Category: Lecturer

Lecturer’s helps and information

Lecturer’s Column – October 2023

By Margaret Morse, Maine State Grange Lecturer
207 439-0413

I would like to thank all those who attended the Lecturer’s Conference on September 30. During the conference, poetry, skit writing, and book club awards were announced. After the certificates were presented, the Lecturer’s Program was reviewed, and a lively discussion ensued.

I would also like to thank Manchester Grange for allowing the use of their hall.

The following members placed in the individual categories:
Poetry Awards:
Family: Sherry Harriman, Bauneg Beg Grange #382
Weather: Sherry Harriman, Bauneg Beg Grange #382
Camping: Sherry Harriman, Bauneg Beg Grange #382
Other: 1st Sherry Harriman, Bauneg Beg Grange #382
2nd Barbara Strout, Excelsior Grange #5
Skits:
Sherry Harriman, Bauneg Beg Grange #382
Book Reading Club:
Top readers based on Number of Books and Pages
1st Books & pages -Norma Meserve, Danville Jct. Grange #65 (227 books/60065 pages)
2nd Books & pages – Margaret Henderson, Dirigo Grange #96 (160 books/48167 pages)
3rd Books – Melissa Baldwin, Hollis Grange #132 (148 books)
3rd Pages – Gay Anderson, Mill Stream Grange #574 (42456 pages)
Other members who sent in book reading club list were acknowledged and will receive a certificate.
Alexander #304 – Catherine Oakes, Carlo Oakes Jr.
Bangor #372 – Emily Parsons
Bauneg Beg #382 – Richard Harriman Jr.
Enterprise #48 – Isebel Stinson
Hollis #132 – Vicki Huff
Hudson # 457 – Sylvia Crosman
John F. Hill #393 – Cassandra Corliss, Leslie Guy
Lakeside #63 – Gail Butterfield
Millstream #574 – Linda Staton, Judy Dunn, Paul Lavender, Debbie Lavender, Allen Harville, Kristen Thompson, Louise Kilpone, Lisa Goucher, Peg Lang, Ellie Andrews
Waterford #479 – Ellie Waterman
Willow #366 – Laurie McBurnie
Others who were acknowledged were Lecturers who sent in Lecturer reports. They also will receive a certificate.
Hudson #457 – Darlene Miles
North Scarborough # 495 – Martha Varney
Willow #366 – Paula Roberts

Lecturer’s Column – September 2023

By Margaret Morse, Maine State Grange Lecturer
207 439-0413

As the days rush towards October and the State Grange session, it may be time to look over the photos you have taken during the last year and decide which ones you are going to enter into the photo contest.  The categories for this year are water, animals, winter, and gardens. All photos must be turned in to the lecturer’s table no later than 2 p.m. on October 20, 2023. The photography contest is open to all Grangers and Junior Grangers as well as children and grandchildren of Subordinate members. The photographer must select the category for the entry and may enter as many photos in a single category as they wish. Entries, including matting or backing, must be no smaller than 4”x 6” and no larger than 11”x 14”. Frames and glass are NOT permitted.

Also, this year, the adult coloring contest is still open for all who find coloring challenging and/or relaxing. All entries must be from an adult coloring book and must be no smaller than 4”x 6” and no larger than 11”x 14”.

The Art contest for Junior Grangers will also be judged at this time. The mediums that will be judged include oils & acrylics, watercolors, charcoal or pencil, markers or crayons.

The photography,  coloring, and junior art contest entries will be judged against each other based on composition and arrangement,  presentation, and technique.  Junior Granger’s work will be judged in three age groups: 5 – 7, 8 – 10, and 11 – 14.

The photos will be judged during the afternoon of October 20, and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place will be awarded, as well as Best in Show. Also, again this year, a people’s choice will be awarded based on members’ voting.

