Community Service/FHH – January 2024

By Brenda Dyer, MSG Community Service/FHH Director
(207) 608-9193

Happy New Year! As we start the 2024 year, brainstorm all the community service projects that are possible. There is not a project that is too small. Think about all the ways your community is supported by you and your Grange.

Please keep track of hours per project. The hours should be broken down by Grange members and non-Grange members in the following categories: Juniors, Youth, and Adult. These are reported to the National Grange. 

Also include any organizations and their involvement (hours, support, etc.)

Start thinking about nominating Granger, Firefighter, EMT, Police, Educator of the year.

Family Health and Hearing

  • January 9,  National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day
  • January 28,  National Lego Day
  • February  3,  Feed the Birds Day
  • February  4,  Thank you, Mail Person Day
  • February  20, Love Your Pet Day

This is the celebration of MSG’s 150th anniversary. Start planning now to celebrate Grange during April, which is Grange Month. Open meetings, Grange history, Degree Day, Variety Show, and Remember When programs are a few suggestions but the opportunities are endless—also a great time to present membership certificates. 

Enjoy the season and remember Spring is coming.

The Patrons Chain 1-12-2024


Articles in this edition include:

  • Embrace challenges with a growth mindset 
  • What’s your communication style?
  • Advocacy Playbook: High-Speed Internet for ALL
  • Grange Foundation’s Ernestine Keiser Memorial Scholarship
  • Register for National Grange/Rural Minds introduction to the “Rural Mental Health Resilience” program
  • Junior Jibber-Jabber
  • Register for the Virtual Legislative Fly-In
  • Grange Member Benefit: Lenovo
  • Grange Supply Store: Grange Songbook Package

Click the button below to read and/or subscribe to the Patrons Chain!

Read THE Current Issue
Subscribe to Patrons Chain

Note that all recent issues are available on the National Grange Website. Occasionally, a weekly issue isn’t sent, so the fact that one hasn’t been posted on the MSG website doesn’t necessarily mean we skipped it! You can double-check using the link (Read the Current Issue) above.

Clyde Russell Scholarship Fund Deadline Approaches

Reprinted with permission from a newsletter from Stacy Guerin, Maine State Senator, District 4.

The Clyde Russell Scholarship Fund (CRSF) offers financial awards to Maine graduating high school seniors to attend higher education institutions. The CRSF was created by the Maine Education Association through a trust established by the late Audrey Lewis, who served as president in 1958. The Fund was named after Clyde Russell, who served as Executive Director for over two decades.

There are two categories of awards as follows:

  • Awards of up to $2,000 for graduating high school seniors who will attend a Maine Community College;
  • Awards of up to $10,000 for graduating high school seniors who will attend a four-year college.

The applications will be available on CRSF’s website until Jan. 31, 2024; and the deadline to apply is Feb. 1, 2024. The entire application must be received by CRSF via their P.O. Box no later than Feb. 1, 2024. Please allow 5-7 days for mail delivery to meet the Feb. 1 deadline.

President’s Perspective – January 2024

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

The following 36 Granges have provided their updated membership list to us; thank you very much!  Ammadamast, Arbutus, Bangor, Bauneg Beg, Chelsea, Community, Dirigo, Fairview, Golden Harvest, Hudson, Jonesboro, Knox Station, Lakeside, Maple Grove, Merriconeag, Mt. Etna, Mystic Valley, North Jay, North Scarboro, Oak Hill, Ocean View, Old Town Riverside, Parkman, Perry, Pleasant River, Saco, Seaside, South Sangerville, St. George, Topsham, Tranquility, Valley, Wayside, White Rock, Willow and Winthrop. Where are the rest of you?

There are several Organizations in the State that give out Grants for a variety of reasons to deserving requests, including for building repairs and upgrades. Grant funds or donations may be made by check through the Maine Grange Foundation, Inc., on behalf of a Subordinate (Community), Pomona (County), or State Grange. When a Grange is applying for a Grant for funds, regardless of the group or individual you are applying to, the applying Grange must fill in your portion of the application request as best you can. Provide your Grange Name and Number, your contact info, and as much detailed information as possible as requested on the application. Be sure to include your contact person, your board members, your EIN number, and your signatures, and be observant of any special requirements, deadlines, or submission dates on the application.  Contact the provider directly if you have questions.

