Maine State Grange Announces Yard Sale!
Celebrating Grange Membership
Information gleaned from the current issue of GoodDay!TM magazine.
75 Years of Continuous Membership
Grace Addison, Benton #458
50 Years of Continuous Membership
Steven Cyr, Golden Harvest #33
Richard Lawrence, Benton #458
Granges Gaining New Members
- Chelsea Grange #215, 2 new members
- Community Grange #593, 1
- Deering Grange #53, 8
- East Sangerville #177, 6
- Enterprise #48, 4
- Fairview #342, 27 new members!
- Farmington #12, 2
- Granite #192, 2
- Harraseeket #9, 1
- Huntoon Hill #398, 1
- Jonesboro#357, 6
- Lakeside #63, 2
- Merriconeag #425, 6
- Mill Stream #574, 2
- Ocean View #463, 1
- Saco #53, 1
- St George #421, 11
- Topsham #37, 2
- Tranquility #344, 14
- Trenton #550, 3
- Valley #144, 3
- Victor #49, 5
- Waterford #479, 2
- White Rock #380, 1
You’ll Miss Us!
a “webatorial” by MSG Communications Director
Walter Boomsma
Seth Godin wrote an interesting post suggesting that when people move away, cards and cake should read, “You’ll miss us” instead of “We’ll miss you.” He points out that the community remains.
One of the more powerful sentences in the short post was, “When a marketer serves a community, they create the conditions where they’d be missed–because the ideas or products or services they bring are important, not simply tolerated.“
With apologies to Seth, I changed a word or two. “When a Grange serves a community, they create the conditions where they’d be missed–because the ideas or services they bring are important, not simply tolerated.“
My revision raises a question for Granges. Would your communities miss you if you were gone? Would they even notice? Are you important or simply tolerated?
One of the challenges we face as an organization is relevance in communities that are loosely defined and increasingly diverse. If our vision is narrow and our goals are limited, we will be missed by an ever-diminishing number of people. For example, not everyone likes potluck suppers.
Seth’s short message is that marketers should see a worthwhile goal of creating ideas, products, or services that the community would miss.
Maybe it’s time for Granges to figure out what they can create and offer that their communities would miss.
Fraud Watch- How to Avoid Fake Check Scams
Several scams rely on convincing the target to deposit a check as a first step of the crime. They then convince the target to use the money in a specific way. For example, in some work-from-home scams, the “Company” will send a check for deposit, and then once it “clears,” they direct the target to purchase needed office equipment from the company’s “catalog.”
The catch? The check was fake and it bounced, and the equipment catalogue was fake, too. The money the target spent on “equipment” came from their own money. And, the equipment never comes.
Even though a check deposit may appear to be cleared on your banking app or website, the process can take several weeks. The criminals rely on most of us not knowing this, so they get us to deposit and then quickly transact against the deposit. When the check is determined to be fake, the target is out that money.
Be suspicious anytime someone wants to send a check that you then must act on with some immediacy – making purchases, paying a fee or sending funds to a third party for example.
Be suspicious anytime someone wants to send a check that you then must act on with some immediacy – making purchases, paying a fee or sending funds to a third party for example.
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 Time is Now for the Silent Majority to Speak Up
By Christine E. Hamp, President of the National Grange
In every city council chamber, statehouse, and congressional hearing room, decisions are being made that shape the future of our families, communities, and country. Yet far too often, those decisions are influenced by the loudest voices – not necessarily the wisest or most representative ones.
For too long, the so-called “silent majority” – hardworking, civic-minded Americans – have taken a back seat in the advocacy process. We have trusted that “common sense” would prevail, that our leaders would act in our collective best interest, and that simply voting every couple of years would be enough.
It isn’t.
Democracy demands more than silence. It requires active participation. It thrives when everyday people – including farmers, teachers, small business owners, healthcare workers, construction workers and skilled laborers, students, and retirees – make their voices heard. It’s time for the silent majority to stop assuming someone else will speak for them and start showing up, standing up, and speaking out.
As President of the National Grange, I see firsthand how deeply our members care about their communities. We believe in strong values, in service to others, in tradition, and in progress. But I also see that many feel disconnected from the legislative process – disillusioned, frustrated, or simply overwhelmed. The truth is that advocacy isn’t just for professionals or partisans. It’s for all of us.
