Tag: Grange Activities

We’re Back! FOR REAL!

Remember the old song, “Like a rubber ball, I’ll come bouncing back to you?”

I am truly sorry that it took longer than expected–and longer than it should have. It’s been frustrating, an education, and–frankly–expensive in terms of both time and money. That’s the limit of my whining.

For those nerdy Grangers, we have a few loose ends. Most won’t be apparent, but one that involves our friend Google. People searching for the site using Google may not find it for a while–it’s hard to tell how long, but at least a few days. The good news is that historically, not many visitors come from “googling” the site.

From a more practical perspective, I do have a backlog of columns and posts to handle. Again, the good news is I’ve been working on the Bulletin, so it’s mostly a matter of now posting from the Bulletin–exactly the opposite of my usual procedure. Barring something unforeseen, I should be caught up by the weekend. This could mean subscribers will be seeing more than the usual number of posts over the next few days.

If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know!

Feel free to join me in a little happy dance!

Subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website

We’re Back!

Since my confidence level is, at the moment, relatively low, I will add that I’m not sure we’ll remain back. The current solution has been labeled “temporary.”

UPDATE: I’m reminded of the line in Jurrasic Park, “We’ve spared no expense,” but the good news is the fixes should be permanent by Monday at the absolute latest.

I am “gathering rosebuds where I may, ” catching up with posts, etc., and also continuing to work on a more permanent solution. Your continued patience is appreciated!

One thing I’ve learned that you might find interesting! When we experience website issues, I can still contact website subscribers by email. Those who are subscribers know that because you received an email explaining that the site was down. Some who are not subscribers emailed me asking what was going on.

So you can see there’s an advantage to all of us for you to subscribe. A couple of important facts about subscribing:

  • We do not share your email address with anyone, and the only email you receive will be an occasional summary of website posts.
  • Except for very rare emergency situations, you will not receive more than one email per day.
  • Subscribing is free, and you remain in control of your subscription. You can easily “unsubscribe” at any time.

If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know!

Subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website

EP Rock at Victor Grange in Fairfield

“Elvis” will be in the building on Saturday, September 30, 2023, at Victor Grange. Victor Grange is offering a public supper from 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. and a lively performance by Elvis Impersonator Don Boudreau at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 for supper and $10 for the performance ($20 for both).

Proceeds from the concert will benefit the Lafayette Cancer Center in Brewer, The Priscilla Rebekah Lodge #69, Sterling Rebekah Lodge #95, and Victor Grange #49.

Victor Grange September Newsletter

Victor Grange is located in Fairfield, Maine

Victor Grange of Fairfield has released its September Newsletter using an all-new method. While it’s not so easy for Barb Bailey, editor, it is fairly user-friendly for members and others. An email is sent to members containing a link to the newsletter hosted on Google Drive. We’re pleased to be able to share it with you!

The September Issue reports, among other things:

  • The Victor Grange Hall now has Wi-Fi available!
  • Two floors of the hall are now ADA-accessible.
  • They plan to remain open through the winter.
  • Future improvements include installing a generator (to qualify as an emergency shelter), new LED lighting in the kitchen, and a new kitchen floor.
Read the Victor Grange newsletter.

But wait! There’s more! This Grange is so busy they even have their very own online calendar! They are hosting Computer Classes, AA Meetings, Public Suppers, Senior Circle Potlucks…

Check out the Victor Grange Calendar.

CWA Report – September 2023

By Margaret Henderson, Director
Committee on Women’s Activities
207 948-2762

Committee on Women’s Activities

Happy Harvest! Here is a list of the winners from the Needlework contest.

Class A. Afghans, Sherry Appleby
Class B  Doilies, Nancy Gowen
Class C. Embroidery, Gail Butterfield
Class  D 3 Piece Baby Set, no entries
Class E Plastic Canvas, Missy Baldwin
Class F Counted Cross Stitch, Sharon Morton
Class G Adult Garment, Laurie McBurnie
Class H Latch Hook,  Lila Wilkins
Class I  Quilted Wall Hanging, Kathy Gowen
Class J Stuffed Toy, Karen McCarrick
Class K Baby Afghan, Ellie Collins
Class L Children’s Garment, Laurie McBurnie
Class M Table Runners, Lila Wilkins
Class N Miscellaneous, Kathy Gowen
Class O Decorated Item, Norma Meserve
Class P Wooden Item, Kathy Gowen
Class Q Tote Bags, Karen McCurrick

Quilts

Class A Hand Quilted, No entries
Class B Machine Quilted, Rachel Nelson
Class C Hand Tied, Ann Burns
Class D Pieced by entrant, quilted by someone else, Kathy Gowen
Class E Baby Quilt, Ann Burns

