Category: Community Service

Community Service Committee and information

Community Matters More

Bangor Savings Bank has announced its annual Community Matters More voting. It’s that time of year when folks get to help decide how to distribute over $140,000 to nonprofit organizations in Maine and New Hampshire. Grants are awarded through the Bangor Savings Bank Foundation.

You can choose up to five nonprofits that positively impact your community or write in eligible nonprofits of your choice.

It’s also the time of year when some Granges will organize a campaign to be written in as a potential recipient. There are some important criteria you should recognize. First, in order to vote, you must be a resident of Maine or New Hampshire.

Second, the organization you vote for must be an eligible non-profit- a 501(c)3. As a reminder, local Granges (and the Grange in general) do not usually meet this criteria. For a brief explanation, read this article.

If you write in an organization that isn’t eligible, you are just wasting a vote. However, you certainly are encouraged to vote! Help a deserving organization! Voting takes place until February 29, 2024!

Click here to vote

Community Service/FHH – January 2024

By Brenda Dyer, MSG Community Service/FHH Director
(207) 608-9193

Happy New Year! As we start the 2024 year, brainstorm all the community service projects that are possible. There is not a project that is too small. Think about all the ways your community is supported by you and your Grange.

Please keep track of hours per project. The hours should be broken down by Grange members and non-Grange members in the following categories: Juniors, Youth, and Adult. These are reported to the National Grange. 

Also include any organizations and their involvement (hours, support, etc.)

Start thinking about nominating Granger, Firefighter, EMT, Police, Educator of the year.

Family Health and Hearing

  • January 9,  National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day
  • January 28,  National Lego Day
  • February  3,  Feed the Birds Day
  • February  4,  Thank you, Mail Person Day
  • February  20, Love Your Pet Day

This is the celebration of MSG’s 150th anniversary. Start planning now to celebrate Grange during April, which is Grange Month. Open meetings, Grange history, Degree Day, Variety Show, and Remember When programs are a few suggestions but the opportunities are endless—also a great time to present membership certificates. 

Enjoy the season and remember Spring is coming.

Mill Stream Grange Gives

Mill Stream Grange presents donation
Mill Stream Worthy Master Judy Dunn (l) presents a donation on behalf of the Grange to Leslie Grenier, head of the Mt. Vernon Giving Tree Christmas project.

Community Service/FHH – December 2023

By Brenda Dyer, MSG Community Service/FHH Director
(207) 608-9193

May the spirit of the season be with you. 

Community Service opportunities are endless during the Christmas season. Visiting a person who lives alone, shoveling a pathway or driveway for a neighbor or fellow Granger, inviting community members to a coffee/tea social and share time together, calling a friend on the phone, sending a note to a shut-in, volunteering at a local facility and talking to residents, and become Christmas Carolers for the community are a few suggestions.

Family, Health & Hearing 

December  A Grange Holiday Season – display what it is to be in Grange and not only during the holidays but all year round.

January  4 – National Buffet Day
January  9 – National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day
January 28 – National Lego Day

These are suggestions, and your Grange may add to these. It is not too early to be thinking about submitting “Granger of the Year,”  Police, Firefighter/EMT of the Year.

Merry Christmas and a Healthy, Happy New Year!

Community Service/FHH – November 2023

By Brenda Dyer, MSG Community Service/FHH Director
(207) 608-9193

I am excited to be the Community Service Director. My name is Brenda Dyer. I have been in Grange since I was a Junior Granger. I have been involved at all levels and presently serving as Master of Saco Grange #53, Lecturer of York Pomona #14, and Community Service Director at Maine State Grange. With the participation of Granges, members, and the community, we can help our communities in many ways.  

Congratulations to the winners of the Community Service Notebook

  1. Highland Lake Grange #87
  2. Maple Grove Grange #148
  3. Jonesboro Grange #357
  4. Valley Grange #144 and Saco Grange #53 (tied)

Congratulations to the Family, Health & Hearing winner–Highland Lake Grange #87

November and December are great community service months. Election Day – driving voters to the polls and or to the town hall to absentee vote, helping candidates to pick up signs after election day; Veterans Day – honor the veterans in the community, veterans’ luncheon, thank veterans for their service; Thanksgiving – spend time with family, friends, and neighbors; make a list of things to be thankful for and share it with others. The possibilities are endless. 

Family Health and Hearing Contest

  • November 2, National Men Make Dinner Day
  • November 4, National Candy Day
  • November 19, International Men’s Health Da.

November is also Diabetes Awareness Month. What is your A1C?

December is a Grange Holiday Season – display what it is to be in Grange not only during the holidays but all year round.

