Patrons of Husbandry – a website dedicated to the Granges located in Maine
Community Service Committee and information
Congratulations to the Piscataquis County Dispatch Team and Valley Grange 2024 Community Citizens Kaylee Aucoin, Magen Bishop, Jon Buckingham, Jaeme Duggan, Gabrielle Huettner, Megan Leavitt, Alicia London, Joshua Michaud, Ashley Monahan, Nathan Richards, Jessica Trewmyn, and Team Leader Eric Berce.
Photos by Janice Boomsma
On Monday, May 20, Mill Stream Grange members met to place Memorial Day flags at the Franklin Cemetery in Vienna and two other cemeteries on Tower Road. While at the Franklin Cemetery, they also raised the U.S. Flag and POW/MIA on the new flag pole donated by Gordon Webber.
One of the software providers for our website recently blogged some ideas for community events that will draw people in.
What are you going to do this summer? Don’t forget to submit your events to the MSG website calendar!
Fairview Grange in Smithfield recently held a wildly successful open meeting with 42 townspeople attending. Master/president Rick Watson said it was exciting to see that the Grange is important to the community adding, “We discussed expectations, wants and needs along with how the Grange can serve as a community or event center and the collaborative relationship with The North Pond Association. These three groups with different needs can work together to benefit the community.”
Twelve people joined the Grange immediately following the meeting and two more have since decided to join!
Rick also expressed thanks to all who attended, helped set up, or tore down, and especially to those who joined. In addition, he gave a shout-out to Kings Restaurant up the street for sending some desserts and a thank you to the Grange ladies who baked. “You’ll never go home hungry from a Grange meeting,” he pledged.
Those who attended the meeting completed questionnaires asking for input regarding ideas for Grange events and programs and an inventory of the types of activities people would be willing to help with!
Fairview Grange meets next on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at 6:30 pm. Visit the Fairview Grange Facebook Page for more information! Fairview Grange is located at 826 Village Road in Smithfield Maine.
Highland Lake Grange Is Having a Busy Spring
Highland Lake Grange is donating supplies, can tabs and food to Ronald McDonald House in Portland today. Items were donated by Grange members and by the Grange itself.
Also this week, the Grange received a Citizens Award from the Westbrook Police Department for its work raising funds for the Westbrook K9 department in 2023.
Next up is a donation of personal care items for Windham Food Panty.
If you are wondering what to do with your eclipse glasses, we are collecting them for Astronomers Without Borders! Come drop off glasses any time, putting them in our mail slot if you have a couple, or leaving them outside in a bag. We will also have a collection box very soon. You can also drop them off Sunday, the 21st, at our 150th Celebration, 1-4!
Haraseeket Grange #9 is located at 13 Elm Street in Freeport Maine.
And if you do not live near us, check the Astronomers without Borders website for locations.
Granges currently collecting glasses:
By Brenda Dyer, MSG Community Service/FHH Director
(207) 608-9193
The unplanned community service activities are bountiful. Helping the community during the last few storms and power outages are endless. Congratulations!!!
April is Grange Month. Have an open meeting, invite the community to participate, and discuss the advantages of being a member!
May is Community Service Month. Choose a new community project.
April
May
Reminder:
Happy Spring!
This is not a fundraiser—it’s a fun raiser! The purpose is to celebrate our communities and way of life. We’ll also honor some special community citizens—the Piscataquis County 911 Dispatchers! Here are some ways you can help support this fundraiser.
In a recent blog post, Seth Godin noted that ideas that spread win and because of technology and the changes in media, ideas that spread “horizontally” spread the fastest and farthest. Yelling from the rooftops doesn’t work so well. Telling a neighbor or friend does.
At least one company is collecting used but undamaged Eclipse Glasses. They will be sent to schools in Latin America so children can view the October 2024 Eclipse.
Could your Grange start a collection program as a community service? (The answer is “yes.” All it takes is a box and commitment to ship what you collect by August 1, 2024.)
The shipping address is Eclipse Glasses USA, LLC, PO Box 50571, Provo, UT 84605, and the deadline for shipping is August 1, 2024.
If your Grange decides to do this, please let us know! We’ll post a list of Granges that are “drop-off points.” (Leave a tote on your front porch. Keep it simple and easy!)
Jonesboro Grange is recently featured on WABI-TV5. Watch the story online!
and don’t forget their Easter Basket Festival March 22-24, 2024!