Tag: Grange Communication

Communication Shorts 11-16-2024

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!

November Bulletin Available

The November Bulletin is now available. Recent issues of the Bulletin can be found on the Program Books and Information Page.

Printable ODD Directory Available

ODD Directory provides a printable list of state officers, directors, and deputies with basic contact information. It can also be found on the Program Books and Information Page.

Missing “stuff?”

As we purge older posts and clean things up, you may occasionally encounter missing photos and broken links. Remember, we only maintain two years of posts both to save space and avoid confusion. If what’s missing seems important, please let us know! Mistakes happen.

Recent Uploads to the Website

We continue to add new information to the site! The Program Books and Information Page now features the MSG Bylaws as Revised at State Session and the words to Veterans of the USA from the 2024 Memorial Service. We’ve also added the 2025 Ag Program Book.

Holiday Craft Fairs?

Many Granges offer holiday craft fairs or “makers markets.” Please submit information about yours! We offer statewide publicity and make it easy for you to share information on Social Media.

Grange History Booklet Added

The 150th Anniversary Booklet is a literal treasure of historical information about Granges in Maine, including a complete list of every Grange that has existed in Maine! Check it out!

Consider this Idea!

If you are having any sort of program event, consider offering tours of your Grange Hall. Many folks are interested in learning more about both the Grange and these buildings.

Songbooks for Singing!

Ellie Collins has some Grange Songbooks that are looking for a good home! If you’re interested, contact her or let us know!

Think about this

“When you think you are too old to do something new remember you will never be younger than you are right now.”

James Clear

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! Visitors to the site consult these directories often.

Communications Column – November 2024

By Walter Boomsma
207 343-1842
Communications Director

Accomplishments

Phew! There could be lots to talk about! We’ve experienced what might be considered a “perfect storm” from a communications standpoint. The aftermath of the State Session always generates a lot of changes and updates, plus this year’s Deputy School resulted in some great resources! There are really too many to list here, but you can explore the Program Books and Information Page and see Master Sherry’s “Presidential Perspective” for a list of some of the available materials.

The online officer directory is updated, and the Granges directory is close to current. (Some additional changes may come when the new Roster is released.)

I hope to release the Words for Thirds Resource Pages soon! Ironically, this year, Valley Grange has had a smashing success media-wise with a feature front page above-the-fold article in our local newspaper and onsite television coverage by WABI-TV 5. This coverage has also generated several new subscribers to our TelaGranger Newsletter. I have maintained for a long time that fundraising is much easier when we are relevant and demonstrating our value to our communities. While publicizing fundraising events is important, it’s important to remember that fundraising events are not community service.

A few years ago, it was fashionable to offer career advice such as, “Do what you love, and the money will follow.” I was also tempted to reply, “Not necessarily.” But there is value and truth in passion. In community terms, passionately serving and supporting our communities will open pocketbooks—but that passion and service must be seen!


When the front-page article appeared, a woman from several hundred miles away called our Valley Grange Secretary and related how important a dictionary was to her growing up. She ended her story by asking how to send a donation to support Valley Grange’s efforts to provide kids with a dictionary.

While watching Alyssa Thurlow interview two third graders who had just received their dictionaries, a member of the school administration team whispered to me that he was one of our first “customers” when we started distributing dictionaries over twenty years ago. I think that’s called “making an impact.”

My goals with the coming soon resource pages include encouraging more Granges in Maine to consider starting a Words for Thirds Program. But perhaps more importantly, I hope to provide ideas and tools that will give your program the maximum impact and put your Grange in people’s minds and hearts.

I first learned this poem many years ago.

The codfish lays ten thousand eggs,
The homely hen lays one.
The codfish never cackles
To tell you what she's done.
And so we scorn the codfish,
While the humble hen we prize,
Which only goes to show you
That it pays to advertise.

► FACT: The most frequently visited page in the last twelve months was the Directory of Granges. People are looking for Granges!

Find the button representing how and where you want to share a post.
Tell us why you love the grange
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President’s Perspective – November 2024

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

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

Our 150th State Grange Session went well. Thank you to the Officers, Delegates, Members, Deputies, Directors, and Committee members who attended. I appreciate your participation and input during the business and activities. A wonderful banquet & luncheon were shared, awards were presented, Juniors participated, and a heartfelt Memorial Service was held; Barbara Foster was pleased to be with us. We elected Carolyn Van Horn to the Executive Committee and welcomed five new State Grange members who received the Sixth degree.

The new Department Program Books and Annual Reports were given to the Delegates for your Grange. If you did not have delegates at session, you may download the programs and reports from the web under “Program Books” or if you want a printed copy, email or call the office or myself and we will send them to you. You may request all or just select certain ones. Agricultural Scholarship, Educational Aid & Howes Nurses Scholarship requirements and applications can also be found on the website or requested from the office. Grange Enterprise Award information and the application can be found there too or requested.

Deputy School was held on Nov 2 with several State Officers & Committee people also attending. Paperwork was passed out, we covered Opening & Closing — Opening the Bible, Presenting the Flag, Introducing Honored Guests, balloting, and discussed other Grange business.

I would like to do instruction meetings in your areas again this year. Think about setting something up in the spring with me. I would prefer a Saturday meeting during the day but could do an evening if requested. We will be covering the same as above. Everyone is invited to attend.

