Category: Grange News

Grange Songbooks Exposed!

As most know, Grange Friend Katherine studies and performs vintage songs of the Grange. After completing exhaustive research, Katherine has published an extensive history of Grange Songbooks and Sheet Music on her website. Where available, links to digital copies are provided, as well as more in-depth information. Like so much of Grange History, there is much color and a few surprises! Did you know, for example, that The Grange Polka was written by Frank Howards and published in 1874 by John Church & Co.?

On the introductory page, Katherine reminds us of one song that proclaimed the motto of the the Patrons was “Plow Deep.”

Bold monopoly and faction we’ll ever keep at bay
“Plow deep’s” the motto of the Patrons!
And dishonesty shall tremble when farmers clear the way,
“Plow deep’s” the motto of the Patrons!

George Cooper

Like many of the lessons of the Grange, a motto proclaimed in our early history and still applicable today!

We are grateful to Katherine for “plowing deep” and providing this labor of love. Not only do we learn a lot about Grange music, but her complete history provides insights into how the Grange worked many years ago.

The detailed History of Grange Songbooks and Sheet Music

Contact Katherine
Katherine’s Website
Katherine’s Fac

ebook Page

Communication Shorts 03-24-2024

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!

Happy Anniversary to Whom?

We’ve had a request for information regarding any 150th Anniversary Celebrations being planned. If it’s your Grange’s Year, let us know!

Save This Idea!

It’s too late for this year, but the town of Falmouth, Maine, is sponsoring an April Stools Day event (that’s not a typo). Volunteers will clear the Falmouth Community Park trails for spring (with special attention to dog waste). Trash bags and gloves will be available for participants. The event will have a party atmosphere and fun prizes.

Grange Rideshare–New England Lecturers’ Conference

We have at least one person seeking a ride to the NELC in June who is willing to share expenses. The conference is June 21-23 in Norwich, CT. If you are going and have some room, let’s see if we can create some connections!

Submit Events! Be “findable”

The MSG website is easy to find and gets a lot of use! In the last seven days, 132 people visited the site after searching on Google. It really does make sense to submit your events and make sure your information is correct in the online directory! We especially need working email addresses that are checked regularly!

Submit News! Be “famous”

Submitting news can be as simple as a photo and “cutline.” A cutline is a brief description–longer than a caption–to accompany the photo. Let’s prove that the Grange is alive and well in Maine! (Photos should be submitted as an attachment to an email.) We get inquiries from people looking for active Granges!

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!

April Events

(Before we leave March, don’t forget this weekend [March 23-24, 2024], is Maine Maple Weekend!) April is Grange Month, with celebrations throughout the month. Here’s some we know about!

  • April 2, 2024, Open Mic Night at Trenton Grange. Doors open at 5:30 pm, and the event is from 6:00 to 8:30 pm. $5 donation cover. Trenton Grange Website.
  • April 2, 2024, Piscataquis Pomona Meeting at Valley Grange Hall. Contact Bill Bemis FMI. (Note different day of the month.)
  • April 5, 2024, Community Potluck Supper at Trenton Grange, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., 1134 Bar Harbor Road in Trenton. For more information, see this post or visit the Trenton Grange Website.
  • April 6, 2024, Benton Grange Craft Fair and Flea Market, 9 am until 2 pm. Call 207 453-4796 for information.
  • April 6-7, 2024, Community Bazaar (crafts, farmers’ market, yard sale…) at Trenton Grange from 9 am until 2 pm both days. For more information, see this post or visit the Trenton Grange Website.
  • April 8, 2024, Solar Eclipse Day Are you safe?
  • April 13, 2024, Kennebec Valley Grange Take-out Dinner, starting at noon. For more information, see this post.
  • April 13, 2024, Parkman Grange Daddy Daughter Dance starting at 6 pm, see this post!
  • April 14, 2024, Deadline for the MSG Bulletin
  • April 14, 2024, Cumberland Pomona Degree Day at North Scarborough Grange starting at 1:00 pm. Contact Yvonne Johnson FMI. (603 506-1374)

Communication Shorts 03-15-2024

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!

March Bulletin Now Available

Get it here! Remember, the past few Bulletins are available for downloading and printing on the Program Books and Information Page. We also occasionally accept “guest posts” on topics of interest to Grangers. See the guidelines!

Starling Hall Auction

Have you placed your bids yet? (There’s a copy of Exploring Traditions available and it benefits a good cause!)

Update on Subscription Feature

This isn’t going to be a quick fix! In the meantime, I’ve instituted a manual workaround and will be creating regular emails to subscribers. These won’t be daily and will be based on posting activity. Communication will not stop! It may be a little slower, though. Thanks for your patience.

Grange Month Resources Available

The traditional resources (proclamation, sample press release, posters, etc.) are now available on the National Grange Website.

Deering Grange Website

Check out the new Deering Grange Website! It’s great that another Grange now has an Internet presence.

Ideas for Granges

Is it time for some spring cleaning? Can your hall and grounds become a community effort? Is there a local garden club that might help with landscaping?

Thought for You…

“I find my greatest freedom on the farm. I can be a bad farmer or a lazy farmer and it’s my own business.”

Robert Frost

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 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!

Benton Grange Craft Fair and Flea Market

April 6, 2024, 9 am until 2 pm
May 4, 2024, 9 am until 2 pm

Benton Grange is holding a Craft Fair and Fle Market from 9 am – 2 pm on April 6 and May 4, 2024. For additional information or questions, call 207 453-4796.

Benton Grange #458 is located at the corner of River Road and School Drive in Benton, Maine.

