| MARCH 8, 2015 -- Wow! What a bitterly cold and snowy February we had. I’m glad it’s over. I can’t wait to hear the sound of the red winged blackbird and those shrieking peepers, the first signs of spring. Hope it comes fast.
Since I have become your State Master I have heard throughout my travels and meetings to remember our Obligation to the Order. I find these words challenging me, as with the changes to welcoming new members to our Order, with the welcoming ceremony, if a new members doesn’t follow up and witness the four degrees they miss out on the lessons of the Grange and skip over the other Obligations of the Order. The Four Degrees are the foundation of our organization, a solid footprint to which we grow upon. Without a solid foundation a structure weakens and can collapse without warning.
Through our life travels, we have all taken many obligations. As 4Hers, a pledge to Heart, Head, Hand, Health. In FFA a creed “we believe in the future of Farming, with the faith…” In our churches by baptism, confirmation, obligations to our faith. In marriage we obligate to each other for better or worse, richer or poorer, till death… To organizations like local fire departments, we volunteer to serve, which means to commit to the training, state regulations.
With all these examples we strengthen the foundation of these groups, with our obligation, commitment, pledge, creed. Then we should strengthen our Grange Foundation by sharing the knowledge we have learned to those members who are traveling blind along the path of obstacles, rough and uneven. These acts will bring us together as the family we believe the Grange builds between its members.
With that said all come out to the Degree Days scheduled in the upcoming months and witness the four degrees with friends.
At the National Convention and the Northeast Leader’s Conference, the National Master had asked me for the Connecticut State Grange mailing list of members. Our State Grange passed a resolution not to give out our mailing list to protect our members from unsolicited mail. I did give the State Directory to the National Master so he could communicate to the Granges directly. This is in regards to the protection of the Grange Trademark. The National Grange is working to protect the trademark of the Grange from those who wish to use it for non-Grange purposes. The history is long and complicated but the battle is long and expensive, anything to do with lawyers always is. The National Grange is seeking donations from individuals and Grangers to help offset the cost of these litigations. If monies can’t be raised then the National Grange will borrow against the National Grange Building to continue this litigation. So help out if you can to protect our trademark
Camp Berger will be open again this camping season and the Kimberly’s are expecting an increase of campers this year as the camp has a big bang for the buck, with programs. Grangers who wish to sponsor a campership can continue, and donations to the camp maintenance fund can still be sent to the State Grange Central Office and sent to the appropriate accounts. We are planning a clean-up day to help offset the cost of outside contractors for raking leaves. Watch for the Camp Clean-Up announcement.
Inspections will already have started by the time of this reading, but please be courteous and welcome my Deputy Staff into your halls, but beware… your inspecting officer may be the State Master himself, this is to help out other deputies. I will hope to see more of your Granges this month, and Happy St. Patty’s Day to all. Come spring!!! |
