Category: Resources for Granges and Grangers

Fraud Watch- Pause, Reflect, Protect

MSG Communications Resources Logo
Reprinted with permission from AARP’s Fraud Watch Network.

Keeping up with the latest scams and all the red flags that warn us of each one is exhausting. Scams constantly evolve, and each comes with its own red flags to remember. But some warning signs apply to a wide range of scams, and recognizing them can help you to react safely.

Most scams come at us with three elements: unexpected contact, a surge of emotion, and a sense of urgency. Together, these elements form a “trigger” for a safe response. Many of us learned as children that if our clothing caught fire (the trigger), our response should be to “stop, drop, and roll.” The safe response for scams is to take an “active pause.” The active pause is a deliberate act that allows us to move away from an emotional response and engage with logic.

With the active pause, we can reflect on what we might know about the situation confronting us. Is this something I have heard about before? Does the scenario make sense? Is there some way I can verify the communication? In the end, the active pause can help us recognize the scam and protect our money and sensitive information.

Know the triggers, know the response: Pause. Reflect. Protect.

More Topic Resources

Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.

AARP Fraud Watch Network

Need a scam prevention speaker for your group? Click the link to fill out the AARP online form or email me@aarp.org.

Vermont State Grange Fall Festival

By Beth Morse, VSG Fall Festival Director
802 388-2653

abundance of orange pumpkins
Photo by Tom Fisk on Pexels.com

Maine Grangers are invited to join us at the VT Grange Center (located at 308 West St, Brookfield, VT 05036) for our annual Fall Festival on Sept 5th, 6th & 7th. 

Like many fairs, we give Grangers the opportunity to showcase the quality products they produce. (Forms are listed at the end of this post.)

Here is a copy of our schedule of activities for the weekend:

Friday:

  • 5:00 pm – Entries for judging can be turned in with entry form
  • 5:30 pm – Potluck Supper
  • 6:00 pm Bonfire (weather & burn ban permitting, plan B movie)

Saturday:

  • 7:00 to 8:00 am Breakfast  ($8) Waffles, Bacon, Syrup, Fruit, Coffee & Juice
    • 8:00 am Activities will commence:

Cribbage Contest
Checkers Contest
Hula Hoop Contest
Horseshoe Contest
Cornhole Contest
Selfie Photo Booth
Pumpkin Checkers
Pumpkin Ring Toss
Frying Pan Throwing
Rolling Pin Throwing

There will be sign-up forms available for each contest. 

  • 9:30 am All Vegetable, Flower, Cooking, and Craft Contest entries are due with the entry form (no form, no entry).  
  • 10:00 am Winter Building will be closed while the judging is going on (signs will be posted on the doors).
  • 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Lunch ($12) Meatball Grinders with/without sauce, Macaroni & Potato Salad, Brownies & Ice Cream, and Drink
  • 1:00 pm Activities will recompense, and Winter Building will reopen for viewing winners.
  • 1:30 to 2:30  – Live music provided by Granville Daze. 
  • 3:30 pm Action – items that have been exhibited and donated to auction. 
  • 5:30 pm Dinner ($15) Ham, Scalloped Potatoes, Vegetables, Coleslaw, and Apple Crisp
  • 6:30 pm Awards and prizes for the activities will be announced and presented.
  • 7:00 Movie 

Sunday

  • 7:00 am Breakfast ($10) Egg Sandwiches, Bacon or Ham, Hash Browns, Fruit, Coffee & Juice
  • 8:00 am Chapel Service
  • 9:00 am Clean/Pack Up

Festival Registration (Meals and accommodations)
Festival Information (Contest Categories)
Festival Entry Form
Vermont State Grange Website

Staying Cool…

Can you stand one more reminder to use caution during the heat we’re experiencing in Maine? Here are some resources we’ve found. (If you receive this post as an email, you’ll need to visit the site to watch the video.)

