Category: Junior Department

Junior Grange December Meeting Held

By Marilyn Stinson

Maine State Junior Grange #17 met at Danville Junction on December 16, 2023, for their monthly meeting and to work on a Community Service Project.

The Junior Salutation is: “Junior Grange Members will be true to each other and keep their pledge.”

Committee members helped fill the chairs as they opened the meeting the traditional way, then worked through the order of business, stopping now and then to explain or discuss a procedure for new people, and closed with the alternative way. The alternative is a shorter form.

After the Pledge of Allegiance, the kids learned that there is no punctuation between “one nation” and “under God.” It is all one phrase, and we shouldn’t pause at that point when we are saying it. Anyone having difficulty using God’s name can just omit it.

Many thanks to Kathy Gowen for helping us with our Junior Salutation. She remembers the hand clasp and crossing the arms and hands over our chests for it. Since we seldom say or do it, we have difficulty remembering it.

In 2023, we earned $547.00 in Fair Premiums (used for the trip to Niagara) and discussed possible themes for the coming year. The National Junior Grange theme for the coming year is ‘Corn,’ and we can do some crafts and print our learning experiences for displays. Maine State Lecturer’s Theme is ‘Hands,’ and we can easily follow that theme. We use the fair displays to explain and promote Juniors and our activities and give the kids an opportunity to show off their art and craft talents. Any poetry they’ve written goes to the State Lecturer by March 1st.

Director Betty brought material home from the National Session and, during the Lecturer’s Program, shared information with us. Also, for the Lecturer’s Program, Edith recited a poem she memorized called “Dragonette Prophesy” and sang a dragon song. The kids attending the meeting shared their “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” poster and song while Director Betty signed it. Ta Da!!! Good for them!

After closing, we went downstairs to make fleece scarves for the Lewiston Homeless. Other Juniors around the state can get together in their Granges and make similar scarves for the cold in their areas. Because we are so spread out, helping their local Community Granges with their services seems the easiest way to work out that problem. 

Our meetings are scheduled for the 3rd Saturday monthly, and our January meeting will be at MSG Headquarters in Augusta on January 20th.

Please let the Junior committee know about any +1 Juniors your subordinates have accepted. We need their contact information!

Junior Report – December 2023

By Betty Young
Terry LaCombe
MSG Junior Co-Directors

The Maine State Junior Grange took the “Junior Grangemobile” which is a nine-passenger van, to National Grange in Niagara Falls. We apologize to our Navigation expert Caroline for having the middle hump seat both ways. She has the great Grange attitude and did not complain about it once. One mother wasn’t feeling well during the trip. We all brought food and snacks to share. They enjoyed many fun activities and events. Please find the list below. This is just a few of the many noted features.

  1. We enjoyed a Junior Activities Day with other Junior Grangers from around the US. Maine Junior Grange sang their Reuse, Reduce and Recycle song and Co-Director Betty signed it.
  2. We helped with the Dictionary Project.
  3. Went to the Underground Railroad Center.
  4. Went to an Escape Room.
  5. Went swimming (this was not a Grange event)
  6. Made many new friends.
  7. Saw Niagara Falls and State Park.
  8. Saw Rainbow Bridge.
  9. Enjoyed an elevator ride to Cave of the Winds.
  10. Lunched, saw movies and many activities at the Power Station. We learned so much about power.
  11. Utilized and enjoyed many meals/treats in the Hospitality Room. Thank you to the Northeast for such an EXCELLENT job.
  12. Wore our new Junior Grange Polo shirts to the “Fancy Nancy” National Grange Banquet.
  13. Marched with the Junior Grange Ambassadors after Youth opened National Grange.
  14. Thank you, Master/President Harriman, for our new Junior Pin! We will wear it with pride.
  15. The kids took great pictures, stayed at La Quinta Inn on the way and the Sheraton Inn in Niagara during convention.

