For more information, call Joann at 207-233-7119.
Highland Lake Grange Turkey Suppers
For more information, call Joann at 207-233-7119.
Author: Walter Boomsma
Grange Today! 9-11-2026
Articles in this edition include:
- Nominees Sought for the Virtual Grange Hall of Fame
- Attend the 160th National Grange Convention
- Fellowship Factor: Are We Really Welcoming?
- Accepting Nominations for Foundation Advisory Board
- Grange Heirloom for September
- 25 years after 9/11, What Disasters Reveal About Americans’ Ability to Reconnect
- State Presidents: Are you in Action?
- Hamp Watch: Where is our National Grange President?
- Rural Minds Launches National Rural Youth Mental Wellness Program to Address Youth Suicide Crisis
- Recipes from the Heartland
- Grange Member Benefit: Life Line Screening
- Grange Store: #GrangeStrong Socks
Click the button below to read and/or subscribe to Grange Today!
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.
Fraud Watch- Loan Scams
Promises of fast cash and low interest rates are a common tactic used in loan fraud. They post ads, or reach out to you directly, promising loan approvals with low rates and no credit checks. They may spoof their phone numbers to appear as legitimate lenders. To get the loan, they say you need to pay upfront for expenses like “processing,” “insurance,” or “application fees.” When they receive the payment, they disappear.
Legitimate lenders don’t charge upfront fees to secure a loan. Your best bet is to ignore unsolicited loan offers.
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.
Communication Short – Lecturers’ Conference
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!
Lecturers’ Conference
The date of this year’s Lecturers’ Conference was originally submitted for the wrong month. The Maine State Grange Lecturers’ Conference will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 9:00 am until noon. The conference will include a workshop and distribution of the 2026-27 Program Booklet. It takes place at Maine State Grange Headquarters, 36 Anthony Avenue, Suite 102, Augusta, ME 04330. Corrections have been made!
Deadlines
- September 10, 2026, Deadline for claiming Memorial Bricks available from former headquarters. That’s today!
- September 14, 2026, Bulletin Columns are due by the end of the day. That’s four days away!
- September 15, 2026, Educational Aid Scholarships Deadline
- September 15, 2026, Annual Officer and Department Reports are due.
- October 1, 2026, Program Books are due. Please send a copy of Program Books to the webmaster.
- October 1, 2026, Delegate Registration Forms are due.
- October 10, 2026, Deadline for banquet reservations at State Grange Session.
The Maine State Grange Office is located at 36 Anthony Avenue, Suite 102, Augusta, ME 04330.
mainestategrange@gmail.com. For website matters, email webmaster@mainestategrange.org.
Lecturers’ Conference
By Melissa Baldwin, Maine State Grange Lecturer
207 324-4661
Note the date correction–the conference is in September, not October!
The Maine State Grange Lecturers’ Conference will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 9:00 am until noon. The conference will include a workshop and distribution of the 2026-27 Lecturers’ Program Booklet. The conference will be held at Maine State Grange Headquarters, 36 Anthony Avenue, Suite 102, Augusta, ME 04330. Contact Melissa for more information.
Mail-in Ballot Request Form
Registered Maine voters may use this free service to request an absentee ballot for the November 03, 2026 General Election. Ballots must be received no later than 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Election Day.
For more information, please visit the Secretary of State’s Upcoming Elections page.
Suicide Prevention Month #1
Suicide prevention is not one moment or one person’s job. It lives in the relationships we build, the support we offer, and the communities we create together.
Week 1: Strengthen Suicide Prevention Together
- The people in our lives can be a lifeline. Strong relationships and trusted connections help protect people when life gets hard.
- Suicide prevention starts long before a crisis. Open conversations, shared resources, and visible awareness make a real difference.
- Knowing the warning signs of suicide, in adults and in children and teens, means being able to recognize when someone needs support and connect them to help sooner.
- Communities that talk openly about mental health and suicide help reduce the stigma that keeps people from asking for help.
- Prevention is everyone’s responsibility, not just one organization’s. Families, schools, workplaces, faith communities, health systems, and individuals all have a role to play.
- Small acts of connection, such as a check-in, a shared resource, a moment of genuine attention, are how communities take care of each other.
If you need to talk, the 988 Lifeline is here!
Requesting Funds from MSG
By Laurie McBurnie, MSG Treasurer
When your Grange requests funds from the Maine State Grange (from your subordinate account, Community Service reimbursement, etc.), please take note that these requests go to the State Master (not me). She and the Executive Committee will approve the request and send it along to me to pay.
The check will be made payable to the contractor (or Grange in the case of Comm. Service reimbursement) and mailed to the subordinate Grange SECRETARY (unless otherwise directed by the State Master).
Please process these checks as soon as you receive them. This will help keep the State Treasurer sane when balancing the monthly statements.
If you do not receive the requested check within a couple of weeks of the request, feel free to contact me directly.
President’s Perspective – September 2026
Sherry Harriman,
Maine State Grange Master/President
207 490-1029
STATE SESSION
October 30 & 31. Black Bear Inn in Orono. Get your Delegate Credentials and meal orders in. Looking forward to seeing you all there.
THANKS FROM RICHARD
Richard asked me to thank everyone for the cards, calls, prayers, and well wishes while he was in the hospital and rehab after his heart repair. He is doing great and is now home.
DONATIONS AND GRANTS – MAINE GRANGE FOUNDATION
The Maine Grange Foundation, Inc. is held by the State Grange and is used when a group or individual wishes to make a charitable donation to your Grange and have it designated as tax-deductible. The Maine Grange Foundation account is also used when your Grange receives a Grant from another group or organization, and it must go into a 501(c)(3) account; then the Maine Grange Foundation can pass it on to the designated Grange.
Grant funds or donations from another group are made by check to the Maine Grange Foundation, Inc., on behalf of a Subordinate (Community), Pomona (County) or State Grange. Note on the subject line the name and number of the Grange to whom the donation is for and the reason for the grant or donation, such as new kitchen, roof, windows, plumbing, etc.
Send checks to Maine Grange Foundation, Inc., 36 Anthony Ave, Suite 102, Augusta, ME 04330. The check will be deposited and held in the Foundation account, noting the Grange name and number it belongs to. After the check clears, a Foundation Officer will withdraw the donation, and we will send a bank check to the appropriate Grange. (The only persons allowed to access the account are designated officers and legal signers of the Maine Grange Foundation, Inc.)
We will return a receipt and tax-deductible form, which includes our specific number, to the contributor; please provide their information and address. If multiple donations are made, we may hold them in the account and send them as one lump sum to the Grange. Please let us know what your preference is in writing.
The Maine State Grange does not provide funds or grants for building repairs, improvements, property upgrades, or paying bills.
Grange Heirloom – September 2026
Grange Heirlooms are snippets from the lessons of the Grange as taught in the Rituals and Declaration of Purposes.
Use the icons below to share this Grange Heirloom on social media and help others understand what the Grange stands for! If this heirloom has a particular meaning for you, click the “leave a comment” link at the left and share your comment with us!
For additional information and resources regarding the Heirloom Program, visit the Heirloom Resource Page on the Maine State Grange Website.