Reprinted with permission from AARP’s Fraud Watch Network.
Overwhelmed by holiday bills? You’re not alone — and you don’t have to face your debt alone either. The New Year is the perfect time to take control of your finances — but beware of criminal scammers offering quick fixes that are too good to be true.
Scammers often exploit financial stress by promising instant relief or quick results to become debt-free. These schemes typically involve up-front fees, bad advice like avoiding your creditors, or vague claims about what services they actually provide.
Before committing to a debt relief service and providing your sensitive personal information, research reviews and check for complaints with organizations like the Better Business Bureau to ensure their credibility. If you need help getting out of debt, turn to an organization like the Nonprofit National Foundation for Credit Counseling.
Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.
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!
January Bulletin Is Coming Soon!
The deadline for posts/columns for the January Bulletin is Tuesday, January 14, 2025. Submit your stuff! Recent issues of the Bulletin can be found on the Program Books and Information Page.
We’re Still Looking for Help!
In case you missed it, we’re looking for your comments regarding both property and liability insurance on your Grange Hall! I know people have been busy with the holidays, but we’d like to summarize and share the information by January 15, 2025. See the original request and help us out!
It’s not a resolution, but one of my goals for this year is to post at least one reason to love the Grange each month in 2025. The easiest way for you to help make this happen is for you to fill out this simple form. You can answer more than once! Why do you love the Grange?
Reminder! 2024 is now 2025
It usually takes a bit to get in the habit of writing the correct year. Thanks to technology, getting the year right is somewhat automated, but we still need to pay attention!
Consider this Idea!
The MSG Event Calendar for 2025 is pretty bare at this point. Directors and Committee Chairs, please ensure your contest deadlines and events are listed! Granges, submit your programs and events! You are planning ahead, right?
Think about this!
“Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing.”
Thomas A. Edison
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! Visitors to the site consult these directories often.
Heather Popadak, treasurer of Enterprise Grange #48 shares that she has “received notice from our insurance company that they will no longer provide coverage for their building” in April 2025.
This is not an unfamiliar challenge.
Heather asks that we solicit information from other Granges regarding any companies and coverage you have been able to arrange. Note that there is usually a difference between building insurance (fire, etc.) and liability insurance (people getting hurt).
How providential that I recently received this email from Larry Bailey, Master of Ocean View Grange:
FYI – The dictionaries for the Ocean View Grange “WORDS FOR THIRDS” project have been ordered. There are two third-grade classes to whom we will distribute the books. The students have always seemed excited and grateful for getting the dictionaries. I was very surprised to see that response when we first gave out the dictionaries given that we live in an electronics and internet-based world.
Larry’s email was sent to members—I was copied. Communication creates involvement and allows people to feel engaged even if they are not directly participating. As another example, we recently completed Valley Grange’s “Dictionary Day” Words for Thirds Program. One of those days received front-page coverage in a weekly newspaper. As a direct result, a woman located some distance away sought out and called our secretary, explaining how much a dictionary meant to her as a child. She also mailed a $100 donation to us to support the program. She wanted to be part of what we were doing.
Words for Thirds is a program with a huge potential impact, particularly when we think about the communication aspect. What child doesn’t enjoy a gift? One reason I strongly urge an in-school presentation is that we are delivering more than dictionaries. We are delivering interest and care for our kids. Our organization and its members care about our third graders and their learning opportunities. I love telling the story of a high school student who saw and recognized me. She approached me to share that. I admitted she had an advantage because I did not recognize her. She explained, “I just want you to know that I still have the dictionary you and the Grange gave me when I was in third grade.”
Gifts are a form of communication. The impacts of the gift and the things we do (and don’t do) are yet another form of communication. It’s trite but true that sometimes what we do shouts so loud people can’t hear what we say. One of the things to love about Words for Thirds is it shouts and does a lot of good things loudly!
► FACT: We currently have sixteen Granges here in Maine participating in or interested in Words for Thirds!
Find the button representing how and where you want to share a post.
While the Grange calls it “Words for Thirds,” many organizations and businesses are involved in The Dictionary Project. Heather Rank of the Fargo-Moorhead Rotary Club provided a wonderful video demonstrating their efforts. We think it’s great that a kid does the interviews! It gets a little noisy in places, so you may want to turn on closed captioning.
If your Grange is not involved in Words for Thirds, you miss a huge opportunity! There are so many benefits, and it’s fun! Check out our pages of resources to help. Let us know if you’re interested or have any questions. The third-graders in your community are waiting!
Grangers are no exception as targets! We’ve seen a few scam emails recently–remember to be a little suspicious, especially during the holidays!
Words for Thirds Resources
Coming soon! We hope to release what we have so far in the first week of December. You can read our first newsletter here!
Hollis Grange Presents Dictionaries
Hollis Grange delivered dictionaries to two third-grade classes in two different schools this past week. Words for Thirds strikes again!
Consider this Idea!
When having a meeting in the winter, make the hall look inviting! That includes some outside lighting. Remember, solar versions are available that do not require a wired connection!
Songbooks for Singing!