The American Red Cross offers a fairly complete page of resources including a guide to the three types of heat illness and a complete Extreme Heat Safety Checklist.

This is a great time to be a good neighbor by checking on others. Something as simple as handing out bottles of cool water can help. Staying hydrated is important. If your Grange Hall can serve as a “cooling center,” send us the details and we’ll post an annnouncement.

Fraud Watch- Customer Service Scams

MSG Communications Resources Logo
Reprinted with permission from AARP’s Fraud Watch Network.

Most of us appreciate when we can talk to a real person about an issue or concern with a company, and what better way to find customer service than to search for it online? Criminals are well aware of this tendency and take advantage of it. Customer service scams often involve criminals setting up fake web pages and phone numbers to impersonate legitimate businesses. They buy online ads to appear high up in a search list, and answer incoming calls pretending to be friendly customer service agents of a particular company. Perpetrators also send phony text and email messages and post on social media, impersonating customer service for major brands.

The next time you are looking for an organization’s customer service number, log into your account if you have one or find it on a prior statement. If you go online to find it, be sure to type the company web address directly into your browser rather than doing a search.

If you’ve been targeted by a customer service scam, report it to the company involved through contact information on the company’s official website. If you are a victim, report to local police or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

More Topic Resources

Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.

AARP Fraud Watch Network

Need a scam prevention speaker for your group? Click the link to fill out the AARP online form or email me@aarp.org.

Watering Tips

Reprinted with permission from an e-newsletter published by Maine Representative James White.

Summer’s rising temperatures often coincide with rising outdoor water use, primarily due to an increase in lawn and landscape watering.  While using water efficiently is important throughout the year, sometimes the timing of water use can make a big difference for community water supplies—and your water bill.

In most areas, the amount of water homeowners use to keep their lawns green or gardens lush spikes in the summer—two to four times as much water than they use the rest of the year!  Additionally, those with timed outdoor watering systems often forget to monitor the weather or set their irrigation controllers back in the fall, leading to more overwatering during the cooler months.

You can help use less water and create a healthier landscape by using and sharing these facts about overwatering and tips for reducing outdoor water use.

Oxford Pomona Raffle Supports Words for Thirds

Submittted by Steven Haycock

Oxford Pomona Grange #2 is holding a Lottery Ticket and Cash Raffle! The proceeds of the raffle will be used to purchase dictionaries via the Words for Thirds program for various third-graders in Elementary Schools in Oxford County! This is an ambitious goal, and we need everyone’s help to make it happen!

The details:

  • Prize: $250 in Maine State Lottery Scratch Tickets and $50!
  • Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20.00
  • Drawing will be at our September 2, 2025, meeting at Porter Grange.

If anyone is interested in supporting this worthy community service program, please reach out to Steven Haycock, Secretary of Oxford Pomona at:
44 Pond Road, Raymond, Maine, or Granger04071@aol.com

You can also find me on Facebook  

Thanks in advance for your Support!

Communication Shorts 8-3-2025

By Walter Boomsma,
MSG Communications Director
207 343-1842

Communication Shorts are brief (short) but important items posted for your information and use. Please send us your ideas and thoughts!

August Bulletin

Information for the August Bulletin must be submitted by Thursday, August 14, 2025. Recent issues of the Bulletin can be found on the Program Books and Information Page in the communications section.

2026 = 250

In 2026, the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of our founding– also known as the Sesquicentennial. Will your Grange participate in some way? The Grange has certainly contributed to the growth and development of our country!

Dates and Deadlines

Fall is coming. Some might say it’s already here. With the start of another Grange Fiscal Year, essential dates and deadlines abound! Just one example is that roster information is now due!

Think About This!

“Adopt the pace of nature: Her secret is patience.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

An Idea for Your Grange

At one time, Granges often scheduled a “Booster Night” program in the fall with an emphasis on membership growth. While the term may be passe, the idea certainly isn’t. An “open house” program might be just the ticket. It could include tours of the hall and presentations about its history. Time it for October and call it “Ghosts of the Grange.”

