Patrons of Husbandry – a website dedicated to the Granges located in Maine
The Maine State Grange Office is located at
36 Anthony Avenue, Suite 102, Augusta, ME 04330
The office is open Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday from 9:30 am until 1:30 pm
The email address is mainestategrange@gmail.com.
For website matters, email webmaster@mainestategrange.org.
The National Grange has identified Mill Stream Grange #574 as a 2026 Distinguished Grange.
The National Grange will recognize Mill Stream Grange along with 53 other Community, Pomona, and Junior Granges and four State Granges at the 160th Annual National Grange Convention in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, this November, as well as at a special National Grange Honors Night on November 20th.
“Earning the title of Distinguished Grange is a powerful reflection of what the Grange can accomplish at the local level,” said National Grange President Christine Hamp. “It recognizes a Grange that is engaged, growing, serving its neighbors, developing leaders, and creating meaningful opportunities for members to make a difference. These Granges are not simply gathering for meetings. They are building stronger communities, welcoming people into the Grange family, and turning ideas into action. Their work represents the very best of who we are and shows the lasting impact a strong Grange can have.”
To be named a Distinguished Grange, Mill Stream Grange submitted a recap of activities, events, and other qualifying data from July 2025 through June 2026, which the National Grange then reviewed. Some of the projects and programs included establishing a Little Free Library, decorating Veterans’ graves, providing area third-graders with dictionaries as part of their “Words for Thirds” program, and crafting “heart cards” for the residents of Woodlands Senior Living in Farmington.
Master/President Jill Sampson tells us that much of the credit goes to Lecturer/Program Director Kristen Heck, who “worked really hard on it, and adds, “The Grange has always been about community and family. Our members and our neighbors gather, bond, and build a stronger, healthier community for ourselves and our children. We are excited and enjoy finding new ways to meet the changing needs of our community.”
The Mill Stream Grange Hall is located at 128 Town House Road in Vienna. Regular meetings are held the first and third Friday of every month at 7:00 pm, following a supper at 6 pm. Mill Stream Grange maintains a Facebook Group, or you can contact Secretary Laurena Cunningham at (207) 246-8534 for more information about meetings and upcoming events.
By Walter Boomsma,
MSG Communications Director
207 343-1842
Communication Shorts are brief (short) but important items posted for your information and use. Please send us your ideas and thoughts!
The Maine State Grange Office is located at 36 Anthony Avenue, Suite 102, Augusta, ME 04330.
mainestategrange@gmail.com. For website matters, email webmaster@mainestategrange.org.
Yes, we will produce an October Bulletin — it will be a reduced edition and will be snail-mailed late due to the State Session, but it’s important to maintain the practice, especially for those who do not attend the State Session. Recent issues of the Bulletin are available on the Program Books and Information Page in the communications section.
Communicate the Grange story with confidence. The Maine State Grange Communications Handbook offers practical guidance for connecting with local media, writing news and event announcements, sharing photos, and keeping members informed. From press releases and branding to websites and social media, it’s a useful resource for Grangers who want to share their work clearly and effectively.
Remember, we now have a specific form for submitting events on the site, and it’s being used! Keep submitting!
There’s still time to make your reservation — the deadline is October 10, 2026.
“An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.”.
Mahatma Gandhi
Choose a future event and start organizing promotion, including a telephone tree or mailing personal notes or postcards. (A telephone tree is an informal communication network. For example, one person calls three people who each in turn call three people, who…)
Visit the 152nd State Convention Webpage!
Remember, we don’t share your email address with anyone, and you get a weekly summary of what’s been posted. Subscribe here! Share that link with your members and Grange friends!
Thanks to those who help us keep these directories current by letting us know of changes!
We previously reported on this project and have enjoyed following its progress!
Mill Stream Grange debuted its Little Free Library on August 8, 2026 during the Vienna Historical Society flea market. Junior Granger Caroline has successfully completed, installed, and stocked the “Little Library for Childhood Literacy.”
Caroline gave away over 100 children’s books and bookmarks during the day. The library is accessible 24/7 and has books for all ages – board books and picture books on the bottom shelf, short chapter books and middle-grade novels in the middle, and adult titles for parents and teens at the top. Each book has a bookmark in it, and bookmarks will be distributed to the community in various ways – potentially also in our Words for Thirds dictionaries.
It also has an official Little Free Library charter and is shown on the LFL map and app.
Caroline’s final step is to submit a report to Girl Scouts of Maine to complete her Silver Award.
In March, the Cumberland Historical Society invited Kathy and Dave Gowen to share the Grange’s history with members and guests. The Town of Cumberland’s YouTube channel hosts the recorded presentation. Kathy and Dave covered the National Grange’s origins and some basic Grange concepts, then used the history of Highland Lake Grange as the basis for the rest of the presentation. Towards the end of the presentation, viewers will learn about some of the many community connections Highland Lake Grange maintains.
Dave and Kathy are rightfully proud of this opportunity and the resulting presentation. The presentation could serve as a template for other Granges to use in their own efforts to reach out to local historical societies and other groups.
Suicide prevention is not one moment or one person’s job. It lives in the relationships we build, the support we offer, and the communities we create together.
Week 4: Supporting Recovery, Families, and Communities
If you need to talk, the 988 Lifeline is here!
Articles in this edition include:
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Note that all recent issues are available on the National Grange Website. To save server space, we only post the table of contents on the MSG Website.
The AARP Fraud Watch Network™ Helpline (877-908-3360) has seen a spike in fake endorsement scams. Criminals will use images, edited videos, and stolen likenesses of famous celebrities to build credibility. They place these deceptive ads on social media to build quick trust with viewers. Today’s technology allows video and audio to be easily altered, making public figures appear to say things they never actually said.
Be cautious of offers or giveaways backed by famous personalities. Don’t buy a product based solely on a celebrity endorsement. If you’re unsure, look up news coverage or check official links to ensure the celebrity’s endorsement is real. Know it’s a scam if you’re being encouraged to send money in some form to claim a ‘free’ prize or special deal.
Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.