Patrons of Husbandry – a website dedicated to the Granges located in Maine
The Maine State Grange Office is located at 36 Anthony Avenue, Suite 102, Augusta, ME 04330. The email address is mainestategrange@gmail.com.
Recycling at it’s best!
Members of the St. George Grange came up with the whimsical idea of having 17 local artists paint some of their vintage wooden chairs and chose Zero to School as the recipient of this CHAIR-ITY fundraiser auction. These ONE-OF-A-KIND works of art represent both the talent and generosity of these artists.
Check out the amazing chairs and the auction, and learn more about Zero to School! Bidding closes on July 19, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.
From the First Degree
During our Degree Day, someone commented that they wished more people could hear the words from the Degree Work. We continue to share them.
In the First Degree, the Overseer explains to the candidates:
“I greet these Sisters as worthy members of our Order. Man and woman are the educators of youth and co-students through life; therefore both must acquire knowledge and wisdom. Education adds the greatest charm to woman; it is a companion of which no misfortune can deprive her, a friend no enemy can alienate, an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity. In this Degree—your Spring season in our Order—begin anew the acquisition of knowledge.”
Grange members are often rightfully proud of the early history of our order regarding women, pointing out that the Grange was the first fraternal organization to grant female members equal standing and the right to vote on Grange matters. It is significant that the Grange’s structure included leadership positions that could be held only by women.
When the Overseer greets the “sisters” (female candidates) during the First Degree, we can see that the greeting is actually not about women. It’s about education. In fact, after the initial greeting, the Overseer points out that both “Man and woman are the educators of youth and co-students through life” and “both must acquire knowledge and wisdom.” It’s a clear recognition of equality in opportunity and responsibility.
So why does the Overseer specifically address the sisters? It seems the Overseer is acknowledging the reality of the historical differences between men and women. In less formal language, “Sisters, the Grange is about improvement. Your place in the Grange and society includes a challenge to enjoy the opportunities and benefits of acquiring knowledge. If you read our Declaration of Purposes, you’ll see that an important one is ‘To champion full equality and leadership opportunities for women and youth, and to promote high ideals of citizenship.’ Historically, you may have been viewed as a companion. The Grange expects more of you and from you.”
That’s not a political statement, and there’s no need to make it so. Since the Declaration of Purposes mentions youth, the Overseer could just as easily be addressing them.
“I greet these youth as worthy members of our order. You must acquire knowledge and wisdom. Education is a companion of which no misfortune can deprive you, a friend no enemy can alienate, an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity. In this Degree–your Spring season in our order–begin anew the acquisition of knowledge.”
Contemplation is difficult while experiencing the Degrees. When I’m acting as Overseer during a Degree Day, I’m always tempted to include, “Think about this,” with a forced pause. The only thing worse than not thinking (and learning; the Degrees are lessons) is pursuing a knee-jerk reaction.
Some will argue that the reference to sisters could be removed. The more important question is: should the reference be removed? When we think about it, maybe not. It actually makes sense and is kinda nice that the Overseer singles out the sisters for this lesson.
That doesn’t mean it’s a lesson limited to sisters. The Grange way of life works for all.
Any degree or ritual quotations are from the forty-seventh edition of the 2023 Subordinate Grange Manual or the most recent edition of the Pomona Grange Manual. The views and opinions expressed in “Exploring Traditions” are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official doctrine and policy of the Grange. Information about the book “Exploring Traditions—Celebrating the Grange Way of Life” can be found at http://wboomsma.com, on Mr. Boomsma’s Amazon Author Page, or by contacting the author.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Thank you just doesn’t seem to cover it. The Maine Cancer Foundation exceeded its goal of 2.1 million dollars raised. I exceeded my goal of fundraising. I reached my goal of completing the 5K portion, and I bettered my average time per mile by 2 minutes. I truly think that was all adrenaline.
I cannot say enough about this event. It is something you need to experience. They treat Survivors with TLC. All around the course, everyone is super positive. They cheer you on from the minute you walk in to the end.
Grangers and Granges can accomplish great things if we set goals. Start out small, things you know you can accomplish, then add some that might be a little tougher to reach, and then a few long-term goals that may take longer and more work to complete. We can make a difference one step at a time.
