Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help) January 14, 2025
Blood drive this Friday at the Grange
Our Rental Agent (and Treasurer) Merry Shernock has set up this series, the first was Nov. 1 of 2024, and now it’s time for number two!
Please sign up on the RedCrossBlood.org website, if possible, or come by from 10:30 AM to 3:00 PM on Friday, Jan. 17. They will be taking regular whole-blood donations, or “Power Red” donations of red blood cells only. At this time, there are still quite a few times open, especially for “Power Red” appointments. Please sign up now!
As a regular donor myself (13 gallons and counting) I can vouch for the friendly, considerate people on the blood drive crews, and the almost painless nature of the procedure. I’ve been making “Power Red” donations for over 10 years; if you have questions, please email me.
As I’m sure you’ve heard, there is a constant need for blood at hospitals locally, around the state and the nation. This is a great way to really make a difference!
And coming up in a couple of weeks, another FREE training session: Hands-Only CPR + AED training
This life-saving training and presentation is our February “Community Program”. Please come at 5:00 PM on Saturday, Feb. 1 to take part in this event. The instructor will explain the process, and there will be an opportunity for everyone who would like to practice doing hands-only CPR on training manikins. Even if you aren’t able to get on your hands & knees, you will still get a lot out of this presentation. The instructor will show how communities, sports teams and schools are learning this skill–and why it’s important to take action quickly, if someone has a cardiac arrest. Bring your family and friends if you can–this is training for everyone!
Working with the American Heart Association (AHA), we are offering this hour-long training in how to save lives by using “Hands-Only” CPR, plus basic instruction in using the Grange’s AED (Automated External Defibrillator). This simple training can make the difference in someone surviving a heart attack, allowing time for 911 responders to arrive and provide expert care. Doing the hands-on practice at this workshop will help increase your confidence in actually stepping forward to help to save a life, if a cardiac arrest happens where you are. And it will let you see how simple it is to use the AED, which can diagnose if a shock is needed, and then give the correct shock safely.
You can read more about these courses, and other information at the AHA’s handsonlycpr website. You’ll also find a link to a Spotify playlist of songs that have the right beats per minute for CPR. This “Don’t Drop the Beat” playlist includes songs at the 100-120 beats per minute rhythm! Everything from “Stayin’ Alive” to “Walk the Line”–check them out, too.
There are no age limits and no pre-registration required for this instruction session–please show up by 5:00 PM on Saturday, Feb. 1 to take part.
Followed by the Grange “Community Potluck”
at 6:00 PM!
You’ll be hungry after the CPR training, and you’ve got to eat dinner in any case–consider staying for our bountiful potluck dinner! You can prepare your favorite dish to share, or pick up something on your way over, whether you come for the workshop or not. We’ll be using the Grange’s vintage plates, bowls and silverware, so you know it will be a classy event!
January meeting: still working on how to recruit more active Grange members
I will give a brief summary of the Grange meeting we held on Jan. 4. The purpose of the meeting was to talk about how current and new members can get involved with Grange Hall operations and Grange leadership–both are important. The 10 members that came had a good discussion of why we, the active core group, joined the Grange, and why we have kept coming. Without going into a lot of personal details, a few of us joined in the early 2000s, when the previous generation of Grange members were running out of energy, and were just about ready to sell the Hall to a restaurant or funeral home (yes, really…). The rest of the group joined because someone asked them to–and because they saw that the Grange is an important piece of “community infrastructure”. And also because they really enjoy the sense of belonging and community, and because of the friends they have made at the Grange Hall!
Involvement can be in roles large and small, but the great need we have is for more people to get involved. We will be reaching out to people who we know value the Grange in its many roles, and asking for help, because we know that it’s an important part of the lives of so many people. We have lots of information if you have questions about what is needed, please feel free to reach out to us, too!