From the Deacon’s Bench

By Clay Collins, Guest Columnist
207 837-0564

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”                

  Philippians 2:3-4

Halloween is rapidly upon us, the weather is quickly changing (right now it is like a roller coaster). If you are not already raking your leaves and getting your snow removal equipment ready, you had better get started! Don’t be like me. I have a ‘honey-do list of projects I have to do before snow flies!

 While you are getting ready for winter, remember at least two things. The first take things easy. Don’t hurry so that you hurt yourself. Slow and easy wins the race (usually). The second is to remember your friends, neighbors, relatives, acquaintances, even strangers who might not be as fortunate as you.  

They might not be as nimble as you or have the equipment or know how to do some things as you do. They might have other talents that you do not possess to do a task. Combine your talents, and you might be surprised at what you might be able to accomplish.

Until the next time, remember, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”

Benediction: Gracious and patient Father of us all, bless those who need help and those of us who offer help to others. Teach us that e all have different talents that can be helpful to others.  Amen. 

Thought for the month:

“Love much, laugh often, live well.”

While Chaplain Christine is burdened with technology challenges, she has invited Past MSG Chaplain Clay to share some spiritual thoughts with our Grange Flock.

Membership Moments, October 2026

Rick Grotton

By Rick Grotton,
Membership Committee Director
207 582-5915

I hope everyone had a great summer and a good beginning to our new Grange season. Harvest is wrapping up, as are the agricultural fairs in our grand State of Maine. There were many great fair booth exhibits displaying the hard work done by our Grange members in the previous year. Congratulations to all of you! 

 Membership growth is an ongoing project which we should all take very seriously. Hopefully, your labors in the preceding months have attracted new members! I do have the past year’s membership results and noted that 16 Granges had increases in membership totaling 65 new members. Very encouraging, HOWEVER; we need increases from more than just the 16 Granges. We need increases in ALL Granges. The overall losses have once again outnumbered the gains. I encourage every Grange; no, I challenge every Grange to take in more new members by promoting, advertising, word of mouth, or by other means. It is not just a request; it is a plea, as we are in great demand. Losing more Granges is not an option! Do you have a plan to attract new membership? Is your Grange ready? If our Granges stick to our traditions and rituals, educate our members (new and seasoned), keep a positive attitude, make yourselves visible to the public, support your communities, and keep your doors open, then we have a chance. Otherwise, Granges that are just social clubs with no respect for Grange rituals and traditions continue to hurt our image and do nothing but disillusion the public. These “social clubs” are Granges that are in name only and are self-serving. This is why we need to educate our members on the true meaning of a Grange member and how we serve our families and communities. Keep plugging away as members have done for 159 years. 

Winter Heating Guide

Reprinted from an eNewsletter published by Maine Senator Stacey Guerin, District 4.

With colder weather approaching, the Maine Department of Energy Resources’ 2026-2027 Winter Heating Guide can help residents save money, stay warm, and find assistance. The guide brings together practical tips, financial assistance programs, and contacts for help throughout the heating season.

Start by scheduling annual heating system maintenance and asking your fuel provider about automatic delivery to help avoid running out. You can also explore weatherization incentives through Efficiency Maine and MaineHousing. Maine’s heating fuel price reports can help you compare costs and make informed decisions.

Several programs offer support for eligible households:

  • Heating assistance: MaineHousing’s Home Energy Assistance Program helps qualifying homeowners and renters pay heating costs.
  • Electric bill assistance: The Low-Income Assistance Program helps qualifying households with electricity bills.
  • Home improvements: MaineHousing offers weatherization grants and assistance to repair or replace central heating systems for eligible households. Local Community Action Agencies can help residents explore available programs.

If you are very low on heating fuel and cannot afford a refill, you may qualify for emergency assistance. Call 211 or contact your local Community Action Agency for information.

The webpage also includes heating safety resources, warming center information, a recorded winter heating webinar, and a new printable contact sheet to share with neighbors, family members, or community organizations.

Visit the page

Welcome to State Session

By Christine Hamp, National Grange President

Fraud Watch- Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Reprinted with permission from AARP’s Fraud Watch Network.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a good reminder that we can make it harder for criminals to steal our personal information or take over our accounts.

Scam messages often include a link or an attachment that perpetrators use to introduce malware onto your device or send you to a site that will seek to collect login or payment information.

