Similar to an Easter Egg hunt, how about sponsoring a Flashlight Candy Cane Hunt? All you need is a field or lot and a pile of candy canes. Invite participants to bring a flashlight and a bag or bucket to help collect the candy canes nestled throughout the field. Provide hot cocoa and cookies.
You’ll need to jump on this quickly and get the word out–don’t complicate it too much!
A couple of guides could find elf costumes… I admit I didn’t come up with this on my own. I saw a news item announcing one in New Hampshire!
Microsoft issued a general alert this morning that they are seeing a significant increase in “undeliverable” emails. Well, so am I! Several emails I sent early this morning “bounced.” There doesn’t seem to be any pattern to it, and from the Microsoft Announcement, it appears they are working on it without admitting any fault.
If you have recently emailed or submitted to the site and haven’t had a response, it’s not for lack of trying. Frankly, it’s a bit of a relief knowing that there’s nothing wrong at our end. I will keep trying.
We have someone looking for a wedding shower venue (just the hall, no services within 30 minutes of Brunswick on October 14, 2o23. If your Grange is interested, letme know and I’ll put you in touch.
This is also a reminder to please check your voicemail and email regularly if you are a roster contact–and reply!
The attempts to scam innocent people are running rampant. Fortunately, the scammers aren’t always the brightest bulbs on the string!
National Grange recently posted a warning in Patrons Chain regarding emails appearing to be from National Officers and Staff. Facebook is overrun with stolen profiles and hacked accounts.
By nature, we often go on “autopilot” when processing information, and it becomes very easy to click “reply” to emails or accept friend requests on Facebook. Slow down. Stay smart, stay safe.
As most know, Valley Grange is very much involved with our schools in regard to literacy and reading. Studies have validated what is called the “summer slide.” Children who don’t read or who read rarely over the summer encounter stagnation or decline in their reading skills. At least one estimate suggests this can be overcome by children reading just five grade-level appropriate books over summer vacation.
Can your Grange encourage this? Absolutely! You might consider partnering with your local library–many have summer reading programs and events. Or how about a community potluck supper with a side order of reading? This could have all sorts of variations: kids who bring a book they are reading eat free… or maybe there’s a “book exchange” where you invite kids to bring books they’ve read to exchange with others. At Valley Grange, we keep a milk crate of children’s books in the dining hall… whenever a child visits us for a supper or a program they are invited to take a book home as long as they promise to read it.
Don’t just think about reading to children–a key component of Valley Grange’s bookworm program is that we have the kids reading to us! Several months ago a second grader started a book with me that we didn’t have time to finish. When her turn came up again recently, she brought the same book and remembered exactly where we’d left off. This is a kid for whom reading is important. It’s nice to feel our program is contributing.
Just get something started–it doesn’t have to be massive and complicated.
“You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read with a child.” ― Dr. Seuss
Quick tips from Granges and Grangers are always welcome… on any topic that might improve or make things easier for other Granges. Use the submission form or email yours to the webmaster for consideration!
We’ve reported this in the past, but here’s a reminder. Here’s an example of an email sent recently that you should ignore and delete.
Several things should raise your suspicion. One is the need for discretion, and another is the no-calls request.
To put in highly technical perspective, “it just doesn’t sound right.”
Just ignore it; delete it. If you are concerned, contact Sherry directly, not by replying to this bogus email. There’s also a similar message occasionally being sent by text message to cell phones. They are not connected to the website in any way, and there’s very little I can do beyond issuing an occasional reminder that folks need to be “on guard.”
Another increasingly common scam is an email with an overdue invoice included or attached. Again, think before you you act. It’s the price we pay for technology–similar to the junk mail that arrives in our snail mailbox! It too is annoying, but we don’t need to regret lobbying for RFD years ago, right? And I don’t think we’re going to give up our mailboxes!
Ask the Subordinate/Community Granges in your area to have an agenda item on their regular monthly meetings to discuss who from their Granges would be attending next month’s Pomona Meeting. The goal would be for each Grange to “send” at least two members to each Pomona Meeting as representatives. Since, for example, Piscataquis Pomona has six member Granges, there would be some assurance of at least twelve people at each Pomona Meeting in addition to those who attend regularly! By rotating the responsibility, there would also be more diversity at Pomona Meetings.
How about conducting a “Life Skills Class?” The class could focus on what it takes to properly and easily balance a checkbook, write checks and reconcile any errors found. These are skills that sound simple to some, but not everyone knows how to do them.
This could actually be a series of classes including writing a resume/cover letter, practice interviews, container gardening, budgeting, simple mending, cooking, car care, de-cluttering, and household repairs.
Consider what skills you and your fellow Grangers could use some help with and start a life skills class of your own! Brushing up on life skills like these can really simplify your life and the lives of your fellow Grangers.
Facebook Fans… notice that at the bottom of every post, there are several icons representing different social media programs. (These icons may not appear on posts you receive by email; you must visit the site to find them.) If you’d like to “share” a post from the Maine State Grange site on your timeline or page, click the icon. As the saying goes, “It’s easy peasy!”
Quick tips from Granges and Grangers are always welcome… on any topic that might improve or make things easier for other Granges. Use the submission form or email yours to the webmaster for consideration!
Valley Grange uses “Grange Bees” in conjunction with our meetings… simply stated, Grange Bees are members who agree to be the official hosts for a meeting. While all members pitch in, we find it efficient to rotate the “official” responsibilities among members. Grange Bees are responsible for opening and closing the hall. (Our checklist is available on the Valley Grange website.) We try to set up a schedule for the entire year each fall. We also occasionally all “swarm” to the hall for major cleaning and projects. Everybody can be a bee!
