The Fourth of July – also known as Independence Day or July 4th – has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941; yet the tradition of Independence Day celebrations dates back to the 18th century and the American Revolutionary War.
On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted in favor of independence from Britain. Two days later, delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson.
The Declaration of Independence allowed Congress to seek alliances with foreign countries, and the fledgling U.S. formed its most important alliance early in 1778 with France. Without France’s support, America might well have lost the Revolutionary War.
The war waged by the American colonies against Britain, which began more than a year earlier in April 1775 at Lexington and Concord near Boston, would eventually end when British forces surrendered in Yorktown, Virginia. Yet the Declaration and America’s victory had far-reaching effects around the globe as other nations saw a small novel nation win its freedom from the greatest military force of its time.
From 1776 to today, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence with festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues. This year’s Independence Day celebrating the nation’s 248th birthday will be on Thursday, July 4, 2024.
Reprinted with permission from an e-newsletter by Senator Stacey Guerin, Maine Senate District 4.
One of the Ten Commandments is to “Love our neighbor as ourselves.” I would like to think we all follow this commandment! Here is only one example
If someone is supposed to be a Christian has money enough to live well, and sees a brother in need, and won’t help him—how can God’s love be within him? Little children let us stop just saying we love people; let us really love them, and show it by our actions. Then we will know for sure. By our actions, that we are on God’s side, and our consciences will be clear, even when we stand before the Lord.
But if we have bad consciences and feel that we have done wrong, the Lord will surely feel it even more,*for he knows everything we do. But dearly loved friends, if our consciences are clear, we can come to the Lord with perfect assurance and trust, and get whatever we ask for because we are obeying him and doing the things that please him.
1 John 3:17-22 (The Living Bible)
I can think of a time when I could have helped someone out and chose not to. I certainly felt awful about it and wished I had it to do over again, but I don’t. So, I have asked for forgiveness and know that God has forgiven me. We can all learn a lesson from this.
With all the great Grange events around the state this summer, we should be able to show our communities the opportunities the Grange offers and how successful our programs and events are!
You won’t earn cash, but you will get credit. Consider yourself appointed as a reporter for the Maine State Website.
Smartphone photos are welcome for posting. Send them by email to webmaster@mainestategrange.org. Include at least a few details–think of it as captioning your photo so we know what it’s about. Remember the “who, what, where, when” basics.
We’ll try to keep this simple but here are a few guidelines.
Photos of children require the written permission of a parent or guardian to publish. A form is available here. The fact that the child is with a parent is not sufficient.
Courtesy and respect are important! Even with adults, explain that you’d like the photo posted on the website.
One of the common rules of press/media photography is “no feet! When taking a posed photo of a group, move in close and try to shoot above the waist. Time permitting, we’ll crop and edit if needed.
Of course, written stories without photos work, too! We’re here to help! Send us what you have and we’ll write, edit, and let you know if we need additional information. Let’s show off the Grange!
The codfish lays ten thousand eggs, The homely hen lays one. The codfish never cackles To tell you what she's done. And so we scorn the codfish, While the humble hen we prize, Which only goes to show you That it pays to advertise.
This is just too funny and too creative not to share! The USDA in Montana has developed a fun way to test the fertility and health of your soil. “Just bury a pair of cotton underwear around June and dig it back up after at least 60 days. It’s the quick and dirty way to test the microbial activity in your soil. The more the underwear is deteriorated, the healthier your soil!” Complete instructions are available here. There’s even a guide for judging the results.
I could see this adopted as a local Grange Promotion, with results being brought to the hall for judging. It would certainly be fun to create a certificate of accomplishment for the winner and a great way to generate curiosity about the Grange!
It feels like summer weather has arrived. I hope you all have had a successful planting season and that the weather cooperates to give your seeds and seedlings a good start.
As you planted, did you put in an extra row (or at least a plant or two), to share with others, or for your Grange’s fair exhibit?
If your Grange lacks the people power or items for a full Ag or Domestic fair exhibit, consider an Educational Fair Exhibit. These can give your Grange exposure and presence at the fairs but can be done with fewer items and workers. Check with your local fairs to find out the size and shape of the exhibit space, and get ready to educate the fair visitors about Grange and agriculture.
The MSG Ag Department Handbook, which is available on the MSG website, contains rules, guidelines, suggestions, and scoresheets for all fair exhibits.
Remember to support your local farm stands and Farmers’ Markets, and enjoy all the wonderful, fresh treats that summers in Maine provide us.
By Margaret Henderson, Director Committee on Women’s Activities 207 948-2762
Committee on Women’s Activities
I wish that we could have a whole day with no rain.
We had a great turnout for the yard sale on the 1st. Thank you to everyone who supported the CWA table.
I hope that many of you are working on items for the contests. It is awesome to see all of the amazing talent that we have in the wonderful State of Maine!
I am looking forward to seeing many of you at the 150th anniversary celebration at State Grange Headquarters on June 29th.
“Multimedia” is defined as “the use of a variety of artistic or communicative media.” Most often, it is associated with technology and audio-visual activity. A recent question received on the website suggests we might do well to think a bit beyond that. It was probing enough to deserve repeating and providing at least a general answer. You can read both the question and answer here.
One aspect of the question that made it important is that the asker has been “thinking about ways to give back to my community.” That drove her to become curious about the Grange Halls’ main functions today. As someone who can be a bit obsessive over communication, that drives me to wonder how we answer that question. In multimedia terms, we are answering it, but are we answering it accurately and completely?
