Patrons of Husbandry – a website dedicated to the Granges located in Maine
One of the software providers for our website recently blogged some ideas for community events that will draw people in.
What are you going to do this summer? Don’t forget to submit your events to the MSG website calendar!
Saturday, May 25, 2024 – 9:00 am until 1:00 pm
Attic treasures, books, RADA cutlery, baked goods, beans and chili (to go), pick your prize raffle, 50/50, plants and more.
Tables are available for rent, $20 each. For more information or to rent a table, contact Maynard Chapman at 207 312-5591.
Danville Junction Grange is located at 15 Grange Street, right off Route 202 in Danville.
Guilford—Valley Grange in Guilford has announced their annual Celebration of Community, which will take place on Friday, May 17, 2024, at the Guilford Grange Hall. The event includes honoring one or more Community Citizen(s) of the Year. This year, the Grange will honor the Piscataquis County Emergency Dispatchers. The event celebrates the strength of rural communities with a potluck supper at 5:30 pm, followed by a program featuring a presentation of certificates of recognition at 7:00 pm. The program includes an opportunity for guests to share testimonials and appreciation.
Program Director Walter Boomsma noted in announcing the celebration, “We always try to honor people who have their boots on the ground and give of themselves to strengthen and build our communities. These too often unsung heroes are a lifeline for our communities. The event itself brings neighbors and friends together. Even the meal demonstrates the strength and value of our communities. In the truest sense, the communities prepare the potluck supper by bringing dishes to share.”
911 dispatchers are the vital link between individuals in distress and the emergency services they desperately need. Their ability to gather crucial information, provide life-saving instructions, and coordinate emergency response teams makes them invaluable assets to their communities. They embody compassion, professionalism, and resilience, serving as the first responders in every emergency call. They work behind the scenes, gathering crucial information, providing life-saving instructions, and coordinating emergency response. Valley Grange is honored to offer this opportunity to recognize their compassion, professionalism, and resilience.
“When you think about it,” Boomsma noted, “every citizen and visitor benefits from the work these people do daily. This is a chance to thank them in person and maybe shake hands and give a hug.” Community Service Chair Mary Annis adds, “This is always such a great evening as we enjoy the chance to connect with each other, share a great meal, and celebrate our rural lives.”
Additional information about the event is available at http://valleygrange.com and on the Valley Grange Facebook page.
You’re invited to the Maine State Grange 150th Anniversary Celebration on June 29, 2024, from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm. There will be a short program at 2:30 pm.
State Grange Headquarters is located at 146 State Street in Augusta, Maine. Please park between the Grange and the bank and use the side entrance.
Memories – Socialize – Get acquainted
Fairview Grange in Smithfield recently held a wildly successful open meeting with 42 townspeople attending. Master/president Rick Watson said it was exciting to see that the Grange is important to the community adding, “We discussed expectations, wants and needs along with how the Grange can serve as a community or event center and the collaborative relationship with The North Pond Association. These three groups with different needs can work together to benefit the community.”
Twelve people joined the Grange immediately following the meeting and two more have since decided to join!
Rick also expressed thanks to all who attended, helped set up, or tore down, and especially to those who joined. In addition, he gave a shout-out to Kings Restaurant up the street for sending some desserts and a thank you to the Grange ladies who baked. “You’ll never go home hungry from a Grange meeting,” he pledged.
Those who attended the meeting completed questionnaires asking for input regarding ideas for Grange events and programs and an inventory of the types of activities people would be willing to help with!
Fairview Grange meets next on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at 6:30 pm. Visit the Fairview Grange Facebook Page for more information! Fairview Grange is located at 826 Village Road in Smithfield Maine.
Come enjoy a variety of homemade food, freshly baked bread, biscuits, desserts, coffee, and cold drinks with neighbors, friends, and family.
Adults $10.00 Children $5.00 (Under 10 yrs. Free)
Cooked food donations for our suppers welcome (Casseroles, salads, desserts, etc.)
Our first supper is May 11, 2024, at 5 pm. We will be having monthly suppers now through October 2024.
Wanted: Applicants for the 2024 Minnie Welts Bridge Memorial Scholarship. All SAD 4 Residents are eligible!
The Parkman Grange is announcing plans to award 2024 Minnie Welts Bridge Memorial Scholarships to one or more deserving SAD 4 graduates continuing their education beyond high school. The Grange awarded $500 scholarships in 2023 to Matthew Chadbourne, Sangerville, a Social Work major at the University of Southern Maine; Mercy Harper, Sangerville, a Criminal Justice major at Husson University; MacKenzie Kain, Parkman, an Early Childhood Education major at Kennebec Valley Community College; and, Merrilee Levensailor, Guilford, an Accounting major at the University of Maine Augusta.
This is a call for qualified applicants for the 2024 Minnie Welts Bridge Memorial Scholarships. Applicants must be SAD 4 residents, must have successfully completed at least one term of post-high school education, and be enrolled for the upcoming term. Application packages may be picked up at the Parkman Town Office or from the bulletin board on the porch of the Grange Hall. Completed applications must be submitted to the Parkman Town Office or, if mailed, postmarked by July 12, 2024, with no exceptions. Winners will be announced in August.
Minnie Bridge (1909-2011) was a lifelong resident of Parkman, a retired schoolteacher, and a life member of the Parkman Grange. In her memory, the Grange established the Minnie Welts Bridge Memorial Scholarship Fund. From this Fund, the Grange annually awards one or more $500 scholarships. To date, the Grange has awarded $15,000 in scholarships. For more information, contact Sue Manchester at (207) 717-6248.
Here are some may events around the state–don’t forget to submit yours!
If you are wondering what to do with your eclipse glasses, we are collecting them for Astronomers Without Borders! Come drop off glasses any time, putting them in our mail slot if you have a couple, or leaving them outside in a bag. We will also have a collection box very soon. You can also drop them off Sunday, the 21st, at our 150th Celebration, 1-4!
Haraseeket Grange #9 is located at 13 Elm Street in Freeport Maine.
And if you do not live near us, check the Astronomers without Borders website for locations.
Granges currently collecting glasses:
This is not a fundraiser—it’s a fun raiser! The purpose is to celebrate our communities and way of life. We’ll also honor some special community citizens—the Piscataquis County 911 Dispatchers! Here are some ways you can help support this fundraiser.
In a recent blog post, Seth Godin noted that ideas that spread win and because of technology and the changes in media, ideas that spread “horizontally” spread the fastest and farthest. Yelling from the rooftops doesn’t work so well. Telling a neighbor or friend does.
