Tag: Grange Activities

Membership Moments – November 2023

By Rick Grotton,
Membership Committee Director
207 582-5915

It was great seeing many of my Grange family at the State Session. I always look to meet new delegates at the State Session. If you have never been to the State Grange Session, then you have missed a wonderful opportunity to mingle with others across this great State of Maine. You do not have to be a Sixth Degree member to attend. Hopefully, we will see you there next year.

The State Membership Committee wishes to expand, so we will need your help. If anyone is interested, please contact me. Or, if you just want to be an informer, that would be fine. Don’t run away until I explain. Membership needs more attention everywhere. I am looking for people who will spread information to others at their Community and Pomona Grange meetings.  The rules are simple.

First, the primary duty would be to read my columns at your meetings. Each month, a different topic will be mentioned for you to share. That way, everyone will pick up some ideas and hopefully offer their own suggestions. Educating and communicating is the key. The columns can be found on the Maine State Grange website or with your secretary, who will have a copy of the bulletin.

Second, encourage membership in your Grange.

Third, you are not required to attend meetings, conferences, or events. No travel other than attending your meetings is required. No reports need to be written. All that will be asked of you will be to share the methods of gaining and maintaining membership as provided by the columns.

Easy, yes! Do it for the Good of the Order. Do it for your Grange. Make a game out of the request. Challenge your members to see who can bring in the most members during a time period. Everyone has a competitive streak, so keep score and award the winner at the end of the period.  Encourage your Lecturer to have a Membership program. If you really want to get involved more, then form a Membership committee at your Grange and compete with other Granges in your Pomona.

So please join me in bringing new membership to life. Remember, it only takes a spark. My contact information is included when the column is put on the website. I am hoping you hear for you to help bring our Grange membership swinging in an upward direction. I cannot do it myself; we need each and every one of us to work together. After all, we are family!!!

Off to National Grange in Niagara Falls next week. Any membership info I can find from the National Director will be passed on in future columns. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Junior Report – November 2023

By Betty Young
Terry LaCombe
MSG Junior Co-Directors

We are excited to share current Junior Director news with all. Terry LaCombe will be added as the Co Junior Director for the 2023/24 Grange Year. Marilyn Stinson has agreed to stay on our committee but is very active with her local Grange. We have parents who will continue as members and two longtime
members of Grange who will help when they can. Co-Director Betty Young and Terry are inviting Grange Members (who must be willing and able to pass a background check) who would like to work with our children. Please let us know. Junior Grangers live around Maine and may be unable to attend all meetings, and we are willing to visit you and your Grange. This is an excellent opportunity for grandparents to give parents a break or for parents to join other parents. Your “Plus One” Junior Grangers deserve a day at your
Grange that is just for them. Let us know if you are interested in joining us. A reminder that Junior Grangers(Plus Ones) are also invited to participate in many State and National Grange Contests.

If you haven’t received your Junior Grange Program Book by January 1st and you have Plus One Grangers, PLEASE contact Terry at terryllacombe@gmail.com or call/ text me at 207 356 2492. Betty can be reached but does not “hang out” with her phone or iPad, although she appears to be using them more.

We look forward to “Growing Junior Grange” this year and preserving Grange for years to come. Do your part as “Many hands make light work,“ apparently. Youth will find time to help with a specific task if you ask, and it doesn’t take all day, so engage your youth family as well. Please do what you can and let us know if we can help in any way.

Our next meeting is December 16th in Danville at 11 am and is a Christmas Craft. Call or email for more information or to share your Junior’s Holiday Craft if you cannot attend.

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Community Service/FHH – November 2023

By Brenda Dyer, MSG Community Service/FHH Director
(207) 608-9193

I am excited to be the Community Service Director. My name is Brenda Dyer. I have been in Grange since I was a Junior Granger. I have been involved at all levels and presently serving as Master of Saco Grange #53, Lecturer of York Pomona #14, and Community Service Director at Maine State Grange. With the participation of Granges, members, and the community, we can help our communities in many ways.  

Congratulations to the winners of the Community Service Notebook

  1. Highland Lake Grange #87
  2. Maple Grove Grange #148
  3. Jonesboro Grange #357
  4. Valley Grange #144 and Saco Grange #53 (tied)

Congratulations to the Family, Health & Hearing winner–Highland Lake Grange #87

November and December are great community service months. Election Day – driving voters to the polls and or to the town hall to absentee vote, helping candidates to pick up signs after election day; Veterans Day – honor the veterans in the community, veterans’ luncheon, thank veterans for their service; Thanksgiving – spend time with family, friends, and neighbors; make a list of things to be thankful for and share it with others. The possibilities are endless. 

Family Health and Hearing Contest

  • November 2, National Men Make Dinner Day
  • November 4, National Candy Day
  • November 19, International Men’s Health Da.

