Membership Moments – May 2023

By Rick Grotton,
Membership Committee Director
207 582-5915

Now that Spring is in full bloom and the weather is much warmer, all of us have the itching to go outside and get “stuff” done. This ranges from planting your garden, growing flowers, mowing lawns, and especially spring cleaning. Our Grange halls are also in need of such. In order to attract prospective members, you may want to try the following during this time:

Gather members, friends, and community for a “Grange Cleaning Day.” You never know what “treasures” you may find, especially if your hall hasn’t been cleaned in a while. Have a small lunch or barbecue for the community or just for the helpers. Give them a tour and history of your Grange. Keep applications handy.

Have an open house. Invite community organizations and maybe some child games for fun and to create a pleasant atmosphere. Make plans with these organizations to help the community. Again, have lunch or refreshments, small prizes, baskets for a raffle, or a 50/50 drawing. Invite a motivational speaker or entertainment. Display some of the long-forgotten “treasures” found for others to view. Many people enjoy historical items.

 Host a community night with a talent show, entertainment, music, and fun “stuff.” Advertise a month in advance. Social media works wonders if you have a Facebook page or other forms of advertising.

Use your hall for vendors for an indoor or outdoor lawn sale. It is a good way for you and your members and the community to sell unwanted things that have been found during their own Spring cleanings. Again, have lunch or refreshments for the vendors with maybe background recorded or live music.

Have a jam day or night where local musical talent can get together, and the community can enjoy dancing and socializing. This works well for a Grange (as my Grange can testify). Sunday afternoons are a great time.

Host a meet the candidates night where all parties must be invited, and the public can get to know them. Ask them a series of questions for each to answer concerning important issues, with a time limit per question, of course.

The above suggestions require some work, so recruit family, friends, and the community to help. As you can see, you need to do these things: be active, have much publicity, and awareness, and open your hall to the public. Do they know you exist? The answers will surprise you! Listen to what the public says and jot it down. Membership is the lifeblood of our organization and the number one priority for your Grange. Without members, we cannot grow. Like without food in our bodies, we cannot survive. So, keep motivated, keep talking about Grange, and be educated (and educate others) on Grange history and what the Grange stands for, and how to help your communities grow.

    Mill Stream Grange Members Hosted by Mr. Vernon Baptist Church

    Mill Stream Grange members marked Grange Sunday by visiting the Mt. Vernon First Baptist Church on April 23. Eighteen members attended a nice service and were treated to a lovely brunch spread in the church’s Hall. 

    Communications Column – May 2023

    Are you giving out or getting through?

    By Walter Boomsma
    207 343-1842
    Communications Director

    Someone should do a study to answer this question: How much genuine communication takes place on social media? Stay with me—it’s an important question that actually isn’t limited to social media.

    There’s a quotation from Sidney Harris on the masthead of the Bulletin. The two words’ information’ and ‘communication’ are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through.” If you have read the Bulletin and didn’t notice it, we’re not getting through. That shouldn’t be a surprise. One-way communication has its drawbacks. And, as a society, we are increasingly relying on one-way communication, whether we realize it or not.

    I had an exasperating exchange on Facebook recently. I won’t bore you with the details as interesting as they might be. I was answering a writer’s question. Another person almost immediately jumped on me, “correcting” me. I responded to his comment by pointing out that I did not say (write) what he was criticizing me for, hoping he would see we weren’t communicating. He then proceeded to take a slightly different approach to telling me I was wrong anyway. I did not respond further and attempted to see some humor in it. Part of the humor was that the person who originally asked the question didn’t take part in the exchange.

    My attacker had no desire to communicate. He was more interested in demonstrating how smart he was. He went off-topic, particularly when I challenged his understanding of what I’d written.

    How often does that happen in our conversations? Are we giving out or getting through? We all want to be heard, and that’s not a bad thing. But we should be equally interested in being understood and at least mildly interested in our listeners. That’s much simpler to achieve in “live” in-person conversation. But it’s only easier if both parties are committed to communicating to create understanding.

    A down-to-earth technique is called “clarifying and confirming.” It’s based on the assumption we should understand both what the other person is saying and why they are saying it.

