Patrons of Husbandry – a website dedicated to the Granges located in Maine
A short webatorial by Walter Boomsma
“Work that matters for people who care…”
Seth Godin
In a recent post, Seth Godin suggested we need a north star to provide a sense of direction and purpose, much like the literal North Star guides sailors and travelers. While he was writing about individuals, I was immediately struck by what a great practice this would be for Granges.
I recently asked someone what they knew about the Grange. After stumbling around a bit, they admitted, “practically nothing.” I was stuck with the challenge of deciding how much to share with her.
Perhaps in the future, a good answer would be “The Grange is an organization doing work that matters for people who care.” It’s tempting to edit this to “…for people who matter.” It’s catchy. But that might miss the point because an essential word for Grangers is “stewardship.” Sharing the work that matters gains power when we share it with people who care about it. That’s good stewardship.
Using the Words for Thirds Program as an example, it provides dictionaries to third graders as work that matters. We do so for people who care, and that includes students who want to learn (they care), teachers who enjoy and benefit from (care about) the resource we provide. Shall we go on?
Sometimes, simple works best. If you want to write a 500-word mission statement, go for it. If we’re considering a new project, a North Star will probably suffice. If you’re using this one, you just have to ask, “Are we doing work that matters for people who care?”
If people don’t seem to care about the Grange, we might do well to consider what the Grange cares about. What is our guiding star?
Suicide is a leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Today, our knowledge about suicide has evolved, as have conversations about mental health. We know that we save lives when we work to #EndTheStigma around seeking help. In September and always, we stand together in strength, dignity, hope, and purpose
During the month of September, the MSG Communications Department will be featuring brief weekly resources for suicide prevention. We’re Grangers. We help each other.
Peer-to-peer (P2P) payment apps like Venmo, Zelle, and Cash App have made sending money between family and friends easier than ever. But consumers beware: while these apps make exchanging money fast and convenient, they also make it quick and seamless for criminals to steal your money through a variety of tactics.
You might get a message that appears to be from a loved one in trouble who needs you to send money quick through a P2P app. Or you may see a “discount” for an online marketplace product if you make the payment through a P2P app, only to discover the seller is a scammer.
Another common scam involves someone “accidentally” sending you money via a P2P service and then asking you to return it. However, their initial payment will later bounce like a bad check, leaving you responsible for any funds you sent back.
It’s best to use P2P apps to send money to friends, family, and other people you know and trust. These apps do not have the same consumer protections as credit cards. Transactions are like paying cash — instantaneous and usually irreversible. If you receive an unexpected payment, don’t accept it and report it to the app provider.
Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.
By Walter Boomsma,
MSG Communications Director
207 343-1842
Communication Shorts are brief (short) but important items posted for your information and use. Please send us your ideas and thoughts!
The September Bulletin is now available for download and printing. Recent issues of the Bulletin can be found on the Program Books and Information Page in the communications section.
It’s the end of the Grange Year. Certain State Officers and Directors are expected to file an annual report of their activities and accomplishments. (We’ll be publishing them on the site as they are received.) Have you considered putting one together for your Grange? You can think of your communities as your stockholders. Let them know what you have done this year!
Fall is coming. Some might say it’s already here. With the start of another Grange Fiscal Year, essential dates and deadlines abound! ODDs Note: Annual Reports are due today and Program Books by October 1, 2025!
We’re removing dated information from the website. This includes documents, posts, and photos. While some things are considered timeless, a general policy is to remove items that are more than two years old.
“A dull truth will not be looked at. An exciting lie will. That is what good, sincere people must understand. They must make their truth exciting and new, or their good works will be born dead.”
Bill Bernbach
Last call! We’re almost finished with the BEB (Books Exchange Box) and LFL (Little Free Library) Resource Page. If your Grange has one or is interested in participating, please let us know.
Remember, we don’t share your email address with anyone, and you get a weekly summary of what’s been posted. Subscribe here! Share that link with your members!
Thanks to those who help us keep these directories current by letting us know of changes!
