This article is reprinted with permission from an e-newsletter published by Paul Davis, State Senator for District 4.
On Aug. 23, the Maine State Library in conjunction with the Drucker Institute will launch Bendable Maine, a robust learning marketplace that allows residents of all ages and backgrounds to easily discover and access content that is just right for them on a wide variety of subjects. It will also allow users to acquire new knowledge and skills through online courses as well as local, in-person learning opportunities. The vast majority of the learning available through the platform will be free to state residents. When there is a cost to the user, it will be clearly indicated. Attaining new skills to improve job prospects is important, so much of the learning on Bendable Maine is work-related. The platform includes career pathways – backed by Maine employers – where users can earn a digital badge, thereby giving them a leg up in their job search. At the same time, Bendable Maine has resources on a wide variety of topics, including cooking healthier meals, handling personal finances, fixing things around the house, understanding technology, and even foraging for mushrooms. The platform features personal learning playlists from individual residents across Maine. It also has a lot of resources from state and local providers, including the University of Maine and community college systems, Maine CareerCenter, adult education programs, music schools, art museums and many others, along with a wide range of national providers, including Study.com, edX, GCFGlobal and a dozen more. Check out Bendable Maine
Willow Grange #366, of Jefferson, presented membership awards to (from left) Henry Post (70), Leo Glidden (65), Sharon Morton (50), Nancy Post (55), Gladys Glidden (65), Norman Hunt (55), Judy Hunt (25), Patricia Moody (50), and Dottie Parker (60). (Laurie McBurnie photo)
On July 28, 2022, Willow Grange master Ed Worthley and secretary Laurie McBurnie presented membership awards to Judy Hunt (25 years), Norman Hunt (50 & 55), Patricia Moody (50), Sharon Morton (50), Nancy Post (55), Dottie Parker (60), Gladys Glidden (65), Leo Glidden (65), and Henry Post (70). Member earning awards earned but unable to attend were Wilfred Manley (50), Kathryn Brown (65), Hazel Kleinschmidt (75), and Madelyn Creamer (85).
I love the Grange because it gives me an opportunity to meet new people as I join others in creating and doing community events. It’s the giving and learning .
Presenter: Monica Kramer McConkey, Licensed Professional Counselor Ms. McConkey has 25 years of experience in the behavioral health field as a counselor, program supervisor and administrator. She has a Masters Degree in Counseling and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Minnesota. Her focus throughout her career has been to increase access to, and remove the stigma often attached to mental health services in rural underserved areas. Register here:
Ann Bercher, National Grange Lecturer/Program Director
Ann Bercher will be the National Grange Rep at the 2022 149th Maine State Grange Convention. Ann has been a Grange member for 22 years. She is a member of Sunbeam Grange #2 in Elk River, MN where she holds the office of Lecturer/Program Director. She is currently the State Grange of Minnesota President, having served since She has also held the offices of State Grange of Minnesota Lecturer and Pomona.
Ann served as a Communications Fellow at National Grange Conventions in 2018 and She is currently in her first year as National Grange Lecturer/Program Director. Ann attended Iowa State University and received a B.A. in Landscape Architecture. She worked for 25 years at the Oliver Hudson Kelley Farm in Elk River, MN as a garden and farm interpreter, Assistant Site Manager and Program Manager. She also attended LeCordon Bleu and is a classically trained chef. Ann is currently employed at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum as the Education Culinary Specialist. Outside of Grange and employment, Ann is a member of Plymouth Church in Minneapolis, an avid gardener, inquisitive chef, and in spare time designs and sews quilt tops, and occasionally plays her piano. She has three children (Chris, Ben and Mikaela) and 6 grandchildren (Finn, Theodore, Maverick, Josephina, Silas, and Leona.)
Gleaned from an email written by Phil Vonada, National Grange Communications Director
Rural Minds Partnership
Rural Minds is a non-profit focused on increasing awareness and reducing the stigma of mental health issues in rural America. Coming up in September is a webinar that is co-produced by Rural Minds and the National Grange on Rural Suicide Awareness & Prevention. (Information about the webinar will be posted and is available on the MSG Conferences and Dates Page.)
Good Day! Magazine
The latest issue of Good Day! has been sent to print and should be reaching mailboxes soon. Please consider subscribing or purchasing a subscription for their Grange or local schools or libraries. There’s also the option to subscribe to a virtual copy for readers who don’t want a physical magazine.
Grange Fairs Across the Nation
Phil Vonado, National Grange Communications Director, would love to know of any Granges in your state that run or are heavily involved in the organization of community/county/state fairs. He hopes to make this the feature of the October Good Day! magazine and connect with these Granges – especially smaller ones!
A Quarter’s Worth
The next deadline for A Quarter’s Worth submissions is November 1st. Please send these to Ann Bercher (lecturer@nationalgrange.org). (A Quarter’s Worth is the National Grange Lecturer’s Newsletter.)
Phil’s Challenge for August
Words have power behind them, and the words and phrases that we choose to use are very important! Negative words and language can lead to negative energy within yourself and within the Grange as a whole. But how often have you said, “We used to do…” or “We don’t have the people for…”?
Using negative/negating language can be a hard habit to break. I know I’m guilty of it myself. I encourage you to find a positive spin – “We could try…” or “We’re up to the challenge of…” are good places to start. Allow new members to bring new energy into the organization; give things a try, and encourage new members (and long-time members) to try something new.
When you hear yourself (or anybody else in your Grange) saying things that either take ownership away from a person or an idea, try flipping the language into something affirming. Building people up and encouraging new things is going to help grow the organization.
Please consider this when writing up your reports for this year. Despite challenges or setbacks, let’s look for the positives – and I know every state has done some incredible things this year!
National Grange Convention
156th National Grange Convention will be held at the Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks, Nevada, from November 15-19, 2022. Visit the National Grange Website for information and to register. Early bird registrations are open until September 9, 2022.
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.
New Member Recognition in Good Day Magazine
Want to see your new members recognized in Good Day Magazine? Anyone who has not been recognized as a new member in the past year can be included. Use this link to share the news. The deadlines for each issue are:
November 30, 2022
“Notes from National” is based on a monthly email received from the National Grange Communications Department.
156th National Grange Session is scheduled for November 15-19, 2022 in Sparks, NV
A fellow Granger is never a stranger. There is an immediate bond between Grangers. We are part of a long and honorable tradition. Through Grange Programs, I can serve my community in ways I cannot do alone.