Jonesboro Grange Easter Basket Festival

March 22- 24, 2024

Jonesboro Grange announces affordable family fun with a reasonably priced Easter Basket Festival!

Click to enlarge

Festival includes :

  • Free Easter Egg Hunt for ages 12 and under with 7,000+ Eggs on March 23rd1
  • Free Photos with the Easter Bunny
  • $50 Door Prize
  • 50/50 Raffle
  1. The rain date is March 24. Please bring your own collection basket, employ your eggs, and return them to our egg boxes for reuse! ↩︎

Come buy tickets to try and win fun and unique Easter Baskets! 

  • 25 (1 sheet of tickets/$0.40 per ticket) for $10 
  • 50 (2 sheets/$0.30 per ticket) for $15 
  • 75 (3 sheets/$0.26 per ticket) for $20 
  • 125 (5 sheets/$0.20 per ticket) for $25

The drawing of winning tickets will be live-streamed on Facebook at 2:30 pm.

Visit us on Facebook at Jonesboro Grange #357 or email Jonesborogrange357@gmail.com with questions! 

Jonesboro Grange Hall is located at 746 US Route 1 in Jonesboro, Maine.

Kennebec Valley Public Take-Out Dinner

April 13, 2024

Kennebec Valley Grange will offer a public take-out dinner on Saturday, April 13, 2024, from noon until the food is gone. The menu includes ham w/raisin sauce, mashed potatoes, green beans, biscuits, and carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Cost is $12.00.

For additional information, contact Diane Pinkham (207 314-5135).

Kennebec Valley Grange is located at 560 Main Street in Madison, Maine.

Communication Shorts 03-01-2024

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!

March Bulletin Coming Soon!

Officers and directors are reminded that columns and posts for the March Bulletin are due March 14, 2024. Remember, the past few Bulletins are available for downloading and printing on the Program Books and Information Page. We also do occasionally accept “guest posts” on topics of interest to Grangers. See the guidelines!

Update on Subscription Feature

This isn’t going to be a quick fix! In the meantime, I’ve instituted a manual workaround and will be creating regular emails to subscribers. These won’t be daily and will be based on posting activity. Communication will not stop! It may be a little slower, though. Thanks for your patience.

Grange Month Resources Available

The traditional resources (proclamation, sample press release, posters, etc.) are now available on the National Grange Website.

Free Publicity

Do you have news to share about your Grange? A summary of a past event? Advertising of a future event? These are exciting and fun ways to attract new members. Submit the details for a website post and event calendar listing! This is not difficult, and you get lots of free publicity!

Ideas for Granges

This one comes from a local library that has set up a FIX-IT Cafe. I could see it being themed-the basic idea is bringing together hobbyists with repair skills and people who need things fixed. There are certainly some challenges, but it’s something to think about. One of the most popular posts in recent history was Mill Stream Grange’s “Tool Library.” Hmmm, makes me think…

Thought for You…

“The energy of the mind is the essence of life.”

Aristotle

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 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!

Notes from National – February 2024

  • March 18 – Join the National Grange Virtual Legislative Fly-In. Hear from Grange leaders, representatives from Congress, and issues partners about what the Grange is working on for all of rural America. Register at http://grange.biz/flyin2024
  • 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 April issue will be here before you know it, so now is a great time to subscribe or double-check your subscription.
  • 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.
  • Do you have a local member with an interesting story in the Grange who might be willing to be on our upcoming podcast? Please reach out to Communications Director Philip Vonada!
  • Are there topics you would like to see covered in a future Zoom from a National Grange staff member, department, 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.
  • The National Grange Social Media Calendar is available. This is intended to be a guide for State and Community Granges of topics/events that may be used to enhance social media. By no means is it a suggestion to post ALL of these things, but if you’re looking to get out of a rut or expand your social media reach. This could also be a great resource for Grange Lecturers/Program Directors who are looking for new programming ideas.
  • 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! By the end of March, the National Grange Lecturer, National Junior Grange, National Grange Chaplain, and National Grange Youth pages will all be merged into the National Grange Facebook page.

Notes from National are gleaned from an email provided by Phil Vonada, National Grange Communications Director.

March Grange Events

  • March 1, 2024, Community Potluck Supper at Trenton Grange, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., 1134 Bar Harbor Road in Trenton. For more information, see this post or visit the Trenton Grange Website.
  • March 2-3, 2024, Community Bazaar (crafts, farmers’ market, yard sale…) at Trenton Grange from 9 am until 2 pm both days. For more information, see this post or visit the Trenton Grange Website.
  • March 5, 2024, Open Mic Night at Trenton Grange. Doors open at 5:30 pm, and the event is from 6:00 to 8:30 pm. $5 donation cover. Trenton Grange Website.
  • March 9, 2024 Benefit Dinner at Norway Grange at 5:00 pm. Door prizes, auction, 50/50 and more. See post for more information.
  • March 14, 2024, Deadline for the MSG Bulletin
  • March 16, 2024, Excelsior Grange Anniversary Celebration starts with lunch at 11 am. FMI see this post.
  • March 16, 2024, Junior Grange Meeting at Danville Grange. Contact Director Betty Young for more information.
  • March 18, 2024, National Grange Virtual Legislative Fly-In. Hear from Grange leaders, representatives from Congress, and issues partners about what the Grange is working on for all of rural America. Register at http://grange.biz/flyin2024.
  • March 18-22, 2024, Agricultural Literacy Week
  • March 19, 2024, Ag Day with the Maine Legislature. Donations of fudge are needed! Contact Roberta Meserve, Ag Director for more information.

Have you submitted yours?