Membership Moments – June 2024

By Rick Grotton,
Membership Committee Director
207 582-5915

This month, we will go into more depth on this important part of gaining membership. Doesn’t it seem like almost everyone you ask about Grange has never heard of it or has heard of Grange but knows nothing about it? Many will tell you they had a relative who belonged a while back or some will say they briefly belonged but no more. However, they cannot define Grange. This is really sad. Who will join an organization they know nothing about or have just heard about? I knew nothing about Grange when I joined, but I found out there were many Granges in my area at the time. I’m sure these Granges were active with meetings and events posted in the papers, but like most people, I did not pay attention because it wasn’t something that interested me, or nobody had spoken to me about Grange.  With membership levels elevated at the time and the number of Granges around, how come we still knew nothing about Grange? Sure, they advertised public suppers and dances, but was that enough? Evidently not. Some of the mentioned Granges are still active; however, some of those that closed did not hold membership drives or lost interest even with a good number of members. 

 Each community with a Grange should know what is happening within it’s walls at all times. In Chelsea, we have been organizing public events, involving the community, getting involved in community events, showing up at town meetings, getting involved with the schools, and educating our citizens. We are a small but lively group and I am very happy to be a member of this Grange. It is up to us and all members around the state to educate others on our colorful past and important part of American history not recorded in any history books from schools.

I had belonged to other well-known organizations, such as the Knights of Columbus and the Jaycees, and appreciated their work and efforts. Of course, we have all heard of the Lions Clubs, the Elks, the Odd Fellows, the Masons, and other community organizations such as 4H. But why not the Grange? With our longevity and colorful past, it should be known to all. Today, the Grange is still an important organization for farmers and communities alike. We need to band together to show that we still exist and are there to help. Just holding public suppers and bingo is not enough. We need to grow and need members to carry on our work and traditions. So be visible, educate, and be proud of our worthy organization called the Grange. I am.

Fraternal Concern — Rolf Staples, Sr.

Submitted by Walter Boomsma, MSG Communications Director

It is my sad duty to inform you that Rolf Staples Sr. passed away on June 10, 2024, following a long illness. Rolf was a member of Bangor Grange and Old Town Grange, where he held numerous offices, including Master/President.

Rolf served as Deputy of the North Penobscot Pomona from 2006 to 2009 and on the Maine State Grange Membership Committee. He led numerous Degree Days and an Officer Installation Team. He and his wife Anne supported Granges in the area, including the Piscataquis Pomona. Rolf’s knowledge and understanding of “the Grange Way” was deep, and he truly loved the Grange. When Rolf said, “for the good of the Order,” you could trust it.

Cards of condolence and encouragement should be mailed to Anne Staples, 487 Grandview Avenue, Apt 202, Bangor, ME 04401

A service is scheduled on Sunday, June 23, 2024, at 1:00 pm, at the Essex Street Baptist Church in Bangor. A complete obituary is available here.

May the example of our Brother inspire us to persevere and
when we are called to lay down our implements here on earth, may we be reunited with all our Brothers and Sisters who have labored in His glorious cause. May we enter the Paradise not made with hands, eternal in the heavens and receive that welcome plaudit: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” We remember our Brother not as one dead – but as one gone on before us through the gates, where dwells the Great Master of us all.

Adapted from the Subordinate Grange Manual, 2023

Communications Column – June 2024

By Walter Boomsma
207 343-1842
Communications Director

What are we doing? 

“Multimedia” is defined as “the use of a variety of artistic or communicative media.” Most often, it is associated with technology and audio-visual activity. A recent question received on the website suggests we might do well to think a bit beyond that. It was probing enough to deserve repeating and providing at least a general answer. You can read both the question and answer here.

One aspect of the question that made it important is that the asker has been “thinking about ways to give back to my community.” That drove her to become curious about the Grange Halls’ main functions today. As someone who can be a bit obsessive over communication, that drives me to wonder how we answer that question. In multimedia terms, we are answering it, but are we answering it accurately and completely?

The questioner had obviously perused the site some. She noted that there was a lot of information about the history of the Grange, but not much about the purpose of the Grange today. She had clearly seen the scholarships page and noted that Granges hold public suppers to raise money. I understand that but I also find it a bit troubling. I hope the Granges across our state are doing more than raising money by holding potluck suppers.

