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Tag: Grange News
Fairview Grange Success!
Fourteen new members were welcomed to the fold
Fairview Grange in Smithfield recently held a wildly successful open meeting with 42 townspeople attending. Master/president Rick Watson said it was exciting to see that the Grange is important to the community adding, “We discussed expectations, wants and needs along with how the Grange can serve as a community or event center and the collaborative relationship with The North Pond Association. These three groups with different needs can work together to benefit the community.”
Twelve people joined the Grange immediately following the meeting and two more have since decided to join!
Rick also expressed thanks to all who attended, helped set up, or tore down, and especially to those who joined. In addition, he gave a shout-out to Kings Restaurant up the street for sending some desserts and a thank you to the Grange ladies who baked. “You’ll never go home hungry from a Grange meeting,” he pledged.
Those who attended the meeting completed questionnaires asking for input regarding ideas for Grange events and programs and an inventory of the types of activities people would be willing to help with!
Fairview Grange meets next on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at 6:30 pm. Visit the Fairview Grange Facebook Page for more information! Fairview Grange is located at 826 Village Road in Smithfield Maine.
St George Grange Community Suppers
Come enjoy a variety of homemade food, freshly baked bread, biscuits, desserts, coffee, and cold drinks with neighbors, friends, and family.
Adults $10.00 Children $5.00 (Under 10 yrs. Free)
Cooked food donations for our suppers welcome (Casseroles, salads, desserts, etc.)
Our first supper is May 11, 2024, at 5 pm. We will be having monthly suppers now through October 2024.
Parkman Grange to Award Scholarships
Wanted: Applicants for the 2024 Minnie Welts Bridge Memorial Scholarship. All SAD 4 Residents are eligible!
The Parkman Grange is announcing plans to award 2024 Minnie Welts Bridge Memorial Scholarships to one or more deserving SAD 4 graduates continuing their education beyond high school. The Grange awarded $500 scholarships in 2023 to Matthew Chadbourne, Sangerville, a Social Work major at the University of Southern Maine; Mercy Harper, Sangerville, a Criminal Justice major at Husson University; MacKenzie Kain, Parkman, an Early Childhood Education major at Kennebec Valley Community College; and, Merrilee Levensailor, Guilford, an Accounting major at the University of Maine Augusta.
This is a call for qualified applicants for the 2024 Minnie Welts Bridge Memorial Scholarships. Applicants must be SAD 4 residents, must have successfully completed at least one term of post-high school education, and be enrolled for the upcoming term. Application packages may be picked up at the Parkman Town Office or from the bulletin board on the porch of the Grange Hall. Completed applications must be submitted to the Parkman Town Office or, if mailed, postmarked by July 12, 2024, with no exceptions. Winners will be announced in August.
Minnie Bridge (1909-2011) was a lifelong resident of Parkman, a retired schoolteacher, and a life member of the Parkman Grange. In her memory, the Grange established the Minnie Welts Bridge Memorial Scholarship Fund. From this Fund, the Grange annually awards one or more $500 scholarships. To date, the Grange has awarded $15,000 in scholarships. For more information, contact Sue Manchester at (207) 717-6248.
Another Scam Alert!
I’m still working on this one… an email came through the website containing the following:
I am having my party in May, I want it to be held at your venue, with 50 guests invited. I’m flexible with the date. Before we proceed with our request, please
answer the following question below;
- Do you accept credit cards or check payment?
- Can you work with our official band performing for the event regarding payment to them?
Those with a dose of caution will immediately note several red flags:
- No venue is given–where do they intend to have it?
- No information is offered about the host or the nature of the party.
- The only questions are regarding payment. No questions regarding the facilities?
- While I didn’t include it, the end of the email suggested urgency due to the fast-approaching date.
Mostly out of curiosity, I replied to the email requesting more information, noting that the Grange does not assume financial responsibility for providers at events. I’ll be surprised if I hear from “Kirk” again.
I’ve shared this to alert Granges who are renting their halls to be cautious when making financial arrangements. Doing your diligence is the mark of a good steward!
Androscoggin Degree Day
The degree day was held as a special meeting of Androscoggin Pomona at the State Grange headquarters in Augusta. There were 27 candidates from the following Granges: Danville 1, Excelsior 1, Mill Stream 1, Farmington 1, Androscoggin 8, Cambridge Valley 1, St. George 2, Victor 2, and Merriconeag 10. There were 66 present.
Highland Happenings!
Highland Lake Grange Is Having a Busy Spring
Highland Lake Grange is donating supplies, can tabs and food to Ronald McDonald House in Portland today. Items were donated by Grange members and by the Grange itself.
Also this week, the Grange received a Citizens Award from the Westbrook Police Department for its work raising funds for the Westbrook K9 department in 2023.
Next up is a donation of personal care items for Windham Food Panty.
Freeport Grange Collects Glasses
If you are wondering what to do with your eclipse glasses, we are collecting them for Astronomers Without Borders! Come drop off glasses any time, putting them in our mail slot if you have a couple, or leaving them outside in a bag. We will also have a collection box very soon. You can also drop them off Sunday, the 21st, at our 150th Celebration, 1-4!
Haraseeket Grange #9 is located at 13 Elm Street in Freeport Maine.
And if you do not live near us, check the Astronomers without Borders website for locations.
Granges currently collecting glasses:
- Haraseeket Grange #9, Freeport, Maine
- Valley Grange #144, Guilford, Maine
Community Service/FHH – April 2024
By Brenda Dyer, MSG Community Service/FHH Director
(207) 608-9193
The unplanned community service activities are bountiful. Helping the community during the last few storms and power outages are endless. Congratulations!!!
April is Grange Month. Have an open meeting, invite the community to participate, and discuss the advantages of being a member!
May is Community Service Month. Choose a new community project.
April
- Grange Month – Follow the National Grange theme. Picture and advertisement needed as proof.
May
- Set up and complete a new project in May. Send in a write-up and pictures with the Family, Health, and Hearing Reports.
Reminder:
- Coups for Troops
Happy Spring!
Valley Grange Celebrates Community
Ways to support the celebration…
This is not a fundraiser—it’s a fun raiser! The purpose is to celebrate our communities and way of life. We’ll also honor some special community citizens—the Piscataquis County 911 Dispatchers! Here are some ways you can help support this fundraiser.
- Attend the potluck supper, meeting, or both!
- Bring people with you to the potluck supper, meeting, or both. Create a carpool!
- If you truly can’t attend, drop off a dish for the potluck supper. We can also use rolls, butter, drinks…
- Call some friends and tell them about it. Encourage them to come.
- Download and print some flyers then post them around your community–stores, banks, town offices, hair salons…
- Visit the Valley Grange Facebook Page and share the event.
- Tell your local fire firefighters, EMS, LEOs, etc. about it. They appreciate our dispatchers too!
- Invite any local, county, state, and federal politicians you can think of! They usually love things like this! If they can’t attend, ask them to endorse and promote the event!
- Write a letter to the editor of local publications sharing your appreciation for our dispatchers and mention Community Night.
- Think spring and hope for great weather.
- If you have any questions or ideas regarding the event, contact Walter Boomsma, Program Director.
- If you’d like to help with the potluck supper and have questions, contact Mary Annis or Janice Boomsma.
In a recent blog post, Seth Godin noted that ideas that spread win and because of technology and the changes in media, ideas that spread “horizontally” spread the fastest and farthest. Yelling from the rooftops doesn’t work so well. Telling a neighbor or friend does.
