Tag: Grange Procedure

The Patrons Chain 2-2-2024


Articles in this edition include:

  • The Presidential Perspective
  • Fellowship First Friday
  • Meet the National Grange Community Service Team
  • Grange Heirloom for February
  • Have you joined The Birthday Club?
  • Grant money still available for raising awareness about ACP
  • Grange Foundation’s Ernestine Keiser Memorial Scholarship
  • Last Chance: Register for National Grange/Rural Minds introduction to “Rural Mental Health Resilience” program
  • Rural Minds Receives National Advocacy Award
  • Register for the Virtual Legislative Fly-In
  • Making Mountaintop Removal Renewable
  • Grange Strong Fundraiser
  • Grange Supply Store: Seven-Sided Patch
  • Grange Member Benefit: Start Hearing

Click the button below to read and/or subscribe to the Patrons Chain!

Read THE Current Issue
Subscribe to Patrons Chain

Note that all recent issues are available on the National Grange Website. Occasionally, a weekly issue isn’t sent, so the fact that one hasn’t been posted on the MSG website doesn’t necessarily mean we skipped it! You can double-check using the link (Read the Current Issue) above. Effective 2024, we will only maintain one year of issues on the MSG website.

Communication Shorts 02-01-2024

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!

February Bulletin Coming Soon!

The deadline for the February Bulletin is Valentine’s Day! Remember, the past few Bulletins are available for downloading and printing on the Program Books and Information Page. We also do occasionally accept “guest posts” on topics of interest to Grangers. See the guidelines!

National Grange Email Addresses

Please note there is no “general” email address for National Grange–you’ll need to decide who to address your concerns and questions to! There is a Directory of National Officers and a Directory of Paid Staff on the National Grange Website.

Don’t Forget This!

Do you have news to share about your Grange? A summary of a past event? Advertising of a future event? These are exciting and fun ways to attract new members. Submit the details for a website post and event calendar listing! This is not difficult, and you get lots of free publicity!

USDA Assistance for Severe Weather

If your farm suffers losses in this severe winter weather, you might qualify for USDA’s disaster assistance programs. Also, a reminder: if you have crop insurance, contact your agency within 72 hours if you suffer losses in this severe winter weather. (Compliments of UMaine Extension)

Online Directory of Granges

Yay! The online directory of Granges is updated! This round of updates was based on the most recent Roster. The contact person and information may be the master or the secretary. (It’s a long story.) Please check your Grange’s listing and email the webmaster if anything needs to be changed!

Ideas for Granges

Just because you’ve closed your hall for the winter, you don’t have to close your Grange! You can meet virtually, at someone’s home, or at a restaurant. It’s a great time of the year to “think spring” and plan some activities and events when the weather improves! Grange Month is two months away!

Thought for You…

The man who moves a mountain begins by moving small stones.

Confucius

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 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

The Patrons Chain 1-19-2024


Articles in this edition include:

  • Find the fun as a leader
  • What makes you… you?
  • Grant money still available for raising awareness about ACP
  • Grange Foundation’s Ernestine Keiser Memorial Scholarship
  • Left Hand Grange Rings in the New Year
  • Register for National Grange/Rural Minds introduction to “Rural Mental Health Resilience” program
  • Register for the Virtual Legislative Fly-In
  • Successful kick-off to Fellowship First Friday includes soup-er recipe swap
  • Nearly 21 Million Children Expected to Receive New Grocery Benefit This Summer
  • Grange Supply Store: People, Pride & Progress book package
  • Grange Member Benefit: Nationwide Pet Insurance

Click the button below to read and/or subscribe to the Patrons Chain!

Read THE Current Issue
Subscribe to Patrons Chain

Note that all recent issues are available on the National Grange Website. Occasionally, a weekly issue isn’t sent, so the fact that one hasn’t been posted on the MSG website doesn’t necessarily mean we skipped it! You can double-check using the link (Read the Current Issue) above. Effective 2024, we will only maintain one year of issues on the MSG website.

Communication Shorts 01-15-2024

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!

January Bulletin Available!

The January Bulletin is complete and available for downloading and printing on the Program Books and Information Page.

Trenton Grange has a great new website!

In case you missed it in the links, you may want to check out the Trenton Grange Website–it’s awesome!

Don’t Forget!

Don’t forget to submit the details for a website post and event calendar listing! This is not difficult, and you get lots of free publicity!

National Grange Roster Available

The 2024 National Grange Roster is now available for download. It lists all National and State Grange Officers with contact information.