Dress-A-Doll, Kathy Gowen
Baking: Chocolate Chip Cookies, Paula Roberts

Class A – K winners were sent to the Big E for New England judging. Thank you to everyone who had entries in these contests. You all do an amazing job! For those of you who got your new booklet at the conference, there was an omission in the recipe for the blueberry cake. There needs to be a teaspoon of vanilla added to the recipe. A huge thank you to everyone who helped make all of this possible. Sherry and Richard for helping get everything set up. Cynthia for helping log-in entries and making coffee. Deb and Laurie for judging the cookies.  All of your help is greatly appreciated.

This 22-piece Plastic Canvas Dollhouse with furniture, including a toilet that the lid opens, a refrigerator with food inside when you open the door, a fireplace on one wall & a grandfather clock, a car, a baby carriage, and a family. The detail in this entry by Missy Baldwin of Hollis Grange was spectacular. Congratulations!

Lecturer’s Column – September 2023

By Margaret Morse, Maine State Grange Lecturer
207 439-0413

As the days rush towards October and the State Grange session, it may be time to look over the photos you have taken during the last year and decide which ones you are going to enter into the photo contest.  The categories for this year are water, animals, winter, and gardens. All photos must be turned in to the lecturer’s table no later than 2 p.m. on October 20, 2023. The photography contest is open to all Grangers and Junior Grangers as well as children and grandchildren of Subordinate members. The photographer must select the category for the entry and may enter as many photos in a single category as they wish. Entries, including matting or backing, must be no smaller than 4”x 6” and no larger than 11”x 14”. Frames and glass are NOT permitted.

Also, this year, the adult coloring contest is still open for all who find coloring challenging and/or relaxing. All entries must be from an adult coloring book and must be no smaller than 4”x 6” and no larger than 11”x 14”.

The Art contest for Junior Grangers will also be judged at this time. The mediums that will be judged include oils & acrylics, watercolors, charcoal or pencil, markers or crayons.

The photography,  coloring, and junior art contest entries will be judged against each other based on composition and arrangement,  presentation, and technique.  Junior Granger’s work will be judged in three age groups: 5 – 7, 8 – 10, and 11 – 14.

The photos will be judged during the afternoon of October 20, and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place will be awarded, as well as Best in Show. Also, again this year, a people’s choice will be awarded based on members’ voting.

Kennebec Valley Grange Take-Home Lunch

Annual Carroll Dean Memorial Agricultural Scholarship Fundraiser

October 28, 2023, 12 – 2 p.m. at the Kennebec Valley Grange, 560 Main Street, Madison, Maine, during their weekly flea market.

The menu includes Pit ham, baked beans, mac and cheese, and a variety of other casseroles, apple crisp, or pumpkin pie for $10.00. We will also have our regular pints and quarts of baked beans or dynamites for sale to go. For information, contact Diane Pinkham at 207-314-5135.

President’s Perspective – September 2023

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

Wow, State Grange is a month and a half away, October 20 and 21. Our National Representatives will be Cindy Greer, Ceres of the National Grange, and Harry Greer, Overseer/VP of the Colorado State Grange, both long-time Grange members and are looking forward to being with us again.  Information about our guests can be found on our website under State Session, along with other session information such as schedule and meal registration form.

Meal tickets are to be purchased in advance; form and money are due by Oct. 5. Remember, if your Subordinate and/or Pomona Grange plans to or wants to have two voting delegates at State Session:

  1. Your Grange MUST vote by name on the people to be delegates and alternates at a regular meeting prior to the session. Two delegates and two alternates are to be selected.
  2. Delegates must be members or affiliate members of your Grange. You may only represent the Subordinate or Pomona Grange, where you are a member. 
  3. You may represent your Subordinate and Pomona Grange and have one vote for each.
  4. You may NOT represent 2 Subordinates or Pomonas.
  5. Register that person or persons using the Delegate form provided to your secretary.
  6. The form must be signed by the Master or Secretary of the Grange.
  7. Your Grange’s quarterly dues must be paid up to date or brought with you to registration to be eligible to vote.
  8. You can’t just show up expecting to vote on the resolutions, elections, or any other business without the proper paperwork being submitted. NO exceptions.
  9. Anyone may attend the session just are not allowed to vote but may participate in discussions. You may pick up your program books for your Grange if there is not a delegate.
  10. This is a full election year. Anyone may be elected to any State Grange office, you do not have to be a delegate to be elected.  However, only a delegate may present names for consideration. (You must become a Fifth and Sixth Degree member if not already a member in those levels.) 

