Tag: Grange Communication

Grange Today! 7-25-2025

The Newsletter of the National Grange

Articles in this edition include:

  • Grange members encouraged to submit nominations as part of America’s 250th
  • Opinion – Farms in Crisis: Fixing the Broken Labor System
  • Be dressed in your best embroidered apparel sale
  • Final Call: Rural Life Initiative Grant applications due on July 31
  • COVID-19 Doesn’t Take a Summer Vacation—But It Can Ruin Yours
  • View from the Hill
  • What’s in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act for Farmers and Ranchers?
  • Have you registered?
  • You could be chosen to help close the business meeting at this year’s National Grange session
  • Support Grange Youth and Juniors with a Custom Cruise Door Hanger!
  • Hamp Watch: Where is our National Grange President this month?
  • Recipes from the Heartland
  • Grange Benefit: StartHearing
  • Grange Store

Click the button below to read and/or subscribe to Grange Today!

Read THE Current Issue
Subscribe to Grange Today!

Note that all recent issues are available on the National Grange Website. To save server space, we only post the table of contents on the MSG Website.

Communication Shorts 7-15-2025

By Walter Boomsma,
MSG Communications Director
207 343-1842

Communication Shorts are brief (short) but important items posted for your information and use. Please send us your ideas and thoughts!

July Bulletin

July Bulletin is available for download and will be mailed soon. Recent issues of the Bulletin can be found on the Program Books and Information Page in the communications section.

Ocean View Grange Featured

For those who haven’t noticed, Ocean View Grange was featured in the Summer 2025 Dictionary Project Newsletter! Congratulations!

Think About This!

“I have never been hurt by what I haven’t said.”

Calvin Cooledge

An Idea for Your Grange

Find someone who knows nothing about your Grange and ask them to research as much as they can about it using local and Online resources. Then have them informally report back.

Subscribe!

Remember, we don’t share your email address with anyone, and you get a weekly summary of what’s been posted. Subscribe here! Share that link with your members!

Online Directories Available 24-7

Thanks to those who help us keep these directories current by letting us know of changes! With the election of officers coming up, don’t forget!

  • The Directory of Granges features all Granges in the state with a contact person. Please make sure your listing is correct! Visitors to the site consult these directories often.
  • The ODD Directory features all state officers, directors, and deputies with contact information.

Communications Column – July 2025

By Walter Boomsma
207 343-1842
Communications Director

Honest Communication

I know a health care provider who has an interesting recording that callers hear when a person doesn’t answer the phone. (That never happens.) The message includes a statement noting that “…we probably won’t call you back.”

That might qualify as brutal honesty. If we ignore the brutality, he gets credit for the honesty.

I suspect many Grangers would be surprised at the number of times I, as communications director, am contacted by frustrated folks who have tried to reach someone in our organization unsuccessfully. Usually, they have left multiple voicemails or sent emails that have gone unanswered. I’m pretty easy to find, and with the title “communications director,” I don’t blame them for thinking I can help.

Sometimes I can help if it’s a question of a general nature. Other times, I can verify whether they are using the correct contact information.

But occasionally, I admit that I can’t force people to reply to emails and return phone calls.

It seems ironic that, with all the communication technology developed over the past several decades, it’s debatable whether actual communication has improved. In the case of the healthcare provider, perhaps it has. He’s using technology to let people know he’s not interested in them.

So consider this. If you are a Granger holding a position of responsibility at any level of the organization, what are your communication priorities? More importantly, how do your priorities impact others and their opinion of our organization?

“A Patron places faith in God, nurtures hope, dispenses charity, is noted for fidelity, returns phone calls, and answers email.”

► FACT: The Communications Department of one has a goal that email and voice mail will be replied to within 24-48 hours.

President’s Perspective – July 2025

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

STATE GRANGE SESSION

Here it is July already, that means three months away from the 2025 State Grange Session, Friday, Oct 17, and Saturday, Oct 18, at the Black Bear Inn, 4 Godfrey Dr., Orono. This year will also be a full State Grange election. The schedule and information have been mailed and posted on the website and will be remailed after August 15.

The Conferral of the 6th Degree will be on Saturday, October 18, at 1:45 p.m. You must have had your Pomona 5th Degree to move up to the State or 6th Degree level. There is a $10.00 one-time per candidate fee.

Due to circumstances beyond MSG’s control, one major change that occurred this week: There will be NO lunches provided by the hotel on Friday at noon or Saturday at noon either; lunches will be on your own. There are plenty of restaurants, fast food, delivery, convenience, and grocery stores close by, or bring your own. 

We will still have the Buffet Banquet on Friday night at 6:00 pm. Tickets are $40 each, reserved and paid in advance. The deadline is October 1, 2025, and must be received by the office; no exceptions will be made. New forms will be mailed in August, or you may use the one we have already mailed, but please note that no lunches are included.