November is also Diabetes Awareness Month. What is your A1C?

December is a Grange Holiday Season – display what it is to be in Grange not only during the holidays but all year round.

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas

CWA Report – November 2023

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

Committee on Women’s Activities

It was nice to see many of you at State Grange.

 I got the entries back from the “Big E” a few days before State Grange so I was able to get everything back to the people who entered them. We had several winners. They were Class B Doilies 3rd place Nancy Gowen; Class C Embroidery 1st Gail Butterfield; Class F Counted Cross Stitch 3rd Sharon Morton; Class G Adult Garment 3rd Laurie McBurnie; Class I Quilted Wall Hanging 2nd Kathy Gowen; Class J Stuffed Toy 2nd Karen McCarrick; Class K Baby Afghan 3rd Ellie Collins; Best in Show Gail Butterfield. That is awesome!!

So proud of everyone who participates in these contests. You all do amazing work!

The other highlight of the State Session was to present $3,161.50 to Brother Richard Harriman from donations to House in the Woods. There was also $2,790.50 raised for Home for Little Wanderers, and my car was full of hats, mittens, and toys for them. Amanda was very pleased to accept these donations—many thanks to all of the Granges that donated to these charities.

I hope that everyone will have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Celebrate Veterans’ Day 11-11-2023

The artwork is by Larry Bailey, Master of the St George Grange. The Grange invites all to celebrate our Veterans by joining the St George Odd Fellows on Saturday, November 11, 2023, from 5 pm until sold out. This will be a sit-down Bean Supper at the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Saint George Lodge #132, 7 Elementary School Road, Tenants Harbor, Maine 04860. Takeout will be available. Veterans eat free! Others by donation.

President’s Perspective – November 2023

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

Deputy School will be held on Saturday, December 2, 2023, from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm. Instruction for Ritualistic Floor Work at State Grange HQ, 146 State St., Augusta. (weather permitting) Call Sherry’s cell if there is any question.

We will cover:

  • Opening & Closing (Opening the Bible, Presenting the Flag, Introducing Honored Guests, and Draping the Charter)
  • How to properly make the Salutation
  • Review the report form
  • Go over Officer, Deputy, and Director duties

 Once again, I am offering to hold instruction meetings around the State starting in the spring, please invite me to your area or Grange, I would prefer a Saturday meeting during the day but could accommodate an evening if requested.  Everyone is invited to attend.

State Grange was a wonderful success once again. Election of Officers was held, thank you for your confidence in re-electing me to Master/President. Other officers elected: Mike Griffin, Overseer; Missy Baldwin, Lecturer; Ben Edgerly, Steward; Rick Grotton, AS; Roberta Meserve, LAS; Christine Hebert, Chaplain; Laurie McBurnie, Treasurer; Sharon Morton, Secretary; Pete Ivers, GK; Betty Huff, Ceres; Kathy Gown, Pomona; Debbie Ivers, Flora and Jim Meserve, EC. Thank you to the tellers for helping with election and the Master’s Address committee.

A sincere thank you to our retiring officers Margaret Morse, Lecturer; Steven Haycock, Steward; Clay Collins, Chaplain; and Vicki Huff, Treasurer; we appreciate your dedication to the Grange and wish each of you much success.

Thank you to the 69 Delegates and 30+ Members who attended. A lot of awards & certificates were presented, the Juniors participated, a heartfelt Memorial Service was held, our National Grange Rep Cindy Greer gave us some inspirational words of wisdom, and a wonderful banquet and luncheon was enjoyed. Welcome to our nine new State Grange members who received the 6th degree. I would like to hear from you what you thought of the schedule. I like the facilities and most likely will return there again. There is a lot less work to do to set up for the meeting, degree, and sales room, plus you can’t beat the price, it is excellent. I am open to other options.

A BIG thank-you to ALL who stepped up to fill in or help out in any way, it was once again a great show of teamwork and helped make a very successful session. Officers, Deputies, Department Directors, and Committees, thank you for your continued work during the past years. Several of our Deputies, Directors, and Committee members have changed and I am looking forward to working together with each of you. I have included the list here.*

The new roster will be sent to the printer at the end of next week. I have heard from about 2/3 of the Granges.

You may download the new program books and annual reports from the web under “Program Books and Information,” or if you want a printed copy, email the office or me and we will send them to you. You may request all or just select ones. Agriculture, Community Service & Family, Health and Hearing, Communications/Web, CWA, Junior and Lecturers. Agricultural Scholarship, Educational Aid & Howes Nurses Scholarship requirements and applications can also be found on the website or requested from the office.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Hug your family and friends. Help someone today.

*Note: The Communications Department is developing a one-page ODD directory based on this information. A copy will be mailed with the Bulletin. A copy will also be available for download and printing from the MSG Website.

