Public Relations/Membership

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

This month I want to talk about some important items that the Secretaries need to be aware of. But first, I'll tell you what my August entailed...

It seems that almost every fair and festival is held in August...but I know there are many before and still more to come.

I started the month helping to set up a booth for my own Grange, Valley #1360 in York County, at the local Lisburn Fire Company Old Fashioned Festival on Wednesday, the 8th. The Festival runs from the 9th through the 11th and we pass out Grange informational brochures, various give-aways (mini-frisbees and pens and pencils this year) along with selling cookbooks. I then helped man the booth on Friday evening.

Then Monday morning the 13th, it was time to load my pick-up with the large display boards, tables brochures and give-aways for Ag Progress Days (Hopefully, you've already read about that from the cover story). I do want to take another opportunity to thank those Grangers who gave their time to help in the booth: Grange Royalty - Brittany Haag, Braden Gourley, Gail Switzer and Adam Waite; Heather Thielman, Youth Advocate; and, Betty Grove. I especially want to thank Libby Green, who seems to always be available to help when I need it most...to set up the booth and display and to take it down and repack it into my truck, along with manning the booth for many long hours - Thanks Libby!

The following Tuesday, the 21st, I, along with State President Betsy Huber and office secretary Gerry Berger, attended the Perry County Fair. After eating a fine meal prepared by the Granges in Perry County we were on hand for a presentation and ribbon cutting by Governor Ed Rendell. It was certainly interesting that as soon as the Governor was introduced, the only bolt of lightning seen all day long hit the building where we were and knocked the power out...

I finished up my fair visits for the month at the Centre County Grange Fair and Encampment in Centre Hall on Saturday the 25th. While there, I helped their Pomona and Subordinate Granges by setting up an informational table and talking to people about the Grange while we passed out various brochures...and I already received a new member application for Logan Grange #109 from one of the membership brochures that we handed out that I've forwarded to their secretary.

I finished out the month with a computer conference call with National Grange Membership/Leadership Director Ed Luttrell from Oregon. We started at 7:00 p.m. our time and went on and off through 11:00 p.m. Ed and I were the only two on most of the time but we were joined for a brief time by Arthur, husband of New Hampshire Master Beth Merrill.

It was a bit disappointing because this was the second computer conference call that Ed had set up since getting National to purchase software called "Teamspeak 2," which allows us to use a headset and microphone through our computers to talk...technology! But other than Ed and I, Arthur is the only other one to take advantage of the opportunity for Membership Directors and/or State Presidents to discuss membership matters. I hope we get more participation as we continue these calls.
Ed and I did get the opportunity to discuss various ideas pertaining to membership recruiting, organizing new Granges , re-organizing Granges and how National Grange can better assist the states in their efforts. We both hope that some of our ideas can become reality with National Grange.

So...now for my items for all of our secretaries...

ATTENTION SECRETARIES
First is a minor item but I had it bite me once and don't want to see it happen again...it was embarrassing for everyone involved. Secretaries, please send me MONTHLY lists of your Senior Birthdays so that I receive it prior to the third Friday of the month BEFORE it is to go into The Advocate (the deadlines are listed on the back page of every Advocate). "Why can't I just send you a list for the entire year?" you may ask. Well one Grange secretary did that and I put the birthday into the "senior Birthdays" in The Advocate, but I had NOT yet received the notice for "In Memoriam" for the same member before it went to print.

Yep, I hope you can understand the phone calls that I received.

Second item - We seem to be getting a lot of phone calls in the State Office asking why a new member is not receiving their Advocate. Secretaries, I cannot include a new member in the mailing list unless I get their complete information, as requested on the Membership Forms that we send out at the beginning of every year (Name, address, date of birth, etc.). Please, do not hesitate to send the information prior to the quarterly report being filed, but please include all the information so we can enter it into the computer.

Third - and this one if for every member to help make sure your secretary is filing this report...the Membership Recruiter Form. If your secretary does not send your name in on this form, I will never know how many new members you recruited and therefore I will not be able to properly recognize you at State Session...and now with the new Membership Recruiting Drive that runs from September 1 to December 31, 2007, I will not be able to pay your State and National Grange dues for 2008 if you recruit two new members during this time (remember the two new members must be Obligated/Welcomed during this time and they must pay their 2008 dues for you to be eligible). So, Secretaries, please send in your Membership Recruiter Forms so I can properly recognize our members for their efforts at State Session and don't forget to supply me with the information on your recruiters who get at least two new members from September 1 - December 31, 2007.

Fourth - and last for this article, but extremely important! Quarterly Report forms! Secretaries, PA State Grange prepares these forms for you at no cost to Subordinate Granges. This includes us setting up the forms in the computer, purchasing special carbonless paper, copying them, stapling two together so you have a copy, and sending every secretary four sets so that they arrive prior to March 31, the due date for the First Quarterly Report. We also include Member Information forms so that you can report your new members, lost members, new Family members, etc.

With all of these easy-to-fill-in- the-blank forms (instructions are included) that we send to you, Gerry is still receiving a check...nothing else...no Quarterly Report...no Member Information form...nothing else...for quarterly dues from some Granges.
When this happens, it takes time out of Gerry's other duties in the office because she must then make a phone call to the secretary (usually a long distance call that costs extra) to ask for all the information that is requested on the Quarterly Report (regular member numbers, Golden Sheaf member numbers, Life Member numbers, etc.). "Why does State Grange need all this information? Isn't a check good enough?" you may ask. Well, Gerry must prepare a Quarterly Report form which includes all of this information from EVERY Grange in the state (which right now stands at 280) to send to National Grange to pay for everyone's National dues.

So, Secretaries, I am very aware that "the duties of your office are most arduous of all..." But I hope that you now have a better understanding of why we, here at the State Grange Office, need all of these forms, etc. from you...and we need them on time.
I hate knowing of members who deserve recognition for recruiting new members but aren't properly recognized because I did not receive the report forms. We also need your Quarterly Reports on time...because National Grange charges us a penalty fee for late reports.

Questions? Call me. Thanks.