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.
By Walter Boomsma, MSG Communications Director
As you know, we’ve faced outages for nearly a month, making the site unavailable. After much frustration, I’ve decided to move the site to a new server and aim to finish by April 30, 2026.
To prepare, I am removing old and outdated posts and pictures. This will smooth the transition and boost efficiency.
This is like moving to a new home. It’s an opportunity to declutter and simplify. For example, we probably don’t need to maintain a post about an event that happened three years ago.
Since most changes are happening behind the scenes, you likely won’t notice many differences right away. However, you may temporarily encounter some broken links or missing photos during the transition. These should be resolved after the move is complete.
My goal is to complete the transition this week. Some cleanup will follow. If you have site issues, please let me know. Timeless documents and resources won’t be affected. For scale, the site’s size will drop by one-third. We’ll have more space in our new home.
We will also have the opportunity to try some new things. One other important benefit is that we’ll also be able to control costs. The offered solution for the outages on our existing server would have increased our annual cost by at least $800. These days, not spending more is a savings!
If you have concerns or questions, please let me know. Your support and patience are appreciated.
We’re packing up and getting ready to move!
Only a handful of states recognize next week’s state holiday that many others around the country know little about. Patriot’s Day is celebrated officially only in Maine, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Connecticut and North Dakota. The latter two recently adopted the holiday in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
With origins stemming from Fast Day, a holiday tied to a time when Maine was still a Massachusetts territory before achieving statehood in 1820, Patriot’s Day (spelled Patriots’ Day outside of Maine) was officially adopted long after statehood in 1907 and originally celebrated on April 19. It was moved to the third Monday of April in 1969.
The holiday commemorates the battles of colonists against British soldiers in Lexington, Concord and Menotomy in Massachusetts on April 19, 1775, which officially began hostilities in the American Revolutionary War. In fact, it was the day referenced in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Concord Hymn,” in which he describes the first shot fired at Concord’s North Bridge as the “shot heard round the world.” Today, the holiday is also marked by the Boston Marathon, which has been held on Patriot’s Day nearly every year since 1897. Click here for more historical information about what the day celebrates.
The AARP Fraud Watch Network™ Helpline (877-908-3360) is hearing from more people about misleading “free trial” offers. These schemes make cancellation difficult, if not impossible.
In many cases, someone signs up for what appears to be a free trial and then cancels before having to pay for the subscription. However, the charges continue to appear each month, and the companies make it hard to cancel them. Before you sign up for a free trial offer, review all the terms and conditions to understand exactly what you’re agreeing to, how and when to cancel, and what happens if you don’t.
Also, review your bank and credit card statements carefully and watch for recurring charges you didn’t authorize—even after you’ve canceled.
Fraud affects every generation, and AARP Fraud Watch Network is helping people fight back—one community at a time. By learning together and sharing information, we can better protect one another.
Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.
Share this news!
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.
The April Bulletin is now available for downloading and printing. Recent issues of the Bulletin are available on the Program Books and Information Page in the communications section.
The Androscoggin Pomona Grange Degree Day at Manchester Grange is fast approaching! (This is for the Four Degrees.) If you have candidates attending, please let Norma Meserve know! Also, remember that candidates should bring a completed application. The Sagadahoc Fifth Degree Work has been canceled, although the meeting will be held.
The situation appears to have improved! I will continue to monitor outages. Some fundamental issues with our current provider remain. For the long term, it may be best to move the site to a different server. Stay tuned!
We’ve been getting questions from folks interested in visiting Granges other than their own. It’s a great idea! Check out this post for some resources that will help you plan that!
In a very roundabout way, I recently received the form for recording meeting minutes as a pdf. It’s now available as a resource on our website in the Secretary’s Section. There are actually two versions available. Choose wisely! (I don’t believe either are required-just offered to be helpful.)
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 Grange things happening in Maine. We also love photos and reports of events that have happened. What’s your meeting magic?
“Over the years of grassroots advocacy, I have learned: People want help, but they don’t want structure. People want leadership, but they resent authority.
June Stoyer
Mystery rides are surprise outings or trips in which the destination and itinerary are kept hidden from participants until the last moment. See the Grange Visiting short. You could stop for ice cream on the way back!
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!
Thanks to those who help us keep these directories current by letting us know of changes!
By Walter Boomsma, MSG Communications Director
We’ve had several requests for information about visiting other Granges, so we’re reviewing some of the resources available. Part of the challenge is that there are multiple databases and sources that do not always connect.
Plans and people change. If you plan to visit another Grange event or meeting, a best practice is to contact that Grange beforehand. The online Directory of Granges is a good source of contact information. If you have difficulty reaching someone, I’ll try to help!
The Website Event Calendar lists Grange events (not regular meetings) that we know about. We’re totally dependent on Granges submitting their information and many don’t. (Click the blue link to it on the website.)
The online Directory of Granges is recently updated. It does not list meeting dates, but has contact information. I’d strongly suggest using this to confirm any meetings or events you are planning to attend. (Click the blue link to it on the website.)
The Printed Roster Book should be available from your Grange Secretary. It has by far the most information, but it may be outdated as plans and people change.
Subordinate/Community Grange Links are listed in a sidebar on the MSG website.
A Website Subscription will help you stay informed about the events we are told about as we learn of them. (Click the blue link to sign up on the website.)
Remember, the Grange is a fraternal organization! If the word didn’t have any conotation, I’d say, “Let’s fraternize!”
By Walter Boomsma
207 343-1842
Communications Director
Magic Meetings
I recently consulted with a group (not Grange-related) that is setting up a new type of meeting. It was an interesting, if not frustrating, experience.
