Communication Shorts 08-07-2024

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!

August Bulletin Deadline

Articles and columns for the August Bulletin are due on the 14th! Recent issues of the Bulletin can be found on the Program Books and Information Page.

Information Wanted: Winthrop Grange

We have made the 2024 National Grange Digest available directly from the MSG Website. It is listed in the National Grange Section of the Program Books and Information Page. This booklet will answer many of your questions regarding Grange Law and Practice.

Information Available: Castle Hill Grange

The Castle Hill Grange Hall Preservation Society was formed in 1993 to save the Grange Hall in Castle Hill. We have now disbanded due to lack of funds and membership. We have some papers from Grange #260, which disbanded in 1976(?). If you would like any of these papers and certificates. you can contact me by email: Sheena McHatten

State Session Page is Available

A page dedicated to the 2024 State Session is now available with preliminary information. This will be a work in progress!

Many Contest Deadlines Are Coming Up

Get your entries in!

Consider this Idea!

Fall is a great time to celebrate the harvest! How will your Grange do that?

Think about this!

“So, the next time you visit a fair, take a moment to soak in the sights and sounds, to let your inner child run wild, and to appreciate the magic that surrounds you. Because in the world of fairs, anything is possible, and happiness is just a ride away.”

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Submit News! Be “famous”

Submitting news can be as simple as a photo and “cutline.” A cutline is a brief description–longer than a caption–to accompany the photo. Let’s prove that the Grange is alive and well in Maine! (Photos should be submitted as an attachment to an email.) We get inquiries from people looking for active Granges!

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!

Fraternal Concerns

Submitted by Sharon Morton, MSG Secretary

It becomes my sad duty to inform you of the death of Laura Macomber, mother of Debra Ivers, State Flora, and mother-in-law of Peter Ivers, State Gatekeeper.  Condolences may be sent to Deb and Pete at 961 Duck Pond Rd., Westbrook, Maine 04092.  

Cards of Get Well/Thinking of You can be sent to Lorraine Goodness, mother of Missy (Melissa) Baldwin, State Lecturer, who suffered a stroke and is doing well.  Cards can be sent to Sister Lorraine at 8 Guillemette Street, Sanford, ME 04073.

Read All About It!

By Walter Boomsma, MSG Communications Director

Elizabeth Walztoni wrote an excellent article about Maine Granges, published in the Bangor Daily News yesterday (August 4, 2024).

Once town centers of agriculture, these public spaces haven’t quite disappeared

(If you read news online, you are probably familiar with paywalls—but try it! I think BDN will allow a limited number of free reads. This article is definitely a very positive one that’s worth reading!)

I’ve always said, “It’s easier to make news than it is to write press releases!”

What’s your Grange doing?

Grange Heirloom — August 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.

New Ideas from National Grange

Click to Register

Anyone who pre-registers AND attends the Zoom event will receive a special treat from the National Grange.

We invite you to register for a special program from the National Grange.Join us for “New Ideas, New Approaches,” led by Beth Westbrook,  Senior Director of Outreach for the Vasculitis Foundation and a member of the Grange Advocacy Board. 

If your Grange is stumped about how to raise funds, if it has been doing the same project every year but not getting results, please register! If you are thinking about what else you can do at your Grange that hasn’t been done before, or if your Grange has the Best Idea Ever but it costs too much to implement, this call is for YOU! 

Grange Today! 7-26-2024

The Newsletter of the National Grange

Articles in this edition include:

  • Presidential Perspective
  • Register for National Grange’s 158th Convention
  • SHIPmates Program welcomes Second Class aboard
  • New Ideas, New Approaches
  • National Grange’s Contest Deadlines approaching
  • View from the Hill
  • 6 Scams every older American should know about
  • Grange Store & Benefits: Introducing Aflac

Upcoming Deadlines:

Click the button below to read and/or subscribe to Grange Today!

Read THE Current Issue
Subscribe to Grange Today!

Note that all recent issues are available on the National Grange Website. To save space, we only post the table of contents on the MSG Website.

Fourth Annual Wild Blueberry Weekend

Whether you’re from Maine or enjoying a Maine getaway, mark your calendar for this (wild) new Maine tradition.  Tour wild blueberry farms, pick (and nibble) wild blueberries at select locations, or try a new-to-you wild blueberry dish or drink.