I’m familiar with a Grange that had a great public supper program. People came from miles around to eat well every month. Sometimes, they ran out of food, and most times, there was a line to get in. That Grange is now closed. A simple analysis suggests that offering good meals at an affordable price isn’t enough to create a sustainable Grange. It will draw customers, but workers are hard to come by. When we get them, they will tire quickly and start asking, “What’s the point?”

How do we use our Grange halls? It’s not just about the building—it’s about our identity and purpose. And it’s not just about our identity and purpose, it’s how we communicate them. Most people have heard the expression, “What you’re doing shouts so loud I can’t hear what you’re saying.”

I was sitting in a potluck supper one evening before a meeting. There was a noise in the front lobby. A member went to investigate and discovered a child adjusting her shoe while two adults looked on. (She’d picked up a stone during the walk.) The adults explained that they lived nearby and often went for a walk past the Grange Hall and it was usually dark and empty. They wondered what it was all about. They were invited in to warm up and join us for dinner. They had already eaten but were hungry for information. Once they learned what our Grange was about and why we were there, they couldn’t wait to join.

Our dark and usually vacant Grange Hall was not communicating well because most of what we are about and what we do doesn’t happen in the hall. It happens in the community. There are also Granges that are busy hosting community events and occupied often. It’s not that one or the other is right. It’s that what we do communicates. We need to find ways to accurately and adequately communicate. Getting people into the hall does not necessarily equate to getting people into the Grange. Conversely, getting people into the Grange does not necessarily equate to getting them into the hall. Every Grange has members who do not attend meetings but are a big help with the “labors of the day.”

“Doing” is an important word. Our communication must be about what we are doing—not just what we used to do. We rightly value our heritage and history. Consider for a moment local historical societies—there is a huge emphasis on history, but the point of the society is to preserve history. A historical society gets supported and joined because of what it is doing. We live in the present tense—or at least we are supposed to!

One of the communication challenges we face with describing “what the Grange does” is the amount of diversity. It is both a weakness and a strength. Asking people to read the “Declaration of Purposes” is not a practical answer. Show and tell works. It’s often called “Show and Share” these days with good reason.

Let’s share more about what the Grange is doing and why. People DO want to know. And many would like to help and be part of doing the right things for our communities.

► FACT: So far this year, our biggest month was March when nearly 800 people the MSG Website!

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Junior Report – June 2024

By Betty Young
Terry LaCombe
MSG Junior Co-Directors

Thank you all for the cards, prayers, and get-well wishes. I took my rest seriously, and I am slowly getting back into the swing of things.

Maine State Junior Grange will meet at Headquarters in Augusta on the 29th of June, 2024 to celebrate Maine State Grange’s 150th Sesquicentennial. (1874-2024) We all look forward to participating. If you have a Junior Member and are interested in joining us on this day, please contact someone on our committee. Please find our schedule below.

  • 11:30 am Leaders will arrive. Set up, photo releases, discuss July and get ready for noon.
  • 12:00 pm Pizza lunch for Junior’s and families. Refreshments will be available between 1 pm and 4 pm. Many thanks in advance to the 150th Sesquicentennial Committee.
  • 12:30 pm Go upstairs, practice song, and check for Junior seats.
  • 1 pm Rest/Craft/Discuss July’s meeting.
  • 1:30 pm Outside to practice song/yard game before going upstairs. The bank will be closed. However, we will need to proceed with caution and depends on weather.
  • 2:00 pm Start heading upstairs for the program.
  • 2:30 pm Program starts. You can leave anytime after we sing or stay to visit.

*PLEASE NOTE: This schedule will be followed as closely as possible but may be altered if needed.

We have a fun summer and fall planned:

July- “fun in the sun” and we won’t forget the sunscreen! We will discuss this during the June meeting.

August 3rd-5th – Jr Grange Camp will be in the southern part of the beautiful state of Maine.

You don’t have to be a Junior Grange member to attend. We will teach you all about Junior Grange. Parents are welcome/encouraged to stay with your children if you would like. A background check is necessary. Big E Craft.

Sept 21st- Headquarters (Get ready for State session)

Oct- Meeting is State Session.

We will send the song and other details to each Junior family via email. We look forward to seeing each and every one of you.

.