They had a unique opportunity to create something extraordinary and engaging. Yet they seemed determined to keep things as ordinary as possible.
The group focused on safety in the planning process. Much of the discussion centered on what the group didn’t want to do. It was as if they were determined to focus on the limitations. However unintentionally, they committed to creating and promoting boredom.
Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of frustration from Granges (including my own) that are struggling to reach a quorum of seven members at meetings. It’s an undeniable reality that there is a lot of competition for members’ attention.
Perhaps we’re missing the magic. If we want something to be exciting, why aren’t we excited about planning it? Much of Grange’s policy and practice encourages tradition, and that’s important and valuable. But we need to acknowledge that tradition can become boring, especially for people who thrive on excitement.
In plain language, would someone rather watch their grandchild’s baseball game or come to the Grange hall to complete the ritual?
There’s some irony in this. I am usually elected moderator of our town’s meetings. I always invite people to join in the Pledge of Allegiance as we begin. This year, I was thanked both privately and publicly for doing so. I didn’t expect people to be excited over reciting the pledge! I also am quite sure people don’t come to town meetings just for that. In fact, this year our attendance was double the usual because of competition for one particular office. Attendance also improves when there’s something to “fight” about.
I’m not suggesting Grange meetings should be based on fighting, but we’d better find some ways to create some magic and engagement. Our meetings should not just focus on an obligation to attend. We need to make some magic!
FACT: In the past twelve months, site views have increased 7%, and post/page views have increased 16%!
On May 3, 2026, 2:00 – 3:00 pm, Evening Star Grange will host a Wild Fibers from around the World presentation by Linda Cortwright.
As the editor of Wild Fibers, Linda Cortright has traveled the world to some of the most remote regions on the planet, from the Russian Arctic to the High Himalayas. She will be giving a special presentation featuring stunning pictures and unimaginable tales, highlighting the role natural fibers play in both culture and commerce. Wild Fibers is often called the National Geographic of the fiber industry, focusing on indigenous communities and their ability to adapt in the modern world.
Suggested donation is $20. For more information, contact Mildred at 207 975-5671.
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.
Last fall, as the drought lasted and lasted, we started to bale feed in our neighbor’s field. Bale feeding can improve soil and the stand of forage in a hurry. By rolling out round bales and placing an electric fence just so, the cows waste little of the hay and manure the ground below them in an even manner. What is left behind is a thin compost pile that feeds the communities of bacteria, insects, and microbes as they break down the hay and excrement left behind from the cattle’s slow move through the field. Organic matter increases, minerals are made bioavailable, and the seed bank, including the new seed from the hay, is stimulated. Time does the rest.
If our previous experience with bale feeding holds, the field will become a lot more useful as not only feed, but also a carbon sink and soil creator. Wendell Berry wrote “practice resurrection”. On a very small scale, we can help it along and benefit the ecosystem while we benefit the cows by letting them live out their design as ruminants.
As this spring has progressed, this particular field, which is sandy-soiled and sloping, has been able to bear traffic with no damage. So, we resumed our incomplete march to Back Ridge Road, and will be able to treat the whole field to bale feeding. It is a pleasure to see the cows outdoors taking nutrients uphill that require no shoveling, no composting, and no spreading to do the thing.
Here is to cows pooping where they ought!
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 Rick Grotton,
Membership Committee Director
207 582-5915
How is the Grange supposed to take in new membership and teach them the rituals and traditions when there are people out there disrespecting the use of a Grange Hall and the rituals of the Grange? First, the Grange is a non-partisan organization, meaning that if you hold discussions and debates, ALL parties must be involved. In a recent political ad, the name of the Grange appeared. This activity is a direct violation of the bylaws of the National Grange. It is an embarrassment to our membership and to the reputation of the Grange name. Many members have commented in shock at the direct violation of the bylaws.
Second, if you have not opened in full form for a Grange meeting, any business transactions and voting are void. Again, this is a violation of the bylaws. Grange is not just for a social group, but certain traditions and rituals MUST be followed. Many Granges in the past, and I suspect in the future also will be closed for disrespecting our traditions and rituals. This is not Grange.
Third, there are no such “associate memberships” in the Grange. These groups are actually “friends of the Grange” and are not recognized as members. They are not allowed to have a vote in any Grange, cannot take an office, and they cannot be part of your quorum. For example, if you have only six members and fifteen “friends of the Grange” present at a meeting, you are not allowed to conduct business. They have NO say in the decisions made by the Grange itself. It is good to have outside help for projects; however, the Grange members must make the decisions.
Fourth, any Grange is not “owned” or “operated” by any one person or clique. We have lost so many Granges because individuals want to control and dominate. So many hard feelings and disrespect for the Grange and its members are exhibited. All members have a say, and if it doesn’t turn out the way you want it, then so be it. Instead of getting up and leaving with a bitter taste in your mouth, remember that you are showing disrespect to your Grange and its members.
There are more examples that could be used; however, the above four examples are prime examples of why our membership and the number of Granges have dropped considerably. With many respectful and loyal members out there trying to build our numbers, there are also others who just don’t want to respect or care for others. They have their own objectives and goals, completely opposite of what the Grange stands for. We must rise and bring the good name of the Grange back so that we can continue to strive.
I am sorry to write about such negativity; however, it is a losing battle trying to bring in new members when such disrespect is being shown. How am I supposed to be doing my job as State Membership Director when there are supposed members working against me? I feel as if I am lying to prospective new members when I remain strictly positive, and when they encounter just the opposite, it comes back to me. Wake up all! If you love your Grange with its traditions and rituals, then defend them. Speak up to the disrespectful ones and say, “Enough!!” There is safety in numbers, but those numbers are decreasing. Help save our Grange!!!