Ellie Collins has some Grange Songbooks that are looking for a good home! If you’re interested, contact her or let us know!
Think about this!
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”
Laozi
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! Visitors to the site consult these directories often.
Valley Grange is proud to have handed out close to 250 dictionaries to third-graders this year. That puts us well over 4,000 since starting the program several decades ago. Enjoy some photos of this year’s program.
Dictionary Days are fun because learning is fun!
If your Grange is interested in starting a Words for Thirds Dictionary Program, complete the form below. No obligation!
As we purge older posts and clean things up, you may occasionally encounter missing photos and broken links. Remember, we only maintain two years of posts both to save space and avoid confusion. If what’s missing seems important, please let us know! Mistakes happen.
Many Granges offer holiday craft fairs or “makers markets.” Please submit information about yours! We offer statewide publicity and make it easy for you to share information on Social Media.
Grange History Booklet Added
The 150th Anniversary Booklet is a literal treasure of historical information about Granges in Maine, including a complete list of every Grange that has existed in Maine! Check it out!
Consider this Idea!
If you are having any sort of program event, consider offering tours of your Grange Hall. Many folks are interested in learning more about both the Grange and these buildings.
Songbooks for Singing!
Ellie Collins has some Grange Songbooks that are looking for a good home! If you’re interested, contact her or let us know!
Think about this
“When you think you are too old to do something new remember you will never be younger than you are right now.”
James Clear
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! Visitors to the site consult these directories often.
Phew! There could be lots to talk about! We’ve experienced what might be considered a “perfect storm” from a communications standpoint. The aftermath of the State Session always generates a lot of changes and updates, plus this year’s Deputy School resulted in some great resources! There are really too many to list here, but you can explore the Program Books and Information Page and see Master Sherry’s “Presidential Perspective” for a list of some of the available materials.
I hope to release the Words for Thirds Resource Pages soon! Ironically, this year, Valley Grange has had a smashing success media-wise with a feature front page above-the-fold article in our local newspaper and onsite television coverage by WABI-TV 5. This coverage has also generated several new subscribers to our TelaGranger Newsletter. I have maintained for a long time that fundraising is much easier when we are relevant and demonstrating our value to our communities. While publicizing fundraising events is important, it’s important to remember that fundraising events are not community service.
A few years ago, it was fashionable to offer career advice such as, “Do what you love, and the money will follow.” I was also tempted to reply, “Not necessarily.” But there is value and truth in passion. In community terms, passionately serving and supporting our communities will open pocketbooks—but that passion and service must be seen!
When the front-page article appeared, a woman from several hundred miles away called our Valley Grange Secretary and related how important a dictionary was to her growing up. She ended her story by asking how to send a donation to support Valley Grange’s efforts to provide kids with a dictionary.
While watching Alyssa Thurlow interview two third graders who had just received their dictionaries, a member of the school administration team whispered to me that he was one of our first “customers” when we started distributing dictionaries over twenty years ago. I think that’s called “making an impact.”
My goals with the coming soon resource pages include encouraging more Granges in Maine to consider starting a Words for Thirds Program. But perhaps more importantly, I hope to provide ideas and tools that will give your program the maximum impact and put your Grange in people’s minds and hearts.
I first learned this poem many years ago.
The codfish lays ten thousand eggs, The homely hen lays one. The codfish never cackles To tell you what she's done. And so we scorn the codfish, While the humble hen we prize, Which only goes to show you That it pays to advertise.
► FACT: The most frequently visited page in the last twelve months was the Directory of Granges. People are looking for Granges!
Find the button representing how and where you want to share a post.
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!
November Bulletin Coming Soon!
The deadline for submitting information to be included in the November Bulletin is November 14, 2024. Recent issues of the Bulletin can be found on the Program Books and Information Page.
Words for Thirds
We’re still looking for any Granges considering or already participating in the Words for Thirds Dictionary Project. Please let us know who you are!
Missing “stuff?”
As we purge older posts and clean things up, you may occasionally encounter missing photos and broken links. Remember, we only maintain two years of posts both to save space and avoid confusion. If what’s missing seems important, please let us know! Mistakes happen.
Note Regarding Contacting State Master Sherry
Please remember to use the correct email address for State Master/President Sherry. An older Gmail address is floating around, but it is not regularly checked. Also, she does not maintain any social media accounts, including Facebook.
Holiday Craft Fairs?
Many Granges offer holiday craft fairs or “makers markets.” Please submit information about yours! We offer statewide publicity and make it easy for you to share information on Social Media. If you submit it before November 15, it will be included in the November Bulletin!
Grange History Booklet Added
The 150th Anniversary Booklet is a literal treasure of historical information about Granges in Maine, including a reasonably complete list of every Grange that has existed in Maine! Check it out!
Consider this Idea!
If you are having any sort of program event, consider offering tours of your Grange Hall. Many folks are interested in learning more about both the Grange and these buildings.
Songbooks for Singing!
Ellie Collins has some Grange Songbooks that are looking for a good home!
Think about this
“If you don’t know where you are going, every road will get you nowhere.”
Henry Kissinger
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! Visitors to the site consult these directories often.
