Opportunities for Granges!

Holiday Craft Fairs

We’ve created a special webpage–a sort of directory of Grange Craft Fairs scheduled in November and December. All you have to do is submit your information to be listed! If you have a flyer, send it as an email attachment. You’ll get free, state-wide publicity.

Words for Thirds

We’re still seeking Granges interested or already participating in the Words for Thirds Dictionary Project. All we need right now is a contact person and the Grange name. We are creating a number of great resources we’d like to share! The list we have so far includes

  • Chelsea Grange #215 (Chelsea), contact Jim Meserve
  • East Madison Grange #228 (East Madison), contact needed
  • Evening Star Grange #183 (Washington), contact Glenice Skelton
  • Farmington Grange #12 (Farmington), contact needed
  • Hollis Grange #132 (Hollis), contact Vicki Huff
  • Maple Grove Grange #148 (Sebago), contact Susan Farrington
  • Mill Stream Grange #574 (Vienna), contact Jill Sampson
  • Old Town Riverside Grange #273 (North Brewer), contact needed
  • Valley Grange #144 (Guilford), contact Walter Boomsma
  • Waterford Grange #479 (Waterford), Ellie Waterman

(The contact need not be an officer–just someone who heads up the effort so we can offer resources and information. Ideally, it will be someone with an email address.) Submit your information here!

Information, Please!

We’re already into a new Grange Year (2024-2025) and that means new information is needed.

We’ll be updating the online directory of Granges–most of the information comes from the Roster. Does the MSG Secretary Sharon have your current information? (Send a copy to the webmaster, please!)

Don’t forget to submit your events for the Maine State Grange Online Event Calendar! We’re set up for events all the way through 2025.

Our Scholarship Information Page has already shown increased traffic this year. If your Grange offers a scholarship or educational aid, please make sure the information is correct.

Mill Stream Grange Takes Second Place

But they’re going for the blue!

Mill Stream Grange’s booth at the 2024 Farmington Fair. We are fortunate to have so many talented crafters! We received a second-place ribbon for our efforts, but we have our sights on the blue ribbon in 2025!!

Fall Work at Mill Stream Grange

 The Mill Stream Grange building and grounds committee is hard at work replacing the cedar fence in the Grange Memorial Garden. (l-r)  Paul Lavender, Allan Harville, and Ken Kokernak.The fence does double duty for hanging our Christmas lights.

Notes from National – October 2024

Notes from National are gleaned from an email provided by Phil Vonada, National Grange Communications Director.
  • There is still time to register for the 158th National Grange Convention in Bettendorf, Iowa, November 12-16, 2024. Information and registration links can be found at http://www.nationalgrange.org/158thconvention.
  • Subscribe to the National Grange’s Good Day! magazine. Only $16 a year gives you access to our print or digital subscription. Learn more about the magazine at http://www.nationalgrange.org/goodday or the digital issue at http://www.issuu.com/grangegoodday. The October issue is hitting mailboxes this week.
  • Subscribe to Grange Today! at http://www.nationalgrange.org/subscribe. Grange Today! is released on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of every month, full of news and information from Granges around the country. Through this newsletter, we hope to engage and inspire Grange members from coast to coast.
  • We are also looking for people to submit their Grange’s news so we can feature them in the newsletters or in Good Day! magazine.
  • The National Grange’s biweekly podcast “The Grange Hall,” is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or iHeartRadio. You can also listen on PodBean, the National Grange website, or watch on YouTube! Be sure to like and subscribe! If you have comments or questions, or if you’d like to recommend a member of YOUR Grange to be featured, you can contact us at grangehallpod@gmail.com.
  • The National Grange Social Media Calendar is available. This is intended to be a guide for State and Community Granges of topics/events that may be used to enhance social media. By no means is it a suggestion to post ALL of these things, but if you’re looking to get out of a rut or expand your social media reach. This could also be a great resource for Grange Lecturers/Program Directors who are looking for new programming ideas.
  • Many National Grange events are recorded and archived. If you missed an online event and would like to view it, please visit the National Grange YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/nationalgrange. 
  • Follow National Grange on Social Media! We’re on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube! This is generally the quickest and most up-to-date location to find out what’s happening at the National Grange.
  • I hope you’ve seen that the National Grange announced that registration is open for the 2025 National Grange Convention. The 159th Annual Convention will cruise from Miami to Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao from November 8-16, 2025. I know there are a lot of questions about this, so we’ve created one-sheets on registration and a simple FAQ that are available on the National Grange’s website. More information, including how to book your cabin, is now available, and other details will be released soon, but it’s not too early to begin planning!

