Community Citizen Awards for the Richmond area, including Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Dresden, as well as Richmond, Sunday, April 26, 2026, at 3:00 pm at Enterprise Grange Hall, 15 Alexander Reed Road, Richmond.
Citizens of these towns are invited to submit nominations to Enterprise, and we will make the final decision based on the applications and verify whether the candidates are willing to accept the awards. Except during the COVID years, we have presented the awards for over 20 years. We have tried different days and times and have found that Sunday afternoons work well for our area. Late enough for Sunday-morning church attendees and early enough for Sunday-evening service attendees. And usually, friends and families of the recipients are able to attend, and those attending are invited to share their stories of those receiving the award.
Light refreshments and fellowship follow. We usually end about 4:30. Community Citizen Awards are a National Grange program, and Grangers are not eligible to receive the award unless it is for a group, such as the Food Pantry, and the members are part of that group.
Enterprise is undergoing electrical updates in the hall, and it should be completed to showcase the improvements and how much brighter our meeting hall is now. We still have work to do on scraping and painting, but taking it one step at a time is getting the work done.
By Margaret Henderson, Director Committee on Women’s Activities 207 948-2762
Committee on Women’s Activities
What crazy, cold weather we are having. I am sorry that I have not been able to get an article in the last couple of months. It has been a sad few months. I have lost 16 friends since November. I hope the rest of this year is better.
I hope that many of you are working on entries for the contests.
I always look forward to seeing all of the wonderful work that everyone does. I am going to start checking next week on the availability of different places to have the judging and the conference.
It will be different not to have it at Headquarters. We have many good memories in that building.
The name and number of a Grange should be on the building or on the sign at the road AND should include the day and time of the meetings. This way someone passing by or visiting the area will know when you meet.
Master Sherry
One of my earliest attempts to visit a Grange had a somewhat humorous result. It was over two decades ago. I was relatively new to the Grange, and technology was still young. I drove to Lincoln, thinking that the Grange wouldn’t be too hard to find. I stopped for directions (more than once), and no one could help. In fact, no one had ever heard of a Grange Hall. It took a few phone calls to learn that Lincoln Pomona Granges were several hours away.
In more recent adventures, I’ve learned that some Granges appear to have multiple locations. It goes with the territory of rural life. There are countless examples where someone unfamiliar with the area could become mightily confused.
I’ve been guilty myself of giving directions like “turn left where the schoolhouse used to be.” When my sister and family from North Carolina first visited us, I talked them in and, without thinking, actually said that. After a short silence, my brother-in-law reminded me that this was their first visit to Maine and asked how they would know where the schoolhouse used to be.
Under the heading, “Nothing’s perfect…” I’ve also learned that travelers coming from a certain direction to our home need to ignore their GPS at one suggested turn. But the simple truth is, we need to make it easy for people to find us, and “us” includes our Grange Halls.
One way to do that is to know and use your hall’s street address. Street addresses in Maine are assigned by local municipalities (usually the code enforcement officer or town clerk), plantations, or county commissioners (for unorganized territories), adhering to E-911 standards. The E-911 system requires that each structure be linked to a unique physical address that clearly identifies the caller’s location (e.g., 35 Pine Road). Remember that dispatchers are often far away from the communities they serve.
The additional benefit of standards for street addresses make it possible for anyone to locate a building. Once you have your hall’s street address, please use it. I recommend placing the street number outside the building or on a post. It also wouldn’t hurt to have it posted inside the hall. There are additional steps you can take online, including locating your hall on Google Maps.
As an aside, the National Grange’s “Find a Grange” program does not include Maine; you should not rely on it. Our Maine State Grange online directory is based on the published roster. We’ll update it soon, when the roster is issued, but we can also make changes at any time.
Making your hall visible and easy to find is another great spring project!
FACT: During a recent seven-day period, more than fifty people visited the website from Facebook.
“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything but is thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:13-16
Here it is, another month. What happened to the month of January? Here we are in the second month, looking at a lot of snow and very cold weather, wondering if spring is ever going to get here. Well, take heart, my fellow brothers and sisters, it will come.
While we are waiting for the warmer weather to come, let’s work on letting our light shine on others. By that I mean during the cold weather, many people (especially the elderly) are spending more time indoors trying to keep warm.
Those of us who can and are able to get out should spread our “light” to those who need help. By calling our friends and neighbors to see if they are doing fine or if they need rides to the store or the doctor. They might just need to talk.
Until the next time, remember, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”
Benediction: “Gracious Father, help us to be better people. Teach us to learn how to help those who are sad and mourning. Amen.”
Thought for the month:
“May good luck be your friend in whatever you do, and may trouble be always a stranger to you.”
While Chaplain Christine is burdened with technology challenges, she has invited Past MSG Chaplain Clay to share some spiritual thoughts with our Grange Flock.
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!
A recent issue of the California State Grange included flyers for several programs offered across the state. There were plenty of pancake breakfasts and suppers. A few of the different events are:
Class in pressure canning
Toddler story time
Food and Karaoke
Homestead series
Sweetheart Dance
Grange Community Market
Masterpieces and Munchies (a series of fun, painting, and snacking)
Square Dance
Almond Festival (Remember, it’s California)
Fruit Tree Sale
Cowboy Poetry and Music Show
Zucchini Grand Prix (growing contest) and Harvest Festival
Amateur Radio Club
Sobriety Support Group
Mana and Munchies (includes a number of activities)
Monthly Flea Market
Grange Game Night
Many of these are not one-time events. Consistency matters.
Farmers and animals need the same basic care in very cold weather. These reminders are for farmers of all experience levels and for those who support them.
Stay dry and dress in warm layers; keep skin covered.
Take regular breaks to warm up when working outside.
Check on farming friends and neighbors. Severe weather can add tasks and disrupt normal routines.
Signs of frostbite: red or painful skin; white or grayish-yellow patches; skin that feels hard, waxy, or numb.
Signs of hypothermia: shivering, extreme fatigue, confusion, trouble using hands, or slurred speech. If hypothermia is suspected, check body temperature and seek medical help immediately if it is below 95°F.
Reduce Stress and Plan Ahead
Pace yourself and plan ahead to reduce stress for both people and animals.
Make sure drinking water is unfrozen when animals need it; provide a safe alternative if repairs take time.
Focus first on essential tasks, such as animal care. Less-urgent work can wait until after the storm.
Rapid Resource is a new feature being tested by the MSG Communications Department.
Scholarships are a form of gift aid—meaning they do not need to be repaid. Most are awarded outside of the college’s financial aid process, so it is up to you to search and apply. Start with the Finance Authority of Maine’s (FAME) scholarship search tool to explore opportunities.
And snowy! Not that you needed to be reminded. But we will remind everyone to check on their neighbors (not just when it’s cold and snowing). A phone call, text, or social media message can mean a lot!
Let’s stay safe together!
The impersonal hand of government can never replace the helping hand of a neighbor.