The questioner had obviously perused the site some. She noted that there was a lot of information about the history of the Grange, but not much about the purpose of the Grange today. She had clearly seen the scholarships page and noted that Granges hold public suppers to raise money. I understand that but I also find it a bit troubling. I hope the Granges across our state are doing more than raising money by holding potluck suppers.
I’m familiar with a Grange that had a great public supper program. People came from miles around to eat well every month. Sometimes, they ran out of food, and most times, there was a line to get in. That Grange is now closed. A simple analysis suggests that offering good meals at an affordable price isn’t enough to create a sustainable Grange. It will draw customers, but workers are hard to come by. When we get them, they will tire quickly and start asking, “What’s the point?”
How do we use our Grange halls? It’s not just about the building—it’s about our identity and purpose. And it’s not just about our identity and purpose, it’s how we communicate them. Most people have heard the expression, “What you’re doing shouts so loud I can’t hear what you’re saying.”
I was sitting in a potluck supper one evening before a meeting. There was a noise in the front lobby. A member went to investigate and discovered a child adjusting her shoe while two adults looked on. (She’d picked up a stone during the walk.) The adults explained that they lived nearby and often went for a walk past the Grange Hall and it was usually dark and empty. They wondered what it was all about. They were invited in to warm up and join us for dinner. They had already eaten but were hungry for information. Once they learned what our Grange was about and why we were there, they couldn’t wait to join.
Our dark and usually vacant Grange Hall was not communicating well because most of what we are about and what we do doesn’t happen in the hall. It happens in the community. There are also Granges that are busy hosting community events and occupied often. It’s not that one or the other is right. It’s that what we do communicates. We need to find ways to accurately and adequately communicate. Getting people into the hall does not necessarily equate to getting people into the Grange. Conversely, getting people into the Grange does not necessarily equate to getting them into the hall. Every Grange has members who do not attend meetings but are a big help with the “labors of the day.”
“Doing” is an important word. Our communication must be about what we are doing—not just what we used to do. We rightly value our heritage and history. Consider for a moment local historical societies—there is a huge emphasis on history, but the point of the society is to preserve history. A historical society gets supported and joined because of what it is doing. We live in the present tense—or at least we are supposed to!
One of the communication challenges we face with describing “what the Grange does” is the amount of diversity. It is both a weakness and a strength. Asking people to read the “Declaration of Purposes” is not a practical answer. Show and tell works. It’s often called “Show and Share” these days with good reason.
Let’s share more about what the Grange is doing and why. People DO want to know. And many would like to help and be part of doing the right things for our communities.
► FACT: So far this year, our biggest month was March when nearly 800 people the MSG Website!
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I have been thinking about ways to give back to my community, and I am curious about what the Grange Halls’ main functions are today. There is a great deal of information regarding the history of the Grange Hall but not much about what the purpose is today. I have talked with a Grange member and know that they provide educational scholarships and hold public suppers to raise money but beyond that I am not sure.
Website Visitor Lisa
(Answer provided by Walter Boomsma, Maine State Grange Communications Director. But local Granges should also be providing their own answers. Make your interests, events, and programs known.)
Thank you for your question and desire to give back to your community. The answer to your question is an example of how sometimes an organization’s greatest strength is its greatest weakness.
The Grange is a grassroots organization and, therefore, a very diverse organization. In a general and national sense, the Grange has a “Declaration of Purposes,” but within that framework, local Granges tend to have different focuses and interests. A correct but not very helpful answer to the question could be “It depends.”
For example, I can think of Granges that are focused on being a community center and providing a home to community resources and hosting events. A number of Granges sponsor a “Words for Thirds” Program by providing personal dictionaries to third graders in local schools. Some Granges provide entertainment ranging from concerts to open mics and craft fairs. Given the Grange’s strong agricultural roots, some Granges focus on supporting farms and farmers in their area. Knitting and sewing activities and classes are not uncommon. It really does depend on the interests and commitments of the local members.
That variety means a local Grange is open to new programs and ventures. I’ve occasionally said, “If you have a passion, we have the place.” Originally, the Grange was about supporting and strengthening the American Farmer. Our purpose has expanded to supporting and strengthening our communities and residents of all ages. Any member with an idea for doing that can expect an opportunity to use the hall and Grange resources to achieve a greater sense of community.
An eye to the future would see additional possibilities that go beyond the physical Grange Hall as technology expands the definition of “community.” When the Grange first formed, farm families hooked up their horses and wagons to meet at Grange halls both for socializing and for learning together. The community was defined by how far one could comfortably travel in a horse and wagon. While the local and in-person aspects will always be a bedrock of the Grange, the impact of a local Grange program can readily and quickly reach much farther.
We need to keep asking what we can do and what we want to do while honoring our motto: “In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things charity.”
Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the meek; for they shall possess the land.
Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice; for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart; for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they that suffer persecution for the sake of justice; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Good Will Publishers Inc. Copyright 1961
The beatitudes, how many of us truly understand these? We all have different understandings.
This is one of my understandings: As God’s children, I would like to think that we walk in love serving others, by feeding the hungry, helping the fatherless and widows, clothing people in need, and listening as God does to his children.
Grange Heirlooms are snippets from the lessons of the Grange as taught in the Rituals and Declaration of Purposes.
Use the icons below to share this Grange Heirloom on social media and help others understand what the Grange stands for! If this heirloom has a particular meaning for you, click the “leave a comment” link at the left and share your comment with us!
For additional information and resources regarding the Heirloom Program, visit the Heirloom Resource Page on the Maine State Grange Website.
