By Sherry Harriman,
Maine State Grange President/Master
207 490-1029
The Deputy School will be held on November 2, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. at State HQ. We will cover ritual, floorwork, salutation, and other related Grange items.
Congratulations and welcome to all the Officers & Members, new and seasoned and I wish you all much success for the coming year. September is the time of 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 or get it on line from National Grange at sales@nationalgrange.org
Another reminder or nag, less than half of you have provided your 2025 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 is a By-Law change and is required to be voted on in a regular Grange meeting and approved by the State Master before it can officially take effect! Do we have a copy of your By-Laws at the office?
I am still working on getting the new database completed. I am typing in all the information for our 80 Granges, 2,200+, names, addresses and other information into a more user friendly format that can be accessed without internet. I have not heard anything at all from many Granges, where are your lists?
The National Grange and the Northeast Region will be holding a Covid-19 and Influenza free immunization clinic at the New England Grange Building at the Big-E Fair in Springfield, MA in September.
The Annual Maine State Grange is a month and a half away, October 18 & 19. Our National Representative will be Barbara Foster, Pomona of the National Grange and President of the West Virginia State Grange, long time Grange member and she is looking forward to being with us. 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 2 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 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 Subordinate Granges or 2 Pomona Granges.
- 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 your program books for your Grange if there is not a delegate.
The National Grange annual session will be November in Bettendorf, Iowa hosted by the Mid-west Region of States. All are welcome to attend.