Lecturer’s Column – August 2023

By Margaret Morse, Maine State Grange Lecturer
207 439-0413

As the days rush towards October and the State Grange session, it may be time to look over the photos you have taken during the last year and decide which ones you are going to enter into the photo contest. The categories for this year are water, animals, winter, and gardens. All photos must be turned in to the lecturer’s table no later than 2 pm on October 20, 2023. The photography contest is open to all Grangers and Junior Grangers as well as children and grandchildren of Subordinate members. The photographer must select the category for the entry and may enter as many photos in a single category as they wish. Entries, including matting or backing, must be no smaller than 4”x 6” and no larger than 11”x 14”. Frames and glass are NOT permitted.

Also, this year the adult coloring contest is still open for all who find coloring challenging and/or relaxing. All entries must be from an adult coloring book and no smaller than 4”x 6” and no larger than 11”x 14”.

The Art contest for Junior Grangers will also be judged at this time. The mediums that will be judged include oils & acrylics, watercolors, charcoal or pencil, markers or crayons.

The photography, coloring, and junior art contest entries will be judged against each other based on composition and arrangement, presentation, and technique. Junior Grangers’ work will be judged in three age groups: 5 – 7, 8 – 10, and 11 – 14.

Maine Referendum Questions Offer Granges an Opportunity!

By Walter Boomsma
MSG Communications Director

Listed below are the eight referendum questions Maine voters will be asked to address in November. I’m providing them with several ideas and suggestions–not necessarily that you and your Grange take a position, but can you offer programming that could be helpful to voters? Starting with members, could your Grange (lecturers and legislative committees note) devote a meeting or program to exploring (discussing) one or more of these questions? Or (community service and legislative committees note), could your Grange offer a public discussion opportunity–or a panel discussion? With three months remaining, you have some time to put something together!

Just remember the rules of friendly discussion/debate and that the Grange is non-partisan!

QUESTION 1: An Act to Require Voter Approval of Certain Borrowing by Government-controlled Entities and Utilities and to Provide Voters More Information Regarding That Borrowing. Do you want to bar some quasi-governmental entities and all consumer-owned electric utilities from taking on more than $1 billion in debt unless they get statewide voter approval?

QUESTION 2: An Act to Prohibit Campaign Spending by Foreign Governments and Promote an Anticorruption Amendment to the United States Constitution. Do you want to ban foreign governments and entities that they own, control, or influence from making campaign contributions or financing communications for or against candidates or ballot questions?

QUESTION 3: An Act to Create the Pine Tree Power Company, a Nonprofit, Customer-owned Utility. Do you want to create a new power company governed by an elected board to acquire and operate existing for-profit electricity transmission and distribution facilities in Maine?

QUESTION 4: An Act Regarding Automotive Right to Repair. Do you want to require vehicle manufacturers to standardize on-board diagnostic systems and provide remote access to those systems and mechanical data to owners and independent repair facilities?

QUESTION 5: RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine Regarding the Timing of Judicial Review of the Determination of the Validity of Written Petitions. Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to change the time period for judicial review of the validity of written petitions from within 100 days from the date of filing to within 100 business days from the date of filing of a written petition in the office of the Secretary of State, with an exception for petitions filed within 30 calendar days before or after a general election?

QUESTION 6: RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Require All Provisions in the Constitution to Be Included in the Official Printing. Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to require that all of the provisions of the Constitution be included in the official printed copies of the Constitution prepared by the Secretary of State?

QUESTION 7: RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Align the Proceedings for Circulating Written Petitions for People’s Vetoes and Direct Initiatives with Federal Law. Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to remove a provision requiring a circulator of a citizen’s initiative or people’s veto petition to be a resident of Maine and a registered voter in Maine, requirements that have been ruled unconstitutional in federal court?

QUESTION 8: RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Allow Persons Under Guardianship for Mental Illness to Be Electors. Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to remove a provision prohibiting a person under guardianship for reasons of mental illness from voting for Governor, Senators and Representatives, which the United States District Court for the District of Maine found violates the United States Constitution and federal law?

Lecturer’s Column – June 2023

By Margaret Morse, Maine State Grange Lecturer
207 439-0413

2023 – 2024 THEME

Any theme should set the tone for the year, so after much contemplation, I have chosen to use “MANY HANDS …” as the theme. You may notice that the phrase is left open-ended; it is done so on purpose so that each Grange can complete the statement the way that fits them best.