By Rick Grotton,
Membership Committee Director
207 582-5915
Here it is September again, and time for the installation of your officers and close to the beginning of a new Grange year. Each month, I give you advice and tips on how to gain and keep membership. This year, let’s do something different. I would like to hear from you, the members, tips, and advice to share with our readers. Also, any questions you have for the Membership Committee will be answered and put in each monthly column. This is not a one-time request; it is ongoing because I want us ALL to be involved to help each other.
Each meeting, address the issue of membership and come up with a list of questions and tips to ASK RICK, and he will answer and share. I have given you all my views over the years, but I am sure you will have more information for me to share. Again, I say that membership should be your top priority and that all of us are responsible for finding new members. Please let me know!
Oct 25, 2025, South Sangerville Grange will host a Bean Hole Bean Supper from 4:30 to 6:00 PM. It includes beans, hot dogs, ham, mac&cheese, potato salad, coleslaw, rolls, biscuits, and corn bread. Deserts include pies (raspberry, blueberry, apple, chocolate cream, along with ice cream. Drinks are coffee, water, and apple cider. $10 minimum donation.
South Sangerville Grange is located at 25 Grange Road in South Sangerville, Maine.
Maybe several things! One that we’re sure of is another resource page for Granges and Grangers. This time, we’ll be introducing an easy-peasy community service that’s already being offered in over 200,000 locations around the world.
The Grange has always emphasized education and literacy. One of our signature programs, Words for Thirds, is an example. Now, in addition to making dictionaries available to third graders, we’re looking at a way to make many books available to everyone through library boxes located at our Grange Halls.
While these libraries do not have to be part of the Little Free Library project, they do offer some great ideas and inspiration.
The resource page we’re building will be available soon. It will include information about several libraries located at Granges in Maine. If your Grange has one or would like, please tell us about it!
I’ve departed from my usual format for this column. I asked ChatGPT (an artificial intelligence platform) to write my column, giving it the topic of “Grange Ritual.” We had a short “conversation” to help it come up with an angle. It offered several suggestions.) I kept my input minimal to see how it would do using what it found on the Internet. What you think of AI aside, do you give the result a thumbs up or a thumbs down? Online readers can use the “Leave a comment” link to the left.
The Grange Ritual is more than words spoken at a meeting. It is a journey through the seasons of the year and the stages of life, reminding us that we are part of something larger than ourselves.
In spring, we are called to see life as new and full of promise. Just as the farmer prepares the soil and plants seeds in hope, we too are urged to cultivate faith, optimism, and a willingness to grow.
Summer represents strength and labor. The heat of the sun and the work of the fields remind us that progress is born of effort. It is a season of energy, responsibility, and perseverance—a time to give our best to the tasks before us.
With autumn comes maturity and reflection. The harvest teaches gratitude: what we reap is not only the result of our own labor, but also of the Creator’s gifts, the earth’s abundance, and the fellowship of those who labor with us.
Finally, winter invites rest and renewal. Far from being an end, it symbolizes the promise of continuation—of seeds waiting quietly for another spring. It reminds us to value memory, wisdom, and the quiet strength that sustains community across generations.
Even the simplest tools of the farm carry meaning in the Ritual. The plow, the hoe, the spade—all speak of honesty, patience, and diligence. They remind us that no labor is too humble when done with integrity and purpose.
Above all, the Ritual teaches interdependence. Just as a farm thrives when soil, sun, rain, and labor work together, so does a community flourish when its members share in fellowship, equality, and mutual support.
The Grange Ritual is not a relic of the past, but a living reminder: every season has purpose, every tool has meaning, and every life has value. It encourages us to sow kindness, labor with faith, and harvest hope—trusting that even in winter, spring is always on the way.
By the way, I did not edit this, just copied and pasted it. What do you think?
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The Kindle Edition of “Friend of the Farmer” is available from Amazon, currently priced at $2.99.
Any degree or ritual quotations are from the forty-seventh edition of the 2023 Subordinate Grange Manual or the most recent edition of the Pomona Grange Manual. The views and opinions expressed in “Exploring Traditions” are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official doctrine and policy of the Grange. Information about the book “Exploring Traditions—Celebrating the Grange Way of Life” can be found at http://abbotvillagepress.com, on Mr. Boomsma’s Amazon Author Page, or by contacting the author.