Notes from National – February 2023

Grange Month 2023

Gleaned from an email written by Phil Vonada, National Grange Communications Director

Visit www.nationalgrange.org/grange-month-2023 to access and download graphics, headers, calendars, press release templates, and more for your Granges to use. We will be celebrating Grange Spirit Week from April 16-22, and I hope you all join in! Who knows, there may be some prizes to come for your participation… There are likely to be more events added, so please stay tuned!

Virtual Fly-in Planned for April

We will be holding the Virtual Legislative “Fly-In” on April 26th. There will be more information and registration for this coming soon.

Canva “Zoom-Torial

Make plans to join the 2022 Communication Fellows and me on March 29 as we dive into “Canva 201.” We will be going a little more in-depth on a few things that Canva can offer. If you missed our first Canva Zoom-torial in January, you can access it here: https://youtu.be/xNGwn8hsR_o. If you have questions or an aspect of Canva you would like us to be sure to hit, please let me know.

March National Grange Events

MARCH 2023 – ALL TIMES EASTERN
March 1: GRANGE FOUNDATION MN-IOOO CLUB 8:30 P.M. (ZOOM )
Connect: bit.lv/FoundationZoom
March 14: MEMBERSHIP MATTERS (ZOOM) 8:30 P.M. Open to all!
Connect: bit.lv/mml867
Contact abrozana@nationalgrange.org for more information.
March 19: JUNIOR JIBBER-JABBER (ZOOM) 9:00 P.M.
Connect: bit.lv/jibberjabberZoom
Join National Junior Grange and Youth Development Director Samantha Wilkins for updates about the National Junior Grange Department. Contact Junior@nationalgrange.org for more information.
March 29: COMMUNICATIONS ZOOM-TORIAL (ZOOM )8:30 P.M.
Connect: bit.ly/GrangeZoom
“Canva 201” – Using some of the more in-depth or technologically challenging areas of canva.com. Questions? Email pvonada@nationalgrange.org

National Grange Heirloom Program

Grange Heirlooms are snippets from the lessons of the Grange as taught in the Ritual and Declaration of Purposes. Please share “success stories” about the use of the program with us or if you come up with other innovative ways to incorporate the Program in your Granges. Information and materials are now available on the National Grange Website.

“Notes from National” is based on a monthly email received from the National Grange Communications Department.

ServSafe® Certification Training

The deadline for registration is February 21, 2023, act fast to attend this one!*

Reprinted from Updates for Maine Agriculture Producers by UMaine Extension

University of Maine Cooperative Extension can help you achieve your ServSafe® Food Protection Manager Certification. This nationally-recognized certification is for anyone working in the food industry, including non-profit organizations. UMaine Extension offers an 8-hour ServSafe® training using the latest 7th Edition with 2017 FDA Food Code Update and exam proctoring.

Date: Tuesday, March 7, 2023 (March 8th snow date)

Time: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Location: UMaine Cooperative Extension, Cumberland County, 75 Clearwater Dr., Suite 104, Falmouth

Cost: $140.00 for course and exam, registration deadline February 21st For more information or to register, click here.

*Webmaster’s Note: The more information link includes a list of additional course offerings throughout the year. There’s also a mechanism to request course–should your Grange host one?

Event Reminders

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

March 11, 2023. 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. You are all invited to attend an Instruction / Information meeting at Norway Grange #45, 15 Whitman St., Norway  (weather permitting). Norway Grange will provide lunch at noon, their Subordinate meeting will be at 1:00, and the Instruction meeting will start at 2:00 pm.  Contact Christine Hebert, Master (207-595-6007 or christinehebert@outlook.com)  to let her know how many will attend the lunch.  Weather cancelation date will be March 18 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.  

Everyone is invited to attend. Those attending will be the ones practicing the work, by volunteer, also switching around–it will not just be State Officers and Deputies.  We will cover:

  • Ritualistic Floor Work, opening & closing  (opening the Bible, presenting the flag, introducing honored guests).
  • How to properly make the Salutation.
  • Balloting procedure.
  • Election procedure.
  • How to handle Motions and following through.
  • The State Secretary will cover reporting, records, funds, and ordering certificates.
  • Other suggested Grange business and discussion.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

April 23 Degree Day 1:30 pm at Maine State Grange HQ, 146 State Street Augusta. All 4 degrees will be conferred.  Let Maynard Chapman, Chief Deputy (207-312-9661 or email him at mgcgmc@fairpoint.net) if you have candidates. The candidates should bring their application for membership with them.

