Patrons of Husbandry – a website dedicated to the Granges located in Maine
Maine Senior FarmShare, a program that provides eligible older adults the opportunity to receive a share (worth $50) of first-quality, fresh, local produce at no cost directly from local Maine farmers during the growing season, recently received funding to serve more eligible participants and farmers. Help spread the word and find out more here.
By Walter Boomsma,
MSG Communications Director
207 343-1842
Communication Shorts are brief (short) but important items posted for your information and use. Send us your ideas and thoughts!
The March Bulletin is available for downloading! Remember, you can always find recent issues of the Bulletin on the Program Books and Information Page.
With thanks to MSG Lecturer Margaret, we’ve posted “Living in Harmony” on the Program Books and Information Page. It includes lots of program help for lecturers and some funny and fun stuff!
Don’t forget to tell us what happiness you experienced during Grange Month at your Grange. Use the Submissions Tab or send an email!
The world wants to hear about it! Fill out the simple I Love the Grange Form… it only takes a couple of minutes! Thanks to all who have shared so far!
Simple social events are becoming increasingly popular. They can be based on crafts, games, book club discussions… what could your Grange host? A key to success seems to be doing it monthly–or at least on some consistent basis.
“Blood is thicker than water, but maple syrup is thicker than blood. So technically, pancakes are more important than family.”
Unknown
“FOMO” is, of course, a Fear Of Missing Out. One strongly recommended treatment is to subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website. We’ll send you a daily summary whenever news and columns are posted, and we won’t share your email address with anyone!
By Sherry Harriman,
Maine State Grange President/Master
207 490-1029
I participated in the annual informative and helpful State Presidents/Masters Conference via zoom on February 17 and 18. Discussions, Presentations, and Workshops included: Show and Tell– Sharing personal Grange “ephemera“ (memorabilia); National Convention Reimagined—and Better than Ever!; Communications Dept.; It’s Not Your Property; Discover Your Website; Why Can’t We Just Get Along?; Juniors + Youth = Growth; Membership Department and Wrap-up. Much of the information covered can be found on the National Grange website which will require the annual password to access some of the information and much of the information is also provided in the web posts sent from National. I will be sharing some of it from time to time with you.
GOALS. From time to time, I have mentioned goal setting for your Granges. Here are some of my general goals that should be applied in our Granges as well.
** Strengthen and improve the Granges we already have, increasing membership and increasing the number of active Granges. Working to improve its individual members and the good of all. Including community concerns, family and good ritualistic work for opening and degree. Working together as one unit showing mutual concern and respect for others. Providing programs and projects that keep in step with our changing world and the interests of our members.
** Improve leadership skills of the Leaders and the members. Provide workshops on what is required as a Grange Leader, goal setting, how and what to plan for activities and programs including but not limited to fun things, on the local and state level. Give basic guidelines and suggestions to our Granges for program planning and development. Provide, print and distribute leadership & resource materials and training for all Grangers. Continue with good ritualistic work. Assist in developing programs, contests and activities specifically needed and designed for their individual Granges.
** Identify key individuals to assist with specific activities, programs, projects, rides, and other. Utilizing key people for their skills and knowledge to assist with training others, in a variety of subjects. Identifying these key people in a resource list for all to refer to, on local and state levels.
** More cooperation and people support is needed for the Junior Granger Leaders and Members, so they don’t feel so alone at the meetings and activities. Subordinate members work more closely with Juniors on all activities to make Juniors and Subordinate members more familiar with each other as a group and as individuals which will help make the transition between Junior and Subordinate easier, if they already know each other. Give mutual respect to each other
We’ve reported this in the past, but here’s a reminder. Here’s an example of an email sent recently that you should ignore and delete.
Several things should raise your suspicion. One is the need for discretion, and another is the no-calls request.
To put in highly technical perspective, “it just doesn’t sound right.”
Just ignore it; delete it. If you are concerned, contact Sherry directly, not by replying to this bogus email. There’s also a similar message occasionally being sent by text message to cell phones. They are not connected to the website in any way, and there’s very little I can do beyond issuing an occasional reminder that folks need to be “on guard.”
Another increasingly common scam is an email with an overdue invoice included or attached. Again, think before you you act. It’s the price we pay for technology–similar to the junk mail that arrives in our snail mailbox! It too is annoying, but we don’t need to regret lobbying for RFD years ago, right? And I don’t think we’re going to give up our mailboxes!
Life has its woes so be on your toes!
