Good DAY!
A quarterly publication of the National Grange Vol. 2, Issue 4 l Winter 2019
FUTURE
SECURELY IN HAND NATIONAL CONVENTION A PLACE FOR MEMORIES, FRIENDSHIPS TO BE MADE FOR A LIFETIME
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ONLY THE BEST FOR GRANGE MEMBERS
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Good DAY! 9
NATIONAL NEWS & VIEWS
SPECIAL SECTION: 2019 Contest, Program Guide
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National President looks to Youth for answers to fulfill “Esto Perpetua” motto
Every member can shine with new, continuing contests, programs
Elections results announced
Plus 2018 winners listed
Editor says Grange need not be rebuilt, but adaptation and openness key to continued relevance and success in year 151
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3 Rural Champions honored New Trademark Manager welcomed, past Membership Director returns to staff
PERSPECTIVE: 152nd Annual Convention
Year’s major event offers opportunities for all; recognition opportunities for many 2 receive Goss Award for service to Youth
TOOL: Grange Inventory Phone survey of all Granges will help fill gaps for better service, future
VIEW: Junior recounts fun had over week of service as host region volunteer at session
VIEW: Members encouraged to “DO SOMETHING” First round of irreplacable National Grange documents digitization, partnership introduced after state sees successful pilot SMS program tested, plan announced that is scaled for use by any Grange
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MEMBER NEWS & RECOGNITION
33 35
Granges celebrating milestone anniversaries
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STATE & LOCAL GRANGE NEWS
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California State President passes unexpectedly, new State President installed Hall gets extreme makeover thanks to local TV station, volunteers
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LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS
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Delegate actions set 2019 course; new policies presented
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GRANGE FOUNDATION
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1 in 1,000 Club holds first event in Stowe
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JUNIOR GRANGE
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Starting in 2019, all Junior volunteers for regional, national events required to complete background checks through new firm New Passport focuses on Kelley Farm
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GRANGE YOUTH & YOUNG ADULTS
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New Youth Director announced 2018 female Youth Ambassador profile VIEW: Sixth-generation member looks back on family legacy Grange team earns honors at National Junior Horticulture Association convention
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HOBBIES
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2019 contest’s quilt block designed by 2017 winner, ready to be made Maine Granger pens book celebrating Grange traditions, interpretting for modern world
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FOOD NEWS & RECIPES
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Mushrooms offer delicious way to consume needed vitamin D during winter months Master’s Recipe: Creamy Mushroom Soup
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LAST WORD
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Outgoing Youth Director expresses joy from years of service, thanks
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CLASSIFIEDS
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Fundraising items, member kudos and more
Good Day! Magazine is a quarterly publication of the National Grange. located at 1616 H St. NW, Washington, DC 20006. All comments and questions can be directed to communications@nationalgrange.org
GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE ®
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WHAT’S THE GRANGE? The National Grange was founded as a fraternal organization for farm families in 1867 – opening its doors to men and women equally from the start. From rural free delivery of mail to the direct election of U.S. Senators by the people, Grangers have influenced so many aspects of American life and culture. Today we continue to advocate for rural Americans and those interested in all areas of agriculture – including those who just like to eat – and our local Granges provide millions of dollars and hours of service to their neighbors annually. Each Grange operates as a grassroots unit, taking on projects most appropriate for their communities and advocating based on their members’ beliefs.
®
Officers William “Chip” Narvel, DE, National Steward
F. Philip Prelli, CT, Overseer philip.prelli@snet.net
John Plank, IN, National Assistant Steward
Leroy Watson, NH, Executive Committee Chair
Brenda Rousselle, VT, National Lady Assistant Steward
Lynette Schaeffer, IL,
Executive Committee Secretary schaeffr@att.net Susan Noah, OR,
Executive Committee Member master@orgrange.org Stephen Coye, NY,
Executive Committee Member & Grange Foundation Board Chair steve@nygrange.org Chris Hamp, WA,
National Lecturer lecturer@nationalgrange.org
Betsy E. Huber, Publisher National Grange Master (President) & President, Grange Foundation betsy@nationalgrange.org Amanda Leigh Brozana Rios, Editor Communications & Development Director & Grange Foundation Associate communications@nationalgrange.org Loretta Washington, Subscription Manager Sales, Benefits, Programs & Membership Recognition Director lwashington@nationalgrange.org
Stephanie Tiller, Copy Editor Convention & Operations Director stiller@nationalgrange.org
Betsy E. Huber, PA, President betsy@nationalgrange.org
leroyawatson@nationalgrange.org
Staff
Stephanie Wilkins, Subscriptions Assistant IT Director swilkins@nationalgrange.org
Learn more at www.nationalgrange.org.