Wild Blueberry Weekend is happening this summer in Maine (rain or shine)—how wild you get is totally up to you.  Be sure to map out your adventure online here.

August 3-4, 2024

Maine Open Farm Day

Sunday, July 28, 2024

Maine’s Open Farm Day is a statewide event started by Maine farmers and supporters in 1989. For more than 30 years, this premier agritourism event has been a way to raise awareness about farms and their importance to Maine. It is an opportunity to connect visitors to Maine farms so they may learn and see firsthand the care and effort to produce quality Maine farm products and ingredients year-round. Each site is different and offers visitors a chance to meet farmers and learn more about the role of farms across Maine.

Maine’s Open Farm Day allows visitors to explore host farms throughout the State on the fourth Sunday in July, rain or shine. Please visit RealMaine.com to learn more about this special invitation to see Maine agriculture where it happens, get tips for a good visit, and find a list of participating farms.

August Event Schedule

  • August 1, 2024, Grange Ag Enterprise Award Applications are due
  • August 2, 2024, Trenton Grange Farmers Market, 3 pm – 6 pm. 1134 Bar Harbor Road in Trenton. Vendors contact Beth Warner at 207 664-4164 or zeppa@ aol.com. Free admission. (Vendor/booth fee).
  • August 2, 2024, Community Potluck Supper at Trenton Grange, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., 1134 Bar Harbor Road in Trenton. For more information, see this post or visit the Trenton Grange Website.
  • August 3-4, 2024, Community Bazaar (crafts, farmers’ market, yard sale…) at Trenton Grange from 9 am until 2 pm both days. For more information, see this post or visit the Trenton Grange Website.
  • August 3 -5, 2024, Junior Grange Camp at Highland Lake Grange. Contact Director Betty Young for more information.
  • August 8, 2024, Blood Drive at Harraseeket Grange in Freeport, 12 – 5 pm.
  • August 9, 2024, Trenton Grange Farmers Market, 3 pm – 6 pm. 1134 Bar Harbor Road in Trenton. Vendors contact Beth Warner at 207 664-4164 or zeppa@ aol.com. Free admission. (Vendor/booth fee).
  • August 10, 2024, St George Grange Community Supper at 5 pm. Adults $10, Children $5, under 10 free. For more information, see this post.
  • August 14, 2024, Deadline for the MSG Bulletin
  • August 15, 2024, Resolutions are due at State Headquarters.
  • August 16, 2024, Mystic Valley Grange Open Meeting with light refreshments & entertainment. TIME CHANGE -Public Meeting 12 noon to 1:00 pm followed by Open House 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. in East Dixfield. Public invited. For more information, contact Nancy Farrington.
  • August 16, 2024, Trenton Grange Farmers Market, 3 pm – 6 pm. 1134 Bar Harbor Road in Trenton. Vendors contact Beth Warner at 207 664-4164 or zeppa@ aol.com. Free admission. (Vendor/booth fee).
  • August 16, 2024, Senior Circle at Victor Grange in Fairfield. Potluck lunch at 11 am for Seniors to get together with others for socializing, networking and a game or two. Held the 3rd Friday monthly. FMI Deb 207-453-4844 or Sherri 207-815-0615. No Charge.
  • August 20, 2024, Drop off CWA Contest items at MSG Headquarters, 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
  • August 23, 2024, Trenton Grange Farmers Market, 3 pm – 6 pm. 1134 Bar Harbor Road in Trenton. Vendors contact Beth Warner at 207 664-4164 or zeppa@ aol.com. Free admission. (Vendor/booth fee).
  • August 24, 2024, Subordinate and Pomona CWA Reports Due to State Director.
  • August 24, 2024, State CWA Conference begins at 9:00 a.m.
  • August 24, 2024 Wayside Grange Concert featuring Bear Tracks, Doors open at 6:30 pm. More information at Wayside Grange & Theatre Facebook Page.
  • August 30, 2024, Trenton Grange Farmers Market, 3 pm – 6 pm. 1134 Bar Harbor Road in Trenton. Vendors contact Beth Warner at 207 664-4164 or zeppa@ aol.com. Free admission. (Vendor/booth fee).

Mystic Valley Event Change!

August 16, 2024, Mystic Valley Grange Open Meeting with light refreshments & entertainment. TIME CHANGE -Public Meeting 12 noon to 1:00 pm followed by Open House 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. in East Dixfield. Public invited. For more information, contact Nancy Farrington.