I truly appreciate all the love and support I received from my Grange family.
Vicki
By Rick Grotton,
Membership Committee Director
207 582-5915
I have been asked to do a presentation on Conflict Resolution at State Session in October. Now matter how solid your Grange seems or how smoothly it is running, there are times of conflict. Sometimes these conflicts are small and repairable, however, there are times when problems escalate and cause furor within. People take sides and interruptions are prevalent. In almost ALL cases, we lose members; never to return. This causes our Granges to spiral downwards, leading to their closures. These conflicts cause severe damage to our Granges, and most can be handled with the right influences. I have been asked to monitor and facilitate these conflicts in the past; not to just “throw water on the fire,” so to speak, but to try to end the conflict if possible. Success is not guaranteed, and members are still lost, no matter the outcome of the resolution. What we need to remember, as members, is to avoid these hurtful conflicts and to take any conflict outside of the Grange Hall to reduce the number of people involved. Many times, these conflicts involve petty issues or personal grievances unrelated to any Grange issues. No one “owns” our Granges; we are a team that must work together to achieve the best results. All of us are unique and have different views; however, we must respect all opinions and do what is right for the order. This is why we vote. If the vote does not go in our favor, we must respect the outcome and work with it as a Grange. Every member has a say, and all opinions should be respected. Should a member walk out or not return because things do not go “their” way? These actions are being disrespectful to the Order, and problems arise. Have a chat with the offender and listen to their story as a sign of respect. Let us try to resolve these issues without bias or prejudice and keep our Granges running smoothly.
I would like to hear of any instances in your Grange of any conflicts (past and present), how you handled them, and the results. Your input will help me with my presentation at State Session. Your views may result in saving a Grange!
By Margaret Henderson, Director
Committee on Women’s Activities
207 948-2762
WOW! How about this heat wave we have had for the last week? I hope that everyone has been able to stay cool.
Just some reminders about next month. Entries may be dropped off on Thursday, August 20th from 9 am-2 pm.
Judging will be on Friday, August 21, 2026, and the Conference will be on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at 9:30 am. All of these events will be held at Manchester Grange, 953 Western Avenue, Manchester, Maine.
If you are not able to get your entries there on Thursday, please call me so that we can make arrangements to meet so that your entries will be there for judging. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me. Thank you, everyone.
I look forward to seeing you next month. Please stay hydrated and try to stay cool.
By Walter Boomsma
207 343-1842
Communications Director
Creating Flyers that Communicate
Microsoft users have probably heard that the desktop program Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported after October 13, 2026. Actually, it would be more accurate to state clearly that it will no longer work. Any files created with the program will no longer open. This creates serious challenges for many.
National Grange addressed this to some extent in the July 10 issue of Grange Today! If you have been using Microsoft Publisher, you may want to read Phil Vonada’s article.
There’s a strong consensus that Canva is a good replacement, and the free version may suffice. I have also found that with some additional learning, other programs in Microsoft Office such as Word and PowerPoint can be adapted.
But this also raises the larger question of how volunteers can easily produce event flyers at no cost. I’ve not vetted all of the options that follow, but they do seem worthy of exploration. Bear in mind, free options have limitations. The goal of offering them is to encourage users to upgrade to a paid version.
Technology is advancing by leaps and bounds — it’s easy to get caught in the trap of trying to keep up. Years ago, it was estimated that most users used only about 20% of a program’s (now called an app, although there is a difference) capabilities. I would hazard a guess that number is even lower today. When “shopping” for an app, keep in mind that you may not need most of what’s offered, unless you’re going to become a digital creator.
A simple flyer containing all the relevant information beats a glitzy one that doesn’t. I’m always impressed by social media ads that omit the location of the store or restaurant.
For the non-digital crowd, one option is to find a digital creator to create a flyer in exchange for promotion. (A credit on the flyer with the creator’s contact information.) While it requires some advance event planning, another option is a contest for kids.
If you’ve found a good resource for creating flyers, let me know so we can share it with other Granges. We’re Grangers. We help each other!
For heavy users, the Microsoft Support Publisher Guide will help with preparing for its discontinuance.
FACT: During a recent seven-day period, the Manchester Grange News Post was the most viewed–over sixty times!