Communication Shorts 11-1-2023

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!

November Bulletin Reminder

Columns and Posts for the November Bulletin are due on or before November 14, 2023. Remember, you can always find recent issues of the Bulletin on the Program Books and Information Page.

Planning a Holiday Event?

Are you planning a holiday event such as a Craft Fair or Party? Don’t forget to submit the details for a website post and event calendar listing!

Honored Members

According to the most recent issue of Good Day! Magazine, we have three members who recently reached 75 years of continuous membship:

  • Nancy Gowen, Highland Lake #87
  • Shirley Hatch, Danville Junction #65
  • Donald Proctor, Danville Junction #65

And two members who recently reached 50 years of continuous membership:

  • Sally Jo Kinney, St George #421
  • Elizabeth Vanidestine, Bangor #372

Honoring New Members

You may submit the names of new members so they can be recognized in Good Day! by emailing Philip Vonado or by calling (814) 404-7985.

Ideas for Granges

Here’s a link to a short Seth Godin Post. Lecturers may find it particularly useful–it’s a short activity that demonstrates “We get much further together!”

Thought for You…

“Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence.”

Erma Bombeck

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

Communication Shorts 10-15-2023

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!

October Bulletin Reminder

The October Bulletin is complete and available for downloading and printing. However, with the State Convention happening this week, there may be some delay with the actual mailing. Remember, you can always find recent issues of the Bulletin on the Program Books and Information Page.

Planning a Holiday Event?

Are you planning a holiday event such as a Craft Fair or Party? Don’t forget to submit the details for a website post and event calendar listing!

Need an Absentee Ballot?

You can request a Maine Absentee Ballot online. Election Day is November 7, 2023.

Ideas for Granges

Rory Feek of Plain Values Magazine recently wrote an article on gardening and included a photo of his daughter’s “rolling garden.” It’s a child-sized “box” on wheels with child-sized “tools” kept on a port or deck. What a great idea! A Grange could make some as a fundraiser… provide a version for senior citizens… put your thinking caps on!

Thought for You…

Between what I think, what I want to say, what I believe I say, what I say, what you want to hear, what you believe to hear, what you hear, what you want to understand, what you think you understand, what you understand…They are ten possibilities that we might have some problem communicating. But let’s try anyway…

Bernard Werber

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

Junior Report – October 2023

By Betty Young
MSG Junior Director

Some of the Junior Grangers will be attending the State Session and will be presenting a short program on reducing, reusing, and recycling, concluding with a song. We are slowly adding new members. Remember, the State Junior Grange is open to any child or grandchild of a subordinate member. Currently, we only have one Junior Grange for the state, so I try to plan meetings in central locations with a few farther North and some farther South. Wouldn’t it be great to have enough to have a northern and a southern Junior Grange?

.

Membership Moments – October 2023

By Rick Grotton,
Membership Committee Director
207 582-5915

Brothers and Sisters, for many months now, this column has been giving to you ways to approach gaining new members. Hopefully, this advice has worked well with your Grange.  Just remember the following:

There is no “I” in Grange or in team. No one should be a dictator or make rules based on their own ideas. This causes animosity and disrespect. Everyone has a duty, and all members are important no matter the office held. WE are the Grange, and our ideas need to be heard and discussed. Otherwise, we will be losing more Granges.

Be active. Plan events and help your community. Let people know you are alive and well.

Let the committees do their work. If you are the Master/President of your Grange, please do not give committees an agenda. Let them come up with ideas to present at meetings. The Master/President is a facilitator, not the ruler. This applies to all levels of the Grange. Do not overstep your authority. “My way or the highway” is absolutely unacceptable and should be avoided. Anyone who rules this way does not have the interest of the Grange in mind. Let all members become involved. Not all of us are leaders and those who do lead need to do it for the  Good of the Order (GOTO), not because they say so.

We need to develop new leaders and inform them of the rituals and traditions of the Grange.

Stay positive. Keep doing your good works.

Help one another. Teach your new members and welcome them. Answer their questions.

Visit other Granges and work with them. The days of visitation and mentoring have faded and need to be revived. Share with other members your successes, and if a Grange is struggling, it is the duty of the Pomona to help them. It seems like Granges are “doing their own thing” and do not visit or attend State Grange. We need every one of you to keep us alive.

Resolutions are an important part of the Grange procedure. Instruct members on how important it is to come up with resolutions and how to write them. Confer with your Deputy on instructions for floor work and other procedures. It is their duty to help you.

Major changes are happening to us, and we need to keep up and change too. We are severely lacking youth and younger members. Focus on bringing them in as members.

Remember, each and every member is vital to our Grange growth, and membership should be your major priority. Bring ’em in, feed ’em, teach ’em, and enjoy your meetings. It is what a good Grange member is expected to do.