Patrons of Husbandry – a website dedicated to the Granges located in Maine
Information gleaned from the January 2025 Issue of Good Day!TM Magazine
75 years of membership
50 years of membership
We’re Grangers–we help each other!
With thanks to those who answered our help-wanted request, we can offer some information regarding Grange Hall insurance.
First, some vocabulary clarifications as we’ll use them. We’ll keep it simple–it can get complicated. It’s important to distinguish between an agency and a carrier.
Carrier: A carrier creates, manages, and prices insurance policies and coverage.
Agency: An insurance agency sells those policies to customers and handles customer questions or concerns. Independent agencies often represent more than one carrier and have more than one agent.
We should further note that there are significant differences between personal insurance, such as what you may have on your home, and commercial insurance for businesses. When insuring a Grange Hall, commercial insurance is necessary.
Property insurance covers the property itself against certain types of damage. A typical example would be fire.
Liability insurance protects against claims resulting from injuries and damage to other people or property. An example would be someone tripping on a loose stair tread.
An excellent, objective source of information about commercial insurance can be found on the State of Maine Bureau of Insurance website. You might also consider downloading this Consumer Guide to Commercial Insurance.
From what we’ve gathered, most Granges deal with an agent and agency. If it’s a large agency, you may need to find an agent who is familiar with commercial insurance. The agent will assist with finding a carrier. (Not all agencies are involved in commercial insurance.) Also, note that a carrier may be represented by more than one agency.
Some agencies and carriers that have worked with Granges include:
Cross Insurance Agency in Augusta offers property and liability coverage. Contact Matthew Ellis, Senior Account Manager–207 430-4721, Matthew ellis@crossagency.com.
Norman Assurance Associates in South Thomaston offers liability insurance through Main Street America Insurance Company in Keene, NH.
Contact 207 596-6400, info@atlantic-insurance.com
Strong Insurance Agency in Thomaston may also provide commercial property insurance.
Contact 207 596-6775, markstrong@strongagency.com
Kimball Agency in Guilford
Contact 207 876-9777, Tom Panciera tpanciera@kkorp.com and/or Olivia Schmiedlehner olivia@kkorp.com
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By Walter Boomsma, Communications Director
Scholarship season is fast approaching! As you may know, we have a whole page of Grange Scholarship information in Maine on the website. It’s time to update that information and confirm everything is accurate. The page offers information about state-level scholarships as well as local.
We’ll start by inviting any Granges offering scholarships to submit their information if they haven’t already. Visit the page to see the format. We try to keep things simple. If you have information and an application available as a document, we can host and link to it-a new service we’re offering this year. Thanks to Mill Stream Grange for getting us started!
If your Grange has a scholarship already listed, please check the listing and make sure it’s accurate and current. Send any corrections or updates in an email.
I recently met and talked with some Maine representatives of FFA (Future Farmers of America) about mutual interests. They were very interested in ag-related scholarships for obvious reasons. Let’s get the word out there!
“Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising.”
Mark Twain
The picture doesn’t do it justice! It barely fit in the scanner. It came from fifth-grade students and teachers at Ridgeview Community School in Dexter. The inside was filled with signatures, hearts, and the message, “Thank you for donating warm gear for us to wear outside this winter.”
We love our kids!
And we thank our Blistered Finger Knitters for making it possible to do this in our area schools. Remember, you don’t have to be a Grange Member to help! We’ll even provide the yarn, thanks to the donations we’ve received from our supporters. Contact Mary Annis (564-0820) or Pat Engstrom (564-8290) for more information.
I want to put out a big thank you on behalf of everyone at the ENSO recovery sober living houses. We were without one of the most popular AA meetings in the area. The church that held a very important Saturday night meeting was sold, and the AA community was having trouble finding a place to hold that meeting. All of us here at Enso were pretty bummed when the meeting was closed. We found out this week that the Grange Building in Augusta would be the new spot for Saturday night serenity. It is a wonderful spot and within walking distance. Our first meeting at the Grange was wonderful. I want to thank you all who made this possible by allowing the AA community to use your building. Thank you so very much.
Chris
Do you love the Grange? Can you explain what’s great about being a member? It only takes a minute to click the button and tell the world!
By Walter Boomsma, MSG Communications Director
Our resource pages are officially available! We’d hoped to have an interview available but experienced some complications and didn’t want to wait!
There are still a few items we’re finishing up, but you’ll find plenty you can use. We have sample labels, helpful documents such as press releases and parent letters, emails you can use with teachers, and an easy way to get your customized Words for Thirds Logo.
There’s still time! Ocean View Grange in Port Clyde is planning to visit their third graders next week! Master Larry Bailey and Chaplain Terry Bomba have the distinct honor of handing out the dictionaries and seeing the kids get “wound up.”
We’re working on more resources and ideas. If you need or want something that we haven’t thought of, let me know. I’d love to help your Grange put some dictionaries and all the words in them in the hands of your local third-graders!
Highland Lake Grange No. 87 marked its 150th anniversary this month! To celebrate, eleven members enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Rustlers Steakhouse in Windham. The Grange is planning a public event for its 150th later in 2025. Details will be announced at a later date.
by Walter Boomsma, MSG Communications Director
Our state is in for some bitterly cold temperatures early next week. In some areas, wind chill factors will reach 20 – 30 degrees below zero. Stay safe!
If your Grange plans to open your hall as a warming center, PLEASE let us know. You can use the submit information tab on the website or send me an email. I will get the information posted quickly in a “Facebook Friendly” way that will make it easy for the information to be shared.
At a minimum, include your Grange’s name, location (street address and/or directions), and any details such as the hours open, etc.
Thanks!