The State Grange Secretary will provide the applying Grange with the needed documents and information requested (to the best of our knowledge) on the application needed to move the request forward. After the Maine Grange Foundation, Inc. portion of the grant application is completed, it will be sent or emailed back to the applying Grange to complete, and you must submit it to the funding/grant group or individual. 

The grant/donation check will be deposited and held until it clears in the Maine Grange Foundation, Inc. account, noting the Grange Name and Number it belongs to and the amount. A receipt and tax deductible form from the Maine Grange Foundation, Inc. will be returned to the contributor; please provide their information and address.  After the donation or grant check clears, the donation will be withdrawn by bank check (the only persons allowed to access the Foundation account are designated officers and legal signers) and sent to the Secretary of the appropriate Grange. If multiple donations are made, they may be held in the account and sent as one large sum, or each one sent to the Grange. Please let us know your preference in writing. 

Have a very safe and uneventful winter, everyone.  Remember your neighbors who may need a hand.

Trenton Grange Plans Ahead!

Check out a year’s worth of Community Potluck Dinners and Bazaars. You have dozens of opportunities!

You can also visit the Trenton Grange Website!

Table Of Contents
  1. Trenton Grange Community Potluck Information
  2. Trenton Grange Community Bazaar Information

Trenton Grange Community Potluck Information

Trent Grange 2024 Potluck Dinners

Trenton Grange Community Bazaar Information

Trenton Grange 2024 Bazaar Flyer

The Patrons Chain 1-05-2024


Articles in this edition include:

  • You’re part of the team! Let’s row together 
  • Don’t resolve to get more members in 2024
  • Grange Heirloom for January
  • Fellowship First Friday
  • Distinguished Grange applications are available
  • Grange Spotlight: Burns Grange donates 20,000th Dictionary
  • 4 Tips to Mind Your Mental Health in 2024
  • Grange Member Benefit: Lenovo
  • Grange Supply Store: Orientation Kit 

Click the button below to read and/or subscribe to the Patrons Chain!

Read THE Current Issue
Subscribe to Patrons Chain

Note that all recent issues are available on the National Grange Website. Occasionally, a weekly issue isn’t sent, so the fact that one hasn’t been posted on the MSG website doesn’t mean we skipped it! You can double-check using the link (Read the Current Issue) above.

Grange Heirloom — January 2024

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.

BEP Reopens Public Comment on Elective Vehicle Sales Mandate

AUGUSTA – The Maine Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) has reopened Public Comment on the Chapter 127-A: Advanced Clean Cars II Program, also known as the “California Rule.” The public comment period extends until February 5, 2024.

In response to a citizen petition, this new rule was proposed to establish motor vehicle emission standards for new passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty vehicles by incorporating the requirements of the California Advanced Clean Cars II regulations, beginning the model year 2027.

A public hearing on the proposed Chapter 127-A was held on August 17, 2023, and the comment period closed on August 28, 2023. A final vote on the proposed rule was scheduled for the Board meeting on December 21, 2023. However, due to the state of emergency resulting from the December 18 storm, that meeting was canceled. This prevented a Board vote on whether to adopt the proposed rule and forced any potential adoption beyond the rule’s proposed effective date of January 1, 2024. This also prevents the rule from taking effect in time to apply to the 2027 model year. Therefore, the proposed rule has been amended to begin with model year 2028, and the Department is now requesting comments from the public concerning this substantive change. The Department has also proposed other non-substantive changes to the proposal.

Since the public hearing was already held in August, comments may be made by email. The deadline for commenting is now February 5, 2024.

Email a public comment on the rule

Communications Director’s Note: To the best of my knowledge, the Grange has not taken a position on the adoption of this rule. Since this is a very substantive change, I am providing this information for those who wish to share their personal thoughts and opinions. If you do so, please do not imply or claim you represent the Grange!

