Degree Days and Major Events
- October 30-31, 2026, Maine State Grange Annual Meeting in Orono.
The Maine State Grange Office is located at 36 Anthony Avenue, Suite 102, Augusta, ME 04330. The email address is mainestategrange@gmail.com.
Mill Stream Grange Goes to Church
President’s Perspective – May 2026
Sherry Harriman,
Maine State Grange Master/President
207 490-1029
President’s Perspective
By Sherry Harriman, MSG Master and President
During Grange Month, I held a State Officers meeting & ice cream social (extra incentive) and met separately with Deputies & Committee Chairs, yes, they had ice cream too. Thanks to Judy Meserve for making yummy homemade hot fudge sauce and homemade peanut butter sauce for our officers’ and directors’ meetings. Also, thank you, Roberta, for helping with the cleanup both days.
Attendees were assigned homework before they arrived then we discussed it at the meeting. Responses were quite varied, which I was hoping for, and the discussions were productive. Thank you, everyone, for attending and participating. I appreciate your input. We met in two separate groups because we can only seat about 20 attendees at each meeting in our new office.
I gave each of them six questions to answer/think about on their own, related to the State level and the Subordinate level.
- Write down at least 2 (two) suggestions to improve the Grange. Or something you would like to see in the Grange. What should/could the Grange be doing? (Any subject – any level – constructive, not snide or nasty.)
- Write down at least 1 (one) positive thing your Grange has done or accomplished.
- Write down at least 1 (one) reply. What is the purpose of your Grange?
- Write down at least 2 (two) replies. Why do you belong to / attend Grange?
- Are you an Officer or Committee person? Which one(s)? Give a general description of your duties, or what should they be? If you are neither, pick one and describe what you feel should be the duties.
- We would like to create a Maine State Grange Mission Statement. Any thoughts or suggestions?
We also discussed Granges who are NOT following proper procedures and ongoing personal conflicts among our members. Both are still very concerning. How do we resolve these issues? What solutions can we utilize? Will it make a difference? Will the right person(s) hear, accept, and adhere to the rules and rulings? I have been reviewing the Grange Manual, State Bylaws, and National Grange Digest of Laws to identify specific sections that define my options and authority as State Master/President. Additionally, and just as importantly, what are the Subordinate/Community Masters/Presidents options and authority? All had pertinent information. I even consulted Robert’s Rules of Order® and found several pieces of advice to deal with disruptions in the meeting.
In the Obligation of the Grange at all levels, we are reminded of our duties to the Order and each other. “…I will not knowingly wrong or defraud a Brother or Sister of the Order or allow it to be done by another if within my power to prevent it. I will endeavor to be a true and faithful Patron of Husbandry, perform the duties enjoined in this Order, and aid others in the performance of the same. Should I knowingly or willfully violate this pledge, I will invoke upon myself suspension or expulsion from the Order.”
Applications & Balloting for Candidates for membership MUST ONLY be done at a regular meeting open in full form with a seven (7) member quorum present. The vote cannot be taken with fewer than seven members from that Grange. The Executive Committee cannot declare the persons to be members. Balloting is done by standard ballot box using balls and cubes, balls elect & cubes reject.
State Grange Session is again at the Black Bear Inn in Orono – October 30 & 31, with a very similar schedule as last year except it is not a full election year. The setup will be on Thursday, October 29. Reservations can be made with the front desk 207-962-2708 mention State Grange. Most of those participating were in agreement to return here again, and liked having everything in one place. First reminder: resolutions for the 2026 State Grange Session are due in the office by August 15, standard mail and/or email.
The facility and other date conflicts directly effects which date(s) we choose for our meeting. In our Maine State Bylaws – “ARTICLE III – MEETINGS Section 1. This Grange shall hold its annual meeting on any consecutive Thursday, Friday and Saturday in October. These meetings shall be scheduled at least 12 twelve months in advance.” You may not remember but, many, many years ago the State Grange session was held the last full weekend of October, oftentimes that included Halloween. When we started going to Skowhegan, we were asked after a couple of years if we could move it to the weekend before Halloween so the Community Center could have other activities and events for Halloween. So we changed our dates to accommodate them. When we moved to Auburn, we adjusted our dates to their schedule. When we changed again to Bangor, we selected appropriate dates to meet our needs and we found out that was homecoming weekend, so we changed our date to accommodate any conflict for the hotel, this put us even earlier in the month. This year I checked the UMO football schedule and found the dates they would not be playing at home. One weekend was very early in the month, the other was the last weekend. I chose the latter.
WINNING WAYS
- Positive Attitude: Liking what you do and showing it and being willing to try new things, keeps the job fun and interesting. Learn to be enthusiastic. Successful people are the type of person that has learned to persevere.
- Performance: Consistently producing and encouraging top quality work. Pay attention to details and the little things. It says that you care about what you do, have pride in your work, and care about those around you.
- Supporting your Grange: Make your Grange a vital part of your community. Let people know that not only have they been heard, but their words have inspired action and remember to support their projects.