You don’t need a lobbyist’s credentials to walk into your legislator’s office. You only need your voice. A personal letter, a well-placed phone call, a presence at a town hall meeting or community function – these are powerful tools that too few use. And in their absence, the vacuum is filled by those with more narrow, sometimes self-serving agendas.
We must remember that silence can be interpreted as acceptance. When small, independent pharmacies close due to unjust reimbursement systems, when broadband once again skips our back roads, when healthcare becomes harder to access and education less equitable – our silence can cost us dearly. But our engagement can turn the tide.
The Grange has always stood for active citizenship. We were founded on the idea that when neighbors and communities work together, we don’t just react to change – we lead it. Today, that spirit is more essential than ever.
To the silent majority: you are not invisible. Your values, your experience, and your insight are needed in every conversation about the future of this nation. Let’s turn silence into action – at the local, state, and national level. Democracy doesn’t just belong to the loud. It belongs to the engaged.
Let’s act today.
Karen loves the Grange!
I love the Grange for all the support to all people! It’s awesome to hear so much about the history .
Karen Small, Golden Harvest Grange #33
Valley Grange Celebrates Community
Guilford—Valley Grange in Guilford has announced their annual Celebration of Community, which will take place on Friday, May 16, 2025, at the Guilford Grange Hall. The event includes honoring the local organization’s Community Citizen(s) of the Year. This year, the Grange will honor Manda Stewart, Executive Director of the Piscataquis Area Community Center. The event celebrates the strength of rural communities with a community potluck supper at 5:30 pm, followed by a program featuring a presentation of certificates of recognition at 7:00 pm. The program includes an opportunity for guests to share testimonials and appreciation.
Program Director Walter Boomsma noted in announcing the celebration, “We always try to honor people who have their boots on the ground and give of themselves to strengthen and build our communities. These too often unsung heroes are a lifeline for our communities. The event itself brings neighbors and friends together. Even the meal demonstrates the strength and value of our communities, as the communities prepare the potluck supper by bringing dishes to share.”
Stewart is an active community leader and dedicated mother of two, whose children enjoy swimming, golf, and dance. She has a passion for water skiing, boating, and reading, and she devotes much of her time to volunteering. Manda serves as the president of the RVCS Boosters in Dexter, is a Kiwanis member, and partners with the Dexter Development Association to support local initiatives.
“She has been unstoppable in her efforts to create a viable community center out of the former Y.M.C.A in Dover-Foxcroft. She is a wearer of many hats and source of boundless energy and doesn’t seem to have the word ‘can’t’ in her vocabulary. Valley Grange is honored to offer this opportunity for our communities to recognize her compassion, professionalism, and resilience,” Boomsma notes.
Community Service Chair Mary Annis adds, “This is always such a great evening as we enjoy the chance to connect with each other, share a great meal, and celebrate our rural lives. So many people benefit from the work Manda and people like her do daily. This is a chance to thank them in person and maybe shake hands and give a hug.”
Additional information about the event is available at http://valleygrange.com and on the Valley Grange Facebook page.
Phil loves the Grange!
Why I love the Grange is the feeling of belonging. It really is the definition of family.
Phil Roberts, Jonesboro Grange #357
Communications Column – April 2025
By Walter Boomsma
207 343-1842
Communications Director
Whazup?
Ironically, our Grange fiscal year starts in the fall but for many Granges, their program year starts in the spring! If you attend this year’s Degree Day, you’ll also discover that conferring the First Degree takes place on a farm in the springtime. April is traditionally celebrated as Grange Month. So maybe it does all start here.
One way we find out is by answering the question “Whazup?” For those uninitiated in contemporary contractions and lingo, the question facing us is “What’s up in your Grange?” We could further complicate it by creating a series of questions:
- What has happened (projects, programs, celebrations) in your Grange recently?
- What is going to happen (projects, programs, celebrations) in your Grange in the future?
“Inquiring minds want to know…” is a phrase attributed to the tabloid newspaper “The National Enquirer” in the 1970s. In its original form, it was spelled enquiring, making it a catchy slogan that reflects the value of a curious mind that wants to know as much as possible.