Notes from National are gleaned from an email provided by Phil Vonada, National Grange Communications Director.

Membership Achievements

(Gleaned from the October 2024 Issue of Good Day! Magazine)

75 Years of Membership

  • Arthur Elvin, Winthrop Grange
  • Leslie Gilman, Winthrop Grange
  • Harolyn Prescott, Winthrop Grange

50 Years of Membership

  • Heather Brigja, Winthrop Grange
  • Arthur Wells, Winthrop Grange

Welcome New Members!

  • Ashleigh Pylea, Alexander Grange
  • Gail Watson, Cambridge Valley Grange
  • Nichole Brackett, Chelsea Grange
  • Robert Godbout, Chelsea Grange
  • Colleen Kelley, Community Grange
  • Evelyn Dean, Enterprise Grange
  • Erika Randall, Enterprise Grange
  • William Stinsion-Barone, Enterprise Grange
  • Avis Bradford, Fairview Grange
  • Mike Bushey, Fairview Grange
  • Amy Chadbourne, Fairview Grange
  • Sandra Otis Anderson, Granite Grange
  • Tony Tripp, Granite Grange
  • Cheryl Baker, Huntoon Hill Grange
  • Carolyn Hendricks, Jonesboro Grange
  • Stephen J. Smith, Jonesboro Grange
  • Allison Allen, Mill Stream Grange
  • Paula Henley, Mill Stream Grange
  • Steven Berru, Saco Grange
  • Everett Allen, St George Grange
  • Sarh Allen, St George Grange
  • Elijah Lembo, St George Grange
  • Dennis Weaver, Topsham Grange
  • Emily Weaver, Topsham Grange
  • Kristin Farley, Trenton Grange
  • Bing Miller, Trenton Grange
  • George Rossi, Trenton Grange
Love the Grange Logo
New Members! Why did you join? Why do you love the Grange?
Tell Us Why!

Communication Shorts 10-15-2024

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!

October Bulletin Available

Recent issues of the Bulletin can be found on the Program Books and Information Page.

State Session Is Happening VERY Soon

Remember, complete information is available right here on the website!

Scholarship Information Reminder

We’ve seen a recent uptick in visits to the Scholarship Information Page. If your Grange offers scholarships, please visit this page and make sure the information is current and correct!

Holiday Craft Fairs?

Many Granges offer holiday craft fairs or “makers markets.” Please submit information about yours! We offer statewide publicity and make it easy for you to share information on Social Media. If you submit it before November 15, it will be included in the November Bulletin!

Annual Reports and Program Books

Those we’ve received are listed on the 2024 State Session page and have been added to the Program Books and Information Page.

Consider this Idea!

Plan some sort of simple gathering during the holidays. I wrote a “Special Report” last year about a community event we attended last year on Christmas Day. I was surprised at how many were there and what a great time it was.

Think about this

“Voting is the expression of our commitment to ourselves, one another, this country, and this world.”

Sharon Salzberg

Submit Dates

We’ve opened the 2025 Website Event Calendar. Don’t forget to submit your dates!

Online Directories Available 24-7

  • The ODD Directory features all state officers, directors, and deputies with contact information.
  • The Directory of Granges features all Granges in the state with a contact person. Please make sure your listing is correct! Visitors to the site consult these directories often.

