Grange News – Maine State Grange

Mill Stream Grange Visits School

Kindergartners Start Farming

Recently, Mill Stream Grange members Jill Sampson, Lisa Goucher, and Paula Hanley visited teacher Melanie Hall’s kindergarten class at Mt. Vernon Elementary School to share information about the Grange and farming. Each child was given a new book titled “Farming” by Gail Gibbons, a coloring book on farming, and animal stickers. Jill read “Farming” to the students, then Lisa and Paula helped each of them to plant sunflower seeds, which were placed on the windowsill in the sun.

Jill reads to future farmers. — Mt Vernon Kinders had fun learning

Farming by Gail Gibbons is a popular nonfiction children’s book that uses clear, colorful illustrations and diagrams to explain the year-round work on a farm, from planting and harvesting crops to caring for animals and dealing with seasonal changes. An updated edition includes new safety equipment and procedures, making it an engaging and educational resource for young readers (ages 4-8) about agriculture, tractors, and where food comes from. It is available from Amazon.

What’s not to love about Jill’s apron? “Romaine Calm and Carrot On.”

Sagadahoc Pomona News

By Marilyn Stinson

Sagadahoc Pomona held their May meeting at Topsham Grange where Lecturer Sharon had an interesting program for her agriculture report. What do elephants and fireflies have in common? They are both “keystones” for our environment. We learned how to help reduce the light pollution that is harming our ecosystem.

Marilyn has been saying that she would rather Enterprise Grange (in Richmond) get a red or white ribbon for the exhibits they earn at the fair than a blue one, because there is no competition. Well, we also learned that Merriconeag (in Harpswell) is having secret meetings to come up with the best exhibit with the Poultry Theme that MAAF has given all Granges to use.

Ta Da!! A friendly challenge is accepted. It will be fun to see how the different Granges in our state respond to the second year of the Maine Fair Association directing our common theme.

Monmouth Fair is the first and has to be set up before June 24th, which is our meeting date. Pittston is second in July, then Windsor, Topsham, and Litchfield for the fairs in our area.

Sagadahoc will have a Memorial program and Elections on June 24th, no meeting in July, and our picnic at James Mitchell Park on the ocean in Harpswell on August 29th. See you then!

Communication Shorts 05-26-2026

By Walter Boomsma,
MSG Communications Director
207 343-1842

Communication Shorts are brief (short) but important items posted for your information and use. Please send us your ideas and thoughts!

The Maine State Grange Office is located at 36 Anthony Avenue, Suite 102, Augusta, ME 04330.
mainestategrange@gmail.com.

June Bulletin

Articles for the June Bulletin are due by the end of the day, June 14th.. Recent issues of the Bulletin are available on the Program Books and Information Page in the communications section.

Website Status

No more outages! The site seems to be running faster! We still are occasionally run into missing items and links not working. If it happens to you, please let the webmaster know!

Great Grange News

Ocean View Grange reports they have been highlighted for their Fuel Assistance Program in this issue of the St George Community Development Corporation newsletter. They are happy that their efforts are noted and proud that the Ocean View Grange members are part of helping our community.

Election Stress Getting to You?

Set strict media boundaries: Stop doomscrolling by scheduling 15 to 30 minutes a day to check the news, and use news-free zones (like your bedroom) to disconnect. The June Primaries are only the beginning.

Fryeburg Fair Opportunity

The Fryeburg Fair is seeking a nonprofit to take over the New Church Booth. The New Church group had operated the booth for seventy-three years! The Fair provides an opportunity for over 20 non-profits to earn funds through the operation of various booths. Who is up to this challenge?

What’s Going On?

Don’t forget to submit your special events and programs for our event calendar! We want people to know the Grange is thriving! Surely, there are lots of things happening in Maine, especially in the summer. We also love photos and reports of events that have happened. What’s your meeting magic?

To Ponder…

Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.

Howard Zinn

An Idea for Your Grange

How about sponsoring a Patriotic Flower Contest in your community? This could be done in conjunction with an Independence Day parade or as part of your 250 Celebration. One option would be to follow the model of a Christmas lighting contest. Another would be to create a garden tour with a patriotic theme.

Subscribe!

Remember, we don’t share your email address with anyone, and you get a weekly summary of what’s been posted. Subscribe here! Share that link with your members and Grange friends!

Online Directories Available 24-7

Thanks to those who help us keep these directories current by letting us know of changes!

The Directory of Granges features all Granges in the state with a contact person. Please make sure your listing is correct! Visitors to the site frequently consult these directories.
The ODD Directory features all state officers, directors, and deputies, along with their contact information. Updated January 16, 2026.

