One of our Granges in Connecticut recently got caught in a kerfuffle with the town tax assessor who was new to that job. Wanting to look good no doubt by raising the grand list, said assessor sent said Grange a multi-thousand dollar tax bill. Due to attrition and changes in officers in that Grange, the Quadrennial Filing for Tax Exempt Entities went heaven knows where. I capitalize the name of that report because all Grange secretaries should be intimately familiar with it as completing it every four years is what keeps your Grange from paying property taxes to your town. Good news is the Grange afore mentioned resolved their issue by filing this report. If you don’t complete it or have never seen one, maybe your town tax assessor knows your tax-exempt status and either completes it for your Grange or overlooks it. Either way, if you ever receive a property tax bill, this is what you need to go complete and file with the assessor.

There have been ongoing questions in various Granges about procedural matters as they relate to the National Grange Digest of Laws and the State Grange By-Laws. All Granges should have copies of these handy, and especially the Digest as that has been distributed to all Granges in recent years by the State Secretary Todd Gelineau. [Secretary’s Note: All Granges will be receiving a copy of the National Digest and the State By-Laws at State Session in October]. In the meantime, failing to find one when needed, you can go to the National Grange website and download a copy for yourself. As it is dry reading, if anyone has questions about procedures, please call either me, the President or Todd, the Secretary and we will be glad to help answer questions. Grange Law is Grange Law and not optional as to whether you follow it as you are not allowed to make up your own rules.

Good Day! editor Phil Vonada shared some good ideas in an article in the most recent issue. You may have heard of the ill of modern society called the Plague of Loneliness. With so many people around plus all the groups of which to choose to be a part as well as all the technological methods of social media to create connections between people, many folks are still alone and lonely. This is where the Grange fits in. Instead of the superficiality of social media, the Grange is a space where you can bring people in and create a sense of belonging by allowing them to undertake projects (of their choosing) they can then call their own. The Grange and its work provide for some shared goals which members can work on together for the betterment of the community.

This in turn creates that sense of accomplishment and belonging. A simple and powerful idea.

Another idea from Good Day! shared by National Lecturer Richard Stonebraker is for the Grange to have value to people so that they will join us in our work. It must make sense to them. Instead of inviting in new members and forcing them to bend to our way, we must meet them where they are by providing an organization that is relevant to their lives. This is part of the FISH philosophy originated in the Seattle, Washington, Pike Place Fish Market in 1998. It was begun to add high energy and excitement to the workplace, but its ideas are a part of any organization where you deal with people. Some of the longer-term Grange members will remember this from a previous Grange program meant to boost membership.

With State Grange Session fast approaching, I have been preparing by rememorizing the Sixth Degree and have got it down again. Resolutions are coming in and there are over 20 so far. Todd was working on the Session program booklet last we talked. As the Call to Session has gone out, send in your registrations and get your hotel rooms booked. Try to get two delegates to which each Grange is entitled. I look forward to seeing you all and having a good session this year. Remember, it is an election year so there will also be an installation of officers. Plan to stay for that as it is truly one of the most beautiful Grange rituals.