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The youth and junior departments are having a Flower Power fundraiser to raise funds for the Army Platoon that we have adopted. This money will be used exclusively for postage, shipping supplies, items that are not donated that they need and to give them a nice Christmas.

The "Flower Power" company is in Vermont and they ship items ordered directly to the ordering customer in time for fall planting. Their catalog has beautiful bulbs and flowers. There is a 100% money back guarantee!

Granges will be receiving catalogs in the mail, junior and youth committee members will taking orders and you can order online by going to www.flowerpowerfundraising.com
then clicking on "find an organization" at the top of the page, a box will come up that asks for the organizations name, type in Maine State Grange and click on "search", our site will come up, and you may order from it.

The Memorial Garden has been completed and it is beautiful. All of the bricks sold by the Junior Department have been placed, the flag pole is in and shrubbery and flowers have been planted. Gary Ladner Landscaping and his crew from Gardiner did an outstanding job. The Junior Department is proud of our efforts and so should all the Grangers of Maine be. Our Grange home is seen by many people daily and they will see this lovely addition and that we are proud of our home. I'll be sending photos to our platoon.

The Junior and Youth Departments have received our Platoon Assignment from Adopt a Platoon Soldier Support Effort. We will be supporting 33 soldiers, which includes 3 women, with a minimum of one card/letter per week each and one monthly care package minimum. But I know we can do better than that! All of our mail and packages go to a Point of Contact who shares it with the platoon as a whole.

Our soldiers are Combat Engineers and move around frequently, their conditions are not good, they have NO stores, running non potable water, power is 110V and as soon as I find out if they have a microwave I will let everyone know.

It is with distinct honor and great pleasure that I invite you to the 144th Annual Convention of the National Grange to be held this November at the University Hilton Hotel, in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Eastern Region States, from New Jersey to Florida, are making preparations for you to enjoy your stay, as evidenced by our theme, ‘Down Home Fun.’

You will have the opportunity to enjoy and participate in all of the convention activities without leaving the hotel property, as all events are to be held at the Hilton. However, if you have the preference to get out and explore, there are approximately twenty restaurants located a short stroll away at the Shoppes at University Place.

Dirigo 98 , route 137 in Freedom will have a Blueberry Festival
August 7th from 4:30 -6:00 P. M.Menu will be Turkey Salad, Pasta Salad,
Blueberries, Blueberry Muffins, Blueberry Pie, Coffee and Lemonade.$8:00
for adults, $4:00 for children 5 to 10 years of age and children under 5
years of age free.

Dear Fellow Grange Members,

The Naples Grange is hosting its 2nd Lobster Bake this coming August 14th, 11am to 3pm. We welcome your involvement and encourage your support because this is an event that could be a "blueprint" for all other Granges in the State. We were fortunate to have it pay for itself last year, but we are looking for it to be a profit for our charitable services. It is great for the community, fun for the families, and a great way to expose Maine agriculture and businesses.

We are looking for vendors that have Maine products or services. WE are charging ONLY $50/booth space. There will be the lobster bake, a Chinese Auction, and entertainment, along with as many vendors as possible celebrating Maine. This is a fund raiser to assist our Grange to keep operating and to provide an awareness of what the Grange represents. We will be having a booth for the Grange as well.

It's almost time for the Family Camp Out Weekend! Meeting friends from all over the state, competing in the craft contests, and the ever popular horseshoe tournament. Come one come all to the Silver Springs Campground, U.S.Rt.1, 705 Portland Rd., Saco, ME 04072; (207) 283-3880; www.silverspringscampgroundandcottages.com
email:silversprings@earthlink.net

Activities for the weekend include: A scavenger hunt on Friday night, organized games, craft judging, horseshoe tournament, Chinese Auction, 50/50 drawing and talent show on Saturday. Prize money for craft winners will be presented at the talent show on Saturday evening. There is lots of time for swimming and hanging out in the sun with friends new and old.

Juniors visited the State Grange Headquarters from August 8th to the 13th. We started out with 7 Juniors and lost two due to homesickness. During the week the Juniors worked very hard on their Super Junior Grange Awards and four of them completed the requirements, one didn't need to because she all ready had. Those completing the requirements were: Cheyenne Dulac, Bobby Faulkner, Savannah Hallowell and Brianna Goldrup. Grace Dunderdale received hers in the past. We went on field trips each day; including Boothday Railway Village, Damariscotta Lake State Park, Maine State Aquarium to pet a real shark, Miniature Golf, swimming at an Augusta pool, and Maine Discovery Museum. Juniors spent a lot of time working on ritualistic work learning to open and close the grange, ballot for candidates, escort honored guests, make motions during meetings, flag presentation, how to set up a Grange room properly, and how to work your way into a meeting. Adults accompanying us were: Roberta Meserve, Karen Flagg, Sue Hackett and Sharon Manley. We had a very enjoyable time and those that didn't join us, really missed out!