Meetings and Events Coming Soon!

All events are held at the Valley Grange Hall unless otherwise noted. Note that during the winter months, meetings can become “iffy” due to weather conditions. Cancellations and postponements will be listed here and on Valley Grange’s Facebook Page.

May is Community Month!

Friday, May 17, 2024 — Valley Grange Community Night–our biggest night of the year! Save the date! We’ll be announcing our Community Citizens of the Year. Community Potluck Supper at 5:30, program at 7:00 pm.

Friday, May 24, 2024 — Bikes for Books Celebration at P.C.E.S. This is not a public event–please contact Walter or the school if interested.

June

June 4, 2024–Piscataquis Pomona Meeting — Note this is a Tuesday! Meeting will be held at Wayside Grange in Dexter, starting at 7:00 pm.

Wednesday, June 19, 2024 — Valley Grange Meeting, including election of officers. Potluck Supper at 6 pm, meeting at 7 pm. Jim and Mary are Grange Bees

July

Vacations! Unfortunately, lack of staff means we will not exhibit at River Festival this year.

August

Saturday, August 3, 2024–hall is booked for a private event.

Thursday, August 15, 2024–Annual Picnic Fun and Fundraiser — Save the date!

August 22 – 25, 2024 Piscataquis Valley Fair.

Grange Bees are the folks responsible for preparing the hall for the event/meeting. They don’t mind help, and if you arrive early you may get put to work!

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by Walter Boomsma on August 28, 2023  •  Permalink
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Posted by Walter Boomsma on August 28, 2023

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Sparkle and Shine Wednesday!

We’re looking for volunteer help! On Wednesday, April 24, 2024, members and friends will celebrate Sparkle and Shine Day. Members and friends will meet at the hall between 3:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to do interior light cleaning (sweeping, dusting, wiping things down) and outside sprucing up. If you can lend a hand, come anytime!

If you have favorite tools (cleaning stuff, rakes, etc.) bring ’em along. Many hands will make the work light, and we’ll sparkle and shine quickly. Ambitious kids are welcome–we are family-friendly and should be able to find tasks for everyone!

“The objective of cleaning is not just to clean, but to feel happiness living within that environment.” — Marie Kondo

Students looking for community service hours–here’s your chance to gain some!

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by Walter Boomsma on April 18, 2024  •  Permalink
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Posted by Walter Boomsma on April 18, 2024

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Ways to Support Community Night

This is not a fund-raiser—it’s a fun-raiser! The purpose is to celebrate our communities and way of life. We’ll also be honoring some special community citizens—the Piscataquis County 911 Dispatchers! Here are some ways you can help support this fun-raiser.

  • Attend the potluck supper, meeting, or both!
  • Bring people with you to the potluck supper, meeting, or both. Create a carpool!
  • If you truly can’t attend, drop off a dish for the potluck supper. We can also use rolls, butter, drinks…
  • Call some friends and tell them about it. Encourage them to come.
  • Download and print some flyers then post them around your community–stores, banks, town offices, hair salons…
  • Visit the Valley Grange Facebook Page and share the event.
  • Tell your local fire firefighters, EMS, LEOs, etc. about it. They appreciate our dispatchers too!
  • Invite any local, county, state, and federal politicians you can think of! They usually love things like this! If they can’t attend, ask them to endorse and promote the event!
  • Write a letter to the editor of local publications sharing your appreciation for our dispatchers and mention Community Night.
  • Think spring and hope for great weather.
  • If you have any questions or ideas regarding the event, contact Walter Boomsma, Program Director.
  • If you’d like to help with the potluck supper and have questions, contact Mary Annis or Janice Boomsma.

In a recent blog post, Seth Godin noted that ideas that spread win and because of technology and the changes in media, ideas that spread “horizontally” spread the fastest and farthest. Yelling from the rooftops doesn’t work so well. Telling a neighbor or friend does.

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by Walter Boomsma on April 14, 2024  •  Permalink
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Posted by Walter Boomsma on April 14, 2024

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Recycle Eclipse Glasses

At least one company is collecting used but undamaged Eclipse Glasses. They will be sent to schools in Latin America so children can view the October 2024 Eclipse.

Valley Grange will accept and ship glasses. Bring yours to a meeting or drop them off in a tote box on the Grange Hall Porch!

