By Sherry Harriman,
Maine State Grange President/Master
207 490-1029
Wow, State Grange is a month and a half away, October 20 and 21. Our National Representatives will be Cindy Greer, Ceres of the National Grange, and Harry Greer, Overseer/VP of the Colorado State Grange, both long-time Grange members and are looking forward to being with us again. Information about our guests can be found on our website under State Session, along with other session information such as schedule and meal registration form.
Meal tickets are to be purchased in advance; form and money are due by Oct. 5. Remember, if your Subordinate and/or Pomona Grange plans to or wants to have two voting delegates at State Session:
- Your Grange MUST vote by name on the people to be delegates and alternates at a regular meeting prior to the session. Two delegates and two alternates are to be selected.
- Delegates must be members or affiliate members of your Grange. You may only represent the Subordinate or Pomona Grange, where you are a member.
- You may represent your Subordinate and Pomona Grange and have one vote for each.
- You may NOT represent 2 Subordinates or Pomonas.
- Register that person or persons using the Delegate form provided to your secretary.
- The form must be signed by the Master or Secretary of the Grange.
- Your Grange’s quarterly dues must be paid up to date or brought with you to registration to be eligible to vote.
- You can’t just show up expecting to vote on the resolutions, elections, or any other business without the proper paperwork being submitted. NO exceptions.
- Anyone may attend the session just are not allowed to vote but may participate in discussions. You may pick up your program books for your Grange if there is not a delegate.
- This is a full election year. Anyone may be elected to any State Grange office, you do not have to be a delegate to be elected. However, only a delegate may present names for consideration. (You must become a Fifth and Sixth Degree member if not already a member in those levels.)
Another reminder or nag: a few more than half of you have provided your 2024 Roster information. Even if there were no changes, a report or email needs to be sent. 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 and any request for information. If you are changing the time or day you meet, this needs to be voted on in a regular Grange meeting and approved by the State Master before it can officially take effect!
In addition to the Roster, State Session and budget and other items I work on, I am working on getting a new database completed. I am typing in all the information for our 82 Granges, 2,359 names, addresses and other information into a more user friendly format that can be accessed without internet. When I get the information compiled, I will be sending copies to the Grange Secretaries for corrections, additions and deletions. Yes, I can hear the grumbles already, but it needs to be done, if I am spending this much time putting it back together from older versions provided by the State Secretary, then your assistance is greatly appreciated. Each of you, as an individual member, can help by checking your information, is your name spelled correctly, is your address up to date then please correct whatever may be required. I am most interested in the date you joined the Grange, many of the dates are not listed. Some are listed as Golden Sheaf members (50 years of continuous membership) but do not list the date of joining only “Y” or “YN” in the GS (Golden Sheaf) column. “Y” indicates Golden Sheaf membership before Jan 1, 2001 and the Maine State Grange does not pay dues to National Grange on those members. “YN” indicates Golden Sheaf membership attained after Jan 1, 2001 and the Maine State Grange must pay dues to National Grange on those members. Most Granges exempt all Golden Sheaf (50 year) members from paying dues to their respective Granges and the Maine State Grange does not charge dues on any Golden Sheaf member but the Maine State Grange must still pay dues to National on them.
I’m going to backtrack a little, September is the time of the new Grange year beginnings with installations, making plans for the coming year and setting goals. This is also the time for year-end wrap-ups such as your annual audit, reports to be submitted (to your Grange, Pomona and State), and a time to evaluate last year’s activities, events, and goals, what was successful and what was lacking. There are very few Installation Teams or Installing Officers traveling, so I encourage each Grange to do their own Installation. There is an Alternative Installation Ceremony (half the words) in the new Manual which can be read with one or two people in charge and working with the members present. It is impressive to have it memorized however many people, like myself, cannot memorize charges any longer. By reading it with appropriate feeling and enunciation, it comes across very nicely. The original ceremony in also still in the manual if you are so inclined. We have manuals at the office for sale.
Congratulations and welcome to all the Officers & Members, new and seasoned, and I wish you all much success for the coming year.
The National Grange annual session will be November in Niagara Falls, New York hosted by the Northeast Region of States. All are welcome to attend.