Maine State Grange President Sherry Harriman recently announced that National Grange Pomona Barbara Foster will represent the National Grange at the Maine State Grange’s 152nd Annual Convention held in October. This is Barabara’s second visit.
Barbara Foster of Pennsboro, West Virginia, was elected as National Grange Pomona at the 157th Annual National Grange Convention in 2023. Barbara is the only daughter of Earlene & Jim Foster, former West Virginia State Grange President and National Grange Chaplain. She has three brothers. She was born in Tennessee, but grew up an “Air Force military brat” living in Delaware, South Carolina, Taiwan, and Japan before Jim retired and bought a farm in West Virginia, where they have lived for 49 years.
Barbara joined the Grange in 1985, and is a member of Oxford Community Grange #526 and Central State Pomona Grange. She has held several offices at the community, Pomona, and State levels. The Fosters were Grange Family of the Year in 2003.
Barbara is retired as a full-time teacher after 32 years, and a total of 44 years in education. She taught home economics and elementary students with learning disabilities. She is the former President (20+ years) of the West Virginia Professional Educators’ Association and works with the Doddridge County Community Education Outreach.
In addition to her other involvement, Barbara is a retired member of the Pennsboro Volunteer Fire Department Ladies’ Auxiliary, and a member of the Pt. Pleasant Baptist Church, the Order of the Eastern Star, and the South Side Baptist Church, where she is the assistant treasurer. She enjoys sewing & quilting and reading, and lives with her two dogs. Max & Ellie, and three cats. Strips, Frisky, & Runt.
Manchester Grange is now accepting vendor applications for the fall craft fair!
Saturday, October 24, 2026 8 am to 2 pm
Vendor tables available (8’ x 2.5’) First floor: $25 each or 2 for $45 Second floor: $20 each or 2 for $35
Dealer set-up: Friday, October 23rd 4-6 pm Saturday, October 24th 7-8 am
Reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis. To reserve a table, contact email Paige Tobie or call (617) 800-4564. Include name, brief description of goods, requested floor, and number of tables. Reservations are secured when contract and payment have been received. Contract available electronically at https://tinyurl.com/grangecraftfair2026. Payment accepted by checks payable to Manchester Grange #172, cash, or Venmo.
In what could be considered a comedy of errors, yesterday’s post regarding Saco Grange’s One Day Clothing Giveaway was released the incorrect date! The correct date is August 30, 2026.
The original post and event calendar have been fixed! We’re sorry for any confusion.
Saco Grange is located at 168 North Street in Saco, Maine.
August 22, 2026, Drive for Backpacks at Saco Grange #53 at 10 am. Collecting school supplies for children starting school. Various kids’ games and fun. Donations accepted. FMI: Contact Kathy at Treasuresacogrange53@gmail.com.
September 14, 2026 every Monday. Quilt Club meets at Saco Grange #53, 10 am to 2 pm. Join a fun group learning new techniques for quilting for various charities. $5 donation is appreciated. Call 207 831-5784, or email sacogrange53@gmail.com for more information.
September 26, 2026, Trading Card Show at Saco Grange #53, 168 North st, 9 am-2 pm. Sports, Pokémon, Magic & more. Contact sacogrange53@gmail.com ONLY to sign up for tables, or call 207-831-5784
October 10, 2026, Public Bean Supper at Saco Grange #53 from 4 pm to 6 pm. $10 pp. On the menu are homemade kidney and pea beans, brown bread, red & brown hot dogs, American chop suey, coleslaw, biscuits, pies, and hot and cold beverages. Don’t have time to stop? We do take out! FMI: call 207 831-5784 or sacogrange53@gmail.com.
October 11, 2026, Broomstick Making Class at Saco Grange #53 from 1 pm to 3 pm $40 pp, $10 deposit to reserve a spot. Make a broomstick to start the holidays. Contact sacogrange53@gmail.com or 207-831-5784 to reserve your spot. Please wear a witch hat and have some fun. Accepting donations for Caring Unlimited.
October 17, 2026, Harvest Fair at Saco Grange #53 from 9 am to 2 pm. Start your holiday shopping early with local crafter gifts & seasonal decor. Contact treasuresacogrange53@gmail.com ONLY. Beware of scammers when signing up for tables. Collecting items for Thanksgiving baskets for veterans.
