Category: Resources for Granges and Grangers

Communications Column – October 2023

Annual Reports and Parties

By Walter Boomsma
207 343-1842
Communications Director

As most know, the “Grange Year” ends on September 30th. One of the communication tasks I have is to post annual reports and program books on the website. Annual reports should highlight the activities and accomplishments of the person or department. Program books should be a resource for all Granges and Grangers. For this month’s column, I’d like to share a few paragraphs from my annual report as communications director.

The website is now in its thirteenth full year of operation in its current form. The objectives for the redesign in November 2010 were simple. Some of the more important included:

  • To encourage prompt posting and maintenance of information and resources,
  • To control that posting process with some level of moderation and quality control,
  • To allow users to find basic information and resources (such as applications, manuals, etc.) readily and
  • To allow users to subscribe to the site and receive email versions of posts.

We continue to achieve those objectives. Site views have decreased by 3.0% over the previous year. There have been 20,840 site views from September 1, 2022, through August 31, 2023—an average of nearly 1,700 monthly. However, these visits do not include subscribers who are receiving the posts without necessarily visiting the site.

Considering the decline in Granges and Grange membership, the site is doing well. Some of that success can be attributed to the site design and content. The site is resource-rich and appeals to both members and non-members. The top pages visited are the information pages, such as the directory of Granges, program books, etc. This year, however, several posts about Community Grange Events and programs received a lot of attention. This tells us how to maintain interest in the site.

I would go one step further and suggest that this also tells us how to maintain interest in the Grange. In a word, it’s “communication.”

The Communications Handbook is designed to help local Granges do just that. You can download a copy from the Maine State Grange Website or request one be mailed. Grangers help each other. Please let me know if there’s some way I can help you and your Grange achieve more in 2023-24.

For your part, please use the website! One of the largest pages is the “Program Books and Information” page. You’ll find annual reports, program books, and assorted resources listed by department or committee. But an even more important part you play in the website’s success is communicating your news and events. Are you having a craft fair during the holidays? If you send the information, you get a free “ad” and a listing on the Events Page. Will everyone who sees it attend? Of course not. But I can assure you that people who do not know about it won’t come!

Don’t be guilty of having a party and forgetting to invite anyone! And remember, this is not just about events. When you share news about your Grange, you give people a reason to be interested. You could even write an annual report of your activities and accomplishments and include some of the things you’ve got planned for next year!

► FACT: During the first week in August, there were 513 emails delivered to website subscribers. (The most subscribers get is one email per day.) A big advantage for subscribers is that they don’t have to remember to check the website and can choose which posts they are going to read entirely.

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

Communication Shorts 9-15-2023

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!

September Bulletin Reminder

The September Bulletin is complete and available. Remember, you can always find recent issues of the Bulletin on the Program Books and Information Page.

Posting Your Events

This is yet another reminder that we love seeing your events listed on the MSG Website! We make a post of your event and add it to the MSG Website Calendar! Once they are posted, it’s easy for anyone to share them on Facebook. This is especially important when planning Officer Installations and Degree Days. We give those higher priority so other Granges have the opportunity to participate.

Is Anybody There?

I’ve recently had several contacts requesting “more information” as a result of phone calls not being returned and emails not being answered. These are often from people trying to reach local Granges with questions about hall use or events. Please check your voicemail and email regularly and respond within a reasonable period of time. You can choose whether this is a nudge or a nag.

Grange Supplies

Looking for forms or other items necessary to keep your Grange running with the correct procedures? Some are available from State Headquarters. Contact MSG Secretary Sharon Morton with your questions and to see what is available. Secretary Supplies are also available from National Grange.

Rolling Gardens?

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!

Ideas for Granges

It’s not too early to start planning your annual Christmas Fair. Don’t forget to include in your plans submitting the information to the website! Use the tab on the site or send an email!

2023-2024 Events Calendar

This is a great time to start planning your programs and events for the next Grange Year. Please submit the information for posting on the MSG Website Calendar.

Thought for You…

“If you want the cooperation of humans around you, you must make them feel they are important – and you do that by being genuine and humble.”

Nelson Mandela

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

Communications Column – September 2023

Updates Continued

By Walter Boomsma
207 343-1842
Communications Director

Can you tolerate a little more information about the mechanics of communication and the website? For those who are suspicious or even hateful of technology, you’ll love this!

