Category: National Grange Information

National Grange information, including National Convention.

Communication Shorts 12-30-2023

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!

January Bulletin Reminder

Articles and columns for the January printed Bulletin are due before January 15th. Remember, you can always find recent issues of the Bulletin on the Program Books and Information Page.

Welcome to the New Year!

Yes, we’ll have trouble remembering to write “2024” for a while. Technology may help, but we’ll still want to pay attention to our dates!

Don’t Forget!

Don’t forget to submit the details for a website post and event calendar listing! This is not difficult and you get lots of free publicity!

83rd Annual Maine Agricultural Trades Show Gears Up

Visit the show at the Augusta Civic Center. This year’s show is set to elevate learning, planning, and networking to unprecedented levels. Visit https://www.maine.gov/dacf/agtradesshow for show news, schedules, participant directory, and venue map. Doors open daily at 9 a.m., with no entry fee.

Ideas for Granges

Swap or trade programs are becoming increasingly popular. I’ve recently seen events for musicians, readers (books), cooks (recipes), and even spices! Bringing people together with a purpose sounds like a great cabin-fever reliever!

Thought for You…

“Just when the caterpillar thought her life was over, she became a butterfly.”

Unknown

Do You Love the Grange?

The world wants to hear about it! Fill out the simple I Love the Grange Form… it only takes a couple of minutes! Thanks to all who have shared so far!

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!

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!

Subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website

Communication Shorts 12-15-2023

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!

December Bulletin Reminder

The December 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?

Just a reminder to be cautious and suspicious of emails and phone calls you receive.

Don’t Forget!

Don’t forget to submit the details for a website post and event calendar listing!

National Grange Contest Guide is Available

The National Grange Contest Guide is available for download. Before printing, note that it is over 100 pages long!

ODD (Officers, Deputies, Directors)

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! Please let us know if you encounter any errors!

Ideas for Granges

Could your Grange host a librarian from your local library? The librarian could bring some of the latest releases as well as other media resources.

Thought for You…

“You know how I always dread the whole year? Well this time I’m only going to dread one day at a time.”

Charlie Brown

Do You Love the Grange?

The world wants to hear about it! Fill out the simple I Love the Grange Form… it only takes a couple of minutes! Thanks to all who have shared so far!

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!

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!

Subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website

Note from National – December 2023

Emails sent to betsy@nationalgrane.org are now being forwarded to Chris Hamp, effective immediately. If you would like to contact Betsy Huber directly, please use her personal contact information below.

If you would like to contact The National Grange President, Chris Hamp, please use the following contact information below.

 
Christine E. Hamp
National Grange President
National Grange Office
1616 H Street NW, Floor 11
Washington, DC 20006
Phone: (202) 628-3507 ext. 112
Email: champ@nationalgrange.org

Washington State Office
14619 W Jacobs Road
Spokane, WA 99224
Tel: (509) 953-3533

Betsy Huber
Past National Grange President
362 University Road
Lincoln University, PA 19352-1606
Phone: (484) 459-1957
Email: hhuber@zoominternet.net

Communication Shorts 12-1-2023

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!

Table Of Contents
  1. December Bulletin Reminder
  2. Fraternal Concern – June Burke
  3. Don't Forget to Submit!
  4. Technology Tip
  5. National Grange Contest Guide is Available
  6. ODD (Officers, Deputies, Directors) Directory
  7. Ideas for Granges
  8. Thought for You…
  9. Do You Love the Grange?
  10. Online Directories Available 24-7
  11. Do You Have FOMO?

December Bulletin Reminder

The deadline for the printed Bulletin is December 14, 2023. Remember, you can always find recent issues of the Bulletin on the Program Books and Information Page.

Fraternal Concern – June Burke

Once again, our family has lost another of our Past State Officers, Sister June Burke, Past State Lecturer (75 – 81) and Past Junior Deputy, who passed away on November 22. Her obituary may be found at www.edgerlyfh.com. Cards may be sent to :
The Burke Family
3 Milton Mills Rd
Lebanon, ME 04027

Don’t Forget to Submit!

Don’t forget to submit the details for a website post and event calendar listing! Thanks to the many who have submitted December Events. This is a busy Grange Month in Maine!

Technology Tip

Our website monitoring program indicated an “outage” took place recently. Fortunately, it lasted less than ten minutes. Hopefully, these are rare, and they are almost always self-correcting. If you try to visit the site and can’t, wait a few minutes and try again! This shouldn’t happen more than once or twice a month!

National Grange Contest Guide is Available

For a copy of the Guide to National Grange Contests, click this link. Think twice before printing! It’s over 100 pages long!

ODD (Officers, Deputies, Directors) Directory

We have the online directory and the print directory of officers, deputies, and directors. The print directory is available on Program Books and Information Page! Please let us know if you encounter any errors!

Ideas for Granges

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.

Thought for You…

“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime.”

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Do You Love the Grange?

The world wants to hear about it! Fill out the simple I Love the Grange Form… it only takes a couple of minutes! Thanks to all who have shared so far!

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!

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!

Subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website

Cautious or Suspicious?

By Walter Boomsma, MSG Communications Director

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!

Communication Shorts 11-15-2023

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.

Fox 22 Covers Valley Grange Dictionary Project

For a summary, check this link.

ODD (Officers, Deputies, Directors)

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.”

George Bernard Shaw

Do You Love the Grange?