November 7, 2026, Public Bean Supper at Saco Grange #53 from 4 pm to 6 pm. $10 pp. On the menu are homemade kidney and pea beans, brown bread, red & brown hot dogs, American chop suey, coleslaw, biscuits, pies, and hot and cold beverages. Don’t have time to stop? We do take out! FMI call 207 831-5784 or sacogrange53@gmail.com.
November 14, 2026, Fall Fair at Saco Grange #53 from 9 am to 2 pm. Join in the festivities, discovering handmade gifts from local crafters and seasonal decor. Contact treasuresacogrange53@gmail.com ONLY. Beware of scammers when signing up for tables. Collecting items for Thanksgiving baskets for veterans.
November 15, 2026, Fall Fair at Saco Grange #53 from 9 am to 2 pm. Join in the festivities, discovering handmade gifts from local crafters and seasonal decor. Contact treasuresacogrange53@gmail.com ONLY. Beware of scammers when signing up for tables. Collecting items for Thanksgiving baskets for veterans.
December 12, 2026, Christmas Fair at Saco Grange #53 from 9 am to 2 pm. Join in the festivities, discovering handmade gifts from local crafters and seasonal decor. Contact treasuresacogrange53@gmail.com ONLY. Beware of scammers when signing up for tables. Collecting gifts for Adopt a Senior.
December 12, 2026, Girls’ Night In at Saco Grange #53 at 5 pm. Come shop with a handful of amazing local vendors! No need to stress about cleaning your house—just gather your girlfriends and join us. Support a great cause: Toys for Tots Fundraiser – please bring an unwrapped toy to donate. Enjoy light refreshments and enter to win door prizes! Contact treasuresacogrange53@gmail.com FMI.
March 27, 2027, Easter Egg Hunt & Raffles at Saco Grange #53 starting at 10 am. Free, all ages. Have your picture taken with the Easter Bunny. Many Raffle items to raise funds for Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital. Do not need to be present for raffles to win. Rain or shine. FMI: call 207 831-5784 or treasuresacogrange53@gmail.com
May 22, 2027, Outdoor Plant Sale at Saco Grange #53 from 9 am until 11 am. Come buy local plants to support the greenhouses at Sweetser. FMI: call 207 831-5784 or sacogrange53@gmail.com.
Members of the St. George Grange came up with the whimsical idea of having 17 local artists paint some of their vintage wooden chairs and chose Zero to School as the recipient of this CHAIR-ITY fundraiser auction. These ONE-OF-A-KIND works of art represent both the talent and generosity of these artists.
Check out the amazing chairs and the auction, and learn more about Zero to School! Bidding closes on July 19, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.
By Rick Grotton, Membership Committee Director 207 582-5915
I have been asked to do a presentation on Conflict Resolution at State Session in October. Now matter how solid your Grange seems or how smoothly it is running, there are times of conflict. Sometimes these conflicts are small and repairable, however, there are times when problems escalate and cause furor within. People take sides and interruptions are prevalent. In almost ALL cases, we lose members; never to return. This causes our Granges to spiral downwards, leading to their closures. These conflicts cause severe damage to our Granges, and most can be handled with the right influences. I have been asked to monitor and facilitate these conflicts in the past; not to just “throw water on the fire,” so to speak, but to try to end the conflict if possible. Success is not guaranteed, and members are still lost, no matter the outcome of the resolution. What we need to remember, as members, is to avoid these hurtful conflicts and to take any conflict outside of the Grange Hall to reduce the number of people involved. Many times, these conflicts involve petty issues or personal grievances unrelated to any Grange issues. No one “owns” our Granges; we are a team that must work together to achieve the best results. All of us are unique and have different views; however, we must respect all opinions and do what is right for the order. This is why we vote. If the vote does not go in our favor, we must respect the outcome and work with it as a Grange. Every member has a say, and all opinions should be respected. Should a member walk out or not return because things do not go “their” way? These actions are being disrespectful to the Order, and problems arise. Have a chat with the offender and listen to their story as a sign of respect. Let us try to resolve these issues without bias or prejudice and keep our Granges running smoothly.
I would like to hear of any instances in your Grange of any conflicts (past and present), how you handled them, and the results. Your input will help me with my presentation at State Session. Your views may result in saving a Grange!
Microsoft users have probably heard that the desktop program Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported after October 13, 2026. Actually, it would be more accurate to state clearly that it will no longer work. Any files created with the program will no longer open. This creates serious challenges for many.