We received the 2024 Junior and Youth National Grange Program Book. If you would like more information on how to become a Maine State Grange Junior or Youth, please contact us. This year’s Junior theme is CORN. The Youth age has changed and will roll out in the next 2 years. Current Youth ages 14 to 20 will remain the same, but Grange Youth Adult will be ages 21-30 until until November 2025. Starting November 2025, the age will be 21-25, over 25 should be stepping into the role of a Grange mentor as they make the transitions into full adulthood. The Grangemobile hopes to be able to attend the Legislative Experience in Washington DC, as this is such a fun way to learn our history, but we will have to wait and see when the Northeast Conference is going to be. We are trying to coordinate the Junior and Youth Conference at the same time as the Northeast Leadership Conference. Possibly, having our contest as entertainment. We all enjoyed the Northeast Youth Conferences (NEYC) in July. However, we are trying to reduce costs, work and for many conferences a reduction in attendance is an issue. Being in the summer, it was a fun opportunity for many Junior and Youth to attend NEYC camp.

Would your Grange like to host Junior Grange? We will visit you at your Grange and include you and your child or grandchild. Our next Maine State Junior Grange meeting will be December 16th at Danville Junction! The children will work on a Christmas or Holiday Craft.

Maine State Junior Grange may not be the largest, but we truly have the “BEST” group of kids. We hope the others who aren’t homeschooled have the opportunity to attend a National Event soon.

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Junior Report – November 2023

By Betty Young
Terry LaCombe
MSG Junior Co-Directors

We are excited to share current Junior Director news with all. Terry LaCombe will be added as the Co Junior Director for the 2023/24 Grange Year. Marilyn Stinson has agreed to stay on our committee but is very active with her local Grange. We have parents who will continue as members and two longtime
members of Grange who will help when they can. Co-Director Betty Young and Terry are inviting Grange Members (who must be willing and able to pass a background check) who would like to work with our children. Please let us know. Junior Grangers live around Maine and may be unable to attend all meetings, and we are willing to visit you and your Grange. This is an excellent opportunity for grandparents to give parents a break or for parents to join other parents. Your “Plus One” Junior Grangers deserve a day at your
Grange that is just for them. Let us know if you are interested in joining us. A reminder that Junior Grangers(Plus Ones) are also invited to participate in many State and National Grange Contests.

If you haven’t received your Junior Grange Program Book by January 1st and you have Plus One Grangers, PLEASE contact Terry at terryllacombe@gmail.com or call/ text me at 207 356 2492. Betty can be reached but does not “hang out” with her phone or iPad, although she appears to be using them more.

We look forward to “Growing Junior Grange” this year and preserving Grange for years to come. Do your part as “Many hands make light work,“ apparently. Youth will find time to help with a specific task if you ask, and it doesn’t take all day, so engage your youth family as well. Please do what you can and let us know if we can help in any way.

Our next meeting is December 16th in Danville at 11 am and is a Christmas Craft. Call or email for more information or to share your Junior’s Holiday Craft if you cannot attend.

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Junior Report – October 2023

By Betty Young
MSG Junior Director

Some of the Junior Grangers will be attending the State Session and will be presenting a short program on reducing, reusing, and recycling, concluding with a song. We are slowly adding new members. Remember, the State Junior Grange is open to any child or grandchild of a subordinate member. Currently, we only have one Junior Grange for the state, so I try to plan meetings in central locations with a few farther North and some farther South. Wouldn’t it be great to have enough to have a northern and a southern Junior Grange?

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Junior Report – September 2023

By Betty Young
MSG Junior Director

The Junior Grange exhibited at four fairs this year: Pittston, Topsham, Windsor, and Litchfield. As the only Junior Grange, we got first place. However, the score sheet from Windham gave us 590 out of a possible 600. With positive comments on being welcoming, showing Grange as fun and giving a good understanding of what the Grange can offer. We were not able to do Grange Camp but will come to the State Session and plan to bring a group to the National Convention. Remember that as a State Junior Grange, we accept any child or grandchild of a Grange member. We also participate in the Plus One. So, if you know of any eligible child between 5 and 14, please let me know.

