Similar to an Easter Egg hunt, how about sponsoring a Flashlight Candy Cane Hunt? All you need is a field or lot and a pile of candy canes. Invite participants to bring a flashlight and a bag or bucket to help collect the candy canes nestled throughout the field. Provide hot cocoa and cookies.
You’ll need to jump on this quickly and get the word out–don’t complicate it too much!
A couple of guides could find elf costumes… I admit I didn’t come up with this on my own. I saw a news item announcing one in New Hampshire!
The American Legion Department of Maine High School Oratorical Scholarship Program will be held at Thomas College in Waterville on Saturday, February 10, 2024. Interested students can begin preparations now for the contest.
The program aims to help high school students develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the U.S. Constitution. Other objectives of the contest are the development of leadership qualities, the ability to think and speak clearly and intelligently, and preparation for accepting and discharging civil duties as American citizens.
The scholarship program, held by the American Legion for more than 77 years, is for those students who are looking for an academic challenge and the opportunity to win scholarship money for their education careers. Please visit their website or download the event’s brochure for more information.
Note: The Legion seeks volunteers to help with this event. Could there be a Grange Team involved? Information and the number to call is available on the website.
Augusta, MAINE – The Governor’s Energy Office (GEO), Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Office of the Public Advocate (OPA), and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) are partnering to encourage eligible Maine residents to apply for financial assistance with their electricity bills this winter. Starting today, DHHS is sending letters to 67,000 Maine residents eligible for the Low-Income Assistance Program (LIAP) with information on how to receive financial assistance.
The LIAP program, administered by the PUC, received a boost from $15 million to $22.5 million this year when lawmakers and the Governor provided one-time additional funding for the program from the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund. The PUC also expanded income eligibility for the program, which together with increased funding will allow it to serve 46,000 additional Maine residents this season.
The letters from DHHS are expected to arrive over the coming days. All recipients need to do is show the letter to their electric utility to automatically receive LIAP benefits. Contact information for Maine’s electric utilities is included in the letter.
“OPA thanks DHHS for streamlining the application process by providing a letter to all eligible ratepayers that they can simply show to their utility to automatically qualify for a credit on their utility bill,” said Public Advocate William Harwood.
“We encourage participants in the Department’s programs to keep an eye out for these letters,” said Ian Yaffe, Director of the DHHS Office for Family Independence. “Spending five minutes or less to present the letter to your utility can mean spending much less on your electricity bill this winter.”
DHHS encourages those who do not receive a letter and need assistance to fill out this online form to have their potential eligibility evaluated. The amount of financial support through the LIAP program is variable depending on household income, size, and other factors. Those who are enrolled in the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) do not need to apply for LIAP as they will automatically be enrolled.
Although Federal forecasts anticipate energy prices in the Northeast to be lower this winter compared to the prior two years, the region continues to be over-reliant on fossil fuels, in particular natural gas for electricity generation. Furthermore, Maine is the most home heating oil dependent state in the U.S. with over 56 percent of households relying on either heating oil or kerosene as their primary source of heating.
The GEO recently released its 2023 Winter Heating Guide to help Mainers save money on home heating and stay warm this winter. The Guide includes key information, helpful tips, and links to online resources where consumers can find heating information, options, and assistance programs.
This is a strange irony. As I was writing the “Caution and Suspicion” post, I received a weird email that appeared to be from MSG Chaplain Christine Hebert. Shortly after that, I received a legitimate email from her requesting I let people know she had been “hacked.”
Unfortunately, this is likely to become a more common event than we’d like. Many will remember getting similar bogus emails and text messages that appeared to be from MSG Master Sherry. Some even received bogus emails from NG Master Betsy Huber.
How this happens can vary, and I honestly can’t be helpful with resolving it. I can tell you that having a strong email password is necessary. Also, a virus-checking program on your computer is essential. The simplest explanation is that “bad people” are somehow gaining access to your email address book. Once they have that, it’s relatively easy for them to spoof or actually use your email address to send messages to people you know. It’s not much different from the telephone calls you get that appear to be from a local number.
This is not something related to or stemming from the Maine State Grange Website. We use very aggressive virus and malware protection software, and any email addresses on the website are “obfuscated,” making them impossible to harvest by bots.
Similarly, I receive at least a half-dozen fake invoices every day (a typical day shows 300+ emails coming in). It annoys me, but the best reaction is to simply delete them. If you receive an email from someone that looks strange or suspicious, you can probably ignore it and delete it. You can also contact that person by some other means to investigate. If you think your email account or address book has been compromised, you should immediately change your password and contact your service provider.
When in doubt, delete!
