{"id":98486,"date":"2026-03-15T07:49:26","date_gmt":"2026-03-15T11:49:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/?p=98486"},"modified":"2026-03-15T07:49:26","modified_gmt":"2026-03-15T11:49:26","slug":"__trashed-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/?p=98486","title":{"rendered":"Communications Column – March 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Walter Boomsma<\/a><\/em><\/strong>
207 343-1842
Communications Directo<\/em><\/strong>r<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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Grangers Helping Grangers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea of \u201cGrangers helping Grangers\u201d can take many forms. We often see it within our Granges. For example, a member of Valley Grange recently needed some work completed on their home. It was quite natural for them to ask other members for suggestions. A slightly different version happens in Granges like Ocean View #463 in Port Clyde. They accomplish many of their projects by helping each other with ideas, resources, and expertise. These sorts of things happen both formally and informally, and all it takes is a little communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent weeks, I\u2019ve had the privilege of seeing examples of it with Grangers helping Grangers in other Granges. For example, a Grange considering a Book Exchange Program (Little Free Library) wants to connect with other Granges that have one. Once again, all it takes is a little communication to make that connection! The odds are pretty good that if a Grange is considering something, another Grange (or someone in it) has at least tried it\u2014and more likely done it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What we are describing here is the primary focus of the Communications Department and website\u2014supporting local community Granges. The odds are pretty good that if a Grange is considering doing something, another Grange (or someone in it) has at least tried it\u2014and more likely done it. All we have to do is find that resource and connect!<\/p>\n\n\n

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That\u2019s where you come in. It sometimes feels like local Granges are among the best-kept secrets! Tell the world (including the Grange World) what you\u2019re doing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A recent Rapid Resource on fundraising (included as a bonus article in this issue) challenges the use of the word “donation” in fundraising. Instead of asking for a donation, we can think of ourselves as giving others an opportunity. A similar mindset applies to recruiting members. Instead of asking people to join, give them an opportunity to be part of something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA rising tide lifts all boats,\u201d is an idiom that suggests all who participate in improvements benefit. In a simpler sense, Granges can rise together, especially when we realize that collectively we have much to offer. In practical terms, that includes the events we hold and the projects we undertake. Humility is often overvalued. Bragging can be a very effective leadership tool. Of course we must earn the right to brag. We can help each other do that. You\u2019ll probably be amazed at what happens as a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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FACT: In the past twelve months, nearly 9,000 people have visited the MSG website, an 11% increase over the previous year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Walter Boomsma207 343-1842 Communications Director Grangers Helping Grangers The idea of \u201cGrangers helping Grangers\u201d can take many forms. We often see it within our Granges. For example, a member of Valley Grange recently needed some work completed on their home. It was quite natural for them to ask other members for suggestions. A slightly … Continue reading “Communications Column – March 2026”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2122,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[165,218],"tags":[713,206,272,202,233,29],"post_folder":[704],"class_list":["post-98486","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-communication-2","category-resources-for-granges-and-grangers","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-grange-advocacy","tag-grange-communication","tag-grange-events","tag-grange-policy","tag-grange-procedure"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false,"post-thumbnail":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Walter Boomsma","author_link":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/?author=2122"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Walter Boomsma207 343-1842 Communications Director Grangers Helping Grangers The idea of \u201cGrangers helping Grangers\u201d can take many forms. We often see it within our Granges. For example, a member of Valley Grange recently needed some work completed on their home. It was quite natural for them to ask other members for suggestions. A slightly…","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1arC1-pCu","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98486","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2122"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=98486"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98486\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98489,"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98486\/revisions\/98489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=98486"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=98486"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=98486"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fpost_folder&post=98486"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}