Subscribe!

Remember, we don’t share your email address with anyone, and you get a weekly summary of what’s been posted. Subscribe here! Share that link with your members!

Online Directories Available 24-7

Thanks to those who help us keep these directories current by letting us know of changes! With the election of officers coming up, don’t forget!

  • The Directory of Granges features all Granges in the state with a contact person. Please make sure your listing is correct! Visitors to the site consult these directories often.
  • The ODD Directory features all state officers, directors, and deputies with contact information.

SLOW DOWN!

Reprinted with permission from an e-newsletter published by Maine Senator Stacey Guerin.

The Maine Bureau of Highway Safety is launching a speed reduction awareness and enforcement effort to help prevent speeding-related crashes and save lives. Law enforcement agencies across the state will be increasing high-visibility patrols throughout July as part of this initiative. As part of this campaign, the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety is calling on all drivers to recognize speeding as an aggressive driving behavior that endangers all road users.

In 2023, there were 43 traffic fatalities that involved speeding in Maine. Young drivers and motorcyclists have a higher chance of being involved in speeding-related crashes. In 2023, 23 percent of those involved in fatal crashes were between the ages of 15 and 20.

Law enforcement agencies from Aroostook County to York County will continue to conduct high-visibility speed enforcement to reduce speeding and aggressive driving. Law enforcement will be out reminding drivers to slow down and drive with care. Spend your time on the way to your destination taking in the beauty of our wonderful state, not speeding by it. From the lighthouses across Maine’s coastline to the lakes and mountains to the rural beauty of The County, slow down and safely enjoy your drive. 

Words for Thirds-Screen or Paper?

Are you anticipating a Words for Thirds Dictionary Project this fall? If not, it’s a great community service project–or perhaps more accurately, a great kid service project.

According to a recent Dictionary Project Newsletter, “A study published in 2023 found that only about 67% of 3rd grade students in the US are reading at grade level. Children who don’t read proficiently by the end of third grade are four times more likely not to graduate high school on time. One contributing factor to the fall in children’s literacy is the rise in screen time, which often replaces quiet reading or meaningful conversation. Limiting screen time can help children develop stronger attention spans and focus on building their reading skills.”

The same newsletter (July 20, 2025) “Sweden went all-in on tablets in the classroom, then saw 4th grade reading scores tank. Now they’re spending 60M Euros to bring back real books, because screens weren’t helping. And here in the U.S., only 30% of 8th graders read at grade level, with writing scores just as bleak. If one of the most tech-savvy nations is pulling the plug, maybe America should start asking if screen time is quietly dumbing down a whole generation.“

MSG Words for Thirds Resource Page

We have lots of resources… let us know how the Communications Department can help you help our kids and communities! We’re Grangers. We help each other!

Project Wild

Reprinted with permission from an e-newsletter published by Maine Representative James White.

Project Wild is a series of activity guides that can be used as part of any class instruction designed for pre-K through 12th grade.  The guides, which are part of the Maine Project Wild suite, are Project Wild (terrestrial) guide, Aquatic Wild, and Growing Up Wild.  All of Project Wild is facilitated nationally by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and coordinated by an agency or organization in each state.

It is the mission of Project Wild to provide wildlife-based conservation and environmental education that fosters responsible actions toward wildlife and related natural resources.  Each of the individual guides has its own focus, but all are designed with hands-on, inquisitive, student-led learning in mind, and are aligned with education standards. 

Anyone can use Project Wild guides.  Teachers, parents, scout leaders, and other organizations and community groups will find that these activity guides are useful and easy to use. To learn more and to view the Project Wild guides, please click here.

Webmaster’s Note: Could your Grange sponsor an outdoor activity? Project Wild is specific to children and youth, but the idea is also very adaptable. There’s an interesting potential program built around the idea that “Our Grange Gets Wild!”