Ideas for Granges

Swap or trade programs are becoming increasingly popular. I’ve recently seen events for musicians, readers (books), cooks (recipes), and even spices! Bringing people together with a purpose sounds like a great cabin-fever reliever!

Thought for You…

“A year from now, you may wish you had started today.”

Karen Lamb

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

Communications Column – January 2024

Looking forward… communicating forward

By Walter Boomsma
207 343-1842
Communications Director

So here we are, several weeks into a new year. I’m always a bit overwhelmed by the changes required when that happens. But it’s also an opportunity to look forward and think about what the new year might bring. In terms of the Maine State Grange Website, this will be an informal “State of the Site” Report.

Have you noticed? All posts and pages now have an “estimated reading time” at the top. It’s a bit of an experiment with the goal of making the site more useful. The idea is to give users some idea of how long it might take to review the post or page. It’s based on “average” reading speeds, and your mileage may vary, but we’d love to know what you think of this feature.

What you aren’t seeing is some continuing “under the hood” changes. The emphasis of these changes is to increase security and improve the speed of the site. Hopefully, you’ll notice! For one thing, we are having very little “downtime” of the site–it remains available, active, and dependable.

We recently completed an audit of Pomona and Subordinate Grange Links. For those Granges who maintain their own websites or Facebook Pages, this is designed to drive traffic to you! However, we do not want to send people to a closed business–or one that has the appearance of being closed. If nothing has been posted or updated in the past year, the link is removed. As a result of the audit, we are losing at least two Facebook Pages. I do try to contact someone from the Grange involved before removing the links. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please let me know.

By the way, we recently added links to Trenton Grange’s Website and Facebook Page. Both are excellent examples of local promotion of an active, relevant Grange! Check them out!

In a similar vein, we’ve been updating the online directory of Granges with the latest Roster Information. This is an important aspect of the site–it’s how people with an interest in the Grange find someone to contact. Currently, one contact is listed with a phone number and email address (if we have them). Under consideration for this year is the possibility of adding a second contact for each Grange. It’s more to maintain, but it doubles the chance that people can reach a Grange when they are interested!

There’s lots more going on and under consideration. Thanks to those who consistently support the site by submitting events and news. As we continue to search for ways to make the site more attractive and useful, your ideas and feedback are critical! We have limited resources but literally thousands of potential reporters and contributors. Please submit information about what’s going on in your Grange! Consider writing a short article or post about something of interest to Grangers. (We’ll be saying more about this in the future.) Tell us why you love the Grange.

What have you got for us?

► FACT: It won’t be a surprise that in 2023, October was the site’s busiest month. It might be a surprise that August was second with over 2,000 views!

Subscribe to The Maine State Grange Website!

The Patrons Chain 1-12-2024


Articles in this edition include:

  • Embrace challenges with a growth mindset 
  • What’s your communication style?
  • Advocacy Playbook: High-Speed Internet for ALL
  • Grange Foundation’s Ernestine Keiser Memorial Scholarship
  • Register for National Grange/Rural Minds introduction to the “Rural Mental Health Resilience” program
  • Junior Jibber-Jabber
  • Register for the Virtual Legislative Fly-In
  • Grange Member Benefit: Lenovo
  • Grange Supply Store: Grange Songbook Package

Click the button below to read and/or subscribe to the Patrons Chain!

Read THE Current Issue
Subscribe to Patrons Chain

Note that all recent issues are available on the National Grange Website. Occasionally, a weekly issue isn’t sent, so the fact that one hasn’t been posted on the MSG website doesn’t necessarily mean we skipped it! You can double-check using the link (Read the Current Issue) above.

President’s Perspective – January 2024

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

The following 36 Granges have provided their updated membership list to us; thank you very much!  Ammadamast, Arbutus, Bangor, Bauneg Beg, Chelsea, Community, Dirigo, Fairview, Golden Harvest, Hudson, Jonesboro, Knox Station, Lakeside, Maple Grove, Merriconeag, Mt. Etna, Mystic Valley, North Jay, North Scarboro, Oak Hill, Ocean View, Old Town Riverside, Parkman, Perry, Pleasant River, Saco, Seaside, South Sangerville, St. George, Topsham, Tranquility, Valley, Wayside, White Rock, Willow and Winthrop. Where are the rest of you?

