faithful Servants!"
I am continuing this membership recruitment program through the end of June, 2008. So get out there and recruit two new members for your Grange and you will receive notice that I've sent a check for $30.00 in your name to your Grange to help pay your dues! Once you've recruited the two new members, please make sure that your secretary sends your information to me here at the State Office so that I can get your check cut and sent to your Grange.

And while we're on the subject of membership recruiting, now is as good a time as any to remind you that we will again be handing out "Power of Excalibur" recruitment awards at State Session this year in Lancaster.

Grangers who have recruited 3 to 6 new members between October 1, 2007 and September 30, 2008 will receive a Grange T-shirt. Recruiting 7 or more new members will garner you a Grange cap in addition to the T-shirt. And for those of you who recruit 10 or more new members during the above mentioned dates, in addition to the T-shirt and cap, you will be eligible to win one of the Antique Tin "Member - Grange" signs. (The top recruiter [of 10 or more] as reported by the Community Grange secretaries, in each category - Youth and Regular members - will win the antique signs).

So keep up the good work recruiting new members. We all benefit from your recruiting efforts: You personally; Your Community Grange, and; State and National Grange! Lets' surpass that goal of 600 new members for 2008!