Bernard Kelvin Clive
Visit www.nationalgrange.org/grange-month-2023 to access and download graphics, headers, calendars, press release templates, and more for your Granges to use. Note Grange Spirit Week is scheduled from April 16-22–Each day is designated to a specific theme or topic and National Grange has scheduled evening Zoom Events.
By Sherry Harriman,
Maine State Grange President/Master
207 490-1029
March 11, 2023. 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. You are all invited to attend an Instruction / Information meeting at Norway Grange #45, 15 Whitman St., Norway (weather permitting). Norway Grange will provide lunch at noon, their Subordinate meeting will be at 1:00, and the Instruction meeting will start at 2:00 pm. Contact Christine Hebert, Master (207-595-6007 or christinehebert@outlook.com) to let her know how many will attend the lunch. Weather cancelation date will be March 18 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
Everyone is invited to attend. Those attending will be the ones practicing the work, by volunteer, also switching around–it will not just be State Officers and Deputies. We will cover:
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April 23 Degree Day 1:30 pm at Maine State Grange HQ, 146 State Street Augusta. All 4 degrees will be conferred. Let Maynard Chapman, Chief Deputy (207-312-9661 or email him at mgcgmc@fairpoint.net) if you have candidates. The candidates should bring their application for membership with them.
By Walter Boomsma,
MSG Communications Director
207 343-1842
Communication Shorts are brief (short) but important items posted for your information and use. Send us your ideas and thoughts!
The February Bulletin is complete and available for download and printing. Remember, you can always find recent issues of the Bulletin on the Program Books and Information Page.
We’ve added a “subscribe” menu item–if you aren’t receiving email from us, check it out!
Grange Month Materials are starting to become available on the National Grange Website.
The world wants to hear about it! Fill out the simple I Love the Grange Form… it only takes a couple of minutes! Thanks to all who have shared so far!
How about a Puzzle Palooza in which teams will race against each other to finish a 750-piece jigsaw puzzle? The first team to complete the puzzle wins a prize.
“You will never plough a field if you only turn it over in your mind.””
Irish Proverb
“FOMO” is, of course, a Fear Of Missing Out. One strongly recommended treatment is to subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website. We’ll send you a daily summary whenever news and columns are posted, and we won’t share your email address with anyone!
By Sherry Harriman,
Maine State Grange President/Master
207 490-1029
March 11, 2023. 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. You are all invited to attend an Instruction / Information meeting at Norway Grange #45, 15 Whitman St., Norway (weather permitting). Norway Grange will provide lunch at noon, their Subordinate meeting will be at 1:00, and the instruction meeting will start at 2:00 pm. Contact Christine Hebert, Master (207-595-6007 or mail: christinehebert@outlook.com) to let her know how many will be attending the lunch. Weather cancelation date will be March 18, 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
Everyone is invited to attend. Those attending will be the ones practicing the work, by volunteer, also switching around–it will not just be State Officers and Deputies. We will cover the following:
I will also be holding this same workshop/meeting around the State starting in the spring, please invite me to your area or Grange, I would prefer a Saturday meeting during the day but could accommodate an evening if requested.
April 23 Degree Day 1:30pm at Maine State Grange HQ, 146 State Street Augusta. All Four Degrees will be conferred. Let Maynard Chapman, Chief Deputy (207-312-9661 or email him at mgcgmc@fairpoint.net) know if you have candidates. The candidates should bring their applications for membership with them.
With spring comes reopening. It’s almost time to get back in the swing of in-person meetings.
Spring is also clean-up time outside and inside for our own yards, but this should also include our halls. Get the lawn raked up, clip the grass and bushes around the steps and foundation, pick up the branches and trash lying around, get the tattered plastic off the windows, and maybe even wash the reachable ones. Get some new plants in the window boxes and garden. Repaint your sign, the steps, railings, and even the door. We all need an occasional facelift.
It doesn’t feel like it, but here we are a little over a month away from Grange Month, a time of year we honor our community members and promote our Grange. Congratulations to those who have made plans for something special at this time. You can plan your event honoring your community later in the year. Nothing says it can only be done in April, honoring someone special or a special activity can happen anytime, it’s the result that really matters. You can buy or make up your own certificates, plaques, etc. for honoring an individual or group or items may be purchased from National Grange. Whether you order on your own or from National Grange, remember to allow lots of time to get the items back, especially if you are getting it by mail or shipped. We have lots of informational brochures as handouts in your halls available on request at the office.