There are several Organizations in the State that give out Grants for a variety of reasons to deserving requests, including for building repairs and upgrades. Grant funds or donations may be made by check through the Maine Grange Foundation, Inc., on behalf of a Subordinate (Community), Pomona (County), or State Grange. When a Grange is applying for a Grant for funds, regardless of the group or individual you are applying to, the applying Grange must fill in your portion of the application request as best you can. Provide your Grange Name and Number, your contact info, and as much detailed information as possible as requested on the application. Be sure to include your contact person, your board members, your EIN number, and your signatures, and be observant of any special requirements, deadlines, or submission dates on the application.  Contact the provider directly if you have questions.

The State Grange Secretary will provide the applying Grange with the needed documents and information requested (to the best of our knowledge) on the application needed to move the request forward. After the Maine Grange Foundation, Inc. portion of the grant application is completed, it will be sent or emailed back to the applying Grange to complete, and you must submit it to the funding/grant group or individual. 

The grant/donation check will be deposited and held until it clears in the Maine Grange Foundation, Inc. account, noting the Grange Name and Number it belongs to and the amount. A receipt and tax deductible form from the Maine Grange Foundation, Inc. will be returned to the contributor; please provide their information and address.  After the donation or grant check clears, the donation will be withdrawn by bank check (the only persons allowed to access the Foundation account are designated officers and legal signers) and sent to the Secretary of the appropriate Grange. If multiple donations are made, they may be held in the account and sent as one large sum, or each one sent to the Grange. Please let us know your preference in writing. 

Have a very safe and uneventful winter, everyone.  Remember your neighbors who may need a hand.

The Patrons Chain 1-05-2024


Articles in this edition include:

  • You’re part of the team! Let’s row together 
  • Don’t resolve to get more members in 2024
  • Grange Heirloom for January
  • Fellowship First Friday
  • Distinguished Grange applications are available
  • Grange Spotlight: Burns Grange donates 20,000th Dictionary
  • 4 Tips to Mind Your Mental Health in 2024
  • Grange Member Benefit: Lenovo
  • Grange Supply Store: Orientation Kit 

Click the button below to read and/or subscribe to the Patrons Chain!

Read THE Current Issue
Subscribe to Patrons Chain

Note that all recent issues are available on the National Grange Website. Occasionally, a weekly issue isn’t sent, so the fact that one hasn’t been posted on the MSG website doesn’t mean we skipped it! You can double-check using the link (Read the Current Issue) above.

Communication Shorts 12-30-2023

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!

January Bulletin Reminder

Articles and columns for the January printed Bulletin are due before January 15th. Remember, you can always find recent issues of the Bulletin on the Program Books and Information Page.

Welcome to the New Year!

Yes, we’ll have trouble remembering to write “2024” for a while. Technology may help, but we’ll still want to pay attention to our dates!

Don’t Forget!

Don’t forget to submit the details for a website post and event calendar listing! This is not difficult and you get lots of free publicity!

83rd Annual Maine Agricultural Trades Show Gears Up

Visit the show at the Augusta Civic Center. This year’s show is set to elevate learning, planning, and networking to unprecedented levels. Visit https://www.maine.gov/dacf/agtradesshow for show news, schedules, participant directory, and venue map. Doors open daily at 9 a.m., with no entry fee.

Ideas for Granges

Swap or trade programs are becoming increasingly popular. I’ve recently seen events for musicians, readers (books), cooks (recipes), and even spices! Bringing people together with a purpose sounds like a great cabin-fever reliever!

Thought for You…

“Just when the caterpillar thought her life was over, she became a butterfly.”

Unknown

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 12-15-2023

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!

December Bulletin Reminder

The December Bulletin is finished! Remember, you can always find recent issues of the Bulletin on the Program Books and Information Page.

Is It Suspicion or Caution?

Just a reminder to be cautious and suspicious of emails and phone calls you receive.

Don’t Forget!

Don’t forget to submit the details for a website post and event calendar listing!

National Grange Contest Guide is Available

The National Grange Contest Guide is available for download. Before printing, note that it is over 100 pages long!

ODD (Officers, Deputies, Directors)

We believe all updates are completed! The correct information is listed in the online directory, the print directory (a copy will be mailed with the Bulletin), on the Bulletin, and on the Program Books and Information Page! Please let us know if you encounter any errors!

Ideas for Granges

Could your Grange host a librarian from your local library? The librarian could bring some of the latest releases as well as other media resources.

Thought for You…

“You know how I always dread the whole year? Well this time I’m only going to dread one day at a time.”

Charlie Brown

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