Coping With Election Day Stress

By Walter Boomsma, MSG Communications Director

These links all lead to articles on the JED Foundation Website.

A friend recently announced that she plans to keep her son home from school on November 5 (Election Day) and the day after. She is taking the days off from work. They will “hunker down” until she deems it safe to “come out.” Sadly, I find it difficult to challenge her plan. This is an intense election year.

As the day approaches, it seems appropriate to offer some resources to help us manage through these difficult times. The resources listed below come from the JED Foundation, which has existed for 25 years and has a well-documented track record. I originally developed an interest in JED because it specializes in protecting the emotional health and preventing suicide of teens and young adults. They offer excellent programs and materials in partnership with schools, colleges, and parents. In short, I am comfortable and confident in recommending these resources.

Using mental health resources is not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, accessing tools and information indicates strength and builds it. One of the things to like about the JED Website is that it is engaging and extremely easy to navigate. Most of these resources are equally applicable and valuable to older folk!

Just because no one else can heal or do your inner work for you, doesn’t mean you can, should, or need to do it alone.

Lisa Olivera

Membership Moments – October 2024

By Rick Grotton,
Membership Committee Director
207 582-5915

When we are encouraging the community to join the Grange we need to understand what we are “selling”. How well do we know what the Grange stands for, and how do we portray those images to others? What do others want to hear? Encourage them to ask specific questions to satisfy their individual needs. Knowing the needs of a prospective new member makes it easier to answer their questions without being too vague or generic. For example, if someone is interested in the agricultural or community aspects of Grange, zero in on those areas, all the while gaining knowledge of the individual needs. Like a jigsaw puzzle, fit that piece into your plans for the growth of your Grange. Soon, your “puzzle” will show a picture and help you to make plans to steer the direction of your Grange. We have many Granges who focus on agriculture; others focus on community service and some balance the two. By listening to a prospective member, you will know how they fit into the “puzzle” and the growth of your Grange.

When seeking new members, use the lessons of the Grange to serve as a foundation upon which to build.  Understanding these lessons will make your search for new members easier as they hold valuable information in how you present yourself to the new membership.

Have FAITH. Believe that you are going to be successful in your membership drive. Keep a positive attitude and show others that you believe in your presentation to get them to join. First impressions are vital to your success.

Have HOPE. Go with the impression that success in gaining members will happen, and don’t give up. Of course, there will be rejections, but don’t let it get you down or give up. You just haven’t yet found the right “piece” of your “puzzle.” Be vigilant in your search, encourage your fellow Patrons, or make it a friendly contest that can bring in and keep the most members. Fun? Yes, it can be if you let it be.

CHARITY is important. Give of yourself when telling others about the Grange. Incentives such as helping the community, growing your own food, and explaining how the Grange helped you become a better person are music to the ears of prospective members. Even a small gesture, such as paying for their first year’s dues or a small welcome gift, is helpful.

FIDELITY is very important. The listener always notices your loyalty and devotion to your Grange. How you present yourself, your enthusiasm, and your positive energy are noticed and felt by the listener and will sway the decisions of many new members. Stay loyal in good times and not-so-good times. My pet peeve is when something doesn’t go their way, a member will threaten to quit or not come back. Haven’t we all heard this? If you love the Grange, then you will try to work out the problem, which leads to the last lesson, PERSEVERENCE.

There are always hurdles or problems we need to avoid or face to work out. Face them head-on, find a solution as a Grange, and respect everybody’s opinions and ideas. It will make you and your Grange stronger. In order to succeed, don’t we need to fail once in a while? PERSEVERE and overcome these challenges as a group. Keep the positive energy alive and smile.

With Faith and Hope I present these ideas with a Charitable attitude and showing my Fidelity to the organization. Certainly, these columns don’t always produce results, but my Perseverance holds strong and I continue to present ideas and suggestions to increase your memberships.