CWA Report – March 2023

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

Committee on Women’s Activities

Warm winter Greetings!!

Well, March came in like a lion, so hopefully, it will go out like a lamb. We got a foot of snow here last weekend, and the weather app says we have another foot arriving on Tuesday and Wednesday! I guess that we are getting our winter all in one month. Oh well, the pleasure of living in Maine! If you don’t like the weather, wait a few minutes and it will change! I am sure this will make the snowmobilers happy.

I am hoping that many of you are working on entries for the contests. It is a good thing to do on a cold or snowy day.

I want to wish all of you a very blessed Easter.  I hope everyone stays healthy and safe.

Grange Heirloom — March 2023

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.

Slam the Scam Day

Courtesy of the Social Security Administration

March 9, 2023

On National Slam the Scam Day and throughout the year, we give you the tools to recognize Social Security-related scams and stop scammers from stealing your money and personal information. Share scam information with your loved ones. Slam the Scam!

Recognize the four basic signs of a scam:

  1. Scammers pretend to be from a familiar organization or agency, like the Social Security Administration. They may email attachments with official-looking logos, seals, signatures, or pictures of employee credentials.
  2. Scammers mention a problem or a prize. They may say your Social Security number was involved in a crime or ask for personal information to process a benefit increase.
  3. Scammers pressure you to act immediately. They may threaten you with arrest or legal action.
  4. Scammers tell you to pay using a gift card, prepaid debit card, cryptocurrency, wire or money transfer, or by mailing cash. They may also tell you to transfer your money to a “safe” account.

Ignore scammers and report criminal behavior. Report Social Security-related scams to the SSA Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

President’s Perspective – March 2023

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

I participated in the annual informative and helpful State Presidents/Masters Conference via zoom on February 17 and 18. Discussions, Presentations, and Workshops included: Show and Tell– Sharing personal Grange “ephemera“ (memorabilia); National Convention Reimagined—and Better than Ever!; Communications Dept.; It’s Not Your Property; Discover Your Website; Why Can’t We Just Get Along?; Juniors + Youth = Growth; Membership Department and Wrap-up. Much of the information covered can be found on the National Grange website which will require the annual password to access some of the information and much of the information is also provided in the web posts sent from National. I will be sharing some of it from time to time with you.

GOALS.  From time to time, I have mentioned goal setting for your Granges. Here are some of my general goals that should be applied in our Granges as well.

**  Strengthen and improve the Granges we already have, increasing membership and increasing the number of active Granges.  Working to improve its individual members and the good of all.  Including community concerns, family and good ritualistic work for opening and degree.  Working together as one unit showing mutual concern and respect for others. Providing programs and projects that keep in step with our changing world and the interests of our members. 

**  Improve leadership skills of the Leaders and the members.  Provide workshops on what is required as a Grange Leader, goal setting, how and what to plan for activities and programs including but not limited to fun things, on the local and state level. Give basic guidelines and suggestions to our Granges for program planning and development. Provide, print and distribute leadership & resource materials and training for all Grangers. Continue with good ritualistic work. Assist in developing programs, contests and activities specifically needed and designed for their individual  Granges.

**  Identify key individuals to assist with specific activities, programs, projects, rides, and other.  Utilizing key people for their skills and knowledge to assist with training others, in a variety of subjects.  Identifying these key people in a resource list for all to refer to, on local and state levels.

**  More cooperation and people support is needed for the Junior Granger Leaders and Members, so they don’t feel so alone at the meetings and activities. Subordinate members work more closely with Juniors on all activities to make Juniors and Subordinate members more familiar with each other as a group and as individuals which will help make the transition between Junior and Subordinate easier, if they already know each other.  Give mutual respect to each other

Scam Alert–again!

We’ve reported this in the past, but here’s a reminder. Here’s an example of an email sent recently that you should ignore and delete.

Several things should raise your suspicion. One is the need for discretion, and another is the no-calls request.

To put in highly technical perspective, “it just doesn’t sound right.”

Just ignore it; delete it. If you are concerned, contact Sherry directly, not by replying to this bogus email. There’s also a similar message occasionally being sent by text message to cell phones. They are not connected to the website in any way, and there’s very little I can do beyond issuing an occasional reminder that folks need to be “on guard.”

Another increasingly common scam is an email with an overdue invoice included or attached. Again, think before you you act. It’s the price we pay for technology–similar to the junk mail that arrives in our snail mailbox! It too is annoying, but we don’t need to regret lobbying for RFD years ago, right? And I don’t think we’re going to give up our mailboxes!

Life has its woes so be on your toes!

Bernard Kelvin Clive

Grange Month News!

Visit www.nationalgrange.org/grange-month-2023 to access and download graphics, headers, calendars, press release templates, and more for your Granges to use. Note Grange Spirit Week is scheduled from April 16-22–Each day is designated to a specific theme or topic and National Grange has scheduled evening Zoom Events.

Jonesboro Grange Multi-day Yard Sale Scheduled

Roque Bluffs/Jonesboro Volunteer Fire Dept & Jonesboro Grange are sponsoring a HUGE indoor yard sale at Jonesboro Grange. Look for the sign that we’re open, and come find a treasure! The sale will be open for ten days!

Funds split between the Roque Bluffs/Jonesboro Volunteer Fire Dept & Jonesboro Grange #357

Contact LouAnn Cox at 434-2131 or 263-3209 and arrange to drop off item donations. 

Item drop-off times are March 1, 3, & 4. Clothing in good condition with no stains, rips, or holes accepted. Furniture, kitchenware, small appliances, toys in good condition, books, etc., are gladly accepted and appreciated! Contact LouAnn Cox at 434-2131 or 263-3209 and arrange to drop off item donations. 

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.  

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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.