Another reminder or nag: a few more than half of you have provided your 2024 Roster information.  Even if there were no changes, a report or email needs to be sent. During the order of business, the Master asks, “Have the reports to the Pomona and State Granges been duly and promptly made?” This includes this and any request for information. If you are changing the time or day you meet, this needs to be voted on in a regular Grange meeting and approved by the State Master before it can officially take effect! 

In addition to the Roster, State Session and budget and other items I work on, I am working on getting a new database completed. I am typing in all the information for our 82 Granges, 2,359  names, addresses and other information into a more user friendly format that can be accessed without internet. When I get the information compiled, I will be sending copies to the Grange Secretaries for corrections, additions and deletions. Yes, I can hear the grumbles already, but it needs to be done, if I am spending this much time putting it back together from older versions provided by the State Secretary, then your assistance is greatly appreciated. Each of you, as an individual member, can help by checking your information, is your name spelled correctly, is your address up to date then please correct whatever may be required. I am most interested in the date you joined the Grange, many of the dates are not listed. Some are listed as Golden Sheaf members (50 years of continuous membership) but do not list the date of joining only “Y” or “YN” in the GS (Golden Sheaf) column. “Y” indicates Golden Sheaf membership before Jan 1, 2001 and the Maine State Grange does not pay dues to National Grange on those members. “YN” indicates Golden Sheaf membership attained after Jan 1, 2001 and the Maine State Grange must pay dues to National Grange on those members.  Most Granges exempt all Golden Sheaf (50 year) members from paying dues to their respective Granges and the Maine State Grange  does not charge dues on any Golden Sheaf member but the Maine State Grange must still pay dues to National on them. 

I’m going to backtrack a little, September is the time of the new Grange year beginnings with installations, making plans for the coming year and setting goals. This is also the time for year-end wrap-ups such as your annual audit, reports to be submitted (to your Grange, Pomona and State), and a time to evaluate last year’s activities, events, and goals, what was successful and what was lacking. There are very few Installation Teams or Installing Officers traveling, so I encourage each Grange to do their own Installation. There is an Alternative Installation Ceremony  (half the words) in the new Manual which can be read with one or two people in charge and working with the members present. It is impressive to have it memorized however many people, like myself, cannot memorize charges any longer. By reading it with appropriate feeling and enunciation, it comes across very nicely. The original ceremony in also still in the manual if you are so inclined. We have manuals at the office for sale.

Congratulations and welcome to all the Officers & Members, new and seasoned, and I wish you all much success for the coming year. 

The National Grange annual session will be November in Niagara Falls, New York hosted by the Northeast Region of States. All are welcome to attend.

Communication Shorts 9-1-2023

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!

September Bulletin Reminder

Columns from ODDs (Officers, Directors, and Deputies) are due no later than September 14, 2023. Remember, you can always find recent issues of the Bulletin on the Program Books and Information Page.

Monroe Classic

As a reminder, the Grange Store by Monroe Classic, Inc. offers fundraising programs, custom printed apparel, promotional items, awards, signs, banners, and awards.

What Can You Say Other than “WOW!”

 Recently, one of the most visited posts was “High Season Market at Ocean View Grange! One thing that makes this especially interesting is that the post covers an event that already happened! Should Granges be doing more markets? Two others that stand out are Tunes at Tranquility and the post about Mill Stream Grange’s Tool Lending Library. Should Granges be sponsoring more concerts and creating more lending libraries?

Article About Grange and Other Halls in Maine

The Maine Monitor recently published an article entitled “Saving the Halls and Granges that House So Much of Our Heritage.” We’re particularly proud of the fact the author depended upon and quoted from the Maine State Grange Website!

Ideas for Granges

Why not publish an annual report of your Grange’s accomplishments? You could even offer them for inclusion in your town’s annual report! It could be based on either a calendar year, the Grange Year, or the school year.

2023-2024 Events Calendar

This is a great time to start planning your programs and events for the next Grange Year. Please submit the information for posting on the MSG Website Calendar.

Thought for You…

Let’s be honest; it’s rather easy to be busy. We all can think up a list of tasks that will overwhelm our schedules. Some might even think that their self-worth depends on the length of their to-do list. They flood the open spaces in their time with lists of meetings and minutia – even during times of stress and fatigue.

Dieter F. Uchdorf

Do You Love the Grange?

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!

Online Directories Available 24-7

  • The ODD Directory features all state officers, directors, and deputies with contact information.
  • The Directory of Granges features all Granges in the state with a contact person. Please make sure your listing is correct!

Do You Have FOMO?

“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!

Subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website