Membership

Interested? Please call Dan Keeley (Master) at 503-508-7807 for more info. You are always welcome to come and check out one of our meetings but please call first, cancellations do happen.

News and Special Events

NOTE!
March 26 Grange meeting is back to regular time of 4:30.

Ag Fest Volunteers needed April 29 and 30! Contact Jay Sexton, president@orgrange.org or at 503-316-0106

Pomona 5th degree at Maplewood September 23, Dinner by Youth Grange at 6, Lecture program at 7 and 5th degree starts at 7:30. Should be an interesting and enjoyable evening! Please plan to attend and show our support for the Pomona organization.

ZUMBA is again in session. Shake it up! - Call Cristina for details at 503-984-8193

As always, Maplewood Grange is looking for community minded folks willing to get involved and leave the world a bit better than they found it. Open to all since 1867.

Welcoming New Members
When our group takes in a new member, what do you do that celebrates their joining? There are three good reasons to have some ceremony to welcome them into membership.
First, what do you do to make them feel special? What do you do that makes them feel that they are wanted and valued as fellow members? There is real advantages to making new members feel they are special and wanted.
Second, what do you do to make them feel a part of your organization? It is important to share the pride of your group with each new member. Many organizations have formal ceremonies to initiate new members which creates common bonds and experiences between members. Whatever your group does to welcome a new member, it should be more than a receipt for paying dues.
Third, how do you share the written and unwritten rules of your group with each new member? Some form of orientation that explains how your group functions empowers the new member. Do you sit down in a formal manner, or in a relaxed setting to share information? Do you give new members reading material or just let them learn the ropes by the seat of their pants?
How you welcome and treat new members is more important than actually recruiting them into your group. Take the time to understand why and how you welcome new members and then explore how to improve that process. After all, you should want the new member to become a long-time member someday.