Veterans’ Dental Program Extended

Reprinted from an E-newsletter published by Senator Stacey Guerin, District 4

Due to a generous grant from Northeast Delta Dental, the Maine Veterans’ Dental Network (MVDN) will resume its dental services for this year for veterans in Maine who otherwise cannot afford them.

Northeast Delta partnered with the State and a network of participating non-profit dental clinics, dental teaching schools and Federally Qualified Health Centers in Maine to start the program in 2021 with a $35,000 grant. The company extended the program last year with a $100,000 grant and awarded a $200,000 grant this year to continue the partnership.

Any veteran who is a Maine resident and is not 100% service-connected to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); doesn’t have dental insurance; cannot afford to pay for dental care out of pocket; has a DD-214 showing an Honorable or General Under Honorable conditions discharge; has deployed on active duty with the Maine Army National Guard or Air Guard or retired from the National Guard with 20 years of service is eligible to access the grant-funded program.

The program served 232 veterans last year. Veterans who are interested in receiving services this year may apply online. Any questions or requests for re-connection can be submitted via email or by phone at 207-287-6836 if the veteran does not have computer access.

Communication Shorts 2-17-2023

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!

February Bulletin

The February Bulletin is complete and available for download and printing. Remember, you can always find recent issues of the Bulletin on the Program Books and Information Page.

Didja Notice?

We’ve added a “subscribe” menu item–if you aren’t receiving email from us, check it out!

Grange Month Materials

Grange Month Materials are starting to become available on the National Grange Website.

Do You Love the Grange?

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!

Ideas for Granges

How about a Puzzle Palooza in which teams will race against each other to finish a 750-piece jigsaw puzzle? The first team to complete the puzzle wins a prize.

Thought for You…

“You will never plough a field if you only turn it over in your mind.””

Irish Proverb

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!

Do You Have FOMO?

“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!

Subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website

Membership Moments – February 2023

By Rick Grotton,
Membership Committee Director
207 582-5915

Let’s put ourselves in the shoes of the prospective new member. As we look back at the meetings we have all been to, there are times when we might not have wanted to be there or want to leave early. We have attended many meetings but think of the person who is attending their first Grange meeting. We all know that first impressions are very important so if they are observing negative, boring or an unorganized meeting flow, they are more than likely to not come back. Meet in full form at your stations whenever you meet at your hall. Sitting around a table discussing business should not be happening when you have guests, your Deputy, or non-members present. Your Master should conduct an orderly, progressive flow to the meeting. Reports from committees tell the new member what you are doing in your community; lack thereof results in a boring meeting and probably an inactive grange. Why would they want to join if you do nothing? The majority of us want to be involved, to make a difference in our community and for ourselves. We care about others and want to make life better for all. We do positive things without asking for anything in return. We show our love in many ways. That is what a new member wants to achieve. That is what most of us wanted when we joined. We make a difference to many and enjoy working with our Brothers and Sisters for the Good of the Order. When a non-member sees our work, feels our positive energy, and happy workers, of course, most will want to be part of the action. Didn’t you? I did and still do.

In summary, just keep working, keep active, and have fun. Have orderly meetings and always greet and acknowledge guests whether they are members or not. If you follow protocol, then your Grange is ready for the next step which is to keep them coming back.

Exploring Traditions – February 2023

Meandering Around the Grange Way of Life

by Walter Boomsma, Guest Columnist

Suspensions and Expulsions

By Walter Boomsma, Guest Columnist

“Should I knowingly or willfully violate this pledge, I will invoke upon myself suspension or expulsion from the Order.”

(The candidate’s pledge during the First Degree.)

That’s some pretty strong language when we think about it. We are agreeing that if we “knowingly or willfully” violate the preceding pledge we’ll leave the Order. I confess I wonder how often it happens. I can think of one instance that is at least similar. Due to age and physical limitations, a long-time member chose not to renew her membership. She explained that she could no longer attend meetings and would be unable to contribute the way she believed a member should. On the one hand, we have to respect that. On the other hand, we didn’t want to lose her.

That happened at least a decade ago. We’re still in touch and I occasionally tell her she’s more supportive than some of our paid members. She’s always interested in what we’re doing as a Grange, she offers encouragement, and frequently supports our fundraising. As I read the pledge, I don’t think she’s knowingly or willfully violated any aspect of it. In that sense, she’s not an example.

