This monthly newsletter written by Burton Eller, National Grange Legislative Director, covers “what’s happening” in Washington on various topics of interest to Grangers.
View from the Hill – April 2024
Category: Communication
May Events
Here are some may events around the state–don’t forget to submit yours!
- May 3, 2024, Community Potluck Supper at Trenton Grange, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., 1134 Bar Harbor Road in Trenton. For more information, see this post or visit the Trenton Grange Website.
- May 4-5, 2024, Community Bazaar (crafts, farmers’ market, yard sale…) at Trenton Grange from 9 am until 2 pm both days. For more information, see this post or visit the Trenton Grange Website.
- May 5, 2024, Benton Grange Craft Fair and Flea Market, 9 am until 2 pm. Call 207 453-4796 for information.
- May 7, 2024, Open Mic Night at Trenton Grange. Doors open at 5:30 pm, and the event is from 6:00 to 8:30 pm. $5 donation cover. Trenton Grange Website.
- May 11, 2024, Parkman Grange’s Mothers’ Day Tea starting at 10 am. Reservations are required. See this post.
- May 14, 2024, Deadline for the MSG Bulletin
- May 17, 2024, Valley Grange Community Celebration with potluck supper at 6 p.m. and Celebration at 7 p.m. Visit the Valley Grange Website FMI.
- May 18, 2024, Junior Grange Meeting at Enterprise Grange. Contact Director Betty Young for more information.
- May 25-26, 2024, Community Bazaar (crafts, farmers’ market, yard sale…) at Trenton Grange from 9 am until 2 pm both days. For more information, see this post or visit the Trenton Grange Website.
Highland Happenings!
Highland Lake Grange Is Having a Busy Spring
Highland Lake Grange is donating supplies, can tabs and food to Ronald McDonald House in Portland today. Items were donated by Grange members and by the Grange itself.
Also this week, the Grange received a Citizens Award from the Westbrook Police Department for its work raising funds for the Westbrook K9 department in 2023.
Next up is a donation of personal care items for Windham Food Panty.
The Patrons Chain 4-19-2024
Articles in this edition include:
- Two Grange members seated on national advisory groups
- Using the Reaching Rural Surgical Seniors program
- Introducing The Grange Hall podcast
- Middle Branch Grange seeks support after fire
- Join the Lecturer’s Forum
- Save the Date: Registration Opens May 1
- Climate change is shifting how and when we prepare our gardens
- SHIPmates applications open for second class
- Be part of the Grange Story – apply for the Communication Fellows
- Grange Supply Store: People, Pride & Progress
- Grange Member Benefit: Lenovo
Click the button below to read and/or subscribe to the Patrons Chain!
Note that all recent issues are available on the National Grange Website. Occasionally, a weekly issue isn’t sent. For example, the last Friday of the month is usually a View from the Hill week, so the fact that one hasn’t been posted on the MSG website doesn’t necessarily mean we skipped it! You can double-check using the link (Read the Current Issue) above. Effective 2024, we will only maintain one year of issues on the MSG website.
Communication Shorts 04-16-2024
By Walter Boomsma,
MSG Communications Director
207 343-1842
Communication Shorts are brief (short) but important items posted for your information and use. Send us your ideas and thoughts!
April Bulletin Available
The April Bulletin is now available for downloading and printing! You can find recent issues of the Bulletin on the Program Books and Information Page.
Staying Safe
Just another reminder not to automatically respond to email or text messages that “don’t sound right.”
National 9-1-1 Education Month
April is being observed as National 9-1-1 Education Month, an observance designed to ensure that the public is ready to access help during emergencies.
NHTSA: National 911 Program and Know 911
This is also an excellent time to make sure you know the 911 address for your Grange Hall–it’s usually also the GPS address. Post in around the hall so if there’s an emergency, you can provide it to the dispatcher!
Consider this Idea!
Discussion Groups! We recently learned of a local Council on Aging sponsoring General Quarters!, a monthly roundtable discussion group focusing on military topics. What a great name! But almost any topic could work. It wouldn’t have to include a formalized program–just an opportunity for people to come together and discuss a mutually interesting topic. Gardening, cooking, reading… use your hall!
Fraternal Announcement
Since some may have participated in a card shower for Basil Clement, it is my sad duty to inform you that he passed away on Easter Sunday, just 21 days short of his 95th birthday. His niece and hospice nurse have both expressed much appreciation to the Grange for making his final days happy and for providing companionship.
Bangor Savings Bank Community Matters More 2024
Recipients of the Community Matters More Grants have been announced! See the list here!
Submit Events! Be “findable”
The MSG website is easy to find and gets a lot of use! In the last seven days, 132 people visited the site after searching on Google. It really does make sense to submit your events and make sure your information is correct in the online directory! We especially need working email addresses that are checked regularly!
Submit News! Be “famous”
Submitting news can be as simple as a photo and “cutline.” A cutline is a brief description–longer than a caption–to accompany the photo. Let’s prove that the Grange is alive and well in Maine! (Photos should be submitted as an attachment to an email.) We get inquiries from people looking for active Granges!
Online Directories Available 24-7
- The ODD Directory features all state officers, directors, and deputies with contact information.
- The Directory of Granges features all Granges in the state with a contact person. Please make sure your listing is correct!
Valley Grange Celebrates Community
Ways to support the celebration…
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.
- Attend the potluck supper, meeting, or both!
- Bring people with you to the potluck supper, meeting, or both. Create a carpool!