President’s Perspective – June 2024

By Sherry Harriman,
Maine State Grange President/Master
207 490-1029

June 29,2024 is our 150th Anniversary Celebration from 1 to 4 pm at our HQ home/office at 146 State Street in Augusta. Refreshments will be available all afternoon. We will have historical photo albums of Past State Masters to look through, Dot Brown’s Youth Department photo albums, memorabilia to see, lists of all the Granges organized in Maine over the past 150 years, other items to share, and a “Meet Our State Officers” game for all to participate in if you wish. We will have a short program at 2:30. All are welcome to attend. We do have a chair lift. Casual attire.

I’m very pleased to announce we cleared over $500 at our recent fundraiser event June 1st, with Visa gift card raffles, t-shirt sales, other Grange items and 50/50. THANK YOU to the many supporters and helpers, Granges and individuals selling and buying tickets. Each of the $100 gift cards were won by Grange members Gailene of Golden Harvest Grange in Carmel and Karen of Danville Junction in Danville. The 50/50 was won by someone in Vienna.

June is the time for election of officers. As soon after the election has been held, the elected Master/President selects the Committee Chairs and committee members for their Grange. This should be done right away, there is no need to wait for the installation of officers to get your committees set up; they will take over their term at installation. Some of the most common Committees in our Granges are Legislative-Agriculture, Women’s Activities, Youth, Junior, Community Service, Family, Health & Hearing, Membership, and Others. Other Committees may be named as needed and specific to your Grange. Special Committees are set up as required for a special event or activity. Please tell your secretary who will be the chairmen so she/he can report the roster information to the office.

It is important to provide the following information to us for each Grange for the 2025 Roster: Grange Name and number; street address and town of Grange Hall; meeting day(s) and time. (Maine State Grange By-Laws: ARTICLE XXII – MEETINGS Section 1. The Bylaws of each Subordinate Grange should definitely fix the day and hour of all regular meetings.) Include if you havesupper or refreshments and time.

Plus we need the following information for the Officers and chairmen.

  • Master/President: name; address; phone; (cell if they want it listed) and e-mail address.
  • Lecturer: name: name; address; phone; (cell if they want it listed) and e-mail address.
  • Secretary: name; address; phone; (cell if they want it listed) and e-mail address.
  • CWA Chairman: n name; address; phone; (cell if they want it listed) and e-mail address.

If you want to type the information out separately and mail or email it to us, that would be fine. We will be sending the 2025 Roster information forms to the Grange Secretaries. Please fill them out legibly and return them to the office as soon as possible.  

I know I am repeating myself again, but remember Resolutions are due in the office by August 15th. Every resolution must have a title already named by the presenting Grange and must be voted in the affirmative in that Grange, in a regular meeting opened in full form. Any resolutions to make changes to State or National Grange By-Laws must refer to the Article number; Section number; and sub-section number(s) and be written out in full as it currently appears in the State or National By-laws, then the new change written out in full with the change(s) to be made written out in full.

 Another reminder I have not mentioned for a while. I have only received 45 updated membership lists of the 80 Subordinate Granges. Obviously, I am still looking for the rest of them! Please get them updated and sent to the office or emailed to me.

Fundraising Report – June 2024

Norma Meserve, MSG Fundraising Chairperson
207 998-2586

Report of the 2024 Annual State Grange Yard Sale

What a beautiful day it was for the annual State Grange Yard Sale on June 1, 2024. Sunny and warm and people were ready to shop! This event was once again held at Manchester Grange. There were approximately 15 tables rented, including the Lions Club, which once again sold breakfast and lunch. The State Grange Fundraising Committee had a table with sales items available as well as a 50/50 and a Raffle for two $100 VISA gift cards. The winners of the gift cards were Gailene Friedly of Golden Harvest Grange in Carmel and Karen Gagne from Danville Junction Grange in Danville. The winner of the 50/50 was Dana Long from Vienna. Overall, it was a very successful day. We raised over $400. I would like to thank all those Granges and Grangers who sold raffle tickets ahead of time for us.

Your help is greatly appreciated and the Fundraising Committee couldn’t make these events successful without your help. I would also like to thank Manchester Grange for again hosting us, and a special thanks to Linda Cobb, who was very accommodating in meeting us and the renters at various times to set up.

Until next time, have a great summer and I hope to see many of you at Headquarters for the State Grange’s 150th Anniversary celebration on June 29th.

Answer This Question!

