Tag: Grange Events

MSG Convention Information

Celebrate the 150th Annual Session in Auburn

Are you making plans to attend the 150th Maine State Grange Convention? Your Communications Department has created a special page with tons of information you’ll want and need.

  • A list of important deadlines
  • A basic schedule for the two-day event
  • A link to an Information Packet that includes the form used for meal reservations
  • A list of motels in the Auburn Area
  • Answers to frequently asked questions regarding the Convention.

Note that delegates must be registered by your Subordinate or Pomona Grange Secretary. Non-delegates are welcome to attend and can speak to resolutions with the permission of the delegate body. Non-delegates do not need to register to attend! Non-delegates who intend to attend meals must make reservations by October 5, 2023

Visit the 2023 MSG Convention Page

Membership Moments – August 2023

By Rick Grotton,
Membership Committee Director
207 582-5915

Is everyone having a good summer? Rainy and warm. State Session is soon upon us. I am wishing that you send delegates to represent your Grange. I have received no responses for my requests for your thoughts on getting new members.

Everyone should be busy with their gardens and fair displays. My Grange is a small group, but we always try to go public at the local fairs with a fair booth. The public looks forward to seeing these displays, and the agricultural fairs are screaming for more Granges to participate. As an agricultural organization, it is our duty to showcase these fairs and to support farming in Maine. It is a great publicity offering and a chance to talk to people about Grange and its activities.

Again, I will highlight some ways to get new membership.

  • Be an active Grange by meeting regularly and participating in community events. Have active committees.
  • Be open and prepared to accept new members. We can’t meet with no quorum or members.
  • Be diverse. Allow all members to contribute. Do not be a one-person show. Elect good leaders.
  • Learn the floor work and your part as an officer. Reading is fine, but do it clearly without hesitations.
  • Publicize your events in local free papers, cable, social media, or the area newspaper.
  • Have an open house for the community with a free lunch or snacks. Honor citizens with an award for volunteerism, helping your Grange, or any other special honor they have done to help the community.
  • Wear your Grange apparel out in public.
  • Visit other Granges/Pomonas. Invite others to visit your Grange. The pandemic hurt this but start again.
  • Smile! Smile! Smile!

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?

St George Grange August Public Supper

Public Supper at St. George Grange 32 Wileys Corner Road in St. George, ME, on Saturday, August 12, 2023, at 5 pm.
Enjoy lots of homemade food with Grange members, family, and friends. All welcome! We have public suppers on the second Saturday of each month until October.

Parkman Grange to Award Scholarships

Saturday, August 12, 2023, will be the ninth annual  Minnie Welts Bridge Memorial Scholarship Supper, sponsored by Parkman Grange, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m., at the Grange Hall, State Highway 150, and North Dexter Rd. The supper, featuring smoked pork loin, baked beans, salads, and desserts, is open to the public by donation. All monies will go to the Minnie Welts Bridge Memorial Scholarship Fund. 2023 Scholarships will be awarded at the supper.

Minnie Bridge was a lifelong resident of Parkman, ME, a retired school teacher, and a life member of the Parkman Grange. In her memory, the Grange established the Minnie Welts Bridge Memorial Scholarship Fund to benefit deserving SAD 4-area students continuing their education beyond high school.  The Grange annually awards one or more Scholarships of $500 each, funded through donations and the annual suppers in Minnie’s name. To date, the Grange has awarded $13,000 in scholarships to deserving SAD 4-area students. For more information, contact Sue Manchester at 277-3942.

Grange Love at Guilford RiverFest

Valley Grange is located in Guilford, Maine. This is excerpted from their recent Grange Gram to members and friends.

Are you ready to give and get some love? Riverfest is just one week from today!

All you have to do is be in the Valley Grange tent at RiverFest on Saturday, July 29, 2023. Judy has volunteered to help with setting up. If you are coming for the parade (which starts at 9:30) and are willing to come a little early, your hands would be welcome! To beat the traffic, Walter plans to be there at 8:30 to unload and set up. The goal is to be set up before the parade starts.

Our tent may be “unstaffed” during the parade—unless someone would like to hang out there. We open formally at 11 am. The official schedule is posted on the Valley Grange Website. ”Working” in our tent is fun! You might get some hugs… and all you have to do is offer information about the Grange (we’ll have printed support material) and a free pin to give away. If you can sell a raffle ticket in the process, that would be awesome! While it’s not on the schedule, traditionally, the expectation is we remain “open” until 3 pm, but unless it’s busy, most start packing up around 2:30. Help with that is always welcome, although it usually goes a lot quicker than setting up!