But she is an example of someone who has set standards for herself—standards that are higher than what she pledged many years ago during the First Degree.

Recently, during a somewhat intense conversation with another Granger, I raised this question. “What would happen if we made it harder to become and remain a member?” It just might be worthy of consideration. Groucho Marx once observed that he did not want to join any club that would have him as a member. There’s some disagreement about the circumstances, but one credible version is that he offered it to explain why he was resigning from a club he had joined but was not participating in the activities. Why be a member?

Some years ago, I belonged to an organization with very specific requirements that included meeting attendance and participation in community service—measured in hours. It was not always easy to be a member, but it was always rewarding and brought a sense of pride.

I’m not proposing we institute similar requirements. But I am suggesting that we individually consider the standards we are setting for ourselves as members. Grange membership should be seen as a privilege, not a right.

Since we have, thankfully, some Degree Days scheduled in the near future, they can also serve as a day of renewal. Consider attending and observing. Listen carefully to the pledges and instructions—regardless of how long you’ve been a member. Pay less attention to the performance and more attention to the content. Questions to consider include:

  • Am I practicing and reaping the benefits of the Grange Way of Life?
  • Do I deserve to be called a Granger?
  • Regardless of my limitations, how can I best serve my Order and community?

By the way, the original language of the First Degree pledge included something that has since been removed. “Should I knowingly or willfully violate this pledge, I will invoke upon myself suspension or expulsion from the Order, and thus be disgraced among those who were my brothers and sisters..” (1987 Subordinate Grange Manual)

The requirements of continued Grange membership are not so demanding, really. So, you probably don’t have to and shouldn’t suspend or expulse yourself. But it might be time for a renewal that involves more than writing a check for dues.

Any degree or ritual quotations are from the forty-sixth edition of the 2013 Subordinate Grange Manual or the most recent edition of the Pomona Grange Manual. The views and opinions expressed in “Exploring Traditions” are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official doctrine and policy of the Grange. Information about the book “Exploring Traditions—Celebrating the Grange Way of Life” can be found at http://abbotvillagepress.com, on Mr. Boomsma’s Amazon Author Page, or by contacting the author.

Communications Column – February 2023

Actions Communicate!

By Walter Boomsma
207 343-1842
Communications Director

Actions speak louder than words, and often communicate messages that words simply cannot. Showing someone you care is one of the best ways to demonstrate your feelings.

A simple act of kindness, such as a hug, can communicate love, appreciation, and understanding. It can also show others we care about their feelings and value them as individuals. Similarly, body language is also a powerful method of communicating. Making eye contact, replicating postures and gestures, and body movements such as crossing your arms can say a lot about how someone is feeling or what they are thinking. Ultimately, actions can be a more powerful form of communication than words alone.

But, like words, actions are subject to misinterpretation. Thanks in a large part to COVID, Touching and physical proximity are being questioned and challenged. The handshake was originally about open, weaponless hands and grasping each other in a ritual of mutuality. There are now those who think the ritual should be abandoned in the interest of public health. You’ll know you’ve met one when they cringe in horror and disapproval at the extension of your proffered hand.

Which side of that particular debate you are on is less significant than the recognition that there is a debate. “One man’s pleasure is another man’s pain.” Not everyone wants to be touched. But some of us do want to make that contact and connection. Another way of looking at this is with the consideration that what we’ve always accepted as a “universal language” may no longer be so universal.

So we hopefully become much more aware of our own behavior and what it might be communicating. We also try to become more aware of others’ potential understanding (or misunderstanding) of that behavior.

If you haven’t yet seen it, there’s an interesting parallel for the Grange. Many of our practices we see as protecting and even increasing the fraternal nature that has served us well. But how do others see it? We sometimes lose our balance. What we see as “fraternal” others may see as exclusionary.

Car buying was different some years ago. I recall one particularly difficult negotiation. The salesman was dutifully doing the “let me see if my manager will approve… just initial here to demonstrate your sincerity.” The poor guy was actually sweating from the numerous trips he made to the back office. After one, he said, “Well, at least you can see how hard I’m working for you” I rather directly corrected him. “What I can see is that every time you say it’s the best deal, it isn’t. Here’s what I want. If  you come back with a counteroffer, I’ll just leave so we both stop wasting time.” That’s exactly what happened. I stood up, shook his hand, and walked out the door. Actions communicate. The salesman ended up chasing me through the parking lot to announce that the sales manager had finally agreed. Sometimes you have to cut through the ritual to get the result. The next time I bought a vehicle there, things went much more smoothly.

