Communication Shorts 02-17-2024

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!

February Bulletin Now Available!

The February Bulletin is now available! Remember, the past few Bulletins are available for downloading and printing on the Program Books and Information Page. We also do occasionally accept “guest posts” on topics of interest to Grangers. See the guidelines!

USDA Assistance for Severe Weather

If your farm suffers losses in this severe winter weather, you might qualify for USDA’s disaster assistance programs. Also, a reminder: if you have crop insurance, contact your agency within 72 hours if you suffer losses in this severe winter weather. (Compliments of UMaine Extension)

National Grange Email Addresses

Please note there is no “general” email address for National Grange–you’ll need to decide who to address your concerns and questions to! There is a Directory of National Officers and a Directory of Paid Staff on the National Grange Website.

Don’t Forget This!

Do you have news to share about your Grange? A summary of a past event? Advertising of a future event? These are exciting and fun ways to attract new members. Submit the details for a website post and event calendar listing! This is not difficult, and you get lots of free publicity!

Online Directory of Granges

Yay! The online directory of Granges is updated! This round of updates was based on the most recent Roster. The contact person and information may be the master or the secretary. (It’s a long story.) Please check your Grange’s listing and email the webmaster if anything needs to be changed!

Ideas for Granges

Are you noticing lots of “Chili Challenges?” Maybe it’s the time of year! I noticed today that it won’t get dark at this time of day again until October. It might also be time to start planning your spring schedule.

Thought for You…

“Success is not final; failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.”

Winston Churchill

Do You Love the Grange?

The world wants to hear about it! Fill out the simple I Love the Grange Form… it only takes a couple of minutes! Thanks to all who have shared so far!

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!

Do You Have FOMO?

“FOMO” is a Fear Of Missing Out. One strongly recommended treatment is to subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website. We’ll send you a daily summary whenever news and columns are posted, and we won’t share your email address with anyone!

Subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website

The Patrons Chain 2-16-2024

Articles in this edition include:

  • National Grange Leaders’ Conference taking place now!
  • Final Week to Order – Grange Strong Fundraiser
  • Grange Foundation’s Ernestine Keiser Memorial Scholarship
  • Register for the Virtual Legislative Fly-In
  • Advocacy Playbook: Supreme Court Review of Chevron May Shake Up Federal Regulatory Framework
  • Oklahoma School for the Deaf offers free, online American Sign Language course
  • Grange Supply Store: Vintage Grange Hall Dedication Plaques
  • Grange Member Benefit: American Income Life Insurance 

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. Effective 2024, we will only maintain one year of issues on the MSG website.

The Chaplain’s View – February 2024

By Christine Hebert, MSG Chaplain
(207) 743-5277

As we head into spring, we know new life will be rising up from our lawns, bushes, and trees; we also see calves, lambs, kids, and colts being born on our farms. Let us also renew our lives with a more loving attitude and a deeper understanding of what God would have us do: Working together for the good of all.

And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord the Spirit.

II Corinthians 3:18

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God.

Ephesians 2:8

Exploring Traditions – February 2024

Meandering Around the Grange Way of Life

What is “ample form?” (Part two)

By Walter Boomsma, Guest Columnist

“By command of the Worthy Master/President, I proclaim this Grange opened in ample form for promoting the welfare of our country and of mankind, and for advancing the interests, elevating the characters, and increasing the influence of all Patrons of Husbandry, by properly transacting our business and by exemplifying our principles in Faith, in Hope, in Charity and with Fidelity.”

Overseer’s Declaration, opening the Grange

I’m pleased to announce that, as described last month, we took our meeting on the road, and the consensus at the time was that we opened in “ample form.” (Read that story here.) Maybe, however, we opened in “due form.”

I’m also pleased to announce that the question raised about ample form aroused some curiosity in the mind of John Lowry, Master of Porter Grange. As most know, the structure and ritual of the Grange are based largely on Masonry, and John decided to see what they had to say about it. He’s agreed to share some of his findings.

“In the Masons, A lodge is opened and closed by its Master ‘in due form,’ meaning according to the ancient usage and customs, the laws and rituals of its Grand Lodge. When the Grand Master opens and closes a Grand Lodge (or a particular lodge) he is said to do so in ‘ample form.’ In some jurisdictions, the Grand Master will shorten the common ritual to save time, but his power and authority are “ample” to accomplish his purpose, regardless of the manner in which he does it.”

John further notes that there appears to be some distinction based on who is performing the opening, and seniority plays a role.

According to the Encyclopedia Masonica: “When the Grand Master is present at the opening or closing of the Grand Lodge, it is said to be opened or closed “in ample form.” Any ceremony performed by the Grand Master is said to be done “in ample form;” when performed by the Deputy, it is said to be “in due form;” and by any other temporarily presiding officer, it is “in form.”

