Patrons of Husbandry – a website dedicated to the Granges located in Maine
Annual Carroll Dean Memorial Agricultural Scholarship Fundraiser
October 28, 2023, 12 – 2 p.m. at the Kennebec Valley Grange, 560 Main Street, Madison, Maine, during their weekly flea market.
The menu includes Pit ham, baked beans, mac and cheese, and a variety of other casseroles, apple crisp, or pumpkin pie for $10.00. We will also have our regular pints and quarts of baked beans or dynamites for sale to go. For information, contact Diane Pinkham at 207-314-5135.
By Sherry Harriman,
Maine State Grange President/Master
207 490-1029
Wow, State Grange is a month and a half away, October 20 and 21. Our National Representatives will be Cindy Greer, Ceres of the National Grange, and Harry Greer, Overseer/VP of the Colorado State Grange, both long-time Grange members and are looking forward to being with us again. Information about our guests can be found on our website under State Session, along with other session information such as schedule and meal registration form.
Meal tickets are to be purchased in advance; form and money are due by Oct. 5. Remember, if your Subordinate and/or Pomona Grange plans to or wants to have two voting delegates at State Session:
Another reminder or nag: a few more than half of you have provided your 2024 Roster information. Even if there were no changes, a report or email needs to be sent. During the order of business, the Master asks, “Have the reports to the Pomona and State Granges been duly and promptly made?” This includes this and any request for information. If you are changing the time or day you meet, this needs to be voted on in a regular Grange meeting and approved by the State Master before it can officially take effect!
In addition to the Roster, State Session and budget and other items I work on, I am working on getting a new database completed. I am typing in all the information for our 82 Granges, 2,359 names, addresses and other information into a more user friendly format that can be accessed without internet. When I get the information compiled, I will be sending copies to the Grange Secretaries for corrections, additions and deletions. Yes, I can hear the grumbles already, but it needs to be done, if I am spending this much time putting it back together from older versions provided by the State Secretary, then your assistance is greatly appreciated. Each of you, as an individual member, can help by checking your information, is your name spelled correctly, is your address up to date then please correct whatever may be required. I am most interested in the date you joined the Grange, many of the dates are not listed. Some are listed as Golden Sheaf members (50 years of continuous membership) but do not list the date of joining only “Y” or “YN” in the GS (Golden Sheaf) column. “Y” indicates Golden Sheaf membership before Jan 1, 2001 and the Maine State Grange does not pay dues to National Grange on those members. “YN” indicates Golden Sheaf membership attained after Jan 1, 2001 and the Maine State Grange must pay dues to National Grange on those members. Most Granges exempt all Golden Sheaf (50 year) members from paying dues to their respective Granges and the Maine State Grange does not charge dues on any Golden Sheaf member but the Maine State Grange must still pay dues to National on them.
I’m going to backtrack a little, September is the time of the new Grange year beginnings with installations, making plans for the coming year and setting goals. This is also the time for year-end wrap-ups such as your annual audit, reports to be submitted (to your Grange, Pomona and State), and a time to evaluate last year’s activities, events, and goals, what was successful and what was lacking. There are very few Installation Teams or Installing Officers traveling, so I encourage each Grange to do their own Installation. There is an Alternative Installation Ceremony (half the words) in the new Manual which can be read with one or two people in charge and working with the members present. It is impressive to have it memorized however many people, like myself, cannot memorize charges any longer. By reading it with appropriate feeling and enunciation, it comes across very nicely. The original ceremony in also still in the manual if you are so inclined. We have manuals at the office for sale.
Congratulations and welcome to all the Officers & Members, new and seasoned, and I wish you all much success for the coming year.
The National Grange annual session will be November in Niagara Falls, New York hosted by the Northeast Region of States. All are welcome to attend.
By Walter Boomsma,
MSG Communications Director
207 343-1842
Communication Shorts are brief (short) but important items posted for your information and use. Send us your ideas and thoughts!
Columns from ODDs (Officers, Directors, and Deputies) are due no later than September 14, 2023. Remember, you can always find recent issues of the Bulletin on the Program Books and Information Page.
As a reminder, the Grange Store by Monroe Classic, Inc. offers fundraising programs, custom printed apparel, promotional items, awards, signs, banners, and awards.
Recently, one of the most visited posts was “High Season Market at Ocean View Grange! One thing that makes this especially interesting is that the post covers an event that already happened! Should Granges be doing more markets? Two others that stand out are Tunes at Tranquility and the post about Mill Stream Grange’s Tool Lending Library. Should Granges be sponsoring more concerts and creating more lending libraries?
The Maine Monitor recently published an article entitled “Saving the Halls and Granges that House So Much of Our Heritage.” We’re particularly proud of the fact the author depended upon and quoted from the Maine State Grange Website!
Why not publish an annual report of your Grange’s accomplishments? You could even offer them for inclusion in your town’s annual report! It could be based on either a calendar year, the Grange Year, or the school year.
This is a great time to start planning your programs and events for the next Grange Year. Please submit the information for posting on the MSG Website Calendar.
Let’s be honest; it’s rather easy to be busy. We all can think up a list of tasks that will overwhelm our schedules. Some might even think that their self-worth depends on the length of their to-do list. They flood the open spaces in their time with lists of meetings and minutia – even during times of stress and fatigue.