OUR
OUR
Joe Stefenoni Membership & Leadership Development Director membership@nationalgrange.org
Barbara Borderieux, FL, National Chaplain Dwight Baldwin, IO, National Treasurer Judy Sherrod, TN, National Secretary Christopher Johnston, MI, National Gatekeeper
Burton Eller Legislative Director beller@nationalgrange.org Mandy Bostwick Youth Development Director youth@nationalgrange.org Samantha Wilkins Junior Grange Development Director junior@nationalgrange.org Pete Pompper Community Service Director communityservice@nationalgrange.org
Cindy Greer, CO, National Ceres Kay Stiles, MD, National Pomona Welina Shufeldt, OK, National Flora
GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE
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www.nationalgrange.org
Stewart Hughes Controller shughes@nationalgrange.org Spencer Sanders Trademark Manager trademark@nationalgrange.org Mujo Mrkonjic Building Engineer
Features HIDDEN HEROICS
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WARRIOR’S GRIN
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2019 Theme celebrating superpowers of Granges, members and everyday acts of heroism unveiled
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Connecticut Junior, diagnosed with Leukemia, takes fight to disease
MEET CLARABELLE
Mascot enlisted to help make annual Junior awareness topic fun, interactive
ADVERTISE WITH US Our quarterly publication welcomes advertisers. Up to a 20% discount may be offered to Grange members on their ad purchases. All rates shown are for pre-designed content submitted at least 2 weeks in advance of press date for an issue. You may request rates for ads to be designed by our staff.
GOOD DAY!™ PRESS DATES 2019 Issue Due Date Hits Mailboxes Spring
Feb. 1
March 1
Fall
Feb. 1
March 1
Summer Winter
May 1
Nov. 15
June 1
Dec. 15
Classified ads are also welcomed at $0.50 per word up to 25 words, $1 thereafter; $2.50 per website, email, or other link regardless of word count; $5 per photo (will appear no larger than 1.5”x1”). Special requests (bold design, font increase) available for extra charge. All copy should be submitted no later than 10 days prior to the due date. National Grange assumes no responsibility for that which is advertised in Good Day!™ and reserves the right to reject ads deemed offensive or irrelevant.
Please contact Amanda Brozana Rios at communications@nationalgrange.org or by phone at (301) 943-1090 for details.
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Stowe provides unforgettable backdrop for 152nd Annual National Grange Session The Vermont mountains and cordial Northeast Region Grangers offered a warm welcome to the attendees of the 152nd Annual National Grange Convention in November even as the weather was a bit blustery and snowy for part of the affair. Many attendees, especially those from warmer regions, enjoyed the 8” of powder that fell mid-week, playing, building snowmen and even for one, using the beautiful location and fresh snow for a maternity photo backdrop. The wintry weather and fun did not stop the work, though, which began with delegates reviewing more than 140 resolutions across committees and ended with a flurry of new policies that will be acted upon by the National Grange over the course of the years to come. One big change that had many delegates less snowed under than usual – by paper that is – was the beta-test of a “paperless” system for resolutions and other policy materials. National Grange Legislative Director Burton Eller said annually about 80 binders with about 400 pieces of paper had been prepared for delegates and officers, but the number was reduced for 2018 as about 20 signed on to test the use of SharePoint, a cloud-based Microsoft Office system, to allow for realtime editing and viewing of documents by committees that would not require printing. The test came on the heels of a resolution adopted at the 151st Convention from New Hampshire that called for a study to determine the feasibility of a paperless convention. The longest serving delegate in National Grange history, Virginia State Grange President Jimmy Taylor, said in 1991 when he came to the body, he “never thought that we would reach this point in modern times.”
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Photo by Lindsay Schroeder 2018 Pennsylvania Outstanding Young Patron Denae Zvarick takes the
opportunity to pose with her future Junior Granger while at the 152nd Annual Convention in Stowe, Vermont, in November. He said using technology is a very smart choice for various reasons, and added,
“Delegates
should
not
be
frightened to use the electronic versions because they are fairly simple to work with.”
to go paperless and overall the test was a success. “We see the future,” Eller said. “And by golly we used it here today.” From the longest serving delegate, to more than a dozen new faces in the
Eller said while there was some
delegate body, a determination that
apprehension at the beginning of the
the organization remain a relevant and
week as people got used to the system,
vibrant part of the American landscape
many more adopted it throughout the
was palpable.
session who had not initially signed up
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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
Huber said she is most “looking
Photos by Lindsay Schroeder ABOVE: Delegates and officers to the 152nd Annual National Grange convention take a break from work to get their photo taken at the beginning of session. BELOW: Maureen Prelli, Connecticut, and Massachusetts State Grange President George Thomas enjoy a tasting at the Cabot Creamery retail store in Stowe while Ruth Henry looks on. forward to having our new state masters joining convention with a fresh, new outlook to contribute to our Grange discussions.” In total, 14 new faces and one returning delegate were part of the organization’s highest decision-making body, including the host state’s new president, Joe Goodrich, and his wife, Lisa. Because of the sudden passing of California State Grange President Ed Komski at the start of the week, State Grange Vice President Kent Westwood stepped up and former first lady of the State Grange, Martha Stefenoni, was seated as second delegate for the state after a vote of the California State Grange Executive Board. A first for the body was also marked – the representation of Rhode Island by its first female State President, Eileen
Hebert. She was joined by State Grange Vice President Walter Hartley, who also donned a gold sash for the first time. Legacy member Karen Overstreet, newly-elected Texas State Grange President, and her husband, Buddy, also put on their own gold sashes for the first time, something she saw her parents, Archie and Barbara Knight, do for many years as her father served in the role she was elected to in July. Her mother had also served as National Grange Pomona in the 1990s. Additionally, the first-time delegate list included Ohio State Grange President Sue Roy and her husband, Bruce; Connecticut State Grange President George Russell, and his wife, Sharon; Idaho State Grange President Eileen Javaux, and her husband, Richard; and Minnesota State Grange President John Crippen.
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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
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