Line drawing with questions

I have been thinking about ways to give back to my community, and I am curious about what the Grange Halls’ main functions are today. There is a great deal of information regarding the history of the Grange Hall but not much about what the purpose is today. I have talked with a Grange member and know that they provide educational scholarships and hold public suppers to raise money but beyond that I am not sure.

Website Visitor Lisa

(Answer provided by Walter Boomsma, Maine State Grange Communications Director. But local Granges should also be providing their own answers. Make your interests, events, and programs known.)

Thank you for your question and desire to give back to your community. The answer to your question is an example of how sometimes an organization’s greatest strength is its greatest weakness.

The Grange is a grassroots organization and, therefore, a very diverse organization. In a general and national sense, the Grange has a “Declaration of Purposes,” but within that framework, local Granges tend to have different focuses and interests. A correct but not very helpful answer to the question could be “It depends.”

For example, I can think of Granges that are focused on being a community center and providing a home to community resources and hosting events. A number of Granges sponsor a “Words for Thirds” Program by providing personal dictionaries to third graders in local schools. Some Granges provide entertainment ranging from concerts to open mics and craft fairs. Given the Grange’s strong agricultural roots, some Granges focus on supporting farms and farmers in their area. Knitting and sewing activities and classes are not uncommon. It really does depend on the interests and commitments of the local members.

That variety means a local Grange is open to new programs and ventures. I’ve occasionally said, “If you have a passion, we have the place.” Originally, the Grange was about supporting and strengthening the American Farmer. Our purpose has expanded to supporting and strengthening our communities and residents of all ages. Any member with an idea for doing that can expect an opportunity to use the hall and Grange resources to achieve a greater sense of community.

An eye to the future would see additional possibilities that go beyond the physical Grange Hall as technology expands the definition of “community.” When the Grange first formed, farm families hooked up their horses and wagons to meet at Grange halls both for socializing and for learning together. The community was defined by how far one could comfortably travel in a horse and wagon. While the local and in-person aspects will always be a bedrock of the Grange, the impact of a local Grange program can readily and quickly reach much farther.

We need to keep asking what we can do and what we want to do while honoring our motto: “In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things charity.”

The Chaplain’s View – June 2024

Christine Hebert, MSG Chaplain
(207) 743-5277

The Eight Beatitudes
  1. Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  2. Blessed are the meek; for they shall possess the land.
  3. Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted.
  4. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice; for they shall be filled.
  5. Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy.
  6. Blessed are the clean of heart; for they shall see God.
  7. Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God.
  8. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for the sake of justice; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Good Will Publishers Inc. Copyright 1961

The beatitudes, how many of us truly understand these?  We all have different understandings.

This is one of my understandings: As God’s children, I would like to think that we walk in love serving others, by feeding the hungry, helping the fatherless and widows, clothing people in need, and listening as God does to his children.

Grange Heirloom — June 2024

Grange Heirlooms are snippets from the lessons of the Grange as taught in the Rituals and Declaration of Purposes.

Use the icons below to share this Grange Heirloom on social media and help others understand what the Grange stands for! If this heirloom has a particular meaning for you, click the “leave a comment” link at the left and share your comment with us!

For additional information and resources regarding the Heirloom Program, visit the Heirloom Resource Page on the Maine State Grange Website.

Community Service/FHH – June 2024

By Brenda Dyer, MSG Community Service/FHH Director
(207) 608-9193

There has been some confusion and questions regarding our “Coups for Troops” Program. Some of this is because the official program was discontinued some time ago and we are now involved in the “TroopOns” program. We just haven’t changed the name until now!

Troopons is a program in which the Grange participates to help the military and their families.

  • Coupons must be manufacturer coupons only.
  • Coupons that have expired up to six months ago can still be used. 
  • There are four categories: food, non-food, baby and pets.

Group coupons in baggies and label on the outside of baggie:

  • Expired or unexpired
  • Category: food, non-food, baby, or pets
  • Number of coupons in the baggie
  • Dollar amount of coupons in the baggie
  • Please include an email address so troops/family can email thank you.

Send to Community Service Committee:
Brenda Dyer, Director
9 Marial Avenue
Biddeford, ME  04005

The Community Service Committee verifies and documents the baggies, then forwards them to Troopons. Troopons distributes the coupons to commissaries.

Learn more about Troopons here!

PLEASE Keep track of community service hours for each member and non-member involved in each project.

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

June is election of officers. Remember, “The office seeks the man and not the man the office.”