Protect all online accounts with strong, unique passwords (strongly consider using a password manager) and turn on multifactor authentication when available. Also, keep your device software updated – the updates often include important security fixes.

More Topic Resources

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.

AARP Fraud Watch Network

Need a scam prevention speaker for your group? Click the link to fill out the AARP online form or email me@aarp.org.

Grange Today! 10-9-2026

The Newsletter of the National Grange

Articles in this edition include:

  • National Grange Challenges Congressional Candidates: Protect Rural Healthcare and Fix 340B
  • Accepting Nominations for Foundation Advisory Board
  • Grange Heirloom for October
  • Attend the 160th National Grange Convention
  • Fellowship Factor: Be Their Biggest Fans
  • Michigan State Grange Participates in Local Fair
  • Bag and Boob Babes Sew Day: A Share Your Project’s Story Submission
  • Hamp Watch: Where is our National Grange President?
  • Think Before You Click: Understanding Social Engineering Scams
  • Recipes from the Heartland
  • Grange Member Benefit: Clouse Insurance
  • Grange Store: Membership Pins

Click the button below to read and/or subscribe to Grange Today!

Read the Current Issue

Note that all recent issues are available on the National Grange Website. To save server space, we only post the table of contents on the MSG Website.

St. George Grange Fall Craft Fair

Fall Craft Fair at the St. George Grange on Saturday. October 10, 2026, from 9 am until 2 pm includes fresh-baked goods, coffee, mulled cider, homemade jelly, jam, fudge, and canned goods. Lunch will be available: soup w/biscuit, hot dogs, and drinks. For more information, contact the St George Grange Secretary at 207-372-8904.

The St George Grange is located at 32 Wiley’s Corner Road.

Danville Junction Grange Christmas Craft Fair

Danville Junction Grange will hold a Christmas Craft Fair on Saturday, October 24, from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm. The Grange is located at 15 Grange Street (off Route 202) in Danville. Six-foot tables are available for rent for $20 each, plus an item donated to the Grange raffle. A light lunch will be available. To rent a table, please contact Barbara at 310-0652 or Norma at 583-7211.

Parkman Grange MSAD 4 Santa Project

The Parkman Grange is again helping Santa this Christmas through its MSAD 4 Santa Project.  This program is for newborns to high school seniors in the MSAD 4 school district and provides warm winter coats, boots and a toy for families that could use some help this Çhristmas. Applications were distributed by the school and are also available at the Parkman town office and on the bulletin board on the Parkman Grange porch.

The deadline to apply is November 13, and you can return applications by mail to PO Box 114, Guilford, ME 04443, or in the locked box on the Grange porch.  The Parkman Grange is located on the corner of State Highway 150 and North Dexter Road.

Distribution will be on December 20, 10 AM to noon.

 Save the date: Our kids Christmas party will be on December 5, 1-3 PM. Santa will be there with gifts and photos.  Simple crafts can be made as gifts for family and friends. Cookies and cocoa will be served.

President’s Perspective – October 2026

Sherry Harriman,
Maine State Grange Master/President
207 490-1029

State Session October 30 & 31. Black Bear Inn in Orono. You or Your Delegates may pick up new Department Program Books Agriculture, Lecturers, Women’s Activities, Community  Service, Communications and the Annual Reports will be in the Delegate materials.  If you did not have delegates at the session, you may download the programs and reports from the web under “Program Books,” or if you want a printed copy, email or call the office or me, and we will send them to you.  You may request all or just select certain ones. Agricultural Scholarship, Educational Aid & Howes Nurses Scholarship requirements and applications can also be found on the website or requested from the office. We need to promote these scholarships and awards in our communities; each is a wonderful opportunity for our young folks.

2027 Roster information is past due. Another reminder, a few more than half of you have provided your info.  Even if there were no changes, a report needs to be sent. 

Successful Granges are Led by People                        

  1. Willing to make trade-offs.                                                                         
  2. Who work for the goals.                                     
  3. Who are effective communicators.                 
  4. Who are sensitive to the group.                       
  5. Good at integrating various interests and priorities.                                                     
  6. Who are creative and adaptable.                     
  7. Who are positive role models.                          
  8. Who acknowledge others’ efforts. 

Responsibilities of a Leader

  • Listen
  • Contribute
  • Don’t dominate
  • Show enthusiasm
  • Put group at ease
  • Promote team work
  • Discourage criticism
  • Focus on the task, not personalities
  • Be fair
  • Give recognition