When the majority of us look around our halls our hands are getting older and need more assistance to complete those projects that only a few years ago we could do ourselves.

Most of us would like to add younger hands by adding new members to our rosters, but sometimes it seems impossible to do. Another way for us to get things done may be to partner with other community organizations. We, as Grangers need to be visible in our communities, we need to be more than the building down the street. So let us put our MANY HANDS to work for the good of the order and our communities.

Looking ahead, I am working on scheduling the annual State Lecturer’s conference at the end of September, date and place to be determined. When plans have been solidified, letters will be sent out to each Grange.

Deadlines to submit entries for the following National and State contests are September 1, 2023. For complete rules, search the National or State Grange Websites.

National Grange:

  • Virtual Photography Contest – Categories: Farm Machinery, Potluck Activity, Gardens, Grange Family
  • Garden Design Contest

State Grange:

  • Poetry – Categories: Family, Weather, Camping, Other
  • Skits
  • Book reading- Number of books and Number of pages

Lecturer’s Column – May 2023

By Margaret Morse, Maine State Grange Lecturer
207 439-0413

Book Reading Contest

Did you know that approximately 1700 books are published daily? These books, from history to science fiction and biographies to children’s books, hit the shelves of bookstores and libraries soon after. So, no matter what your favorite genre is, there are plenty of new titles to choose from each month.

The book reading contest is easy to enter. It is open to all Subordinate Grange and Junior Grange members, children, and grandchildren of Subordinate members. All that is required to enter is a list of all the books you have read since September 2, 2022, including the title, author, and number of pages.

Each entry must include your name, Grange, including number, address, total number of books, and the total number of pages read. Juniors should include their age as of September 1. Students may include books read for class. Awards will be given for both most books and pages read. New this year is an optional section that asks you to recommend a book from your list. If you choose to recommend a book, you should include your name, the book title, the author, and the genre. Then write a short summary of the book and tell why you recommend it. All recommendations received will be printed and given to all members who entered the book reading contest.

All entries must be received by September 2023.

Lecturer’s Column – April 2023

By Margaret Morse, Maine State Grange Lecturer
207 439-0413

Skit Writers Wanted!

In the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, TV Variety shows were really popular. Shows such as The Red Skelton Show and Carol Burnett Show entertained all ages. Though they often had celebrity guests, the skits or sketches were the most entertaining and what audiences remember. Writers produced parodies of well know shows and commercials. Skits with characters such as Freddie the Freeloader or everyday situations such as going to the dentist were also the basis for popular skits.

Now it’s your turn to become a skit writer by entering the Skit Writing Contest. Any topic, as long as it is Grange-appropriate, may be used as a theme for your skits. Think about the events that happen daily, work situations, kids playing, and interactions with other people that you might be able to write as a skit.

Lecturers, maybe instead of having someone read a selection pertaining to your program, the information might be turned into a skit that conveys that information in an entertaining way.

The Skit Writing Contest is open to all Subordinate Grange members. Each skit must have a title. The skit must be an original work of the person submitting it. The skits must have at least two characters and be able to be performed in under 10 minutes. Every entry must include the Writer’s name, their Grange, including the number and address. All entries must be received by September 1, 2023.

Lecturer’s Column – March 2023

By Margaret Morse, Maine State Grange Lecturer
207 439-0413

Poets and Poetry

Have you ever written a poem, why not? This year how about trying your hand at writing one or more and entering them into the contest? Poems can express feelings, paint verbal pictures or entertain. Entries to the Poetry writing contest sponsored by the Lecturer’s Department can follow any poetic form. This year the three specific categories are: FAMILY, WEATHER, and CAMPING. There is also an “OTHER” category which can include any subject. Also, any poem that you might be required to write for a class or workshop may be entered. This contest is open to all subordinate and junior members and includes children and grandchildren of subordinate members. So hopefully, with your help, my inbox or mailbox will be stuffed with entries that are due by September 1, 2023