ECLIPSE GLASSES GIVE BACK PROGRAM INFO

If you’d like to ship yourself, the shipping address is Eclipse Glasses USA, LLC, PO Box 50571, Provo, UT 84605, and the deadline for shipping is August 1, 2024. Valley Grange will collect until July 15, 2024.

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by Walter Boomsma on April 9, 2024  •  Permalink
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Posted by Walter Boomsma on April 9, 2024

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Fraternal Concern, Basil Clement

It becomes my sad duty to inform you that Brother Basil passed away on March 31, 2024. A team of Valley Grangers recently helped Basil celebrate 80 years of Grange Membership. Grangers literally from around the country sent cards and notes of encouragement and congratulations. A hope was that we could join him in celebrating his 95th birthday later this month, but it was not meant to be.

Arrangements are by Mitchell & Tweedy Funeral Home in Bucksport. Visiting hours will be from 10 am followed by a funeral service at 11 am on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. The funeral home is located at 28 Elm Street in Bucksport.

“Heavy indeed are the sorrows that so often descend up us during this early pilgrimage; yet proving the trial of our Faith, in the certainty of the resurrection and the immortality of the soul. To those who look forward to a reunion in another a brighter world, where there will never more be separations nor pain, the experience of death is shorn of its sting and life’s eventide becomes more delightful that the morning; its sunset offers more beautiful visions than those we build in the morning clouds, which disappear before the strength of day. Seen through the eyes of faith, we remember our Brother not as one dead–he has only gone on before us through the gates of the Grange Above, where dwells the Great Master of us all.”

quoted from Grange Ceremony for Draping of the Charter
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by Walter Boomsma on April 3, 2024  •  Permalink
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Posted by Walter Boomsma on April 3, 2024

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Ag Scholarship Available

The Maine State Grange offers a scholarship opportunity to high school students in grade 12 who are pursuing a career in agriculture or a related field. Students must be Maine residents, and applications must be completed in full by April 23, 2024.

Ag Scholarship Information and Application
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by Walter Boomsma on March 26, 2024  •  Permalink
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Posted by Walter Boomsma on March 26, 2024

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February Meeting Results – Looking Forward

We covered a lot of ground at our February Meeting! We even had some special guests stop in–they were out for a walk and saw the lights on!

Community Service

Several bags of “goodies” were packed for the Boutillier Family. Pat and Janice will deliver them to the Red Maple Inn on Wednesday. (And probably have lunch!) As a reminder, the family is still looking for a rental in the SAD 4 School District. If you have any leads, please let us know!

Meeting Schedule

Due to some schedule conflicts, we voted to change our meeting nights for April and June. We will be meeting on Wednesday instead of Friday! We will meet:

  • Wednesday, April 17, for potluck supper at 6 pm and meeting at 7 pm.
  • Friday, May 17, for our Community Celebration starting with a community potluck supper at 5:30 pm and recognition of our community citizens at 7 pm.
  • Wednesday, June 19, for potluck supper at 6 pm and meeting/election of officers at 7:00 pm.

Watch Your Eyes!

Family Health and Hearing Chair distributed the pairs of glasses that would enable folks to view the Eclipse Safely, together with some precautionary advice.

Community Celebration

Plans are well underway to recognize our Piscataquis County Dispatchers and community citizens of the year. It is time to acknowledge their contribution to our community’s safety and well-being. Please save the date and plan to attend! We’ll be releasing flyers and posters soon–please help us spread the word! We’ll also be looking for some help with our potluck supper that night. Stay tuned!

River Festival

We sadly agreed that, due to scheduling challenges, we will not be able to have a presence at River Festival this year.

Emmy’s Request

We discussed the request of a third grader from Virginia for “information about Maine and its people.” Several members have already started assembling packets for mailing. If you’d like more information or to help, contact Mary Annis or Pat Engstrom. Emmy needs the material before May.

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by Walter Boomsma on March 18, 2024  •  Permalink
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Posted by Walter Boomsma on March 18, 2024

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A Community Opportunity

For those who haven’t heard, the Boutilier Family in Guilford suffered a total loss of their home in a multiple alarm fire. on Tuesday.

We salute the Red Maple Inn for already starting a relief effort. (Kayla works there as a waitress.) They have provided some clothing size information and are setting up a donation jar and collection boxes and have requested new or gently used clothes and toys, or cash.