UPDATE: According to an article in the Portland Press Herald, the BEP will ask the Legislature to revise state law to authorize lawmakers, not state agencies, to adopt and enforce standards deemed as “major substantive” changes rather than have them handled by an agency. Most recently, however, there has been some discussion suggesting that the requested revision would NOT impact the existing potential rule change since it is already under consideration. The revision requested would only apply to future rule changes and adoptions.

2024 Maine County Teachers of the Year

Call for Nominations

Do you know an exceptional teacher? A teacher who inspires students? A teacher who is a leader in the profession and deserves recognition for their great work with students? Here is your chance to nominate them for County Teacher of the Year!

teacher asking a question to the class
Photo by Max Fischer on Pexels.com

Teachers may be nominated by students, parents, teaching colleagues, principals, superintendents or anyone from the community who wants to honor an outstanding educator. (Self-nominations and nominations by family members are not accepted) Granges who recognized (or plan to recognize) an “Educator of the Year” may want to nominate him or her for this recognition! The deadline for nominations is 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 31, 2024.

To be considered, the teacher must: 

  • have a minimum of five years of teaching – three of which are in Maine.
  • hold the appropriate professional certification for their teaching position.
  • be a certified, in good standing, PK-12 teacher in a state-accredited public school, including a career and technical and adult education center, a public charter school, or a publicly supported secondary school (a private school that enrolls 60 percent or more publicly funded students, sometimes referred to as “town academies”).
  • be actively teaching students at least fifty percent of the workday at the time of nomination and during their year of recognition.
  • maintain their teaching position and remain in the County for which they are selected throughout the year of recognition.

The Maine Teacher of the Year program is administered by Educate Maine in partnership with the Maine Department of Education. 

The Maine State Teacher of the Year represents Maine at the national level and becomes eligible to become the National Teacher of the Year.

Please contact Kaitlin Young at Educate Maine if you have questions or want more information on the process. 

Please don’t miss this opportunity to honor and recognize a great Maine Teacher!  Meet the 2023 County Teachers of the Year here and learn more about the Maine Teacher of the Year program.

Click Here to Nominate a Teacher

Some information for this post was provided by Bangor Savings Bank, a strong supporter of the program through their partnership with Educate Maine.

A Special Report – Pie and Coffee

By Walter Boomsma, Communications Director

close up shot of a cup of coffee beside a pie on a plate
Photo by Feyza Daştan on Pexels.com

We have an amazing family in our community not too well known for their generosity and compassion. They tried something this Christmas that not only was selfless; it didn’t sound like it would work.

They booked their church dining hall for Christmas Day and invited folks to stop by between 1 and 5 pm for free pie and coffee or cocoa- a sort of break from the holiday festivities and a chance to see friends and neighbors.

I was a doubter based on the assumption that many people would be traveling or busy with their own celebrations on Christmas Day. Our decision to go was based somewhat on wanting to show support and somewhat on curiosity. Would anybody show up on this most wonderful day of the year?

Not only were there a number of people there, but there was a consistent flow of people coming and going. There was plenty of hugging and handshaking. I got to see a relatively new friend–she’s only three years old and quite the conversationalist. While she was helping me pick my second piece of pie, a tap on my shoulder came from some people I hadn’t seen for a couple of years. Of course, one of the benefits of rural living is that we know more people than we think.

Even though no contributions were expected by the hosts, many people arrived carrying a pie, so there was plenty to sample. My second piece was a blueberry cheesecake pie. My new friend warned me that I shouldn’t try too many because I might get a bellyache.

There’s a lot to consider and learn here. As we were driving to the church, I realized that it was the first time in some years we had left the house on Christmas Day–a day that is traditionally quite quiet at our house. But it wasn’t just us old folks who went. Kids came. Some made ornaments. My friend did bring several of her presents with her to play with, but she spent just as much time talking with others.

The pie was great, but being together was better.

We need each other, and finding simple ways to facilitate being together should be high on our priority lists. Remembering that the fraternal and social aspects of the Grange are foundational, maybe it’s time to find more ways to be together. People who won’t come to a Grange meeting might just stop by for pie and coffee. Keep it super simple. Make it easy. Consider calling it a Potluck Pie Party. Give us an excuse to get together because, despite those busy schedules and multiple priorities, we really want to do just that.