I want to remind you, the State Grange office does have an answering machine to leave questions, requests, and information at 207-623-3421. Please leave a clear name, phone number, and brief message, to return your calls. We are in the office a couple of days a week. We also have an email address that is on our outgoing message: mainestategrange@myfairpoint.net. My cell & home phone and Sharon’s numbers are both on the outgoing message, also. Our personal numbers, home, and email addresses are in the roster that each Grange Secretary received. The State Grange Website is valuable and can provide information, the webmaster is very helpful, however, some of your questions should be directed to the State Grange Secretary or me personally by email or phone. Until we can be together again, take care of yourselves.
By Walter Boomsma,
MSG Communications Director
207 343-1842
Communication Shorts are brief (short) but important items posted for your information and use. Send us your ideas and thoughts!
The deadline for the February Bulletin is February 14, 2023–that’s only nine days away! Remember, you can always find recent issues of the Bulletin on the Program Books and Information Page.
We’ve added a “subscribe” menu item–if you aren’t receiving email from us, check it out!
Congratulations, Mr. Walter Boomsma, on receiving the Cultivator Award. Happy to read about it in the Jan 2023 issue of the Good Day. Well deserved.
Ed and Jane McCall
Bingham Grange #237
What’s the plan? How will your Grange celebrate? Don’t forget to submit your plans and events to the website!
We’ve had an inquiry regarding this Grange… from a woman in Oregon who has some information (dues receipts, diaries, etc.) that might be of interest to a historical society or museum. We’re suggesting the Brewer Historical Society. If you have any information that might help, email Mary Gobet or let me know!
The world wants to hear about it! Fill out the simple I Love the Grange Form… it only takes a couple of minutes! Thanks to all who have shared so far!
Is it too early to start planning spring cleaning at the Grange?
“What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but scattered along life’s pathway, the good they do is inconceivable.”
Joseph Addison
“FOMO” is, of course, a Fear Of Missing Out. One strongly recommended treatment is to subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website. We’ll send you a daily summary whenever news and columns are posted, and we won’t share your email address with anyone!
By Larry Bailey, Master
Because of the really cold weather, we have some time to think about and plan for our upcoming year. You, as Grange members, can help our Grange by providing all of us with ideas and suggestions relating to:
Suppers etc. – Should we plan suppers? lunches? or brunches this year? While I find that the Bean Suppers are so characteristic of Granges all over, it might be good to change things up a bit. It is my opinion that, while we make some money at such activities, it is not the money that makes us do it. The real community gatherings and family friendship we see at these functions are worth more than money.
Community Help – I hope we can get back on the Road Clean-up program this year. It is one of those labors of love in which we can all participate. Why does this matter? Well, we help clean up the community roads, we get some good exercise while doing it, and we enjoy all the company of our fellow members and friends who come out to help. The question is…what else is there that we can lend our services to help our community. Think about it.
Let us plan to get back to upkeeping/repairing the Grange. We can, finish the paint job, clean the windows, and, one day, we can get someone in a hazmat suit to clean the attic at the Grange. Our windows need some attention; Let’s look at them and decide what needs to be done.
Would it be prudent to buy an inexpensive lawn mower and rotate members to mow our grass? Just food for thought?
We need to restart the Words for Thirds Program. I have a box of dictionaries here. If anyone is interested in helping with this, just let me know.
It was suggested by one of our members last year that we print the article entitled – “Maine History Trail – Ocean View Grange, Martinsville Maine” and distribute it to every visitor to our Grange. It provides a good history of the Ocean View Grange and might help with membership recruiting. We will need someone to be in charge of this.
What do we do with the Stair Lift? It has been a dismal failure since we bought it. Do we just dump it? Do we move our meetings to the first floor? Do we buy a new Stair Lift? This is an item for discussion. We will need a Grange member to look into this.
Bathroom toilet. Much like the Stair Lift and the kitchen sink, the leaky bathroom toilet is a failure and needs repair or replacement.
What other programs can we provide? For example, I would be willing to put on a watercolor painting class. What can you provide? Cooking class, Poetry session, etc, provide help with PC’s electronic problems, dance lessons, etc.?
These are just a few items that occurred to me. I know you have some thoughts and ideas too. Don’t think that one, two, or three members should jump in to do all of the repairs and upgrades for the foregoing. This is a group effort, and everybody needs to lend a hand and come up with thoughts and solutions. Let’s all join together and make our Grange a better, safer, and happier place than it has been!!!
Larry also distributed an Ocean View Grange Roster, requesting members make sure their information is accurate and updated.. There are some great ideas on this list. I’m sure Ocean View won’t mind if some other Granges “steal” them!