Greene Village Day at Androscoggin Grange
Category: Exciting Granges
Manchester Grange Calls for Craft Fair Vendors!
Submitted by Manchester Maine Grange
Manchester Grange is now accepting vendor applications for the fall craft fair!
Saturday, October 24, 2026
8 am to 2 pm
Vendor tables available (8’ x 2.5’)
First floor: $25 each or 2 for $45
Second floor: $20 each or 2 for $35
Dealer set-up:
Friday, October 23rd 4-6 pm
Saturday, October 24th 7-8 am
Reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis. To reserve a table, contact email Paige Tobie or call (617) 800-4564. Include name, brief description of goods, requested floor, and number of tables. Reservations are secured when contract and payment have been received. Contract available electronically at https://tinyurl.com/grangecraftfair2026. Payment accepted by checks payable to Manchester Grange #172, cash, or Venmo.
Maine Membership Anniversaries
Information gleaned from the July 2026 Issue of Good Day!™ Magazine
75 Year Anniversary
- Virginia Boudreau, Benton #458
50 Year Anniversary
- Jeffrey Grant, Mt. Etna #147
- Sandra Lawrence, Benton #485
- Bonnilee MacDonald, Valley #144
Granges Welcoming New Members
Twenty-five Maine Granges welcomed new members in July! Special recognition to Vassalboro Grange #322 for added fifteen new patrons!
- Alexander #308, 1
- Ammadamast #374, 2
- Branch Mills #336, 1
- Deering #53, 1
- Dirigo #98, 1
- Enterprise #48, 4
- Evening Star #183, 2
- Fairview #342, 5
- Farmington #12, 1
- Hudson #457, 3
- John F. Hill #393, 2
- Jonesboro #357, 4
- Kennebec Valley #128, 5
- Lakeside #63, 6
- Manchester #172, 1
- Maple Grove #148, 2
- Parkman #305, 2
- Pioneer #219, 1
- Saco #53, 2
- South Sangerville #355, 4
- Topsham 337, 3
- Trenton #550, 5
- Vassalboro #322, 15
- Victor #49, 2
- Waterford #479, 1
Correction!
In what could be considered a comedy of errors, yesterday’s post regarding Saco Grange’s One Day Clothing Giveaway was released the incorrect date! The correct date is August 30, 2026.
The original post and event calendar have been fixed! We’re sorry for any confusion.
Clothing Giveaway at Saco Grange
Saco Grange Schedules Events for the Year
August 22, 2026, Drive for Backpacks at Saco Grange #53 at 10 am. Collecting school supplies for children starting school. Various kids’ games and fun. Donations accepted. FMI: Contact Kathy at Treasuresacogrange53@gmail.com.
September 14, 2026 every Monday. Quilt Club meets at Saco Grange #53, 10 am to 2 pm. Join a fun group learning new techniques for quilting for various charities. $5 donation is appreciated. Call 207 831-5784, or email sacogrange53@gmail.com for more information.
September 26, 2026, Trading Card Show at Saco Grange #53, 168 North st, 9 am-2 pm. Sports, Pokémon, Magic & more. Contact sacogrange53@gmail.com ONLY to sign up for tables, or call 207-831-5784
October 10, 2026, Public Bean Supper at Saco Grange #53 from 4 pm to 6 pm. $10 pp. On the menu are homemade kidney and pea beans, brown bread, red & brown hot dogs, American chop suey, coleslaw, biscuits, pies, and hot and cold beverages. Don’t have time to stop? We do take out! FMI: call 207 831-5784 or sacogrange53@gmail.com.
October 11, 2026, Broomstick Making Class at Saco Grange #53 from 1 pm to 3 pm $40 pp, $10 deposit to reserve a spot. Make a broomstick to start the holidays. Contact sacogrange53@gmail.com or 207-831-5784 to reserve your spot. Please wear a witch hat and have some fun. Accepting donations for Caring Unlimited.
October 17, 2026, Harvest Fair at Saco Grange #53 from 9 am to 2 pm. Start your holiday shopping early with local crafter gifts & seasonal decor. Contact treasuresacogrange53@gmail.com ONLY. Beware of scammers when signing up for tables. Collecting items for Thanksgiving baskets for veterans.
November 7, 2026, Public Bean Supper at Saco Grange #53 from 4 pm to 6 pm. $10 pp. On the menu are homemade kidney and pea beans, brown bread, red & brown hot dogs, American chop suey, coleslaw, biscuits, pies, and hot and cold beverages. Don’t have time to stop? We do take out! FMI call 207 831-5784 or sacogrange53@gmail.com.
November 14, 2026, Fall Fair at Saco Grange #53 from 9 am to 2 pm. Join in the festivities, discovering handmade gifts from local crafters and seasonal decor. Contact treasuresacogrange53@gmail.com ONLY. Beware of scammers when signing up for tables. Collecting items for Thanksgiving baskets for veterans.
November 15, 2026, Fall Fair at Saco Grange #53 from 9 am to 2 pm. Join in the festivities, discovering handmade gifts from local crafters and seasonal decor. Contact treasuresacogrange53@gmail.com ONLY. Beware of scammers when signing up for tables. Collecting items for Thanksgiving baskets for veterans.