We will not be posting a warning every time a suspicious email is reported. We’ll count on you to be “suspicious and cautious.”In a sense, it’s the price we pay for the technology we enjoy. AI (Artificial Intelligence) will be a positive in prevention but like most tools, it can also be used for evil. Certainly, if you have any questions or concerns, let me know!
Unfortunately, a certain amount of both is in order when using the Internet. Of course, it’s not just limited to the Internet, although the Internet makes other scams and schemes possible. In the most recent Communication Short, I mentioned receiving some inquiries regarding a letter members are receiving that appears to be coming from National Grange. Since then, I have received it and dug a little deeper.
First, congratulations to those who were suspicious and cautious. If you’ve been wondering why Dave keeps calling about your car warranty, it’s because some people fall for it–enough to make it worthwhile.
One of the first questions about the letter I was asked was, “Did it really come from National Grange?” Now that I’ve received it and looked it over carefully, I can answer that question accurately. A precise answer is, “no.” It was postmarked from Texas. Everyone knows National Grange is located in Washington, D.C. It seems more likely that it was mailed by the Insurance Company making the “free” insurance offer. (American Home Life Insurance Company-AHLIC is located in Texas.)
The next logical question was, “Is it legitimate?” In order to answer that question, I visited the National Grange Website Member Benefits Section. There is no mention of AHLIC there. (I should note that any offer described as “free” puts me on alert because I know that’s not the whole story.) Personally, I’d be done with the offer at this point, but I went one step further so I could share it with members.
I did a quick check of the company on Investopedia. AHLIC (under several different names) is a “legitimate” company. They’ve actually been around for 75 years. There is, however, some big BUTS. The Better Business Bureau assigns them a one-star rating (five being the best). And a quick read of the reviews on Trusted Choice was enough to send me running.
My point is to use caution and suspicion–I am not reviewing the company on your behalf. Before you accept any“free offer,” you should do a little research and your own thinking. In the business world, we call it “due diligence.” I honestly don’t know how this letter came about. I’m sure this insurance company is legitimate, but their products and business model aren’t for me. Obviously, they are for some or they wouldn’t be in business.
With all National Grange Staff at the National Convention, it wouldn’t be easy to quickly confirm validity of the letter. It may, in fact, have been “authorized” by someone at National Grange, although I seem to remember an agreement that National Grange would not share member contact information with other companies and organizations. That might be a different issue.
The point this allows me to make is that we do well to view all communication with some degree of caution and suspicion. Many of you will recall some email and text messages that appeared to come from MSG Master Sherry.
We can wish the world was a safer place, but it isn’t. Caution and suspicion don’t have to become paranoia. Caution and suspicion are tools. We need not live in fear.
One fellow who decided to “take on” a fraudster shared his experience. If you’d like ten minutes of entertainment on this topic, I have embedded a video for you to watch. It just might prove that spammers are not always terribly bright. In fact, our hero uses caution and suspicion in a funny turnabout!
I couldn’t resist putting this post in the “Family Health and Hearing” category. Safety is an important aspect of health!
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!
November Bulletin Reminder
The November Bulletin is finished! Remember, you can always find recent issues of the Bulletin on the Program Books and Information Page.
Is It Suspicion or Caution?
We’ve had reports of members receiving a letter that appears to be from National Grange offering free life insurance from a company called “American Income Life Insurance Company.” This is a “legitimate” company, but the letter is suspect. With nearly everyone from National Grange at the National Convention, it may be difficult to confirm my suspicion, but I would be very cautious about responding to this letter. A little research shows that this insurance company receives nearly double the number of complaints as similar-sized companies.
Don’t forget to submit the details for a website post and event calendar listing!
Don’t Forget!
You may submit the names of new members so they can be recognized in Good Day! by emailing Philip Vonado or by calling (814) 404-7985.
We believe all updates are completed! The correct information is listed in the online directory, the print directory (a copy will be mailed with the Bulletin), on the Bulletin, and on the Program Books and Information Page! Phew! Please let us know if you encounter any errors!
Ideas for Granges
If you read “View from the Farm” this month, Phil makes several interesting points. One is about individuals supporting CSA programs… for Granges with local farms in the area, there might be several opportunities here. Put your creative thinking hat on! Could your Grange sponsor a CSA or two? Could you offer your local farmers “advertising?”
Thought for You…
“Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world.”
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!
Do You Have FOMO?
“FOMO” is, of course, a Fear Of Missing Out. One strongly recommended treatment is to subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website. We’ll send you a daily summary whenever news and columns are posted, and we won’t share your email address with anyone!