The world wants to hear about it! Fill out the simple I Love the Grange Form… it only takes a couple of minutes! Thanks to all who have shared so far!

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!

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!

Subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website

Communication Shorts 11-1-2023

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

Columns and Posts for the November Bulletin are due on or before November 14, 2023. Remember, you can always find recent issues of the Bulletin on the Program Books and Information Page.

Planning a Holiday Event?

Are you planning a holiday event such as a Craft Fair or Party? Don’t forget to submit the details for a website post and event calendar listing!

Honored Members

According to the most recent issue of Good Day! Magazine, we have three members who recently reached 75 years of continuous membship:

  • Nancy Gowen, Highland Lake #87
  • Shirley Hatch, Danville Junction #65
  • Donald Proctor, Danville Junction #65

And two members who recently reached 50 years of continuous membership:

  • Sally Jo Kinney, St George #421
  • Elizabeth Vanidestine, Bangor #372

Honoring New Members

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.

Ideas for Granges

Here’s a link to a short Seth Godin Post. Lecturers may find it particularly useful–it’s a short activity that demonstrates “We get much further together!”

Thought for You…

“Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence.”

Erma Bombeck

Do You Love the Grange?

The world wants to hear about it! Fill out the simple I Love the Grange Form… it only takes a couple of minutes! Thanks to all who have shared so far!

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!

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!

Subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website

Communication Shorts 10-15-2023

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!

October Bulletin Reminder

The October Bulletin is complete and available for downloading and printing. However, with the State Convention happening this week, there may be some delay with the actual mailing. Remember, you can always find recent issues of the Bulletin on the Program Books and Information Page.

Planning a Holiday Event?

Are you planning a holiday event such as a Craft Fair or Party? Don’t forget to submit the details for a website post and event calendar listing!

Need an Absentee Ballot?

You can request a Maine Absentee Ballot online. Election Day is November 7, 2023.

Ideas for Granges

Rory Feek of Plain Values Magazine recently wrote an article on gardening and included a photo of his daughter’s “rolling garden.” It’s a child-sized “box” on wheels with child-sized “tools” kept on a port or deck. What a great idea! A Grange could make some as a fundraiser… provide a version for senior citizens… put your thinking caps on!

Thought for You…

Between what I think, what I want to say, what I believe I say, what I say, what you want to hear, what you believe to hear, what you hear, what you want to understand, what you think you understand, what you understand…They are ten possibilities that we might have some problem communicating. But let’s try anyway…

Bernard Werber

Do You Love the Grange?

The world wants to hear about it! Fill out the simple I Love the Grange Form… it only takes a couple of minutes! Thanks to all who have shared so far!

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!

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!

Subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website

Notes from National – October 2023

  • Please subscribe to the National Grange’s Good Day! Magazine. Just $16 a year gets you access to our print or digital subscription. Learn more about the magazine at http://www.nationalgrange.org/goodday or the digital issue at http://www.issuu.com/grangegoodday. The October issue is in mailboxes across the country, and additional copies are available through the Grange Store.
  • Subscribe to the Patrons Chain and View from the Hill at http://www.nationalgrange.org/subscribe. These newsletters are released every Friday, containing information about National Grange programs, events, and more.
  • Are there topics you would like to see covered in a future Zoom from a National Grange staff member or department director or officer? Please let us know! We’re always working to ensure our topics are in line with what our members want or need to hear from us.
  • Many National Grange events have been recorded and archived – if there’s something you missed and would like to see, please visit the National Grange YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/nationalgrange. 
  • Follow National Grange on Social Media! We’re on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and more!

We hope to see you “at” some of our Events!

“Notes from National” is based on a monthly email received from the National Grange Communications Department.

Communication Shorts 9-30-2023

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!

October Bulletin Reminder

Yes, we are planning an October Bulletin! The deadline remains the same: October 14, 2023. However, with the State Convention happening right after the Bulletin is produced, there may be some delay with the actual mailing. Remember, you can always find recent issues of the Bulletin on the Program Books and Information Page.

Grange “Stuff” Available for the Taking!

We have a contact in the Belfast area who has a number of Grange items (50-year member’s medallion, Past Master’s pin, tie clips, etc.) he would like to donate to an active Grange in Maine.” First come, first served! If you’re interested, let me know, and I’ll send contact information!

Where’s Your Grange Hall?

You might be surprised to learn that it’s quite easy to label your Grange Hall location on Google Maps. It helps to have your street address. While step-by-step instructions are beyond the scope of this tip, give it a try or ask a kid to help.

Program Planning – “New” Website Page

We’ve renamed the Conferences and Dates Page to the Grange Events Page–a more accurate description. Please send in your events! Note that we do not list regular Grange Meetings–just special events. Pomona Meetings are, however, listed because they are often held in different locations.

Ideas for Granges

How about starting a DIY Clubhouse designed to provide a space for different ages ranging from age six and up to meet and make new friends through specialized activities? Participants could try different unique activities. (Remember that working with children in Grange settings requires a background check.) Something similar could be offered for adults.

Thought for You…

“Every adversity, every failure, every heartbreak, carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”

Napoleon Hill

(And Patrons of Husbandry know all about seeds, right?)

Do You Love the Grange?

The world wants to hear about it! Fill out the simple I Love the Grange Form… it only takes a couple of minutes! Thanks to all who have shared so far!

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!

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!

Subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website