Dieter F. Uchdorf
The world wants to hear about it! Fill out the simple I Love the Grange Form… it only takes a couple of minutes! Thanks to all who have shared so far!
“FOMO” is, of course, a Fear Of Missing Out. One strongly recommended treatment is to subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website. We’ll send you a daily summary whenever news and columns are posted, and we won’t share your email address with anyone!
Bangor Saving Bank has announced its annual Peanut Butter and Jelly Drive, encouraging folks to “go nuts and have fun! Valley Grangers have no problem with going nuts and having fun. In fact, we plan to support it!
In short, we’ll collect jars of peanut butter and jelly to contribute to the drive. As Bangor Savings explains, “Peanut butter, a protein-rich food item, is too often in short supply and high demand at local food insecurity programs. And what’s a more classic pair than peanut butter and jelly? Something as simple as donating a jar can make a big difference to a neighbor in need. And with school back in session, we can support our local schools and backpack programs by donating a jar of peanut butter or jelly!”
You can, of course, drop off your donations at any bank branch. For our part, we’ll have a collection box on the porch of the Valley Grange Hall (172 Guilford Center Road, corner of Butter Street). This worked well during last year’s “Sock it to us” collection. We’re also asking Grange Members to collect. We’ll complete the collection at our September 15th meeting and deliver what we’ve collected to the Dover Foxcroft Branch before the September 30th deadline.
Last year, we had a boxful! Will we need a bigger box this year?
Bangor Savings will be matching donations–for every jar received, one additional jar will be donated to local food insecurity programs. It’s a “two-fer!”
We have a few ideas for going nuts and having fun, so stay tuned!
Webmaster’s note: Since this is a statewide effort, perhaps some other Granges will consider “going nuts and having fun” by supporting it!
Public Supper at St. George Grange 32 Wileys Corner Road in St. George, ME, on Saturday, September 9, 2023, at 5 pm.
Enjoy lots of homemade food with Grange members, family, and friends. All welcome! We have public suppers on the second Saturday of each month until October.
Maine has established a comprehensive way to inform the public of events and conditions impacting public health and safety. The system is based largely upon the Maine.gov home page, but you can also sign up for email or text notifications.
When you sign up, you’ll be given a long list of topics available, ranging from Amber and kidnapping alerts to storm warnings. It’s a great way to stay informed!
Special note to FHH folks: Why not provide this information as part of your next report?
By Walter Boomsma, MSG Communications Director
Like many Granges, Tranquility Grange is located in a somewhat “off the beaten path” rural area. Janice and I allowed the GPS to lead the way to through Lincolnville, Maine. While Grange Halls typically have some unique features, there’s always a comforting sense of familiarity when visiting. It’s not just the building itself; it’s also the people and the fraternal friendliness.
Despite those predictable features, Janice and I found ourselves surprised during our recent visit. No doubt this was because we were there for some “Sweet, Savory, and Song.” The sweet and savory included an opportunity to nibble on some very cosmopolitan finger foods. The song included a lively program of Grange music performed by Katherine Rhoda. Katherine’s program included her voice accompanied by keyboard, Marxophone and violin-guitar (play-by-number American fretless zither sold door to door in the early 1900s), Harpeleik, accordion… and a few I can’t remember the names of!
This program (it’s really much more than a concert) specifically featured Grange songs and shared some of the background and history of the Grange itself. Katherine’s knowledge of music is diverse and deep. But Grangers will quickly respect and admire her knowledge of the Grange. Her historical approach to the program clarified the Grange’s purpose and commitment to change, especially in the earliest days. There were moments when the audience wanted to find a pitchfork and start a march protesting or supporting something.
There were moments when the audience wanted to find a pitchfork and start a march protesting or supporting something.
Walter Boomsma
One particularly memorable song told the story of Lucy, a young woman who wanted to marry a farmer and had us chuckling. (No spoiler alert-you have to hear it.) Her parents were not supportive because her future husband was… a Granger!
This performance was a joint venture supported by Tranquility Grange and the Lincolnville Historical Society. An even more ambitious goal is the preservation of the hall itself. Erected in 1908, the hall is listed on the National Register, and many members of the Historical Society have joined the Grange. This recent concert is evidence of the determination to preserve the hall, the Grange organization itself, and the history of the ongoing contributions.
Katherine explains, “My hope is that sharing this music and history helps in some small way to cultivate community and to build upon the Grange history of working together for the common good, in keeping with the Grange motto ‘In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity’” She ended her performance by explaining the origins of the Grange Motto and asking the audience to repeat that motto with her not once, but twice.
While the concert ended, working together for the common good to cultivate community continues. In some ways, it may just be getting started.
What I find fun/rewarding about playing in Grange halls is uplifting and celebrating the Grange history of rural people working together for the common good, connecting with folks who are actively involved in their communities, and continuing my own education.
Katherine Rhoda
Katherine has two upcoming concerts scheduled:
For information about upcoming concerts, visit Katherine’s Website or Facebook Page!
We hope to see you “at” some of our August Events!
“Notes from National” is based on a monthly email received from the National Grange Communications Department.