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2010 Convention

Hang on to your hats! The 138th Annual Convention of the California State Grange is just around the corner, October 13 – October 17 at the lovely Mt. Hamilton Grange in San Jose, California.

Our theme this year is Growing Together in celebration of a year of shared growth, camaraderie and exploration. Many fun and exciting activities are in store for us.

Imagine, almost one hundred forty years ago, we rose from the fields and farmlands and gathered on common ground to support each other, work together, and honor traditional values.

We built halls across the rural landscape of California, inviting family, friends and neighbors to share the harvest from the fields and celebrate the bounty of life. Since 1873, we’ve preserved our founding principles of unity, liberty and charity.

Cities and townships have grown up around those rural halls and the Grange has evolved into a community service organization with nearly 10,000 members and 206 chapters across California.

Damned right, we’re proud!

Join us in San Jose for this 138th Annual Convention. We are a grass roots organization. Our inspiration grows from the ground up. Each and every one of us has a voice, and all voices are equal. No where is your voice heard more clearly than at our annual convention, where we gather to share ideas, celebrate our fellowship, and affirm our beliefs.

And this will be a Convention you will not want to miss…

On Wednesday, October 13 at noon, the Master and staff of the CSG want to treat you to lunch, to show our appreciation and our joy from knowing you and working for you. Lunch will be followed by an afternoon of fun and rewarding workshops including “Confessions of a Secretary” presented by Office Manager Amy Self, “Surviving the Grange” with Master Bob, “Farmer’s Market Manifesto” with Michael Foley of the Little Lake Grange, “What’s Up? A PR Primer” presented by Jay Hartz and Rick Keel, “Safe Food – It’s a Mouthful” offered by Lecturer Buzz Chernoff.

Subject to final approval of the agenda, Thursday officially opens the session with our budget presentation for 2011, and reports from the Master and Directors. Resolution processing begins in the afternoon. There were more than 50 resolutions submitted this year, some very interesting. The day caps-off with Mt. Hamilton hosting a delicious traditional dinner and entertaining us with Filipino folk dance.

Friday we continue our resolutions processing. The GWA March, reports and luncheon are held. On Friday afternoon nominations will be taken and elections held for open officers’ positions. There are at least two this year, the State Secretary’s position and one position on the State Executive Committee. The day ends that evening with the Master’s Banquet and Awards Ceremony. Fine food, entertainment and company.

Saturday we will continue with processing our resolutions and have the exemplifications of the 5th and 6th degrees. Our annual Lecturer’s Talent Show and Dinner takes place that night.

Sunday morning, our Chaplain Barbara Geiger leads us for our Memorial Service, remembering our loved ones. Foundation President Tom Sawyer will conduct a ceremony to honor our Veterans. Elected officers will be installed by Central District Deputy Lee Geiger. We will conclude our business and hope to close our annual session at by 1:00pm.

Remember the Membership Contest we started last spring? Two Granges will be awarded $500 for membership growth, one for the most new members and one for the greatest percentage of new members gained in the 2nd quarter of this year. The winners will be announced at the convention. Right now, it’s neck-and-neck between a few Granges, as we tally the results.

Have you entered something in the Grange Expo? Over $10,000 in prizes are awarded each year.

Dress code. We often get asked, what is the dress code for convention? The answer is anything you want it to be, as long as it is not indecent. Talk around the CSG office is that Master and staff will dress-up for the opening session day, Thursday, and be more casual and comfortable for the rest of the convention.

Don’t be stingy! Your Grange can help cover the costs of convention by contributing $25 to get your Grange’s name on our official 138th Convention T-shirt.

Our goal is to make this convention fun. Activities have been planned to put a smile on your face and a spring in your step. We truly hope you will join us for this 138th California State Grange Convention.