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas

Celebrate Veterans’ Day 11-11-2023

The artwork is by Larry Bailey, Master of the St George Grange. The Grange invites all to celebrate our Veterans by joining the St George Odd Fellows on Saturday, November 11, 2023, from 5 pm until sold out. This will be a sit-down Bean Supper at the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Saint George Lodge #132, 7 Elementary School Road, Tenants Harbor, Maine 04860. Takeout will be available. Veterans eat free! Others by donation.

Quick Tip – Stop Summer Slide!

Cool Idea
Share your ideas with other Granges!

submitted by Walter Boomsma

As most know, Valley Grange is very much involved with our schools in regard to literacy and reading. Studies have validated what is called the “summer slide.” Children who don’t read or who read rarely over the summer encounter stagnation or decline in their reading skills. At least one estimate suggests this can be overcome by children reading just five grade-level appropriate books over summer vacation.

Can your Grange encourage this? Absolutely! You might consider partnering with your local library–many have summer reading programs and events. Or how about a community potluck supper with a side order of reading? This could have all sorts of variations: kids who bring a book they are reading eat free… or maybe there’s a “book exchange” where you invite kids to bring books they’ve read to exchange with others. At Valley Grange, we keep a milk crate of children’s books in the dining hall… whenever a child visits us for a supper or a program they are invited to take a book home as long as they promise to read it.

Don’t just think about reading to children–a key component of Valley Grange’s bookworm program is that we have the kids reading to us! Several months ago a second grader started a book with me that we didn’t have time to finish. When her turn came up again recently, she brought the same book and remembered exactly where we’d left off. This is a kid for whom reading is important. It’s nice to feel our program is contributing.

Just get something started–it doesn’t have to be massive and complicated.

“You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read with a child.”
―     Dr. Seuss

Quick tips from Granges and Grangers are always welcome… on any topic that might improve or make things easier for other Granges. Use the submission form or email yours to the webmaster for consideration!

The Twelve Days of…

By Marilyn Stinson, Enterprise Grange

As the Community Service Coordinator for Enterprise Grange #48, I’m challenging ALL Granges, Grangers, and Friends to consider their local food pantries for the 12 Days of Christmas which starts on Christmas Day, using the song as a guideline. Let’s see what innovative items people can come up with. Let’s fill Community Service Reports with pictures of what they came up with.

For a previous year, the reasoning was:

Day 1. Pear Tree = can of pears.

Day 2. Turtle Doves = ??? turtles are in the sea and so is tuna, so Chicken of the Sea Tuna.

Day 3. French Hens = French cut green beans. (add a can of mushroom soup for a casserole)

Day 4. Calling Birds = oatmeal or dry cereal to call them with?? Birds like uncooked cereals.

Day 5, Five Gold Rings = rings of canned pineapple. Or spaghetti-O’s.

Day 6, Geese-a-laying = I had hens laying eggs so I shared. This year, I’ll use cans of corn to feed the geese.

Day 7, Swans a-swimming = chicken soup (swans taste like chicken??).

Day 8, Maids a-milking = cans of milk (put with the corn for corn chowder). Or the boxed regular milk.

Day 9, Ladies Dancing = Swiss Miss hot chocolate mix would be Swiss ladies dancing, I think.

Day 10, Lords-a-leaping is another challenge. I used baby wipes because once you open the package, the rest leap out at you. Tissues would do that, too. Maybe corn to pop??

Day 11, Pipers Piping = elbow macaroni looks like little elbow pipes and food pantries sometimes ask for pasta.

Day 12, Drummers Drumming = dry spaghetti for drumsticks, or frozen chicken drumsticks. Or isn’t there a snack cracker that is drumsticks?

(Donations of can openers would also be an extra item.)

The Twelve Days of Christmas start with Christmas Day and end with the eve of Epiphany on January 5th. The Twelve Days of Christmas dates back to English origins in the sixteenth century although the music is reputed to be French. The first publication date for The Twelve Days of Christmas (The 12 Days of Christmas) was 1780.

A Retrospective…

Please spend a couple of minutes enjoying this reminder that Granges in Maine are making a difference!

Flying Our Flag

In response to a request during the state session, we have researched and are providing the information below. Note this information will also appear permanently at the very top of the Program Books and Information Page. Special thanks go to John Lowry of Porter Grange and Vicki Huff of Hollis Grange for their help!

How we display the flag communicates! The image to the left indicates recent state proclamations regarding flying the flag at half-staff. The image to the right indicates current federal proclamations.

This is a link to a guide to the Federal Law regarding displaying the Americal Flag: US Flag Code.

To sign up for email alerts advising when to fly your flag at half-mast, visit Half Staff American Flag

Learn more from the Department of Veterans Affairs about the rules and traditions for flying the flag at half-staff