NOTE FROM THE STATE DIRECTOR OF FAMILY LIVING

Director's Letter for packets

Hello and Welcome to all newly elected and returning Family Living chairpersons. Those of you who dedicate time and energy in promoting our program and who help to make your Grange a welcome place. This will be an exciting journey for all of us as we embark on new activities and areas of service. It will also be both fun and challenging as we attempt to turn many of the skills and necessary duties that families carry out on a daily basis into fun, rewarding experiences for all ages to learn about and enjoy. After all, every family is unique and we all have certain jobs to do in order to make our homes safe, comfortable and productive. I encourage you as chairpersons to prepare and follow through on your duties to ensure a successful and enjoyable program for all and for this dedication I say Thank you!

With the new title of Family Living in mind we see our Grange family as one in which we nurture, and help to grow in many of the same ways we do in our own homes. I ask all of you to envision your Grange as your home away from home. Is it viewed as a mutual place where friends, families and communities meet to accomplish wonderful things? How is your Grange looking these days? Is it inviting to the eye? Is it welcoming and pleasant to all who enter? Is there a smiling Granger waiting to greet those who visit and participate in your many activities? As a Family Living Chairperson we must strive to achieve all of these and much more.

I invite all Granges to strive to remember those less fortunate than ourselves and place the Family Living Departments Charities on your Granges list of contributions for this year. These charities include: Family Living Scholarship, Kelley Historical Projects Fund, Kimball Memorial, King Memorial, and the March of Dimes. Your generosity will certainly enrich the lives of others. Please make donation checks payable to: Washington State Grange Foundation and mail to: Cecelia Hamilton, 20 Old West Curlew Lake Rd., Republic, WA. 99166. You may use one check for your donations. Please designate the amounts to each charity in the memo area of your check if you choose to support numerous areas. We offer many projects that make a difference in people’s lives and these may be found in the Program Handbook and on the Washington State Grange website.

Be sure to check out the many areas of our Family Living Department contests. Non-members are encouraged to enter. All entry forms and guidelines are available on the website: www.wa-grange.org along with the new two year handbook for 2012 & 2013. All Family Living report forms are available there.

As always, I wish you the best as you promote and carry out our program. It is a privilege to serve the families and the Granges of Washington State and I look forward to visiting the many Granges and also meeting many new faces and making new lifelong friends in the Grange.

Fraternally,
Cecelia Hamilton

Information on Cookbooks

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FAMILY LIVING DIRECTORS:
Please fill out this Family Living Department Survey

2012 FAMILY LIVING CALENDER

JANUARY
Family Living Conferences 1/14&15, 1/21 & 22, 1/28 &29
Jan. 1ST ~ 2011 Subordinate CFL Report due to Pomona CFL
Jan. 10th ~ 2011 Pomona CFL Report due to CFL District Director
Jan. 30th ~ 2011 District Directors Reports due to State Director

FEBRUARY
POMONA CONTESTS BEGIN: Pomona Chairman arrange for judging.

MARCH
Donations for Family Living Scholarships, King Memorial, Kimball Memorial, March of Dimes & Kelly Farm Projects are due. Please mail donations to State Director.
Promote Contests ~ Some Judging can be completed by now.

APRIL
April 1st ~ Scholarship Applications are due. Submit to State Grange Headquarters.
GRANGE MONTH ~ please plan something special for your Grange.

MAY
May 4th ~ CFL District Director’s Meeting & Convention Preparations
May 15th ~ Pomona Contests judging must be completed and Contest results reports submitted to your District Director.
May 20th ~ District Directors submit copies of Pomona Contest results reports to State Director.

JUNE
19th – 24th State Grange Convention at Spokane
19th ~ State Contest items due for judging including:

• Comfort Toys, Quilt Blocks, Dress your favorite Storybook Character.              19th ~ Collectible Items due at State Convention including:

• Comfort Toy donations, cancelled postage stamps, eye glasses & pull tabs.
                 23rd ~ Check out State Contest Entries ~ see convention schedule
  
  JULY
  Happy Birthday America!
  
  AUGUST
  Pomona & Subordinate CFL’s please review State Convention participation.
  Continue to work on Community projects & begin holiday projects.

SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER
Continue Community projects & holiday projects
Pomona & Subordinate CFL’s Prepare notebooks to hand over to incoming CFL’s if applicable
Pomona CFL’s Prepare schedule for your CFL conferences
District Directors Prepare for upcoming CFL conferences

NOVEMBER
13th – 17th ~  146TH National Grange Convention in Boise, Idaho.

DECEMBER
Merry Christmas! Thank you for a very successful year!
JANUARY 2013
Jan. 1ST ~ 2012 Subordinate CFL Report due to Pomona CFL
Jan. 10th ~ 2012 Pomona CFL Report due to CFL District Director
Jan. 30th ~ 2012 District Directors Reports due to State Director