Some will recall about a year ago, the Maine State Grange was “hacked” by someone in Turkey (we think). A lot was involved in fixing the hack, including the need to rebuild much of the site after correcting the damage that was done.

A year later, Phil Vonada, National Grange Communications Director, by sheer luck, stumbled on to a post attributed to the Maine State Grange Website. It clearly was not something we’d posted.

After some investigation, it appears to have been made during that hack a year ago. These hackers are both smart and sneaky. They obviously back-dated the post to 2016 in the hopes it would escape notice. It did! It’s now been removed.

Several things can be learned from this. First, one can’t be too careful. A healthy degree of suspicion and mistrust is necessary when using the Internet in general and social media in particular!

Second, back when the breach happened, a lot of history was both lost and deleted. Understand that as part of ongoing maintenance, I continue to delete history as my time permits. This accomplishes a number of things–most importantly, it keeps the site current and makes it much more manageable.

To create perspective, as of this writing, there are over 1,000 posts on the site, some dating back to 2016. While they can be interesting, they really do have little value. My ultimate goal is to keep posts and pictures limited to the past three years. This seems to be more than sufficient. This will be a reduction of approximately 25%. That also represents a huge reduction in server space and the potential for erroneous, outdated information.

Certainly, if you have any questions about this, I’ll be happy to try and answer them, either in a future column, comment, or email.

This is certainly not meant to discourage anyone from submitting events, news, etc. If anything, it means there’s room for more! As Dean Martin used to say, “Keep those cards and letters coming in!”

► FACT: During the first week in August, there were 513 emails delivered to website subscribers. (The most subscribers get is one email per day.) A big advantage for subscribers is that they don’t have to remember to check the website and can choose which posts they are going to read entirely.

Email the MSG Webmaster
Subscribe to the Website

New Ventures Maine – Free Courses

Reprinted from an e-newsletter by Stacey Guerin, Maine State Senator, District 4

New Ventures Maine, a statewide program of the University of Maine at Augusta that has helped Maine residents venture in new directions for over 40 years through tuition-free programs for career, business, and financial education, has announced its next set of fall classes and workshops.

Offered at no cost to all Maine adults, the program includes in-person and online options as well as one-on-one coaching. They offer one-day programs and course-length classes that encourage and empower those thinking about making a change to take the next step towards financial security, a new career or even a new business.

With topics ranging from job searches, resume strategies and money management to career choices, interviewing and building confidence, the classes and workshops are easy to enroll in and some can even be taken at your own pace. For more information about course offerings and how to sign up, as well as success stories and other resources, please visit their website.

Communication Shorts 9-1-2023

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!

September Bulletin Reminder

Columns from ODDs (Officers, Directors, and Deputies) are due no later than September 14, 2023. Remember, you can always find recent issues of the Bulletin on the Program Books and Information Page.

Monroe Classic

As a reminder, the Grange Store by Monroe Classic, Inc. offers fundraising programs, custom printed apparel, promotional items, awards, signs, banners, and awards.

What Can You Say Other than “WOW!”

 Recently, one of the most visited posts was “High Season Market at Ocean View Grange! One thing that makes this especially interesting is that the post covers an event that already happened! Should Granges be doing more markets? Two others that stand out are Tunes at Tranquility and the post about Mill Stream Grange’s Tool Lending Library. Should Granges be sponsoring more concerts and creating more lending libraries?

Article About Grange and Other Halls in Maine

The Maine Monitor recently published an article entitled “Saving the Halls and Granges that House So Much of Our Heritage.” We’re particularly proud of the fact the author depended upon and quoted from the Maine State Grange Website!

Ideas for Granges

Why not publish an annual report of your Grange’s accomplishments? You could even offer them for inclusion in your town’s annual report! It could be based on either a calendar year, the Grange Year, or the school year.

2023-2024 Events Calendar

This is a great time to start planning your programs and events for the next Grange Year. Please submit the information for posting on the MSG Website Calendar.

Thought for You…

Let’s be honest; it’s rather easy to be busy. We all can think up a list of tasks that will overwhelm our schedules. Some might even think that their self-worth depends on the length of their to-do list. They flood the open spaces in their time with lists of meetings and minutia – even during times of stress and fatigue.