The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) announced that the Maine Coastal Cleanup is returning for 2026 in conjunction with the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup effort.
According to DMR, the September event marks the largest volunteer effort in the state. In 2025, the multi-week event drew 1,287 volunteers who cleaned thousands of pounds of trash and debris from almost 95 miles of coastline.
This year’s campaign is scheduled Sept. 5-19; and volunteers are being sought from Surry to Portland. For more information about volunteering, or to register your own cleanup effort as a cleanup coordinator, visit DMR’s event website.
Participation could be a great fall community service project for Grangers and Junior Grangers. Volunteers support this effort by adopting a location and soliciting others to join them in cleaning up the trash from their location of choice and help to keep our coast and ocean trash free!
Webmaster’s note: The format of this column includes all of the Quill’s Endians participating at various times and in various ways! Phil writes this month’s column.
I had a chance to travel out of state last month to celebrate my mother’s 80th birthday. Most of my siblings made it to the party in Saginaw, MI. I stayed with my older brother in the old neighborhood around the high school we all attended.
A lot of things stuck me about the city and its citizens.
This body has always needed movement, and on daily walks around the neighborhood I remembered the lovely uncomplicated days there. Killing time with a gaggle of neighbors, bicycles at the ready to travel about as we whiled away the summer.
The sidewalks are empty now. My daily walks held not one interaction with man or beast. No one shooting hoops or sitting on the front porches. I’ve got theories, but mostly just sadness.
While in Michigan, I wanted to visit my cousin. He and his family milk 130ish Holsteins that live in a free stall barn 365 days a year. His acreage, flat loamy soil, grows hay, corn, and soybeans that then make up the diet for the cows. Most of our tour of the farm concentrated on seeing equipment. Tractors with eight tires and 4 steps into a climate-controlled cab.
Very much a dying breed, this is the example of small farms that the 1950’s envisioned. They keep no garden, they raise no critters for their own table, they do not drink milk from their cows. They shop for groceries.
My cousin, now nearly 70 years old, has made a life and a living from his farm. His son and family will continue. An anomaly among the 1% of Americans that are farmers.
It was difficult to travel. A mix of emotions as I spent time with family and also experienced a taste of 2026 in an American city and on an American farm that feeds into our industrial food system.
Time away refreshes what we do at Quill’s End. It turns out that growing food for ourselves and for our community adds layers and layers of satisfaction. From soil to patron, community to ecosystem, the work has meaning. We thank you for the chance.
Heather and Phil Retberg and their three children run Quill’s End Farm, a 105-acre property in Penobscot that they bought in 2004. They use rotational grazing on their fifteen open acres and are renovating thirty more acres from woods to pasture to increase grazing for their pigs, grass-fed cattle, lambs, laying hens, and goats. Quill’s Endians are members of Halcyon Grange and publish a newsletter for their farm’s buying club of farmers in the area, and generously permit us to share some of their columns with Grangers. Visit the Quill’s End Farm Facebook Page for more information.
By Sherry Harriman, MSG Master/President
This message is about the Memorial Bricks that were under the flagpole on the side lawn at our previous office building at 146 State Street. Before we sold the headquarters building, I had someone (thanks, Greg) dig them all up for me. Many have people’s names and/or Grange names or both. Richard and I hauled them all home last fall. Now we have made a list & hauled most of them back to the new office at 36 Anthony Ave, Suite 102 in Augusta. Thanks, Richard, for sorting, listing, and moving them all around so many times.
As Richard and I have been traveling, we have dropped some off to those in the neighborhoods we are passing through. A list of what is available at the office is posted under the “Programs & Information” section on the website. If you are interested in picking up any of the bricks at the Augusta office for your Grange or yourself (first come, first served), we will NOT mail the bricks; it is in-person pick-up only, and you or someone else must arrange with Sharon to get them. Please contact Sharon at the office 207-632-3421 or email at mainestategrange@gmail.com — she is most often in the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30 to 1:30. We have set a September 10, 2026 deadline to collect them, after that time I will take what’s left to my home again and utilize them for something.
A list of what’s available as of July 2026 will be included on the final page of the Bulletin.
Articles in this edition include:
*This refers to Microsoft Publisher. I’ll be addressing in my next Communications Column as well.
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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.