National Grange addressed this to some extent in the July 10 issue of Grange Today! If you have been using Microsoft Publisher, you may want to read Phil Vonada’s article.
There’s a strong consensus that Canva is a good replacement, and the free version may suffice. I have also found that with some additional learning, other programs in Microsoft Office such as Word and PowerPoint can be adapted.
But this also raises the larger question of how volunteers can easily produce event flyers at no cost. I’ve not vetted all of the options that follow, but they do seem worthy of exploration. Bear in mind, free options have limitations. The goal of offering them is to encourage users to upgrade to a paid version.
Canva: The free version is viable. I used it for a while, but found it necessary to upgrade. One downside is that its popularity means you’ll see similarities among flyers created by other organizations.
Venngage: Looks similar to Canva, but you’re limited to working online. The upside is that online-based apps can offer more features.
Flyerwiz is now Designwiz: Claims to offer the first mobile app for flyer creation.
Pktochart: Claims to offer “drag and drop” editing.
DesignCap: Emphasizes simplicity. Basic use doesn’t require creating an account.
Technology is advancing by leaps and bounds — it’s easy to get caught in the trap of trying to keep up. Years ago, it was estimated that most users used only about 20% of a program’s (now called an app, although there is a difference) capabilities. I would hazard a guess that number is even lower today. When “shopping” for an app, keep in mind that you may not need most of what’s offered, unless you’re going to become a digital creator.
A simple flyer containing all the relevant information beats a glitzy one that doesn’t. I’m always impressed by social media ads that omit the location of the store or restaurant.
For the non-digital crowd, one option is to find a digital creator to create a flyer in exchange for promotion. (A credit on the flyer with the creator’s contact information.) While it requires some advance event planning, another option is a contest for kids.
If you’ve found a good resource for creating flyers, let me know so we can share it with other Granges. We’re Grangers. We help each other!
For heavy users, the Microsoft Support Publisher Guide will help with preparing for its discontinuance.
Reprinted with permission from an e-newsletter published by Maine Senator Stacey Guerin.
The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) announced that the Maine Coastal Cleanup is returning for 2026 in conjunction with the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup effort.
According to DMR, the September event marks the largest volunteer effort in the state. In 2025, the multi-week event drew 1,287 volunteers who cleaned thousands of pounds of trash and debris from almost 95 miles of coastline.
This year’s campaign is scheduled Sept. 5-19; and volunteers are being sought from Surry to Portland. For more information about volunteering, or to register your own cleanup effort as a cleanup coordinator, visit DMR’s event website.
Participation could be a great fall community service project for Grangers and Junior Grangers. Volunteers support this effort by adopting a location and soliciting others to join them in cleaning up the trash from their location of choice and help to keep our coast and ocean trash free!
Danville Junction Grange will be holding an indoor/outdoor yard sale on Saturday, July 25th from 9 to 1. Danville Grange is located at 15 Grange Street (off Rts. 202/100) in Danville.
The sale will feature a cooked food table, raffles, attic treasures, RADA cutlery, plants, books, and more. Outside tables are available for rent. For more information or to rent a table, please contact Norma at meserve1965@gmail.com or 583-7211.
By Rick Grotton, Membership Committee Director 207 582-5915
There was a previous column where the Grange was compared to a four-story building. The Subordinate or Community Granges were on the bottom floor, followed by Pomona, State, and National Granges. However, there are many cracks in our foundation, which have a name: Membership. If our membership problems are not resolved soon, the foundation will give way to a big collapse. Granges that don’t improve their membership collapse first, and as your membership dwindles, there are no replacements.
Our Youth and Junior Granges are nonexistent, with scattered pockets of younger members around the state. How do we survive without this foundation? Who will replace us if we cannot continue or pass away? It is a scary thought, but in reality, it is true. We have no organized leadership among our younger members. Even within our total membership, not many want to lead, and there are “social Granges” that do not follow the rituals and traditions of the Grange. Those granges will, and have, dampened our reputation. They hide behind the Grange name with no respect. When they lose their meeting places, they will be the first to wonder what happened.
We all need to “repair” those gasping cracks in our foundation before it’s too late. Many Granges cannot meet since they cannot make their seven-member quorums. We need a state-wide revolution to work together and beef up our future before we don’t have one. Scared? Yes, I am scared, and you should be, too. I understand that it is difficult, but we need to try harder. Are you with me?
