Patrons of Husbandry – a website dedicated to the Granges located in Maine
Folks attending the Piscataquis Valley Fair found two Grange Booths to admire and study. The Valley Grange Booth demonstrated what it takes to get wool from “sheep to shawl” and how members use those skills to benefit their communities. The Piscataquis Pomona Display focused on general Grange information such as who we are and what we are about. It included some of our Grange Heirlooms!
By Paula Roberts
On July 28, 2022, Willow Grange master Ed Worthley and secretary Laurie McBurnie presented membership awards to Judy Hunt (25 years), Norman Hunt (50 & 55), Patricia Moody (50), Sharon Morton (50), Nancy Post (55), Dottie Parker (60), Gladys Glidden (65), Leo Glidden (65), and Henry Post (70). Member earning awards earned but unable to attend were Wilfred Manley (50), Kathryn Brown (65), Hazel Kleinschmidt (75), and Madelyn Creamer (85).
Saturday, September 17, 2022
Note that our source of information is the August 2022 issue of Good Day! magazine… please send any additions or corrections to the webmaster.
Branch Mills #366
Will Armstrong
Angela Haiss
Joshua Haiss
Allison Luciano
Nancy Thomas
East Sangerville #177
Andrew Robinson
Sarah Robinson
Jonesboro #357
Marilyn Dowling
Kassandra Holmes
Mary Vokey
Wayne Vokey
North Jay #10
Breanda Deojay
Sean Hennessy
Norway #45
Kathy Colby
Tonya Gleason
Everett Parlin
Darrell Thibodeau
Castine #250
Paul Norris
Enterprise #48
Judith Gross
Excelsior #5
Rosemary Johnson
Golden Harvest #33
Robert Sibley
Lakeside #63
Lloyd Sweetser
Mill Stream #574
Kristin Thompson
Richard Thompson
Norway #45
Kathy Colby
Tonya Gleason
Everett Parlin
Darrell Thibodeau
Saco #53
Amy Denis
Gordon Frohloff
Tina Giacollo
Kaylinda Libbey
Rural Minds is a non-profit focused on increasing awareness and reducing the stigma of mental health issues in rural America. Coming up in September is a webinar that is co-produced by Rural Minds and the National Grange on Rural Suicide Awareness & Prevention. (Information about the webinar will be posted and is available on the MSG Conferences and Dates Page.)
The latest issue of Good Day! has been sent to print and should be reaching mailboxes soon. Please consider subscribing or purchasing a subscription for their Grange or local schools or libraries. There’s also the option to subscribe to a virtual copy for readers who don’t want a physical magazine.
Phil Vonado, National Grange Communications Director, would love to know of any Granges in your state that run or are heavily involved in the organization of community/county/state fairs. He hopes to make this the feature of the October Good Day! magazine and connect with these Granges – especially smaller ones!
The next deadline for A Quarter’s Worth submissions is November 1st. Please send these to Ann Bercher (lecturer@nationalgrange.org). (A Quarter’s Worth is the National Grange Lecturer’s Newsletter.)
Words have power behind them, and the words and phrases that we choose to use are very important! Negative words and language can lead to negative energy within yourself and within the Grange as a whole. But how often have you said, “We used to do…” or “We don’t have the people for…”?
Using negative/negating language can be a hard habit to break. I know I’m guilty of it myself. I encourage you to find a positive spin – “We could try…” or “We’re up to the challenge of…” are good places to start. Allow new members to bring new energy into the organization; give things a try, and encourage new members (and long-time members) to try something new.
When you hear yourself (or anybody else in your Grange) saying things that either take ownership away from a person or an idea, try flipping the language into something affirming. Building people up and encouraging new things is going to help grow the organization.
Please consider this when writing up your reports for this year. Despite challenges or setbacks, let’s look for the positives – and I know every state has done some incredible things this year!
156th National Grange Convention will be held at the Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks, Nevada, from November 15-19, 2022. Visit the National Grange Website for information and to register. Early bird registrations are open until September 9, 2022.
Grange Heirlooms are snippets from the lessons of the Grange as taught in the Ritual and Declaration of Purposes. Please share “success stories” about the use of the program with us, or if you come up with other innovative ways to incorporate the Program in your Granges. Information and materials are now available on the National Grange Website.
Want to see your new members recognized in Good Day Magazine? Anyone who has not been recognized as a new member in the past year can be included. Use this link to share the news. The deadlines for each issue are:
“Notes from National” is based on a monthly email received from the National Grange Communications Department.
156th National Grange Session is scheduled for November 15-19, 2022 in Sparks, NV
Highland Lake Grange is pleased to report a very successful night of World War II local history! 42 attendees and Grange members enjoyed Ken Moody’s wonderful program on four US Army Air Corps flyers from Duck Pond Road: Wesley Dearborn, Harold Lewis, Frederick Gowen, and Leonard Emery. We are very excited about raising $400 for the Westbrook Veterans Relief Fund.
Thanks to everyone who attended, and a big thank you to Ken for all of his research and work over many years. Thanks to Ken, the devotion of these men to their country during World War II will not be forgotten.
Mike Sanphy, President of Westbrook Historical Society and member of the Grange, stated that the Society does have plans to record this program so it can be viewed more widely.
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By Sherry Harriman,
Maine State Grange President/Master
207 490-1029
RESOLUTIONS are due in the office on August 15, 2022, either email to mainestategrange@myfairpoint.net or standard mail to 146 State St., Augusta 04330. Submit both ways to ensure we receive them. Each Resolution is required to have a title when it is submitted to the office, I cannot give them a title your Grange must come up with one. If you want to make changes to State Grange by-laws, the Title, Article, Section, and sub-section numbers must be included in the resolution with the current wording printed and the suggested change completely written out. The resolution must be voted on by the Grange submitting the resolution. After August 15th, we then have to print everything and mail all resolutions back to each Grange. This all takes time.