Thanks to committee members Caroline Coffin and Marilyn Stinson and her daughter CJ, who put up the booths and helped take them down. Marilyn also found the fairs and registered for them. I certainly could not have done it without them.

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Junior Report – June 2023

By Marilyn Stinson
207 786-2120
MSG Committee Member

Has your Grange taken in any 1+ Junior Grangers? The 1+ program from National Grange seems to be working from what we can see on Facebook and Bulletin posts, but the Community Granges aren’t sending the MSG Junior Department the information we need, and we don’t know who has joined.

We need the junior’s name, birthdate, and date joined. Also, the parent(s) or guardian(s) names, address, email, phone number, and home Grange. A statement giving permission (or not) to share photos of the child(ren) be shared on social media.

I have remained on the Junior Committee and will accept this information and forward it to our director. Please let us know so we can put the kids on our rolls and include them with information about junior activities. You can also send the information to director Betty Young.

We have exhibited Junior information at three fairs in the last few years – Pittston, Windsor, and Litchfield – earning money for the Juniors’ activities and programs. Betty is willing to share info about Juniors that others can use in their areas. Have your local kids do some crafts, show them off, and encourage others to join! Contact your local fairs, print out the information, put the pages on poster boards, and share space with the crafts, photos, paintings, etc., that the kids have done. MSG Junior Grange #17 is on Facebook, where you can see pictures of what has been exhibited.

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Junior Report – January 2023

By Betty Young
207 786-2120
MSG Junior Director

The Junior Grange will finally meet Saturday, January 14 at Danville Jct Grange. We will practice the Ritual, take in a new member, choose officers, and learn about contests. We will plan for the rest of the spring then after lunch go our separate ways for another month. I hope to gain more members so if you have children or grandchildren between 5 and 14 encourage them to check us out. Besides monthly meetings, I hope to plan some fun things.

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Junior Report – December 2022

By Betty Young
207 786-2120
MSG Junior Director

Hello fellow Grangers. My name is Betty Young, and I am the new Junior Grange Director.

I originally joined in 1974 during the state grange centennial and took six degrees in one day at the Augusta Armory. After my second daughter was born, I took a demit and rejoined in 1994 when she was old enough to join. I have held several different offices in Subordinate and Pomona and am currently Chaplain of Androscoggin Pomona. I was approached this summer about taking on Junior Director since the previous directors were stepping down. Initially, I was reluctant but was concerned that the program might not continue so at the state session I told Sherry I will try.

My daughter has four children the youngest just turned five and will join as soon as we can have a meeting in person. I am looking forward to encouraging our members to participate in the CWA contests and earning badges.

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Junior Grange Meeting Canceled

Due to the weather forecast, the Junior Grange Meeting scheduled for this Saturday, December 17, 2023, has been canceled. Contact Junior Director Betty Young with any questions!

Junior Report — October 2022

By Marilyn Stinson
207 380-3901
and Terry LaCombe Stevens,
207 356-2492
Co-directors

Maine State Junior Grange met in Lincolnville at Tranquility Grange in September. We started our day making Dog Chew Toys, which will be sold at State Grange to raise funds.

During the meeting Juniors decided on a price to charge for chews and they also decided to send the fair money to the National Grange Foundation this year.

McLaughlin’s Seafood Shack in Lincolnville hosted the Junior Grange for lunch. The Juniors played on the beach before returning to Tranquility for a sweet treat “Candy Bar” which was enjoyed by all. A parent explained that it was a “Candy Buffet” not the anticipated “Candy Bar” that they anticipated. They were able to fill bags with candy to enjoy at home.

The items that were usually judged at Campout were judged by Barbara Schwartz who also helped make the dog chews. The results will be announced at State Grange Session.

A fun time was had by all. Thank you to Tranquility Grange, Mclaughlin’s Seafood Shack (Ricky Mclaughlin) and all who participated for a fun day.