Patrons of Husbandry – a website dedicated to the Granges located in Maine
Grange Logo Apparel ships in 24 to 48 hours when in stock. This includes embroidered and screen-printed caps, jaclets, t-shirts, and more.
Grange Store by Monroe Classic, Inc. wearables
To see all our Grange Items, click on the link below.
Grange Store by Monroe Classic, Inc.
MONROE CLASSIC INC., a licensed supplier of the National Grange
800.868.2330 or 760.231-1020 or email sales@monroeclassic.com
Unless you’ve been living under a rock or stranded on a space station, you must be aware of the devastation in Texas. The National FFA Organization recently shared, “Our hearts are with everyone impacted by the devastating flash floods in Texas. The road to recovery will take time, but the FFA community stands ready to support and serve. Together, we can lift up our communities and help them rebuild stronger than ever.”
For specific information regarding the needs and opportunities to help, visit this Texas FFA webpage. There are many ways to support and assist!
By Walter Boomsma and Larry Bailey
Larry is Master of Ocean View Grange in Port Clyde. He and I occasionally exchange “odd and curious emails.” Since this exchange might qualify as “Family Health and Hearing,” we agreed to share.
Larry wrote: I like to have toast in the morning and have gotten really tired of seeing the bread with green spots all over after a few days. We stored it in the bread bag it came in in the pantrach (Irish for pantry). I did some looking around and found out that a very old practice helped bread to last longer. That old family practice was using a “Bread Box.” I bought a bread box which was delivered yesterday. Let’s see how well it works.
Walter replied: We usually buy our bread from our friendly Amish baker, six loaves at a time because that’s the size of her pan, and freeze them. We keep the loaf we’re working on either in the microwave (our bread box) or in the fridge. (She doesn’t use preservatives.) I shall have to ask her how she stores it!
🥖 Should You Store Bread In A Bread Box?
“Bread, after all, is a food that connects us all.”
Henry T. Black
Duck Pond Variety, Highland Lake Church, Highland Lake Grange, and Lenny’s at Hawkes Plaza are pleased to announce a celebration of history at Duck Pond Corner, located at the intersection of Route 302, Duck Pond, and Hardy Roads in Westbrook.
August 17, 2025 from 10-4.
The Day will feature open houses at the church, Grange, and Lenny’s, live music, historic photos, Scout & 4-H activities, food sale fundraisers, a special church service, displays of artifacts, Westbrook Police K9 demonstrations, a display of historic signs at Duck Pond Variety, and much more!
Come join us to explore the long history of this community. No cost to attend.
Watch for updates over the summer!
The National Grange is launching a limited-time apparel sale through CustomInk. We have chosen “business apparel” – as requested – in a few different styles.
Button-down shirts in both long-sleeve and short-sleeve, in men’s and women’s cuts, and a polo shirt (also in men’s and women’s cuts). Each will have the Grange emblem embroidered in the pocket area. (Actual placement may be slightly different than pictured). This sale is only available in adult sizes. (Sorry!)
Access the apparel sale at https://grange.biz/apparel or http://customink.com/fundraising/ng-apparel .
Travel scams are heating up just in time for summer, from bogus deals to fake booking sites and other schemes. Here is how to spot some of the most popular vacation scams.
Scammers often create fake vacation rental listings, then pressure you to pay upfront through wire transfers, gift cards, or other hard-to-trace methods. If a host asks you to pay outside the platform, it’s a scam.
Be skeptical of steeply discounted offers and use a credit card for stronger fraud protection. If something feels off, take the time to verify before making any payments. Also, learn about any new-to-you travel site before booking by searching the company’s name along with the word “scam” or “complaint” or “review” to read about other people’s experiences.
Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.
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.
The National Grange is doubling down on its commitment to revitalizing rural communities with the launch of two new competitive grant opportunities through the Rural Life Initiative.
