The Female Grange and Rural Club Leader

A rural club has reach that can be hard to see from its meeting minutes. It may organize a service project, give young people a chance to speak, provide a place for neighbors to meet or help connect people with local services. A woman leading a Grange or rural club can start by writing down what members want to accomplish this season and who wants to do it. “The usual people” has served as a committee name for a long time. It performs poorly when the usual people go on vacation.

“Grange leader: rural community, modern problems, old-fashioned potlucks.”

Learn the club’s structure and possibilities

Ask about officer responsibilities, membership, meeting procedures and limits on spending or use of facilities. The National Grange programs page lists national program areas and can point readers toward available resources. Check with local or state contacts for procedures, training or opportunities relevant to your organization. Ask long-serving members which commitments recur and which contacts matter during the year. Give a new member a plain summary of how to volunteer, raise an issue or get access to the building when appropriate.

Choose a project that has a clear owner

Ask a local partner about an actual need and describe the work that could address it. A group might help coordinate an agricultural education event or arrange a collection with several organizations. Write down who approves the plan, which volunteers cover the main activities and what cost or liability questions need review. If you use donated time, space or supplies, record what is committed and who can change it. Give leaders an alternative if a volunteer has to leave early or a scheduled room becomes unavailable.

Create room for new members to lead

A woman who is experienced at a farm, school or business may have skills useful to the club even if she has never held office. Invite her to manage a specific assignment with a clear start, a person she can ask and a way to review the result. Provide accessible options and ask when volunteers can take part around work and family responsibilities. Share the process for decisions in advance so someone who has missed a meeting can contribute without finding out about the matter over dessert after the vote.

Make the handoff easier than the first year

Save budgets, contact information and schedules in an agreed location. Distinguish records that can be shared from private information about members. After an event, ask what worked and whether the project helped the people it intended to reach. Share a brief result with partners and invite them to suggest a change. New officers should inherit a list of open items and a description of what each requires. If the person leaving office carries valuable knowledge, schedule time for her to talk through the decisions she made. A rural club can keep its traditions while making it easier for another woman to take the chair, open the agenda and find out what happened to that key.