Patrons of Husbandry – a website dedicated to the Granges located in Maine
Grange Month Resources are now available on the National Grange Website! In addition to the traditional sample press release, proclamation, etc. there are a number of graphics including customizable posters! These are all free for downloading and use.
Don’t forget to submit your events and news to the Maine State Grange Website!
Submitted by Sharon Morton, MSG Secretary
It becomes my sad duty to inform you of the death of Dorothy H. Shores, on March 4, 2022. The mother of Susanne Verrill, Dorothy was a former Flora of the Maine State Grange and Ceres of the National Grange.
Condolences may be sent to Susanne Verrill and her family at 270 Bailey Hill Road, Poland ME 04274. Memorial donations may be made to the Maine Alzheimer’s Association, 383 US Route One #2C, Scarborough, ME 04074 in Dot’s memory.
Okay, so these are a little different than the ones released by National Grange. As mentioned in her March President’s Perspective, Master/President Sherry has completed an inventory of items currently being stored at MSG Headquarters: seals, charters, and records of Granges that no longer exist. As some will recall, these are available to interested local historical societies. The list is sorted by the original Grange Name and is four pages long! A copy is also being mailed to Subordinate/Community Grange secretaries.
Check the list to see if there are items that might be of interest to historical societies in your area! These items certainly deserve a good home. There is a Historical Society Agreement Form that should accompany any items provided. Both the list and the form will remain available in the Historical Resources Page of the Program Books and Information Page.
“A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.”
Mahatma Gandhi
February 2022 was officially recognized as 211 Month by the Maine Legislature, with the resolution passing in the Senate and House with bipartisan support. Finding help for complex needs like shelter, substance use, mental health, or food access can be hard for many Mainers. Fortunately, there is a Maine-based resource that can help.
In addition to helping Mainers connect to the spectrum of health and human services, 211 continues its involvement in specific initiatives, including Maine’s Opiate Helpline to provide confidential referrals to treatment options, fielding questions about prevention, treatment, and mitigation of browntail moth caterpillars and moths, answering the Maine Problem Gambling Helpline, and co-hosting the first Maine Virtual-
Veterans Experience Action Center (V-VEAC) with Veterans Affairs, Bureau of Veterans’ Services, and other partners.
Specialists are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by texting a Maine zip code to 898-211 or by dialing 211. 211 Maine is a collaborative effort of the United Ways of Maine, the State of Maine, and The Opportunity Alliance as the Contact Center Partner.
Webmaster’s Note: Good information to include in your Family Health and Hearing Report?
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 responses link at the top right and share it!
Grange Heirlooms are snippets from the lessons of the Grange as taught in the Rituals and Declaration of Purposes.
For additional information and resources regarding the Heirloom Program, visit the Heirloom Resource Page on the Maine State Grange Website.
produced by the
Maine State Grange Communications Department
Warning! This is a long video! You may decide to watch it in stages or steps but you will definitely want to watch it. This is a truly amazing program that will end up spanning a five-year period and it’s been over 150 years in the making.
Important additional resources for you:
Check out:
By Clay Collins, MSG Chaplain
207 837-0564
“Being forty days tempted of the devil And in those days he did eat nothing; and when they were ended, He afterward hungered. And the devil said unto Him, ‘if thou be the son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.’ And Jesus answered him, saying, ‘it is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”
Luke 4:2-4
I am here writing this month’s article looking at the snowy field and the snow-covered woodpile beside my house thinking that soon it will be spring, then summer, and I will be out there restacking what wood there is left getting ready for another delivery for next year’s heating season. Thinking of how I can make it easier to store and retrieve when needed.
We all should be looking to the future planning always how to make things easier. I know, this sounds like the beginning of a commercial for retirement planning, but I promise, it isn’t!
Although planning for the future is important, planning for the here and now is just as important! By this, I mean following God’s plan. Like the Bible passage this month states: When Jesus was tempted by the devil to turn the stone into bread, Jesus told him that it is written that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
By following God’s word, we can have faith that the present will be good, we can have hope that our future will be secured in His love, and we will be able to bask in His charity. God only asks for our fidelity to Him and only Him!
I mention every month during these cold winter days and nights that we must not forget our neighbors who might be less fortunate than we are. I continue to ask all of you that are able to please, check on them to see that they are all right. This is one way to show our fidelity to the One that loves us dearly!
By the way, happy St. Patrick’s Day (March 17). On this day, everyone is Irish for the day!