On June 24, during the “GPS to Success” webinar, National Grange President Christine Hamp announced the launch of two new grant opportunities as part of the expansion of the Rural Life Initiative (RLI), a program designed in partnership with Grange Advocacy to strengthen rural communities through health, wellness, agriculture, and community projects and events.
If you missed the webinar, it is available to watch on the National Grange YouTube channel.
Following the 2024 successes of programs in seven pilot states and nearly 25 Granges that received mini-grants for holiday events, the National Grange is expanding the RLI program and eligibility for all Granges.
Successful examples of past projects include senior fitness classes, building Grange awareness at a community zucchini race event, vaccination and wellness clinics, a cancer research fundraising 5K, and more.
The grant opportunities are as follows:
$1,000 Summer Grants (30 available)
$5,000 Long-Term Grants (2 available)
Both grant opportunities are open to either local or State Granges.
While the main grant amounts are fixed, there are additional incentives available for completing projects and submitting reports on time, and for each new member gained through your project.
What are the grant requirements?
Because RLI aims to build stronger communities across the country, there are three main components to the grants:
“We are excited to see what Granges will create for their communities,” said Hamp. “The flexibility of this grant cycle encourages Granges to truly think outside of the box and the Grange ‘norms.’ I look forward to seeing the dynamic events and powerful programs that this grant helps make possible.”
During the June 24 webinar, presenters Beth Westbrook and Nona Bear offered guidance on how local Granges can apply for these grants, develop project ideas that align with the program’s mission, and measure community impact. Participants were encouraged to think creatively and collaboratively in identifying rural needs and proposing solutions.
The tips and tricks presented also encouraged Granges to go after other community-based grants, always aiming for success.
“These grants are about investing in the people, traditions, and future of rural America,” said webinar leader Beth Westbrook, a member of the Grange Advocacy Board of Directors. “By empowering Granges to take action on local priorities—from health to heritage—we’re building stronger, more connected communities.”
To watch the full announcement, visit the National Grange YouTube channel and view the full grant requirements and submit your applications at the Rural Life Initiative page on the National Grange website.
Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.
Edward A. Murphy, Jr.
This was the week for it! As some of you probably know, the MSG website was “down” (unavailable) for a while, starting sometime on Saturday until this morning.
I should have received a notification by email. For some reason, that didn’t work.
In short, this was caused by some changes in how security certificates are handled. I should have been warned of the changes. I wasn’t. You don’t want to know all the details.
Anyway, this has been resolved. Sorry for any inconvenience! I’m assured it will not happen again. It could be a lesson in communication for the providers, but I’m not optimistic.
And, since I’m whining, I’ll share that I have had not one, but two credit cards violated last week. The good news is that both were caught quickly by the card providers, and no charges were successfully made to either account. But both cards need to be replaced, an action that takes “seven to ten days.” Perfect timing since we’ll be traveling without them.
It’s tempting to think Murphy was an optimist. However, the real lessons to be learned from this are the importance of effective communication and the need to remain vigilant.
Hope and persevere!
Victor Grange has some stage curtains and chairs available for free! Preference will be given to requests from Grange Halls, but these curtains and chairs need a good home!
The curtains are not from a Grange Hall. They came from a high school that built a new theatre. They are red velvet. The curtains are 36 feet wide and 11 feet high. The valance is 30 feet wide and 32 inches high.
There are about thirty chairs available for a Grange that can use them. (They appear to be “standard issue” – the kind of chairs typically seen in Grange Hall dining areas.)
For additional information, contact Barb Bailey at 207 313-0717. She might be willing to deliver in Maine if it’s not too far!
To protect yourself, protect your Medicare number. Don’t share it with anyone who contacts you out of the blue. Be wary of offers for free medical equipment or services that you are told Medicare will cover. The only equipment or services Medicare will cover are those that are prescribed by your doctor.
Review your Medicare statements regularly and report anything suspicious to your medical provider. If your concern persists, contact Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE.
Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.
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.