- Strategies: Knowing where you want to go and develop your plan to get there. Courtesy and speed are two attributes of a good role model.
- Dependability: Meeting deadlines, following through on projects, being on time. Learn how to find the answer and show that you can be depended on to get the answer.
- Team Playing: Work as part of a team. Learn to get along with people above, below and alongside you –Working with them as a team will accomplish a lot more than each group working on their own agenda. participating in Grange projects, cooperating with others, expecting the best, and then helping them achieve it. Learn to acknowledge the help you get — That’s the only way you’ll get it.
- Self Development: Set realistic goals to achieve the level of expertise you want to reach by obtaining your own training, and developing special skills.
- Visibility: Get your members achievements and projects noticed, volunteering for special projects. Take on projects that promote a positive image, but be careful not to ignore the necessary, but less glamorous tasks.
- Political Skills: Knowing and responding to what’s going on around you. Learn to be familiar with organization policies, know what are permitted activities and the procedures for undertaking new projects.
- Appearance: Showing neatness and taste, looking the part. Learn that your and your Granges appearance does count.
Reprinted in part from National Grange Team Speak
Mill Stream Grange Officers
2nd row: Pianist Ellie Andrews, Assistant Steward Paul Lavender, Flora Paula Hanley, Steward David Varney, Gatekeeper Ingrid Grenon, Pomona Bonnie Gilman, Ceres Lisa Goucher. Missing from photo, Secretary Laurie Cunningham.
Ernest Loves the Grange!
I am in the ancestry of Charles Wilson Abbott, who was a janitor of #382, who lived on Oak Woods Rd. North Berwick, Me. This is all I remember of Charlie and his association with the Grange from my grandmother. I come to believe their involvement was sincerely devoted to the Grange. I would be enthusiastic to learn more, etc.
Ernest D. Houle
What about you?
Do you love the Grange? Can you explain what’s great about being a member? It only takes a minute to click the button and tell the world!
Degree Day Success
Five candidates from three Granges enjoyed experiencing the Four Degrees on Sunday, April 26, 2026. While we don’t have all the specific names and numbers yet, we should thank Androscoggin Pomona for making the day happen and Manchester Grange for serving as host.
If we lacked quantity, we made up for it with quality. Quality not in the sense of a flawless delivery, but quality in the sense of “a good time was had by all.” It even seemed appropriate that the sun shone brightly on the backs of the harvest marchers.
I wish more people could hear the language of the degrees, it really is beautiful.
(Overheard)
With rare exception, most of those participating as officers relied on manuals or “cheat sheets.” Even those who have the language memorized are finding that the infrequency of Degree Days leads to forgetfulness. (Age has nothing to do with it, right?)
The ice cream store next to the Manchester Grange was nearly gridlocked as we experienced one of the warmest spring days this year. This led to speculation that ice cream, rather than apples, might be appropriate at the end of the Fourth Degree.
Spring Fire Safety Tips
The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Forest Protection Division urges caution and preparedness for spring wildfire season. Maine has already experienced 115 wildfires that have burned about 75 acres thus far in 2026.
Despite the recent rain, spring weather conditions are extremely conducive to wildfires. Most spring wildfires occur in April and May and the most common cause is escaped embers from burning debris or dead vegetation. Other leading causes include unattended campfires, equipment malfunction and inappropriately discarded cigarettes. About 90% of all fires are caused by people and are preventable.
Maine residents and visitors are encouraged to check with their town hall, local fire service or the Maine Forest Service before burning. Those wishing to burn may also visit the state’s portal for open burning permits.
Other critical steps to preventing wildfires include being mindful of weather conditions, particularly higher wind days, and using only easily-controlled locations for burning. Allow woodstove and fireplace ashes to cool before disposing of them in a tightly covered metal container, which should be kept at least 10 feet away from the home and any other buildings. Never empty the ashes directly into a trash can. Most importantly, never use flammable gas-propellants.
Mill Stream Grange Happenings
MSG Yard Sale
The Maine State Grange will hold its annual Yard Sale at Manchester Grange on Saturday, June 6, from 9 am to 1 pm. Along with traditional yard sale treasures, there will also be crafts, raffles, food for sale, and much more. To rent tables, call 207-213-0371. For more event information, call 207-583-7211.
Manchester Grange is located at 953 Western Avenue in Manchester, Maine.
Ocean View Grange Cleans Up!
By Larry Bailey, Master
A few of our members got together yesterday to paint the entire first floor of Ocean View. They did a magnificent job. Also, we replaced our 50-year-old cook stove with a new one. The old 10-burner, double-oven has provided wonderful service all these years, but time has aged it to the point where we can no longer rely on it.
There is a stirring of the energy here at Ocean View Grange in Port Clyde!
Grange Store Price Change
The following announcement was made in a recent Grange Today! newsletter. Be aware that this affects anything ordered from the National Grange Store, including membership awards and letters.