Little girls: size 7/8 and 12 pants, 7 and 12 shirts, size 13 and 3 shoes,
Ladies: size medium- large shirts, 9 pants and 8 shoes
Mens: XXL shirts and 11 shoes

At our meeting, we collected two large bags… coats, hats, mittens, socks… and some books for the kids! We’ll be delivering to the Red Maple Inn soon!

Red Maple Inn Facebook Page
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by Walter Boomsma on March 13, 2024  •  Permalink
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Posted by Walter Boomsma on March 13, 2024

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See You Friday!

I’m not crazy about the fact that it’s snowing as I write this or that the long-range forecast suggests “precipitation” on Friday. We shall hope and persevere, right? Potluck supper at 6 pm, meeting at 7 pm. Judy and Pat are Grange Bees. And we do have some things to discuss! But wait! There’s more! Family Health and Hearing Chair Janice has a small but important gift for everyone. You must be present to get yours!

Might Be a Grange Project!

We have a note from Emmy, a third-grader from Virginia. “Our class is learning about the United States, and I will be teaching our school about the state of Maine. In May, I will create a display for our State Fair that I hope will make you proud.” She’s got some questions and requests–we’ll talk about them on Friday!

Bring on the Sweet Stuff

I believe the sap is/was running! Maple Sunday Weekend is March 23-24. Visit a producer near you! (We could try to have a meeting at Bemis Family Farm.)

Bring Your Calendars

For those who attend Pomona Meetings, note that our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at 7 pm. We will also be briefly discussing plans for this summer.

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by Walter Boomsma on March 10, 2024  •  Permalink
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Posted by Walter Boomsma on March 10, 2024

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Granger Honored –80 Years a Member

“That’s a lot of years,” Basil Clements said when he received his certificate from Maine State Grange Communications Director Walter Boomsma in a “sort of” Grange Meeting held at Emilio Estates in Corinth. While distance has prevented active involvement, Basil speaks of his Grange membership every day, and his room is decorated with certificates and Grange memorabilia.

Front Row: RN Breanna, Basil Clements
Back Row: Walter Boomsma, with Valley Grange Members Janice Boomsma, Mary Annis, and Jim Annis

The “sort of” meeting was attended by a support team from Valley Grange, several of Basil’s nurses and Emilio staff, a niece and her husband, and at least one resident of Emilio Estates. Boomsma explained that since circumstances have put some distance between Basil and his home Grange in Castine, Valley Grange has adopted him. “But we aren’t charging you dues.” Basil noted proudly that, as a Golden Sheaf (fifty-year) member, he hasn’t paid dues for some years but recalled when he did pay them, they charge was $1.25 per year. He also wasn’t sure when he last attended a meeting.

“We brought a meeting to you,” Boomsma explained, conducting some of the opening and closing ritual, including the familiar Grange Salutation. During the meeting, Basil’s nurse, Breanna Bowman, was also presented with a special Certificate of Appreciation for her assistance with the meeting preparations and support. “You demonstrate Grange Values, and we are now considering you an ‘almost’ Granger.”

In good Grange fashion, the event included some socializing. When the event ended, Boomsma noted, “We’re Grangers. This is what we do. We take care of our communities, and we take care of each other.”

Those who would like to send Basil a card of congratulations may do so by addressing it to Basil Clements, Emilio Estates, 65 W Corinth Road, Corinth, ME 04427. He first joined the Grange on March 20, 1943 and will begin his 81st year soon!

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by Walter Boomsma on February 5, 2024  •  Permalink
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Posted by Walter Boomsma on February 5, 2024

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Thanks, Bangor Rise Private Wealth Management

At our January Meeting, we issued both a formal and personal thank-you to Adam, Stephanie, and Shelley for their support of the Valley Grange Words for Thirds Dictionary Program! If you happen to visit their office, you’ll find a sample dictionary on the reception bookshelf. We genuinely appreciate their enthusiasm for and support of Valley Grange and our program!

Bangor Rise Private Wealth Management
277 State Street, Suite 3
Bangor ME 04401

207 990-4787

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by Walter Boomsma on January 21, 2024  •  Permalink
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Posted by Walter Boomsma on January 21, 2024

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