By Sherry Harriman,
Maine State Grange President/Master
207 490-1029
WELCOME to our 37 new members who received their degrees at last month’s Degree Days. The first held at North Scarborough Grange conferring all four degrees on ten candidates from North Scarborough, Deering, St. George, Hollis and White Rock. Thank you, officers from Cumberland and Androscoggin Pomonas for filling the chairs, nice job everyone. Thank you, Yvonne Johnson for putting things together. The second held on Maine State Grange’s 150th Anniversary April 21 at the State Grange Home in Augusta. Candidates were from Danville Junction, Excelsior, Mill Stream, Farmington, Androscoggin, Cambridge Valley, St. George, Victor, and Merriconeag. Thank you to the officers from Androscoggin and Cumberland Pomonas for taking the office parts, super job everyone. Thank you to Maynard Chapman, Chief Deputy for getting things organized. Thank you to the folks who attended the two meetings just to view the Degrees.
Reminder dates:
June 1, 2024 Maine State Grange Yard Sale at Manchester Grange
June 21 -23, 2024 North East Lecturers Conference hosted in Norwich, Connecticut
RESOLUTIONS are due to the State Grange office by August 15 — email or standard mail.
MAINE STATE GRANGE ANNUAL SESSION dates set for October 18 and 19 at the Auburn Masonic Lodge in Auburn. Details coming out soon.
PROCEDURE FOR ELECTION OF OFFICERS. Maine still uses paper ballots for each officer and should be held in June. The committees are named by the elected Master ASAP after elections.
- The Master will appoint tellers to count the ballots.
- Master will say: “The Chair awaits presentations of names for the office of…..” and will repeat the name presented and ask, “Are there any others?,” asking a total of three times, repeating the list of names for that office each time. A person may decline or withdraw their name for the office, if they wish to, at the time their name is presented and does not have to give a reason for declining.
- The Master will repeat the names and say “You will prepare your ballots for the office of ….” After a brief pause, the Master will instruct the Assistants to collect the ballots and may excuse the Assistants from carrying their staves. You do not have to ballot if you do not wish to. If you want to cast your ballot, but do not want to vote for one of those names presented or any other name, you must write the word “Blank” on the ballot to be counted in the total.
- After the Assistants have collected the ballots, the Master will declare the ballot closed. The ballot is then given to the tellers and the Assistants return to their seats.
- The tellers will count the ballots and make the report to the Master.
- The final choice is announced by the Master, “By your ballot, you have elected ___________ to the office of ____________.” and the results are recorded. Once a majority has been reached, the Master will ask the person “Brother or Sister ____________, do you accept the office of ______________. If they decline or if there is no majority of the ballots cast, the Master will say, “Since we have no majority, you will prepare your ballot for the office of _____________,” repeating all names listed. You will proceed to ballot once again on the same office until a majority is reached. The ballots are then thrown away after the result is given by the Master. The same procedure is followed for each office.
- Upon completion of the election, the tellers are excused with thanks.
- After the election of the Subordinate or Pomona Grange, the Secretary will provide Roster info for the meeting day and time, the Grange address, and name, address, phone & email for the Master, Lecturer, Secretary & CWA Chairman to the State Grange as soon as possible.