Just like elections, Granges are required to install their officers usually in September or as soon as practicable after elections. There are not many installation teams traveling the state to perform the ceremony. The Installation Ceremony may be handled by each Grange on its own. There is an official alternative Installation of Officers printed in the new manual that can easily be followed by your members with one person taking charge, all participating, or just a few. This alternative ceremony contains half the words as the original one, which is also in the manual.
Grange Committees are appointed by the Master and are responsible for organizing and implementing their programs in Subordinate, Pomona, and State Granges. Each level has more responsibilities and activities for the membership. If you would like to serve on a committee, please contact the Master. The State level is also looking for members to get involved with Committees and be Deputies.
This is a good time to remind you that your Grange Secretary’s and Treasurer’s books are to be audited at least once a year, and carrying that out close to installation is the perfect time to get it done. The Executive Committee and/or the Finance Committee of your Grange are the ones to carry out the audit. Written records should be kept for all accounts in the Grange, receipts, and expenditures.
Maine State Grange By-Laws: Article XXI – Subordinate Officers and Their Duties
Section 8.1 It shall be the duty of the Executive Committee of each Subordinate Grange to see that the books of the Secretary and Treasurer and any other funds of the Grange are audited at the end of the fiscal year.
You will need the Secretary’s Records and Secretary’s Order Book. This is the 5×7 book the Secretary writes what bills have come into the Grange and need to be paid with an amount listed. This record book also includes donations made to whom, etc. You will need the Treasurer’s books, checkbook, bank statements, savings book, etc., and receipt book (for funds received from the Secretary). You compare the Secretary’s minutes and Order Book with the Treasurer’s checkbook and statements for receipts and expenditures. All items should match between the Secretary and the Treasurer. All Committees of the Grange that handle funds, such as CWA, Lecturer, Chaplain, Bingo, Dinner, Fund Raising, etc., should also keep written records of receipts and expenditures to have audited at the end of the Grange year.
Another reminder, just under half of you have provided your 2023 Roster information. Even if there were no changes, a report needs to be sent, either the printed form or typed in an email. During the order of business, the Master asks, “Have the reports to the Pomona and State Granges been duly and promptly made?” This includes this request for information. You may not have every committee in your Grange, but we still need the information you have, especially the meeting day & time, the address of your meeting hall, the Master and Secretary’s names, addresses, and phone numbers. Something I did notice on the ones I have received, several of the Granges have changed their meeting day and/or time. That is a by-law change and there is a proper procedure to make those changes correctly. The changes must be submitted for approval by MSG. The article, section, and sub-section numbers/letters must be stated in the by-law change request, the current information is completely written out, then the requested change completely written out. All your members must receive a copy of the proposed change(s), and it will be voted on as a motion at a subsequent meeting from when it is first introduced. After the affirmative vote of the Grange, the same printed information is sent to the State Master for approval.
By Walter Boomsma, MSG Communications Director
Some may recall that Vicki Huff and I were invited to speak at the Waterboro Maine Historical Society–headquartered in a former Grange Hall. Coverage of the event made the front page of The Reporter— “Your Community Newspaper” in the Waterboro area. It is always fitting and appropriate to see the words “Grange” and “community” together.
When I talked with Cynthia Matthews, the reporter who wrote the story, it was also rewarding that she was familiar with Porter Gange and some of its activities. Too often, the local Grange is the best-kept secret in an area–not only from the media but also from the people who might be interested in joining or supporting it.
The media business has changed dramatically over the past decade or two. We no longer see local reporters showing up at events or chasing down stories. (In this case, Matthews didn’t attend, but asked a friend to take photos, and she subsequently did her interviews by telephone.) I know many people are intimidated by the idea of writing articles for the media, but it’s not that difficult to develop relationships with reporters and editors. We can help them with “tips” and simply let them know what’s going on at the Grange.
Don’t forget, there’s a Communications Handbook available for free on the MSG Website. It lists a number of daily and weekly newspapers throughout Maine and lots of tips and tactics for getting your news and events published. If you’re having an event, make sure you publicize it! Don’t have a party and forget to invite people!
Sunday, July 24, 2022 at 11:00 am
144 Oakland Road, Fairfield Center, Maine
After 122 years, we are finally in a financial position to have all the first-level hardwood floors sanded and refinished! We need to move all tables and chairs into a box trailer for a week while this is being accomplished–the first time since 1899!
We would love to have 20 or so people to make things easier and faster. It shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours. In this heat and humidity, extra help will be critical. With enough help, we hope to form a line similar to a “bucket brigade” and pass the items along until finished. It sounds like a big task (you don’t want to count the number of chairs–although somebody probably will), but we can do it, and it certainly will be worth it in the end.
Got kids? Make it a family affair!
Call 453-9476 for more information.
Stay hydrated and take breaks!
Webmaster’s note: As I was preparing this for posting, for some reason, I thought of “This sounds like a job for…” (I think that’s from some superhero show or cartoon.) Some may remember a time when this would have been a Pomona Project–Granges helping each other. That’s still valid and possible, but this is also a community event! Are there some other community organizations in the area that can rally with a 24-hour notice? A softball team? fire department auxilary? book club? motorcycle club? Call somebody you know and show up tomorrow at the Victor Grange Hall! Be part of the “we” in “we can do it.”