Does what we do as an organization (or individual) communicate what we say we believe and value? Or, if we can step outside of ourselves and our world, do others see what we believe and value in the things we do and don’t do? It’s a question we need to be asking.

► FACT: Your MSG website was viewed over 1600 times during January 2023–if you aren’t submitting your events and news, you are missing an opportunity!

Tell us why you love the Grange!

View from the Farm – February 2023

Webmaster’s note: The format of this column has changed a bit with all of the Quill’s Endians participating at various times and in various ways!

During the course of “winter,” I’ve been thinking of trees.  Specifically, our tiny maple bush.  We have about 20 sugar maples that are in a grove that is readily accessible, and we tap them every year for syrup.  We typically make about 6 gallons of syrup.  It is a system of convenience.  We heat with wood; so we boil down sap on the wood stove.  March here smells delicious, as the humidity rises in the house with sweetening sap that is headed to syrupy decadence.

The question these last few years is…when to tap the trees?  There have been years when we have waited too long, and March nights don’t bring the freezing weather that drops the sap back down.  We want 20-degree nights and 40-degree days.  That weather makes the sap run during the warmth of the day.  

This particular “winter,”  I’ve thought of these maples since January.  Not just, “is the sap running?”, but also we have no snow cover.  What does this mean for the ecosystem that is accustomed to a gradual thaw in March and April, when the accumulated precipitation slowly saturates the trees as they awaken for the year? 

Twenty years ago, we hauled a sled to the trees as we gathered sap.  Today, I lug the buckets to the tarred road, lest I tear up the soft field with my pick-up.

The beautiful thing, the thing we count on, will still happen.  

We used the last of our maple syrup this morning on our pancakes.  Just in time, the weather hearkens the change.  The trees, for all my worry about them, will follow their rhythm, and sap will soon permeate our lives for a short while. We will enjoy the change in the house–the scent of March, and recollect the memories of this annual Spring bounty that sweetens our lives the year round. 

Heather and Phil Retberg and their three children run Quill’s End Farm, a 105-acre property in Penobscot that they bought in 2004. They use rotational grazing on their fifteen open acres and are renovating thirty more acres from woods to pasture to increase grazing for their pigs, grass-fed cattle, lambs, laying hens, and goats. Heather is Vice President of Halcyon Grange #345 and writes a newsletter for their farm’s buying club of farmers in her area and has generously given us permission to share some of her columns with Grangers. Visit the Quill’s End Farm Facebook Page for more information.

From the Deacon’s Bench – February 2023

By Clay Collins, MSG Chaplain
207 837-0564

“Jesus said, ‘you have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘you shall not kill; whosoever kills shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to council, and whoever says, ‘you fool!’, shall be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first to be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison; truly I say to you, you will never get out until you pay the last penny .’” 

Matthew 5:21-26

 

We made it through the first month of the New Year with, I hope, few scrapes, bruises, and little pain. I trust you all are weathering the cold and snow with the grace of God (or doing the best that you can!).

The Bible message is a tad long this month, but I thought it was appropriate. I think this time of year, we tend to get a little ‘testy’ as we sometimes have to stay inside (where it is warm and cozy) with little to no contact with friends and/or neighbors. We tend to forget that we have friends that care for us.

Try not to turn our backs on our friends. If we know of anyone in need of help or assistance of any kind, please offer it. If you are the one in need of such assistance, please accept any and all help that might be offered. Lest we forget, we are all God’s children, and we cannot survive without each other’s help.

 Please remember that we ALL need a helping hand at some time or another. If you are able, help someone else. If you are the one in need, accept it willingly. There is no shame in needing help!

God loves us all!!

 Until the next time, remember, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”

Benediction: “Gracious Father of us all, help us to realize that we are all your children who need help now and then. Help us to know when to ask for it when we need it, and if possible, give it when we are able. Amen.”

Thought for the month:
May the sun shine, all day long,
Everything go right, and nothing wrong.
May those you love bring love back to you,
And may all the wishes you wish come true.

An Irish Blessing for Health and Prosperity