I am very pleased to announce our National Representative at State Session will be Kathy Gibson, Lady Assistant Steward of the National Grange and her husband Glenn Gibson, Past Master/President of the Massachusetts State Grange and past voting delegate of the National Grange, I know you will give them both a very warm welcome.

As we are already in the middle of July, I would like to issue one final reminder: there is less than one month to submit your resolutions to the office by August 15, via standard mail and/or email. Each Resolution is required to have a Title when it is submitted to the office. I cannot give them a title; your Grange must come up with one.  The Title explains what the resolution is about or trying to accomplish.  The Whereas section or sections of the resolution give the WHY reason(s) and give facts about the resolution. The Resolution is the final paragraph that states what you want to happen.  Every Resolution must be read and voted on in your Subordinate or Pomona Grange before submitting it by August 15 to the State for consideration.

Grange Today! 7-11-2025

The Newsletter of the National Grange

Articles in this edition include:

  • Celebrate America’s 250th with a taste of Grange tradition
  •  Opinion: Silence is Not Sustainable – The Grange’s Duty to Act
  • Grange Heirloom for July
  • National Grange president advocates for ‘stronger tomorrow’
  • Grange quilts take flight
  • Rural Life Initiative Grant applications due on July 31
  • Grange Store: People, Pride and Progress
  • Last call to set sail for National Convention!
  • Be dressed in your best – Grange apparel sale
  • Grange Member Benefit: Member Deals

Click the button below to read and/or subscribe to Grange Today!

Read THE Current Issue
Subscribe to Grange Today!

Note that all recent issues are available on the National Grange Website. To save server space, we only post the table of contents on the MSG Website.

Grange Store by Monroe Classic

Grange Logo Apparel ships in 24 to 48 hours when in stock. This includes embroidered and screen-printed caps, jaclets, t-shirts, and more.

Grange Store by Monroe Classic, Inc. wearables

To see all our Grange Items, click on the link below.

Grange Store by Monroe Classic, Inc.

MONROE CLASSIC INC., a licensed supplier of the National Grange
800.868.2330 or 760.231-1020 or email sales@monroeclassic.com

FFA Flash Flood Relief Efforts

Unless you’ve been living under a rock or stranded on a space station, you must be aware of the devastation in Texas. The National FFA Organization recently shared, “Our hearts are with everyone impacted by the devastating flash floods in Texas. The road to recovery will take time, but the FFA community stands ready to support and serve. Together, we can lift up our communities and help them rebuild stronger than ever.”

For specific information regarding the needs and opportunities to help, visit this Texas FFA webpage. There are many ways to support and assist!

Learn more about FFA

Summer Events at Vassalboro Grange

A few updates on July Events from Vassalboro Grange are below, as well as our posters (click the event link) – it helps us A LOT if you print a few posters and put them up around the area.  Lots of our new Coffee on the Porchers come from Winslow, Benton, and Waterville!

Recurring Events:

  • Coffee on the Porch, Tuesdays from 8:30 – 10:00 am
  • Philosophy Table, second Sunday of the month, potluck and discussion 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
  • Zumba, Tuesdays at 7 am, starts July 15, 2025
  • Zumba, Thursdays at 5:30 pm, starts July 17, 2025

Scheduled Events:

Vassalboro Grange is located at 353 Main Street in Vassalboro, Maine

https://www.facebook.com/VassalboroGrange

Instagram photos and videos

National Grange Apparel Sale

National Grange Apparel Sale

The National Grange is launching a limited-time apparel sale through CustomInk. We have chosen “business apparel” – as requested – in a few different styles.

Button-down shirts in both long-sleeve and short-sleeve, in men’s and women’s cuts, and a polo shirt (also in men’s and women’s cuts). Each will have the Grange emblem embroidered in the pocket area. (Actual placement may be slightly different than pictured). This sale is only available in adult sizes. (Sorry!)

Access the apparel sale at https://grange.biz/apparel or http://customink.com/fundraising/ng-apparel . 

Fraud Watch- Travel Scams

MSG Communications Resources Logo
Reprinted with permission from AARP’s Fraud Watch Network.

Travel scams are heating up just in time for summer, from bogus deals to fake booking sites and other schemes. Here is how to spot some of the most popular vacation scams.

Scammers often create fake vacation rental listings, then pressure you to pay upfront through wire transfers, gift cards, or other hard-to-trace methods. If a host asks you to pay outside the platform, it’s a scam.

Be skeptical of steeply discounted offers and use a credit card for stronger fraud protection. If something feels off, take the time to verify before making any payments. Also, learn about any new-to-you travel site before booking by searching the company’s name along with the word “scam” or “complaint” or “review” to read about other people’s experiences.

Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.

More Topic Resources

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.

AARP Fraud Watch Network

Need a scam prevention speaker for your group? Click the link to fill out the AARP online form or email me@aarp.org.