Of course, you can just show up, but if you’d like to let Walter know what you think you’re planning, that will be helpful!

We’ll also be kicking off our annual raffle that day. Information about the raffle is now available on the website. We have five great prizes this year! We’ll be mailing tickets to all members and friends later this summer—if you’d like some now, let us know! You can also pick up extras to sell at RiverFest. Janice will be our primary ticket distributor and collector—if you need tickets, contact her by email or phone 343-1496. Another great option will be at the Valley Grange Picnic on August 15th. That info will be coming next week!

Good News!

Maine Highlands Federal Credit Union called—they have a donation for us! Employees donate as part of their dress-down day, then select a cause to give the donations, and we’re it! I’ll be picking it up next week!

More Good News!

Many of you will remember Lilly, the Junior Granger from Connecticut we supported during her battle with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia by doing card showers and encouragement. She’s doing great! She was actually placed on the “Make-a-Wish” roster back in 2018. After making it through 25 months of chemo, double hip joint replacement, and then being on the Covid waitlist, it was great to see her wish come true this past week finally! She and her family finally got a “wish trip” to Alaska together! This is one amazing kid! It’s great to have shared in and supported her battle. What an honor! She and her Mom are now supporting the Make-a-wish Foundation. Earlier this year, they did the “Walk for Wishes.” By the way, Lilly is now 18 years old.

Membership Moments – July 2023

By Rick Grotton,
Membership Committee Director
207 582-5915

How are your gardens doing? Now that the sun is back from vacation, the veggie plants seem to be much happier. Mother Nature did our watering for us the past month. We have to have our veggies and fruit at our best because agricultural fairs are in full swing, especially here in Maine. Of course, it is way too early for most of our “goodies.” However, there are other wares we can display. I hope many Granges are displaying their treasures at their local agricultural fairs. It is excellent publicity and a great way to pick up some cash!

I would like to hear from you, our readers, on suggestions for membership topics. What would you like to share or to learn?  Fresh ideas are necessary, so send them to me! Membership issues apply to each and every one of us, so any ideas or suggestions will also help numerous other Grange members. Just one suggestion or helpful hint could be beneficial to a whole organization! Amazing, isn’t it? Do not hesitate to send me your thoughts/suggestions/tips, etc. This column could be a new helpful hints success, just like the famous one we all read in our newspapers. Who knows? If it works to help others, that is all that matters! Send your suggestions to me at ricti@aol.com.

Have a great rest of the summer! Keep healthy and cool.

    July Events Around Maine

    July isn’t just the month for Independence Day. There are plenty of other great holidays observed around the world! July 2nd is World UFO Day, while July 3rd is Stay out of the Sun Day. In the US, July 6th is a pretty delicious day, as it’s National Fried Chicken Day! At the end of the month, we also have International Tiger Day on July 29th. And there’s even more going on in Granges around Maine!

    July is National Junior Grange Month!

    Music Mondays, every Monday at St. George Grange at 7 pm. Bring an instrument and play with others. Weekly until October.

    July 1, 2023, Deadline for registration for Northeast Regional Youth Conference.

    July 4, 2023, Pancake Breakfast at Harraseeket (Freeport) Grange, 7 am until 10 am. Contact freeportgrangegmailcom.

    July 7, 2023, East Madison Grange Open Mic Night on the first Friday of every month at 7 PM. Refreshments are available, free to the public, but donations are appreciated. Contact hideandgopeepgmailcom or 207 716-6441.

    July 14, 2023, MSG Bulletin Deadline — columns and posts are due.

    July 14, 2023, Parkman Grange Minnie Bridge Scholarship Applications are due. For more information.

    July 15-16, 2023, Northeast Regional Youth Conference in Brookfield, VT.

    July 23, 2023, Maine Open Farm Day

    July 29, 2023, Wayside Grange Concert, doors open at 6:30 pm, concert at 7:00 pm. FMI visit Wayside Grange Facebook Page.

    July 29, 2023, Makers’ Market at Enterprise Grange, 9:30 am until 4:00 pm.

    July 29, 2023, Valley Grange Outreach Booth at Guilford River Festival, 10:00 am until 3:00 pm.

    Community Granges are reminded to submit information about your events for publication and listing on the Maine State Grange Website! Use the Submit Tab or send us an email!