Dieter F. Uchdorf

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

Citizen Alert System

Maine has established a comprehensive way to inform the public of events and conditions impacting public health and safety. The system is based largely upon the Maine.gov home page, but you can also sign up for email or text notifications.

Sign up for email or text notices

When you sign up, you’ll be given a long list of topics available, ranging from Amber and kidnapping alerts to storm warnings. It’s a great way to stay informed!

Special note to FHH folks: Why not provide this information as part of your next report?

Tunes at Tranquility

By Walter Boomsma, MSG Communications Director

Like many Granges, Tranquility Grange is located in a somewhat “off the beaten path” rural area. Janice and I allowed the GPS to lead the way to through Lincolnville, Maine. While Grange Halls typically have some unique features, there’s always a comforting sense of familiarity when visiting. It’s not just the building itself; it’s also the people and the fraternal friendliness.

Despite those predictable features, Janice and I found ourselves surprised during our recent visit. No doubt this was because we were there for some “Sweet, Savory, and Song.” The sweet and savory included an opportunity to nibble on some very cosmopolitan finger foods. The song included a lively program of Grange music performed by Katherine Rhoda. Katherine’s program included her voice accompanied by keyboard, Marxophone and violin-guitar (play-by-number American fretless zither sold door to door in the early 1900s), Harpeleik, accordion… and a few I can’t remember the names of!

This program (it’s really much more than a concert) specifically featured Grange songs and shared some of the background and history of the Grange itself. Katherine’s knowledge of music is diverse and deep. But Grangers will quickly respect and admire her knowledge of the Grange. Her historical approach to the program clarified the Grange’s purpose and commitment to change, especially in the earliest days. There were moments when the audience wanted to find a pitchfork and start a march protesting or supporting something.

There were moments when the audience wanted to find a pitchfork and start a march protesting or supporting something.

Walter Boomsma
Katherine is an entertainer, a historian, a storyteller, and more.

One particularly memorable song told the story of Lucy, a young woman who wanted to marry a farmer and had us chuckling. (No spoiler alert-you have to hear it.) Her parents were not supportive because her future husband was… a Granger!

This performance was a joint venture supported by Tranquility Grange and the Lincolnville Historical Society. An even more ambitious goal is the preservation of the hall itself. Erected in 1908, the hall is listed on the National Register, and many members of the Historical Society have joined the Grange. This recent concert is evidence of the determination to preserve the hall, the Grange organization itself, and the history of the ongoing contributions.

Katherine explains, “My hope is that sharing this music and history helps in some small way to cultivate community and to build upon the Grange history of working together for the common good, in keeping with the Grange motto ‘In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity’” She ended her performance by explaining the origins of the Grange Motto and asking the audience to repeat that motto with her not once, but twice.

While the concert ended, working together for the common good to cultivate community continues. In some ways, it may just be getting started.

What I find fun/rewarding about playing in Grange halls is uplifting and celebrating the Grange history of rural people working together for the common good, connecting with folks who are actively involved in their communities, and continuing my own education.

Katherine Rhoda

Katherine has two upcoming concerts scheduled:

  • September 12, 2023, at 7 p.m. at the Conway Historical Society in Conway, NH
  • October 22, 2023, at 1 p.m. at the Arundel Historical Society in Arundel, ME

For information about upcoming concerts, visit Katherine’s Website or Facebook Page!

Back to School…

Reprinted from an e-newsletter published by Maine Senator Stacey Guerin, District 4

As students, parents, and teachers are all gearing up for the start of another school year, it is a good time to remember to keep an eye out for students walking to and from school and students getting on and off school buses.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the school bus is one of the safest vehicles on the road; however, the risk is greatest when children are approaching or leaving a school bus.

Keep in mind these simple rules:

  • Yellow flashing lights on a school bus mean slow down because the bus is preparing to stop.
  • Red flashing lights mean stop. Students are getting on or off the school bus. Stay stopped until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop arm is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving.
  • Be ready to stop for a school bus as they make frequent stops.
  • Watch and stop for children who cross in front of the bus when the bus is stopped.
  • Be prepared for school buses stopping at all railroad crossings.

Best wishes for a great school year!