We recently received thank-you notes from our third-graders in Brownville. Most include hand-drawn pictures–unfortunately, with the colored construction paper, they don’t scan well, but here are a few summarized.
“Thank you for everything. I had a lot of fun. You make me laf!”
“Thank you for the Dictionary. My favorite part was the word game.”
“Thank you for everything. You are so nuns. We love you!” [I think “nuns” was supposed to be “fun.”]
“Mr. Boomsma Thank you. I love love when we try to find the word even though I didn’t win I still tried.”
“My favorite part was the sticks.” [We talk about the staves or staffs–farmers’ tools.]
“Thank you for everything you [?] for keeping our cugrey [community?] safe.“
“Thank you for the dictionary. Now I know lots about the periodic table of the elements. You are the best.” [No, I did not make this one up. It’s in the dictionary!]
“Dear Mr. Boomsma, You are a kind man. Thank you for letting us play the dictionary game of finding the words in the dictionary. Good job. You’re working hard.”
“Thank you for the dictionary and showing us the farmers’ tools.”
“Ok the longest word is hard. I can’t read the word.” [According to the dictionary, the longest word has 1909 letters in it!]
“Thank you for showing us the dictionary and farmer tools. The dictionary was amazing! The tools were great! I hope you come back to our school!”
I think one class had a little help with this one:
We’ve made lots of changes to some of your online resources. Now it’s your turn to help!
The online ODD (Officers, Deputies and Directors) Directory has been updated! These online directories can make life simple because they are sortable and searchable. I’ve asked ODDs to verify the accuracy of their contact information and have created a one-page printable directory. A copy is available online for download and printing and a printed copy will be sent to Grange Secretaries with the November Bulletin.
The Online Directory of Granges contains a sortable and searchable list of community Granges in Maine with an address and person to contact for more information. It is one of our most frequently visited pages! This proves that people are looking for Granges near them for many different reasons. Again, the accuracy of this resource is extremely important. I’m asking local members to check your listing and ensure it is accurate. The most recent update did not include email addresses–these are important in today’s society. If you find errors or can add an email address, please send the information to webmaster@mainestategrange.org.
The Program Books and Information Page has been updated and reviewed. It’s tempting to say, “If it’s not there, I don’t have it!” Actually, that would be true! Annual Reports, Program Books, etc., have been posted–if there’s something missing or you would like to see available, let me know!
It’s worth the most when it’s the most difficult to find.
Seth Godin
I just completed a round of dictionary day presentations at schools in our area. On the upside, it’s great to see the kids become engaged and excited about the words and facts that are in the dictionary. On the downside, some become very frustrated when they can’t find an assigned word. Most need to learn and practice dictionary skills such as the use of the guide words. Occasionally, a student will ask if every word is in the dictionary. I like to think we trigger some curiosity and hunger. I tell the kids that they are not only getting a dictionary, they are getting “all the words that are in it.”
But what makes the program truly powerful is that it’s one dictionary to one kid. Like the farmers’ tools we demonstrate, it’s a resource and a tool.
So maybe I will declare a “directory day.” Our directories are resources and tools. Farmers take good care of their tools. The last word we look up together during dictionary day is “steward” — one who watches over things. I often tell the kids the true story of a high school senior meeting me on the street. She recognized me and wanted to tell me she still has and uses her dictionary. Valley Grange has been distributing dictionaries for twenty years. Maybe we should have a contest to find the oldest one still in use!
Being a good steward of the website means helping to keep it accurate and timely. Please report missing, incomplete, or inaccurate information. Submit your events and news for posting. Tell us why you love the Grange! Tools that are used frequently are usually the best maintained. They don’t get a chance to rust out!
We promote the fact that we are a fraternal organization and are actively seeking members and supporters. Can we get as excited about the tools we have as the kids do about their dictionaries? We have program books and information! We have directories and a place to list Grange Events around the state. Not only do you have the website, you have everything that’s on it!
► FACT: During the month of October 2023, the MSG website was visited over 2,100 times by nearly 850 people.
Lecturers, FHH Committees, Community Service Directors…
There’s a mental health crisis in rural America: Suicide rates are 64% to 68% higher for people living in rural areas than people living in big cities. And although people who live in rural areas have higher suicide and depression rates compared to city residents, they are less likely to access mental healthcare services.
There’s a new free program to help improve mental health in rural communities – the Rural Mental Health Resilience Program. Developed by Rural Minds and the National Grange, the Rural Mental Health Resilience Program is a collection of free, potentially life-saving mental health information and resources that can help provide support to those who are struggling with mental health.
To learn more about the Rural Mental Health Resilience Program and to access, download, and print the free program materials, click here: http://www.ruralminds.org/resilience.