And you thought the Grange Ritual could be complicated!

John further notes that the Grange was less interested in hierarchies having only seven degrees, whereas the Masons have 33. It would appear that some of the language was “appropriated” for the Grange, thus unintentionally raising the difference between “ample form” and “due form.”

In a related way, it is interesting to note that in the Grange Ritual, the Overseer acts based on the “command of the Worthy Master.” We could raise the question of whether or not the Overseer has the authority to proclaim a meeting “open in ample form” absent the command of the Master.

If we choose to further wordsmith this, in modern usage, “ample” suggests more than enough, while “due” implies sufficient. If, for example, the overseer fills in for the master in the Grange, the overseer (or some other officer) might be described as having lawfully sufficient powers to conduct the meeting.

I suspect–hope, actually–not too many people will lay awake tonight thinking or worrying about this, but it is interesting. One of the precepts of these columns is that our Rituals and “Grange Way of life” deserve thought and attention. Quoting John, “Ritual for its own sake is boring and meaningless.”

In retrospect, if precision were required, I speculate the meeting we held at Emilio Estates was opened in due form.

What do you think? Why not leave a comment? Click the “Leave a comment” link in the upper left column of this post!

Any degree or ritual quotations are from the forty-sixth edition of the 2013 Subordinate Grange Manual or the most recent edition of the Pomona Grange Manual. The views and opinions expressed in “Exploring Traditions” are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official doctrine and policy of the Grange. Information about the book “Exploring Traditions—Celebrating the Grange Way of Life” can be found at http://abbotvillagepress.com, on Mr. Boomsma’s Amazon Author Page, or by contacting the author.

View from the Farm – February 2024

Webmaster’s note: The format of this column includes all of the Quill’s Endians participating at various times and in various ways! Phil writes this month’s column.

From Melting Heart to Skeptic to Squealsome

In the recent past, I wrote a series of missives that featured our dairy cows, and brought you a glimpse of their characters and dispositions.  Many of the cows inherit their dams’ looks, personalities, and intelligence.  It is not uncommon for us to mistakenly call a cow by their mother’s name or do a double take to be sure at whom we’re looking.

Our latest round of calves from Pippin, Ariel, and Emily are no exception to the observation, and minutes in their presence can take me back to when Pip and Ariel were calves (we did not know Emily as a calf.)

Time will tell whether they grow into more of their mother’s attributes, but for now, the basics are certainly showing through.  An entry into their pen will most likely yield a quick response from Pippin’s calf, and a heart-melting face that demands a good scritching.  Pippin had that same presence as a calf.  

Out of curiosity, Ariel’s calf will approach me, but, like Ariel, she’ll not demand.  She will quietly, patiently wait.  I hope she will get Ariel’s quiet sweetness, and her keen mind.  You don’t really need to show Ariel twice.

Emily’s calf?  She needs other engagements in order to tolerate me.  Pet her during breakfast, sure, but afterwards…why?  Emily is fairly new to Quill’s End, and has taken her time warming to my care.  She is still a skeptic.  I figured it was a nurture, not nature phenomenon.  Now I’m not so sure.  Is skepticism a genetic trait?   I am sure that I’d like to end the skepticism in her progeny.

It really is a blessing to work with the cows generation after generation.  It is something I do not get to do with the hogs we raise.  We do not keep sows, but buy in piglets.

Our last four batches of piglets have come from Emma and Trent Quinby of Spring Tide Farmstead.  Avid porcine advocates, they wax eloquent about the sows from whence our piglets come.  I get to hear about the particular personality traits that have been passed on to the piglets.  I have yet to ask about one particular piglet in our winter-spring batch.  In 20+ years of raising hogs, I’ve never had one that squeals from the moment I arrive to feed until the moment his mouth is too full to vocalize.

That little guy loves his vittles.  His excitement at mealtime is truly enviable.  He has been thinking about mealtime since mealtime, and one more second is one too many.  I have to smile while feeding this guy, and at the quiet that my efforts produce. 

Heather and Phil Retberg and their three children run Quill’s End Farm, a 105-acre property in Penobscot that they bought in 2004. They use rotational grazing on their fifteen open acres and are renovating thirty more acres from woods to pasture to increase grazing for their pigs, grass-fed cattle, lambs, laying hens, and goats. Heather is Vice President of Halcyon Grange #345 and writes a newsletter for their farm’s buying club of farmers in her area and has generously permitted us to share some of their columns with Grangers. Visit the Quill’s End Farm Facebook Page for more information.

Lecturer’s Column – February 2024

By Melissa Baldwin, Maine State Grange Lecturer
207 324-4661

Planning for the Northeast Lecturers Conference is in full swing. This year’s conference will be hosted by Connecticut. Dates for the conference are planned for Friday evening, June 21, through Sunday, June 23, at noon. The conference will take place at the Holiday Inn in Norwich, CT.  More information will come as soon as plans are finalized. Everyone is welcome to attend. This year’s theme is 7 STRONG.