December 12, 2026, Christmas Fair at Saco Grange #53 from 9 am to 2 pm. Join in the festivities, discovering handmade gifts from local crafters and seasonal decor. Contact treasuresacogrange53@gmail.com ONLY. Beware of scammers when signing up for tables. Collecting gifts for Adopt a Senior.
December 12, 2026, Girls’ Night In at Saco Grange #53 at 5 pm. Come shop with a handful of amazing local vendors! No need to stress about cleaning your house—just gather your girlfriends and join us. Support a great cause: Toys for Tots Fundraiser – please bring an unwrapped toy to donate. Enjoy light refreshments and enter to win door prizes! Contact treasuresacogrange53@gmail.com FMI.
March 27, 2027, Easter Egg Hunt & Raffles at Saco Grange #53 starting at 10 am. Free, all ages. Have your picture taken with the Easter Bunny. Many Raffle items to raise funds for Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital. Do not need to be present for raffles to win. Rain or shine. FMI: call 207 831-5784 or treasuresacogrange53@gmail.com
May 22, 2027, Outdoor Plant Sale at Saco Grange #53 from 9 am until 11 am. Come buy local plants to support the greenhouses at Sweetser. FMI: call 207 831-5784 or sacogrange53@gmail.com.
You’ll Miss Us!
a “webatorial” by MSG Communications Director
Walter Boomsma
Seth Godin wrote an interesting post suggesting that when people move away, cards and cake should read, “You’ll miss us” instead of “We’ll miss you.” He points out that the community remains.
One of the more powerful sentences in the short post was, “When a marketer serves a community, they create the conditions where they’d be missed–because the ideas or products or services they bring are important, not simply tolerated.“
With apologies to Seth, I changed a word or two. “When a Grange serves a community, they create the conditions where they’d be missed–because the ideas or services they bring are important, not simply tolerated.“
My revision raises a question for Granges. Would your communities miss you if you were gone? Would they even notice? Are you important or simply tolerated?
One of the challenges we face as an organization is relevance in communities that are loosely defined and increasingly diverse. If our vision is narrow and our goals are limited, we will be missed by an ever-diminishing number of people. For example, not everyone likes potluck suppers.
Seth’s short message is that marketers should see a worthwhile goal of creating ideas, products, or services that the community would miss.
Maybe it’s time for Granges to figure out what they can create and offer that their communities would miss.
St George Grange Chair-ity Auction
Recycling at it’s best!
Members of the St. George Grange came up with the whimsical idea of having 17 local artists paint some of their vintage wooden chairs and chose Zero to School as the recipient of this CHAIR-ITY fundraiser auction. These ONE-OF-A-KIND works of art represent both the talent and generosity of these artists.
Check out the amazing chairs and the auction, and learn more about Zero to School! Bidding closes on July 19, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.
Manchester Grange News
There’s Lots to Choose From!
Manchester Grange recently unveiled a Little Free Library® as a result of what might be described as a family project. Member Paige Tobie is determined to make the Manchester Grange more visible and relevant to their community. She notes that the hall’s location is an ideal location, adjacent to the elementary school playground, a Fielder’s Choice ice cream stand, and on a busy highway. She credits her husband, Forrest, with being the brains behind the project, adapting some online plans to make it bigger than normal models to provide more books for the community since Manchester does not have a public library. Daughters Olive and Margo helped with the painting, though they were disappointed with the choice of a “boring” color.
Keeping the Grange identity meant using a photo of an old Grange sign inside the building and attaching it to the library. The library is officially registered with the Little Free Library organization (Charter #226621) with the location mapped on the LFL site.
In addition to its global location, a brand-new Manchester Grange Website offers a “venue and community space to bring people together.” The site is clean, efficient, and easy to navigate. Family memberships are available!
But wait! There are more reasons to find your way to the Manchester Grange Hall. Recently added picnic tables are readily available and, on the first and third Mondays of the month, a coffee open house welcomes visitors from 8 am – 10 am. (Hint: bring books for the Little Free Library!) You can get summertime reading materials, coffee, and a warm welcome that will help you discover the value of community and the Grange.
Mill Stream Grange Visits School
Kindergartners Start Farming
Recently, Mill Stream Grange members Jill Sampson, Lisa Goucher, and Paula Hanley visited teacher Melanie Hall’s kindergarten class at Mt. Vernon Elementary School to share information about the Grange and farming. Each child was given a new book titled “Farming” by Gail Gibbons, a coloring book on farming, and animal stickers. Jill read “Farming” to the students, then Lisa and Paula helped each of them to plant sunflower seeds, which were placed on the windowsill in the sun.
Farming by Gail Gibbons is a popular nonfiction children’s book that uses clear, colorful illustrations and diagrams to explain the year-round work on a farm, from planting and harvesting crops to caring for animals and dealing with seasonal changes. An updated edition includes new safety equipment and procedures, making it an engaging and educational resource for young readers (ages 4-8) about agriculture, tractors, and where food comes from. It is available from Amazon.
What’s not to love about Jill’s apron? “Romaine Calm and Carrot On.”