Some of you will remember when the Maine State Grange published a bit of a print tabloid newspaper. Most Granges had a correspondent who submitted a version of whazup in their Grange. Sometimes the results were a bit “gossipy” but generally included short summaries of recent meetings and activities. It worked because it was informal and simple. It worked because it kept members around the state feeling connected.
As we spring into a new year, it’s tempting to suggest every Grange needs a correspondent—someone who is at least informally interested in proactively answering those whazup questions. The MSG Website is committed to serving, sharing, and connecting local Granges. That also means local Granges need to connect with us! Inquiring minds DO want to know (including mine!). We don’t need to formalize a program, we just need a few people who are willing to share whazup in our Granges.
There are many ways to do this. You can, for example, submit basic information about your events using the submit tab on the website. The advantage of this route is that the form will ensure you provide all the required information. (How many times have I seen events listed on social media with no location given?) Submitting to the site accomplishes a lot of things! If the event is in the future, it gets listed on the MSG Events Calendar. We’ll also create a post for you. Those posts stay on the site, get emailed to our website subscribers, and are easily shared on social media by anyone who subscribes to or visits the site. If you have a flyer for your event, attach it to an email and send it to webmaster@mainestategrange.org. We’ll take it from there!
If you volunteer to do this for your Grange, you might find the MSG Communications Handbook helpful! That handbook includes information that will help you communicate, publicize, and advertise your Grange. There are tips submitted by Granges and lists of major and weekly newspapers. Lots of helpful information!
We still have close to one hundred Granges in Maine. There should be (and probably are) more events than those listed on the calendar. That’s a great place to start—easy peasy! At least send the basics! We don’t list “regular” meetings—with the exception of Pomona Meetings—but if your regular meeting includes a special program, that qualifies! When in doubt, share it! The more advanced notice you give, the more we can help.
Inquiring minds do want to know. When we recently promoted Valley Grange’s Blanketeering event, we had people come from miles away and produce a record number of blankets. It works. Help us prove it by sharing whazup at your Grange.
The News Is Where You Find It. If you wonder how the Amish (who tend to shun technology and the Internet) stay connected around the country, check out this article.
► FACT: Did you know that the MSG Communications Handbook includes a list of daily and weekly newspapers in Maine with contact information?
View from the Farm – April 2025
Webmaster’s note: The format of this column includes all of the Quill’s Endians participating at various times and in various ways! Phil writes this month’s column.
Winter Dairy Farming
Winter dairy farming makes for a horrible workout routine. Short bursts of activity are often followed by longer bursts of “rest.”
Winter chore time includes twice-a-day cleaning of the main area of the barn that houses the cows. We push the bedding and manure into a pile by the door and then shovel it into a pile outside the door where it can be accessed by a tractor. All well and good–gets a body moving and warmed right up.
Then, we water and feed the cows. While they are all bellied up to the feeders, we brush them clean. You can imagine this takes a bit of doing in the winter. Then we wash their udders and begin milking.
All that activity before milking is enough to work up a sweat in the coldest weather. The (lack of) activity during milking is enough of a slowdown to cool you off.
Hauling hay is an even worse workout. Our hay suppliers are around half an hour away. We drive the half hour, load a truck for half an hour, then sit and drive home for half an hour, and then unload for half an hour–a physical therapist’s nightmare.
This is all to say, by April, we are watching that sweet grass pretty closely. The sooner we have 5 or 6 inches in the fields, the sooner we can liberate the cows, stop pushing manure, and stop hauling hay. We can start just walking the cows about to do their jobs.
We love cows of grass! We love cows pooping on grass, where our labor is not needed for clean up. We love cows eating grass where our hauling labor is not needed. Here is to the coming of spring and retiring, well, seasonally retiring anyways, the winter shovel.
Heather and Phil Retberg and their three children run Quill’s End Farm, a 105-acre property in Penobscot that they bought in 2004. They use rotational grazing on their fifteen open acres and are renovating thirty more acres from woods to pasture to increase grazing for their pigs, grass-fed cattle, lambs, laying hens, and goats. Quill’s Endians are members of Halcyon Grange and publish a newsletter for their farm’s buying club of farmers in her area and generously permit us to share some of their columns with Grangers. Visit the Quill’s End Farm Facebook Page for more information.