May the sun shine, all day long,
Everything go right, and nothing wrong.
May those you love bring love back to you,
And may all the wishes you wish come true.
Until the next time, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”
DON’T FORGET TO THANK A VETERAN AND ALL FIRST RESPONDERS FOR THEIR SERVICE!!
Benediction: “May the good saints protect you and bless you today, and may troubles ignore you each step of the way. Amen.”
Thought for the month:
God between us and all harm.
An short Irish Blessing
The BioME Scholarship Program offers an opportunity for high school graduates, undergraduate and graduate students in the field of life sciences to realize and accomplish their academic goals. This program is available for Maine residents or students enrolled in Maine academic institutions only.
All four scholarship applications are now OPEN, and we would greatly appreciate your help in sharing this opportunity with your colleagues, friends, and families! Please note that application deadlines for the Academic Scholarship and Summer Internship Award are both in March.
BioME Academic Scholarship ($4,000)
Applications Open: February 1, 2022 – March 25, 2022
BioME Summer Internship Award ($4,000)
For undergraduate and graduate students who are interning at an unpaid or minimally funded internship with a Maine employer. Funding to cover costs associated with internship and additional room and board. Applications Open: February 1, 2022 – March 18, 2022
BioME Seed Grant (up to $5,000)
For undergraduate and graduate students conducting original life sciences research. Funding to cover costs associated with research-related expenses. Applications rolling. Reviewed on a quarterly basis.
BioME Travel/Conference Award (up to $2,000)
For undergraduate and graduate students who have had their research accepted for presentation at a professional life sciences conference. Funding to cover costs associated with attendance. Applications rolling. Reviewed on a quarterly basis. Apply up to 90 days before or after attending the event.
For more information, please visit their website at BioME Scholarship Program: Awards & Grants (biomaine.org)
Please note that the June deadline is only true for certain, specific contests, including the Quilt Blocks, Photography, Publicity Items, and certain contests in the Junior and Youth Departments. Please consult the National Grange website or program guides for other deadlines. We will continue using social media and the Patrons Chain (as well as Good Day! magazine) to list upcoming deadlines.
The Grange Heirloom Program gets underway in March–just in time for Grange Month! Grange Heirlooms are snippets from the lessons of the Grange as taught in the Ritual and Declaration of Purposes. Please share “success stories” about the use of the program with us, or if you come up with other innovative ways to incorporate the Program in your Granges
This roster lists the state officers for every State… it’s available in booklet form (as a pdf) and as a spreadsheet.
Want to see your new members recognized in Good Day Magazine? Anyone who has not been recognized as a new member in the past year can be included. Use this link to share the news. The deadlines for each issue are:
156th National Grange Session is scheduled for November 15-19, 2022 in Sparks, NV
The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) Animal Health Division announced today that it is working closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to respond to the H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza detected in a small flock of non-commercial backyard birds (non-poultry) in Knox County. APHIS announced Sunday that it had confirmed the presence of the virus in Maine. Avian influenza does not present a food safety risk; poultry and eggs are safe to eat when handled and cooked properly. No cases of this particular strain of the avian influenza virus have been detected in humans in the United States. And according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recent detections of this strain of influenza in birds in Maine and several other states present a low risk to the public.
This weekend, animal health officials from DACF worked with a farm in Knox County to control the potential spread of avian influenza. DACF placed the property under quarantine and euthanized affected birds humanely. DACF also implemented additional safety measures, such as monitoring properties with domestic flocks within a 10 km radius of the initial property and notifying bird owners of the importance of proactive safety measures to help prevent disease.
DACF’s animal health officials are also working closely with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC). Though this strain of avian influenza has not been detected in humans in the United States, Maine CDC is monitoring the health and wellbeing of Animal Health staff and flock owners who were exposed out of an abundance of caution. Signs and symptoms of bird flu infections in people can include: fever (temperature of 100ºF or greater) or feeling feverish, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, fatigue, headaches, eye redness (or conjunctivitis), and difficulty breathing. Other possible symptoms are diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. As with seasonal flu, some people are at high risk of getting very sick from bird flu infections, including pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems and people 65 and older. The U.S. CDC provides information on avian flu transmission at this link. The Maine CDC’s Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory is prepared to process samples and quickly provide results for anyone potentially exposed to the virus.
According to the USDA, all bird owners, whether commercial producers or backyard enthusiasts, should:
Resources for backyard and commercial poultry producers: