| AUGUST 2, 2011 -- One of the purposes of providing this column each month is to provide useful instruction regarding ritual and procedures. It has become apparent from visiting Granges around the State there are many Masters who are not aware of the protocol for recognizing guests at our Grange meetings.
When I first became Master of Winchester Grange, outgoing Master Shirley Lemieux handed me a small sheet of paper entitled, “Recognition of Honored Guests as Prescribed by the Connecticut State Grange.” I have never seen this in print in any other place than this note, but it is a good guideline for properly recognizing visitors to our Granges.
If a large gathering is anticipated, have someone make a list for you before the meeting, in the order listed here. It will make everything go a lot smoother and save some time.
There is one exception to this procedure... Deputies. If a Deputy State Master is making an official visit to your Grange, they are always recognized first and should be escorted first, even before the State Master. Official visits usually are inspection nights or schools of instruction. This is the rare situation when the Deputy ranks higher than anyone else at the meeting.
This also brings us to another important point. Deputy State Masters carry the weight and authority of the State Master. Whenever a Deputy is present at your Grange, treat them as you would the State Master.
I believe the members who do not practice these procedures simply are not aware of them. I hope every Master will put this information on a note card to be kept with the rest of their meeting paraphernalia to be available whenever the need arises.
The State Master has already acknowledged the resignations of Victor Salazar of Mountain County Pomona and J. Allen Cameron of Quinebaug Pomona. I join Brother Jody in thanking both of them for their hard work during this past year. Both agonized over their decisions. In then end, we all knew they made the right decision. There is nothing more important for them than getting the best educations possible. They leave tremendous voids for us to fill but we look forward to the time when they will be able to return to their Grange work. While Victor is moving to South Carolina to attend Clemson, J. Allen will continue to attend UConn. I am pleased to tell you that J. Allen has agreed to be a permanent Special Deputy for upcoming State Sessions and will remain Deputy of Quinebaug Pomona until the close of Session.
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Recognition of Honored Guests as Prescribed by the CT State Grange
Guests are recognized in the following order:
1) State Master and Spouse
2) National Officers & Past Voting Delegates
3) Elected State Officers (announced in order beginning with the Overseer, if the Master has already been recognized)
4) Appointed State Officers (beginning with Deputies, then Committees - announced in order of rank)
5) Pomona Masters
6) Subordinate Masters
Even though there may be members of the "home" Grange that might hold higher offices, they are not recognized at their own Grange meetings.
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