Santa Is Coming to Vienna
Category: Exciting Granges
Getting the Words Out!
by Walter Boomsma, MSG Communications Director
As of today, there are 371 public schools in Maine (according to The Dictionary Project website). Of those, only 27 have a Dictionary Project Sponsor so far this year. That’s slightly over 7%.
The good news is that it’s still early in the year, and we can do better! If you have been sponsoring in the past, it’s time to start working on this year’s effort.
If you haven’t been a sponsor, this is a good year to start. For a list of unsponsored schools, visit the Dictionary Project Website. Remember, we have many great resources available on our MSG Words for Thirds Resource Page. We’ll even provide you with your Grange’s very own logo!
There are also Rotary, Kiwanis, and Elks Clubs that sponsor schools in Maine. One possibility might be to partner with a local civic organization in your area, particularly if you’re concerned about the cost and effort involved. There are several dictionaries available to choose from. All come in cases of 24 at a cost of around $100 per case, including shipping. Obviously, much depends on school size, but you can start a powerful community service with a minimum investment!
If you doubt the power of this program, check out this short news story about a Valley Grange “Dictionary Day” at Ridgeview Elementary School in Dexter.
If you have questions or would like some help. Let me know! We’re Grangers. We help each other. And let us know about your Words for Thirds Project!
Hollis Grange Words for Thirds
Valley Grange Words for Thirds Team visits local schools
Valley Grange Teams are currently celebrating Dictionary Days and Words for Thirds with area schools.WABI-TV5 caught up with the team at Ridgeview Elementary School in Dexter.
To learn more about the Guilford Grange’s Project, visit the Valley Grange Website or Facebook Page.
Excelsior Grange Craft Show
November 29, 2025
Excelsior Grange is looking for crafters and vendors for our annual Christmas Fair to be held on November 29, 2025, from 9 am to 2 pm. The Grange will serve lunch and will be selling wreaths. To reserve an eight-foot table ($20) or for more info about the fair, please contact Excelsior Grange #5 on Facebook or by calling 998-2301.
Excelsior Grange is located at 446 Harris Hill Road in Poland, Maine.
Celebrating Grange Membership
Information gleaned from the current issue of GoodDay!TM magazine.
75 Years of Continuous Membership
William Benner, Willow #366
50 Years of Continuous Membership
Linda Brooks-Nighman, Perry #324
Ashton C. Reardon, South Sangerville #335
Brian E. Reardon, South Sangerville #335
Douglas Drown, Bingham #237
Jams Owens, Bingham #237
Granges Gaining New Members
Mill Stream Grange Trunk or Treat
Friday, October 31, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. Mill Stream Grange is located at 128 Town House Road in Vienna. FMI visit their Facebook Group.
A Dynamic Duo
Mill Stream Grange in Vienna has a dynamic duo of Junior Grangers! If you’ve been following recent posts, you may have noticed them.
Natalie Heck recently received the Passion to Progress Award, bestowed through the Maine Academic Scholarship Pageant and presented by Rosie Haibon, USA Ambassador Miss. The award is based on her essay regarding volunteering at the Mount Vernon Food Bank this past year. Natalie also earned the Crossroads Leadership Volunteer Service Award for completing 50+ hours of community service during her reign as 2025 Miss Western Maine Pre-Teen.
We were pleased to recently feature her as a guest columnist with her award-winning Passion to Progress Essay.
Natalie’s sister Caroline is equally ambitious and community service-minded. Caroline is working on an outreach program to raise awareness of the importance of childhood literacy. The project includes building and placing a Little Free Library TM at the Mill Stream Grange Hall. Her outreach includes designing a bookmark with statistics and facts about the importance of reading to children. These will be printed and shared locally through her Girl Scout Troop and Service Unit, in the pre-K classrooms at Mount Vernon and Cape Cod Hill elementary schools, and in Mill Stream’s Words for Thirds.
She has already collected 203 books, a mix of board books, picture books, early chapter books, and middle-grade novels, all donated by the local community. If you’d like to support Caroline’s outreach program, contact her Mom, Kirstine Heck, or visit the Vienna, Maine, Mill Stream Grange Facebook Group.
Both girls demonstrate the value and power that come from collaborating with like-minded organizations. Energy creates energy. We are grateful and proud of their efforts and accomplishments.
A third Junior Granger, Sam Hanley, recently became an adult member and will surely continue to support his friends and the community. Earlier this summer, these Junior Grangers and another friend organized a Coastal Clean-Up that brought people together to clean the banks of the Mill Stream, which gives the Grange its name. They know how much fun Community Service can be! Maybe we should all find some kids to hang around with!
Valley Grange Dictionary Day Schedule
Valley Grange #144 of Guilford recently announced the schedule for its 2025 Words for Thirds Dictionary Project. The local Grange’s program is in its 21st year and has provided over 4,000 dictionaries to third-grade students in four area school districts. The presentations include some Grange history and an introduction to some basic dictionary skills.
Valley Grange Program Director Walter Boomsma notes, “In this age of technology, it’s inspiring to see the kids’ enthusiasm when getting their very own paper dictionary.” He also noted that a recent newsletter from the Dictionary Project reported that Sweden has shifted its emphasis from electronics back to “real” books, after seeing its fourth-grade reading scores tank.
“We’ve always said that third grade marks a critical difference. In earlier grades, students are learning to read. In third grade, they start reading to learn.”
Grange teams will be visiting SeDoMoCha Elementary in Dover Foxcroft on November 3rd, Ridgeview Elementary on November 5th, Brownville Elementary on November 10th, Harmony Elementary on November 12th, and Piscataquis Community Elementary on November 13th.
Boomsma notes that he particularly enjoys introducing the students to the word “steward” because it emphasizes the importance of making good use of resources, as well as the title of an officer in every Grange. “We challenge them to make good use of their new dictionaries and love hearing their ideas for how they will do that.”
Valley Grange President Jim Annis says, “For many kids, getting their dictionary is a rite of passage.” He loves telling the story of meeting two third graders who explained to him that this is the year they get their dictionaries. Last year, a student at Ridgeview expressed surprise that he was receiving a gift, even though it wasn’t his birthday.
Happy Dictionary Day!
Winthrop Grange Hunters’ Breakfast
November 8, 2025 – 7 am until 10 am
The menu includes eggs, pancakes, sausage, bacon, homefries, and drinks, all for $12 a person. Come join us.
Winthrop Grange #209 is located at 598 Old Lewiston Road in Winthrop.