Patrons of Husbandry – a website dedicated to the Granges located in Maine
The Maine State Grange Office is located at
36 Anthony Avenue, Suite 102, Augusta, ME 04330
The office is open Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday from 9:30 am until 1:30 pm
The email address is mainestategrange@gmail.com.
For website matters, email webmaster@mainestategrange.org.
GUILFORD, Maine —Valley Grange members and friends will soon return to school to celebrate Dictionary Days at five local elementary schools.
Grange teams will visit Brownville, Harmony, Piscataquis Community, SeDoMoCha, and Ridgeview elementary schools, giving every third-grade student a personal dictionary. Presentations emphasize the fun of learning and discovery, along with a lesson in how to “look it up.”
Program Director Walter Boomsma recently contacted each school to request third-grade enrollment counts. Since the program began, the Guilford-based Grange has distributed more than 4,000 dictionaries.
“We’re certainly proud of the numbers, but even more proud of the potential impact those dictionaries may have had on each individual child who received one,” Boomsma said.
The program began more than 20 years ago at one school. “We’re now reaching another generation,” Boomsma said. “Parents and school staff occasionally tell us they remember their Dictionary Day. Thanks to the support we receive, we are creating a legacy within and for our communities. This truly is an annual project where everybody wins.”
Once enrollment counts are received, dictionaries will be ordered from The Dictionary Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The order often totals as many as 10 cases.
“That’s when the real fun begins,” said Valley Grange Secretary Mary Annis. “We label each dictionary and schedule school visits. The visits are fun and exciting—sometimes a bit noisy, but always worth it.”
To learn more about the program, support its mission, or become involved, visit the Valley Grange website at valleygrange.com or contact a Valley Grange member.
Suicide prevention is not one moment or one person’s job. It lives in the relationships we build, the support we offer, and the communities we create together.
Week 2: Connecting People to Crisis Support and Resources
If you need to talk, the 988 Lifeline is here!
For more information, call Joann at 207-233-7119.
Articles in this edition include:
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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.
Promises of fast cash and low interest rates are a common tactic used in loan fraud. They post ads, or reach out to you directly, promising loan approvals with low rates and no credit checks. They may spoof their phone numbers to appear as legitimate lenders. To get the loan, they say you need to pay upfront for expenses like “processing,” “insurance,” or “application fees.” When they receive the payment, they disappear.
Legitimate lenders don’t charge upfront fees to secure a loan. Your best bet is to ignore unsolicited loan offers.
Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.
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!
The date of this year’s Lecturers’ Conference was originally submitted for the wrong month. The Maine State Grange Lecturers’ Conference will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 9:00 am until noon. The conference will include a workshop and distribution of the 2026-27 Program Booklet. It takes place at Maine State Grange Headquarters, 36 Anthony Avenue, Suite 102, Augusta, ME 04330. Corrections have been made!
The Maine State Grange Office is located at 36 Anthony Avenue, Suite 102, Augusta, ME 04330.
mainestategrange@gmail.com. For website matters, email webmaster@mainestategrange.org.
By Melissa Baldwin, Maine State Grange Lecturer
207 324-4661
Note the date correction–the conference is in September, not October!
The Maine State Grange Lecturers’ Conference will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 9:00 am until noon. The conference will include a workshop and distribution of the 2026-27 Lecturers’ Program Booklet. The conference will be held at Maine State Grange Headquarters, 36 Anthony Avenue, Suite 102, Augusta, ME 04330. Contact Melissa for more information.
Registered Maine voters may use this free service to request an absentee ballot for the November 03, 2026 General Election. Ballots must be received no later than 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Election Day.
For more information, please visit the Secretary of State’s Upcoming Elections page.
Suicide prevention is not one moment or one person’s job. It lives in the relationships we build, the support we offer, and the communities we create together.
Week 1: Strengthen Suicide Prevention Together
If you need to talk, the 988 Lifeline is here!
By Laurie McBurnie, MSG Treasurer
When your Grange requests funds from the Maine State Grange (from your subordinate account, Community Service reimbursement, etc.), please take note that these requests go to the State Master (not me). She and the Executive Committee will approve the request and send it along to me to pay.
The check will be made payable to the contractor (or Grange in the case of Comm. Service reimbursement) and mailed to the subordinate Grange SECRETARY (unless otherwise directed by the State Master).
Please process these checks as soon as you receive them. This will help keep the State Treasurer sane when balancing the monthly statements.
If you do not receive the requested check within a couple of weeks of the request, feel free to contact me directly.