Highland Lake Grange will be having a roasted turkey drive up, take out only, dinner on Saturday, April 9, 2022, 4:30-6:00. There will be roasted turkey, green beans, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, bread, cranberry sauce, and cake. The cost is $10.00 per person. Please have the exact price for the meal(s) you want.. You will drive up, pay and receive your meal. No substitutions or pre-orders. Serving may start earlier in the case of a long line of cars for safety. The Grange is located near the corner of Rt 302 and Hardy Road, Westbrook. FMI Joann Levesque 207 233 7119.
Parkman Grange is pleased to announce the return of a favorite springtime tradition, their popular Mother’s Day Tea. This twentieth anniversary will celebrate Tylene Kimball as the guest of honor. In 2000 she came up with the idea of a Tea and it continued to grow with a pause in the last two years. The Tea will be on Saturday, May 7, 2022, from 10 AM to noon. Entertainment will be provided by Bobby Kimball, and Julie Harrington will lead fun sing-along songs. There will be a lot of door prizes to win and a 50/50 raffle. Included will be time to chat and catch up with family and friends. Tea sandwiches, sweet treats, and coffee, tea, or lemonade will be served. The Grange is located at State Highway 150 and North Dexter Road. Admission is $5, and children under five are free. Seating is limited. Reservations are necessary and can be made by calling Sue Manchester at 207 277-3942.
Each year, Maine CDC hosts an annual Lyme Disease Awareness Month poster contest for K-8th graders in Maine. Despite COVID-19, ticks and tickborne diseases are still a threat, especially among children in this age group. The topic of this year’s contest is “Tick Wise,” reminding everyone to be “tick wise” and take steps to prevent tick-borne diseases, including Lyme disease.
The contest rules and release can be found under the “Lyme Disease Awareness Month” heading at www.maine.gov/lyme.
Posters will be accepted through Friday, April 29, 2022. Only one poster per participant will be accepted and posters must be accompanied by a signed release waiver. Winners in each category (K-1st grade, 2nd-3rd grade, 4th-5th grade, 6th-8th grade) receive a one-day park pass to any Maine State Park for their family and tick removal kits for their classroom. One grand prize-winning poster will be chosen to feature as the 2022 Lyme Disease Awareness poster for Maine CDC.
Please contact Maine CDC’s Vectorborne Disease Health Educator with any questions at megan.porter@maine.gov.
Sunday, April 24, 2022, 4 PM at Danville Junction Grange
Androscoggin Pomona Grange #1 will be offering the first Four Degrees at Danville Jct. Grange #65 in Auburn on Sunday, April 24, 2022, starting at 4 PM. At this point, we have candidates from three different Granges and expect more.
We are also looking for people to be the officers for these degrees. If you or someone you know can help us on that day please call Maynard Chapman at (207) 312-5591.
On May 30, 2022, Memorial Day, at 3:00 pm at the bandstand in Ft. Allen Park on the Eastern Prom, Munjoy Hill, Portland, Mr. Brian Dewan will be giving a performance singing “Songs of the Patrons of Husbandry” and “Songs of Land & Sea,” accompanied by accordion and autoharp.
Some decades ago my family belonged to the Grange and 4-H and I was an officer in the Future Farmers of America. So I have a long-time appreciation of the music and the struggle.
I have heard Mr. Dewan, an “old” friend, perform and when he told me he was going to be passing through Portland after performing Down-east Memorial Day weekend for the Greenhorns it occurred to me the opportunity for this entertainment should be available to some Grange members in Southern Maine, as well as some of my neighbors who appreciate this kind of music.
Would you be so kind as to circulate this invitation in some fashion to your local membership? Attendees might want to bring a blanket or lawn chair as there is no built-in seating around the bandstand. If a hot day perhaps also a water bottle.
Article by R. John Wuesthoff
Webmaster’s note: With sincere appreciation to an anonymous benefactor, this event is being offered at no cost! Grangers! Since there are nearly two months until the concert, there’s time to purchase and wear Grange T-shirts (if your Grange doesn’t already have them)! Show your Grange pride and support! Bring friends! Spread the word to your members and other Granges.
“I don’t sing because I’m happy; I’m happy because I sing.”
Remember that the Grange emblem is a registered trademark, so the full Grange emblem should always include the (R) symbol. Many publications and other locations only have the old TM included, which is no longer correct. To ensure that our trademark is protected, it’s important to get this updated on websites, social media, program guides, and more. Meanwhile, the Grange Youth and Junior Grange logos are only trademarked by the Grange, so only have the TM options. The current logos are available here.
Grange Month Calendar
As a reminder, the “Raised Right Here” theme lasts through 2023, so if you didn’t think about using the theme in this year’s Grange Month programming, be sure to start thinking about it for 2023!
National Grange Heirloom Program
The Grange Heirloom Program is underway–just in time for Grange Month! 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:
April 30, 2022
June 30, 2022
August 30, 2022
November 30, 2022
156th National Grange Session is scheduled for November 15-19, 2022 in Sparks, NV
Now is the time! This annual event happens on the fourth Sunday in July (7/24/2022 this year). There is no fee to join promotions, but you must opt-in via Real Maine.
The sign-up steps differ for those who currently have a listing and those who don’t. Please, start here:
As most of you know, I operate Abbot Village Press providing “books, blogs, and education.” The Zoom meeting platform has become an important tool for us!
For this reason, I recently received notice from Zoom Video Communications that included:
…As a result, effective on April 1, 2022, the purchase of video-conferencing and audio-conferencing services by residential and business customers with a sold to address in Maine will be subject to the Maine Service Provider Tax. Maine Revenue Services set the Service Provider Tax rate, which is 6%, and will adjust the percentage as needed.
With the disclaimer that I am not a tax advisor, I can share that the state of Maine does provide an exemption for a number of different kinds of organizations and institutions, such as hospitals, schools, churches and libraries, etc. Obviously, personal accounts will not qualify for the exemption, but your Grange or other organization (including historical societies which appear to be eligible) might. To explore and apply, visit: https://www.maine.gov/revenue/taxes/sales-use-service-provider-tax/tax-exempt-organizations
For most organizations, the savings would not be significant, but most people I know do enjoy avoiding paying taxes!
Want to learn about a Grange with ambition? You’ve got to read this article written by Vanessa Paolella of the Sun Journal. The Androscoggin Grange located in Greene, Maine has kicked off what has to be one of the most ambitious Grange fundraising projects in some time! And, as if to both encourage and show the possibilities, the article also reports on the recent successes of Victor Grange in Fairfield. Is a trend developing?
Check out what Androscoggin Grange Master Patricia Lehoux has to say about their future plans. They are not just hoping people will donate; they are already planning events that will allow their community to enjoy helping.
Julia Cody recently joined Androscoggin Grange and has set up a “Go Fund Me” page encouraging donations from anyone who would like to help keep this “beacon of unity, liberty, and charity” glowing.