As we look forward to spring, what are your plans to help your Grange grow. When a seed is planted it will grow if it is watered and cared for. This is the same with our Granges - we need to plant the seed. The seed, what we have to offer, water and care for our new members by making them feel welcomed and giving them a purpose for joining the Grange. This is hard for Grangers, we are set in our ways, or don’t have the time to put forth the effort it takes to accomplish the goal. But if we at least try, we should see growth in our Granges.
The theme of Grange Month is “Grange Heroes in our Hometowns.” Let’s see what Idaho can do with the theme. We all probably have “Grange Heroes” in our Grange or Community.
My “Grange Hero” for March is my mother-in-law Freda Monfort Javaux. I look at her as a prime example of what a Granger represents. We all know we have conflicts in our Granges, but even when she was frustrated, she never quit because she believed in the Grange as a whole. Freda was a charter member along with her husband, Merle. Freda and Merle organized the Notus Grange in their home and then became a member of Pleasant Ridge Grange when the Granges merged.
A lasting impression of her was the journal entry she wrote in her memory book about what was the most meaningful gift you ever received.
Freda wrote, “The year I coached a drill and degree team for our State Grange Convention at Twin Falls, Idaho. It was very time consuming and the members were very cooperative. There was one man who took the Overseers part and he was also a Women’s Activity Chairman in his Grange. I was also County Women’s Activity Chairman, so I had lots of contact with him. Well when the convention was over, and we were all relaxing and rejoicing it went over so well. Then this man stood up and asked me to come over beside him, everyone was quiet, and I was wondering what was going on-then Ernie reached behind a chair and brought out a very large package. And he has quite a speech about my work and patience with them during practice, so they wanted me to have the package as a token of gratitude from them. I opened it and found a beautiful suitcase, which I still have. I never thought of them doing such a thing and I was so overcome I just hugged him and thanked them. I am still using the suitcase and always think of what a wonderful group of people they were.” Freda appreciated the gift because she didn’t expect anything for her leadership. Freda set the example for not what the Grange could give her but what she could do for the Grange. Grange Drill teams bring our youngest and oldest members together to learn from each other. How will you work to bring your Grange together and make all members feel included?
Updates the Idaho State Grange Office. Our new website is a work in progress thanks to Amber Javaux Obert for all the time she spends working to make it an easy website to access. We would love to have pictures to add and your events to add to the calendar. Please visit the site at https://idahostategrange.wixsite.com/home
And a big thank you to Amanda Brozana Rios, our National Communications Director, for the time she spent here helping us with new ideas for promoting the Idaho State Grange through the paper and website. Her support is so greatly appreciated. We have a lot of work to do to help our granges grow, but we must put in the effort because the Grange deserves to live on long past each of us. Finally, a big part of making sure we connect with our communities comes through legislative outreach. I encourage all Granges to be working on resolutions that better your local community, counties and state. For help with resolutions visit the National Grange Website.
Fraternally,
Eileen Javaux
Idaho State Grange
Master/President