June Grange Events

Every Monday, at 7 PM, St George Grange hosts Music Night. Enjoy live music, bring a musical instrument and play, or get up and sing.
Every Saturday, 10 AM-4 PM, Kennebec Valley Grange hosts a flea market that fills two floors. Details here or call Diane Pinkham at 207 314-5135 FMI.

Elections of Officers
June 6, 2026, MSG Yard Sale at Manchester Grange, 9 AM – 1 PM. For table rental, 207 213-0371, For event info, 207 583-7211.
June 13, 2026, St George Grange Public Supper, 5 pm. FMI
June 13, 2026, Winthrop Grange Bean Supper, 4- 6 pm, FMI contact gwamme@gmail.com.
June 14, 2026, Dairy Goat Class at Evening Star Grange starts at 11 am. $20, FMI contact fullmooncreamery@gmail.com.
June 14, 2026, MSG Bulletin Deadline
June 19, 2026, Victor Grange in Fairfield hosts a free senior lunch, 11 AM – 1 PM.

When submitting an event, please include:

Date it’s being held
Start and end times
What type of event (public supper, craft fair, etc.)
Where it’s being held (include town, please)
Who to contact for additional information (phone number, email address, or both)
Any cost information, including “by donation.”

Ocean View Grange Helps with Flags

Ridge Church Cemetery with flags placed for Memorial Day — Along with the local American Legion, several Grange members volunteered to help place American Flags on the Grave markers for veterans at the Ridge Church cemetery in St George, Maine. This is a very moving and rewarding duty.

Grange Today! 5-22-2026

The Newsletter of the National Grange

Articles in this edition include:

Meeting Community Needs This Summer
Volunteer at National Convention in Broken Arrow
You Can Be Distinguished, Too!
National Grange Releases New Report Highlighting Impact of 340B on Rural Hospitals
View from the Hill
Recognition Matters – welcoming and honoring members before it’s too late
Removing stigma & Building mental wellness in Farm Communities – a Rural Minds Webinar
Recipes from the Heartland
Member Benefit: Start Hearing
Grange Store: People, Pride & Progress

Click the button below to read and/or subscribe to Grange Today!

Read the Current Issue

Note that all recent issues are available on the National Grange Website. To save server space, we only post the table of contents on the MSG Website.

Highland Lake Grange Places Flags

Submitted by Dave Gowen

On May 16, 2026, eight members of Highland Lake Grange placed American flags on veterans’ graves at Highland Lake Cemetery for Memorial Day. The Grange has been placing flags for over ten years. Grange markers (made by the members) were placed next to the graves of past members of the Grange.

Pride at Ocean View Grange

by Larry Bailey, Master

It is an understatement to say that our Monday night meeting was both a great experience and, more than that, a very sad and moving Grange matter. The matter that was so moving was the Draping of the Charter for our Sister Loa Lee Blake. Our team performed a very professional Ceremony. Loa Lee was an extremely talented person. She was an accomplished musician – piano and organ player, singer, member of many clubs and orders. Loa Lee was a very active, lively lady. She is missed by many of her relatives, friends, and fellow Grangers.

The item that was so uplifting was the surprise visit from two officers from the Maine State Grange who drove all the way here from Norway, Maine, to visit us. The two visitors were Sister Christine Hebert, the Maine State Grange Chaplain, and Sister Linda Allen, Oxford Pomona Deputy. Both are members of the Norway Grange. I made a phone call to Sister Hebert, whose Grange recently held a Charter Draping ceremony, to ask about proper procedures. She was a great help. They just wanted to take the ride to see our Grange in action. They both said, after the meeting, that they were very impressed with our Grange… specifically the Grange building, the members who were there, the proper procedure for Draping the Charter, and the large number of projects we were involved in. All of us at the Grange should feel proud that we were applauded by senior Grange officers.

A few of the other items discussed were:

The damaged side door on the 1st floor will be replaced by Trip today. It is underway.
Sister Gillie moved to donate $150 to the Maine Children’s Home and House in the Woods. Both are Grange Charities, which will split the donation. The vote approved the donation.
There is a leak in the water tank piping that needs to be looked at.
The 1st floor was cleaned, and the cleaner did a very good job of it.

Mill Stream Grange Honors Vets

Grange Members with Flags — Mill Stream Grange members (l-r) Karen Locke, Kirsten Heck, Jill Sampson, Debbie Lavender, Allan Harville and Natalie Heck placed over 100 flags at three area cemeteries to honor Veterans, including several Revolutionary War soldiers. Member Paul Lavender took the photo.

This is the sort of community service that brings Grangers together and demonstrates purpose. Congratulations and thanks to Mill Stream Grange #574!

Grange Today! 5-8-2026