by Rusty Hunt
National Grange Director of Leadership and Membership
Show Some Excitement
We are in the last quarter of the year. State
Sessions are all done for the year and National Grange Convention is upon
us. Some of us will be making that pilgrimage to National Convention to work
on policy and set our direction for the coming year. Is that all that
happens at our State sessions or National Convention? No! We also get to see
our Brothers and Sisters from around the state and nation. We get to hear
about their Grange successes. We get to meet folks that have earned their
way to convention by sharing their talents with us. We will have opportunity
to learn more fun and interesting stuff to do in our own Granges.
I come away from convention charged up every
time. I love the camaraderie amongst Friends. I love the sharing of stories,
the playing together, the touring together, and as funny as it sounds the
working together. Grangers are just fun to be around and I, as some of you
know, like to have fun. Starting new Granges and signing up new members
proves that excitement brings people in. When you have a group of people in
a community that get excited about something like the Grange and they are
talking about it everywhere they go people begin to wonder what is going on.
As the new members are talking about all the wonderful things they have
plans for in the new Grange non members will begin the consideration process
of joining the Grange.
They start looking into what the Grange is all
about. We are the reason people join. Friends and fellowship, is the #1
reason folks join. I think that joining a group of folks that are excited
about what they are doing and excited about the possibilities for the future
is a great calling card for us. Excitement can be expressed in different
ways. You can “show” it and you can “tell” it. We all need to show
some excitement. As we plan for our holiday parties and as we plan for the
next meetings we need to make sure we let everyone see just how excited we
are to be in the Grange. Let everyone see your excitement. Smile. Laugh.
Give somebody a pat on the back or a thumbs up for a job well done. Just let
all know by your actions that you are excited. We all need to tell people we
are excited. Talk positively about the Grange to other members and non
members alike.
Tell somebody that they did a good Job at the
last Grange event. Tell somebody that they are needed at the next meeting or
activity. The spoken word can be powerful so make it positive and make it
exciting. Excitement is contagious. It is like a virus. Once one person
starts to show some others will start to get excited. Have you heard the
saying “SMILE, make everyone wonder what you are up to.” I have proven this
to be true. I challenge you to try it.