In other news, the program that was given out at the state session is the official program for this year. Thanks to past Lecturer Margaret Morse. If your grange did not receive your packets, they will be mailed out soon. Feel free to email me with any questions at missybaldwin99@yahoo.com or by phone 207-651-0063

Membership Moments – February 2024

By Rick Grotton,
Membership Committee Director
207 582-5915

Some of you who read my columns may be thinking that I may be on some Cloud 9 somewhere with the way I explain how to gain membership. You may think, “That does not apply to my Grange,” “We are too small and do not have community events,” or “What he says does not seem realistic,” or the worst one of all, “We are not interested in gaining new members because we are fine.” Which word, however, appears in each of the above-quoted sentences? Ah, yes, did you find it!! The word NOT!!!! A negative connotation. Negative energy. How do you know the suggestions and hints will not work? If you do not try, they certainly will not work! We all can and must continue to keep our Granges active. New membership is a priority for all organizations. The Grange has much to offer, so let us build on changes and improvements.

The information provided to you is basic and realistic to all Granges and other organizations for that matter. Such information contains the building blocks and principles needed to build a strong organization and needs to be maintained and updated according to your needs without losing the identity of the original basic rules.

Yes, there are Granges in Maine that are not interested in adding new membership. The majority of those have closed due to such, however, there remains a few who want to keep things the way they have always done without outside interference. The Grange is more than just “our” organization. It belongs to everyone who comes through the doors, those whose lives have been changed because of something the Grange has done for them, those who have attended suppers, bingo, and yard sales, and to those who will be our successors who will keep the Granges active and touching lives in their communities for a good cause. Remember to inform others about joining the Grange when talking to them that it applies to ages five and up. Explain the Junior Grange and its function to them. The Grange is a family organization, so advertise it as such.

Ag Committee Report – February 2024

By Roberta Meserve, MSG Ag Director
(207) 998-3857

Do you know a high school senior who plans to continue their education in an Agricultural-related field? We have a scholarship just for them; please help them connect to it. Information and applications were recently sent to all Granges in the state (ask your secretary), or find them on the MSG Website under program books and information.

Last year, five Maine students were each awarded $500 to help with their costs. Please consider donating to our scholarship fund so we can continue to help worthy students.

The committee will participate in Ag Day at the State Legislature on March 19, 2024, and is asking for fudge that day for those visiting our table. If you have fudge to give, contact State Grange Headquarters or an Ag Committee Member for more information or to arrange pick up.

Thank you for any help you can provide.

The days are getting noticeably longer; can playing in the dirt be far away?

Mill Stream Grange Gives Words

On February 1st, Mill Stream Grange members Lisa Goucher and Jill Sampson presented dictionaries to the two 3rd-grade classes at the Cape Cod Hill Elementary School. It was a lively group with much discussion about the different information included in the dictionaries. Sign language and the longest word were favorites with the students. 

Did you know the longest word in the dictionary has over 1900 letters in it!?

On January 31, Lisa Goucher (back row middle) and Jill Sampson (back on right) of Mill Stream Grange presented dictionaries to Mrs. Watkins’s third-grade class at the Mt. Vernon Elementary School. After discussing the page on sign language, the students stood to sign their own names to the class. All the students were very enthusiastic about the different information available in the dictionary. 

“Words for Thirds” is a signature program for the Grange. It provides third graders with their own student dictionary. To learn more, watch this short video!

Parkman Grange News!

By Susan Manchester, Master/President

Parkman Grange is located in Parkman!

The Parkman Grange would like to thank you all for your continuing support. Since reorganizing in 2010, we have made some changes while maintaining popular events, including the town meeting luncheon, the Mother’s Day Tea, and the Hunter’s Supper. We have added the Minnie Bridge Scholarship fund, giving away over $12,000 in scholarships to local students. The Daddy Daughter Dance, which will be on Saturday, April 13th this year, is a fun time for all, with DJ Steve Boddy getting the crowd up, dancing, and playing party games. We also started the Pre-K book program, giving away books to encourage young readers. Our Christmas party is always well attended; Santa and Mrs Claus come and give out presents and take pictures with the kids. Eight tables are set up with crafts to make for gifts to give to family and friends. Our biggest program is the SAD 4 Santa Project, which provides winter coats, boots, and toys to local kids. In addition, each month, we give a $100-$200 donation to locals who are facing a difficult time or could use a little help.

We meet at the Grange Hall on the first Tuesday of each month at 5 PM, starting in April. Meetings are casual and usually last about an hour. If you are new to the area or would like to make a difference in our town, we invite you to attend a meeting.