- If you truly can’t attend, drop off a dish for the potluck supper. We can also use rolls, butter, drinks…
- Call some friends and tell them about it. Encourage them to come.
- Download and print some flyers then post them around your community–stores, banks, town offices, hair salons…
- Visit the Valley Grange Facebook Page and share the event.
- Tell your local fire firefighters, EMS, LEOs, etc. about it. They appreciate our dispatchers too!
- Invite any local, county, state, and federal politicians you can think of! They usually love things like this! If they can’t attend, ask them to endorse and promote the event!
- Write a letter to the editor of local publications sharing your appreciation for our dispatchers and mention Community Night.
- Think spring and hope for great weather.
- If you have any questions or ideas regarding the event, contact Walter Boomsma, Program Director.
- If you’d like to help with the potluck supper and have questions, contact Mary Annis or Janice Boomsma.
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.
Communications Column – April 2024
By Walter Boomsma
207 343-1842
Communications Director
Remember “Booster Nights?” I’m not sure there ever was a clear definition or description, but it would probably be fair to describe it as a recruiting effort to “boost” membership with an open house-themed meeting or program.
I’m not aware of any data, but I suspect you won’t find too many people who joined the Grange after attending a Booster Night in recent years–for one thing, they’ve gone out of fashion. But remembering them raises a question. In our efforts to grow our Granges, what are we boosting?
People join the Grange and maintain their membership for various reasons, which can be very diverse and individualistic. I haven’t kept track, but the most common explanation I’ve heard for joining is family tradition—”my parents and grandparents were members.” In “my” Grange, we have a few members who pay their dues but aren’t involved, don’t attend meetings, but maintain their membership status. No criticism is implied. It’s just a fact.
Does that mean we should be contacting all of our current members’ relatives?
If we are promoting the Grange, maybe so. In a somewhat desperate sense, any reason for joining is acceptable, right?
But the more important question arises. What are we boosting? Or, in a larger way, what are we communicating?
Within the context, it might be time to think about what the Grange does in addition to what it is.
It’s probably time to dust off the “Why I love the Grange” survey. If you read some of the reasons, you won’t see many, “I love the Grange because it is an organization with a long history and agricultural roots…” Most of the answers reflect what the Grange does and how those current members actually benefit. Those answers tell us what we should be communicating if we want to attract new members. We should be looking for “like-minded” people.
Many members mention “family” in explaining why they love the Grange. So, a simple example of what that might mean is we should include “family-friendly” when promoting events. (And we’d better mean it. Valley Grange has an “activity tote” and “book tote” that visiting kids are encouraged to use—and they get to take one home. If they bring it back, they can trade it for another or just keep it.)
In addition to “family-friendly,” it might make sense to use the word “community” when promoting your Grange’s activity. While not always aware of it on a conscious level, many people are searching for a sense of belonging to something. Maybe your “public supper” should be a “community supper.” It sounds too simple and almost trite, but words can mean a lot. I once had someone admit they would be more likely to attend a “Grange Program” than a “Grange Meeting.” Meetings are for members. Programs are for everyone.
What is your Grange doing these days? Boost that because your Grange is what it does.
► FACT: The website currently has 862 posts and 20 pages! That’s a lot of information!
Promoting Maine Farm Products
Real Maine offers statewide promotions (print, radio, web, and news stories) to encourage visitors to meet participating members and support Maine agriculture year-round. There is no fee for farms to join Real Maine or the voluntary promotional opportunities. Members can refer to DACF’s agritourism resources to help their event planning. More information here.
Maine’s Open Farm Day happens, rain or shine, on the fourth Sunday in July. Save the date: The 35th event will occur on July 28, 2024.
The Patrons Chain 4-12-2024
Articles in this edition include:
- Join the conversation for Grange Spirit Week
- Recognize and thank your members during Grange Month
- Introducing The Grange Hall podcast
- Service Project Opportunity: Collect Eclipse Glasses
- Join Membership Matters this week
- NC Youth named first recipient of the Ernestine “Ernie” Keiser Memorial Scholarship
- FCC Announces Reduced ACP Support Amounts for May
- Rural Students’ Access to High-Speed Internet Is in Jeopardy as Resources Recede
- SHIPmates applications open for second class
- Be part of the Grange Story – apply for the Communication Fellows
- Grange Supply Store: Guidelines for Grange Leaders
- Grange Member Benefit: Harvest Hosts
Click the button below to read and/or subscribe to the Patrons Chain!
Note that all recent issues are available on the National Grange Website. Occasionally, a weekly issue isn’t sent. For example, the last Friday of the month is usually a View from the Hill week, so the fact that one hasn’t been posted on the MSG website doesn’t necessarily mean we skipped it! You can double-check using the link (Read the Current Issue) above. Effective 2024, we will only maintain one year of issues on the MSG website.
Recycle Eclipse Glasses
At least one company is collecting used but undamaged Eclipse Glasses. They will be sent to schools in Latin America so children can view the October 2024 Eclipse.
Could your Grange start a collection program as a community service? (The answer is “yes.” All it takes is a box and commitment to ship what you collect by August 1, 2024.)
The shipping address is Eclipse Glasses USA, LLC, PO Box 50571, Provo, UT 84605, and the deadline for shipping is August 1, 2024.
If your Grange decides to do this, please let us know! We’ll post a list of Granges that are “drop-off points.” (Leave a tote on your front porch. Keep it simple and easy!)