    “I love ice cream,” seems like a clear statement, at least as far as what is being said. If we want to understand, let’s be a little curious and ask (clarify) why the person loves ice cream. “Because it tastes good.” How’s our understanding? We won’t know for sure until we confirm it. “So what you’re saying is that you like ice cream because it tastes good.” That just might trigger more information. “Yeah, and I feel like I’m getting a treat…”

    This becomes particularly important when our initial reaction to someone’s statement is to reject, ignore or disagree. How we react determines what happens next. A knee-jerk reaction may mean the conversation ends or develops into an argument. The few minutes required to demonstrate a desire to communicate by clarifying and confirming are well worth the effort. If you confirm that you are in total disagreement, understanding the “what and why” equips you to remain friends and perhaps even find a middle ground or compromise.

    ► FACT: Last week, the MSG website was viewed 328 times. The two most visited items were the Directory of Granges and the Mill Stream Grange post.

    Tell us why you love the Grange!

    Lecturer’s Column – May 2023

    By Margaret Morse, Maine State Grange Lecturer
    207 439-0413

    Book Reading Contest

    Did you know that approximately 1700 books are published daily? These books, from history to science fiction and biographies to children’s books, hit the shelves of bookstores and libraries soon after. So, no matter what your favorite genre is, there are plenty of new titles to choose from each month.

    The book reading contest is easy to enter. It is open to all Subordinate Grange and Junior Grange members, children, and grandchildren of Subordinate members. All that is required to enter is a list of all the books you have read since September 2, 2022, including the title, author, and number of pages.

    Each entry must include your name, Grange, including number, address, total number of books, and the total number of pages read. Juniors should include their age as of September 1. Students may include books read for class. Awards will be given for both most books and pages read. New this year is an optional section that asks you to recommend a book from your list. If you choose to recommend a book, you should include your name, the book title, the author, and the genre. Then write a short summary of the book and tell why you recommend it. All recommendations received will be printed and given to all members who entered the book reading contest.

    All entries must be received by September 2023.

    CWA Report – May 2023

    By Margaret Henderson, Director
    Committee on Women’s Activities
    207 948-2762

    Committee on Women’s Activities

    My Grange is getting busy. We will be having bake sales, strawberry shortcake sales, and hopefully, our chicken bar-b-que.

    We will also be hosting a memorial service for a 103-year-old veteran, who recently passed away. He was a wonderful man and will be missed.

    Have been doing some work in my flower garden. My tulips are in full bloom and beautiful. My azalea bush is loaded with buds, so it is getting very colorful in front of my house. Next month will plant tomatoes. I enjoy spring and keeping busy.

    I am looking forward to seeing everyone’s entries in the contests.

    Jessica loves the Grange!

    I love all of the activities and events that the Grange does throughout the year.

    Jessic Thurston-Creations Custom and Homemade, LLC, Hollis Grange #132

    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!

    I love the Grange!

    Excelsior Grange Open House

    Excelsior Grange at 446 Harris Hill Road in Poland will have an open house on May 20, Noon to 2 pm. Lunch will be served at noon and is free to all. Rick Grotton, membership director of the Maine State Grange, will be the guest speaker.

    Excelsior Grange is entering its 150th year of continuous operation in Poland, and we would like to introduce friends and neighbors to the opportunities available to them through Grange membership. The Grange today is not only for farmers, even though agriculture is still very important to the Grange. Membership is open to all who are over the age of 13, with social and service activities of interest to all. If you like working with others for the common good, the Grange is for you.
    Seeds for the Grange-sponsored 2023 Pumpkin Growing Contest, for youth ages 5-12, will be available that day.

    For more information and/or rsvp for lunch, please call 998-2301.

    Mill Stream Member Recognized

    Mill Stream Grange member Lisa Goucher (r) receives the Vienna, Maine Spirit of America Award. It was presented to her at a recent Grange meeting by Secretary Jill Sampson on behalf of the Vienna Selectmen. Lisa’s hard work helping elderly community members, and any neighbor in need, was recognized and praised by the Spirit of America Foundation. Thank you, Lisa, for your selfless, generous, and kind help to friends, family, and organizations in the area!