Contact the office or myself if you would like to have any of the following materials:

  1. Expectations of State Officers and Deputies
  2. Visitation reports — Subordinate and Pomona
  3. Maine State Grange Guidelines, Information, and Instructions.
  4. Hello Worthy Master and Members (information regarding closing/consolidation of Granges)
  5. Maine State Grange Ritual Handbook
  6. Suggestions and Instructions for Grange Procedure
  7. Code Book with instructions on Grange Ritual
  8. Official Obligation Ceremony
  9. New Member Welcoming Ceremony
  10. Official Fifth Degree Obligation Ceremony
  11. By-Laws of the Maine State Grange (newly revised edition)
  12. Officers, Deputies, and Directors List 2025. The complete roster will be available soon. Additional materials are listed in the book.
  13. Maine State Grange Leadership Directory from Webmaster.
  14. Maine Granges, Town, and Contact Brochure (many changes included)
  15. Subordinate/Community Manual Edition 2023 (printed on regular-size Paper)
  16. Manual of Pomona Granges 2017* (printed on regular-size paper)

Grange Today! 11-14-2024

During the National Grange Convention, Grange Today! is being published daily.

The Newsletter of the National Grange

While National Grange continued to publish a daily edition, I realized the “In this Issue” (table of contents) section did not accurately reflect the content of the actual newsletter. Rather than risk confusion, I decided not to post the daily summaries. If you click the “Read the Current Issue” button below, you should have access to all the issues published during the convention. When regular publishing starts, we’ll resume posting the summaries. Thanks for understanding.

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 Today! 11-13-2024

During the National Grange Convention, Grange Today! is being published daily.

The Newsletter of the National Grange

Articles in this edition include:

  • Stepping back: How to gracefully become a “has been”
  • Reaching Rural Surgical Seniors
  • Running a Grange Meeting
  • Imagine If… Facilitating Brainstorming from a positive place
  • Food Safety for Group Meals
  • Science of Butter
  • Corn & Ag/Job Industry
  • Charcuterie Boards
  • Fidget Building
  • Finding Hidden Potential & Embowering Members
  • Regional Seedballs & Pollinators
  • Finding History in the Mystery of the Grange
  • Escape Rooms
  • Bedtime & Stories & Homework time

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 Today! 11-12-2024

The Newsletter of the National Grange

Articles in this edition include:

  • The Heart of our Grassroots Structure: The Resolution Process including new strategies for Research and Writing
  • Cookie Decorating (Pre-Register)
  • How to Lead a Workshop
  • What to Do When Stuck Vertical Thinking.
  • Wreaths Across America
  • River Rock Painting
  • Planning and Executing Successful events: New Strategies
  • Emblem & Founders Activity
  • Bedtime & Stories & Homework time

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.

Valley Grange Updates “TelaGranger”

By Walter Boomsma, Valley Grange Program Director

TelaGranger Masthead

The most recent issue has just been released! Articles include:

  • Veteran’s Day 2024
  • Meeting Friday, November 15, 2024
  • Knitters Kneeded!
  • Members Are Stars
  • Dictionary Days Update
  • Facebook Forward
  • Another Dues Reminder
  • Did Ya Know?
  • Area Grange Events
  • Valley Grange Contacts and Resources

You can read the entire issue here!

A recent review of our subscriber list shows we’ve lost some folks due to automation. Our program automatically stops sending issues if your email address doesn’t work. (The most common reason for this seems to be full mailboxes. Check your email and keep it clean!) Once the program stops sending to your address, we cannot override and resubscribe you. But you should be able to re-subscribe!

Subscribe to Valley’s Newsletter

Grange Today! 11-8-2024

The Newsletter of the National Grange

Articles in this edition include:

  • Meet us At the River
  • Five Mile Prairie Grange Hosts
  • Inaugural Crock-tober Soup
  • Showdown
  • Sterling Grange marks 150 years
  • Gold sashes up for grabs at 158th Convention
  • Grange Heirloom
  • Grange Member Benefits: Wyndham / StartHearing

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 11-1-2024

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!

November Bulletin Coming Soon!

The deadline for submitting information to be included in the November Bulletin is November 14, 2024. Recent issues of the Bulletin can be found on the Program Books and Information Page.

Words for Thirds

We’re still looking for any Granges considering or already participating in the Words for Thirds Dictionary Project. Please let us know who you are!

Missing “stuff?”

As we purge older posts and clean things up, you may occasionally encounter missing photos and broken links. Remember, we only maintain two years of posts both to save space and avoid confusion. If what’s missing seems important, please let us know! Mistakes happen.

Note Regarding Contacting State Master Sherry

Please remember to use the correct email address for State Master/President Sherry. An older Gmail address is floating around, but it is not regularly checked. Also, she does not maintain any social media accounts, including Facebook.

Holiday Craft Fairs?

Many Granges offer holiday craft fairs or “makers markets.” Please submit information about yours! We offer statewide publicity and make it easy for you to share information on Social Media. If you submit it before November 15, it will be included in the November Bulletin!

Grange History Booklet Added

The 150th Anniversary Booklet is a literal treasure of historical information about Granges in Maine, including a reasonably complete list of every Grange that has existed in Maine! Check it out!

Consider this Idea!

If you are having any sort of program event, consider offering tours of your Grange Hall. Many folks are interested in learning more about both the Grange and these buildings.

Songbooks for Singing!

Ellie Collins has some Grange Songbooks that are looking for a good home!

Think about this

“If you don’t know where you are going, every road will get you nowhere.”

Henry Kissinger

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! Visitors to the site consult these directories often.

Beans at Ocean View Grange

by Larry Bailey, Master

We at the Ocean View Grange #463 have always used Great Northern Beans. We had a Bean Supper a couple of weeks ago in conjunction with our local Odd Fellows group. They always used Yellow-Eye Beans, and we may try them the next time we have a Bean Supper. This one was a great success thanks to our very hard-working Grange members and the help of the Odd Fellows.

Webmaster’s Note: Followers may remember “Beans, Beans, Beans,” a post published back in June looking for feedback on the preferred beans at Granges. While tradition is essential, is it time to experiment? The Chef’s Resource leans towards Navy Beans, and at least several sources claim smaller beans tend to be tastier!