Mill Stream Grange
(Town Report 2025)
Mill Stream Grange holds its meetings on the first and third Fridays of each month. Our potluck supper starts at 6:00 with a program and meeting following. Anyone in Vienna, and surrounding communities, is welcome to attend to find out what we do and who we are. Some interesting programs for the 2025-2026 year are an ASL interpreter; a 3D printing demo; a talk on Maine stone walls, a talk on the High Peaks Barn Quilt Trail, our annual Independence Day cookout (July 3) and more!
Last year, Mill Stream Grange won a prestigious National Grange award, the "2025 Diamond Grange in Action" which was presented at the State Grange convention. Only two Granges in Maine were so recognized. Our three Junior Grangers also won an award on the National level for their "Coastal Clean-up" project which they won through their hard work cleaning up around the Mill Stream and pond here in town. We can't help but feel proud of our little Grange, right here in Vienna!
Mill Stream Grange also participates in community service projects including offering a scholarship in two school districts, RSU 38 (Maranacook) and RSU 9 (Mt. Blue) including homeschoolers within those districts. The Dorothy Waugh Memorial Scholarship is presented to seniors pursuing careers in agriculture, horticulture or animal husbandry. We present dictionaries to 3rd graders in Mt. Vernon and Cape Cod Hill schools and 3rd grade homeschoolers. We place flags at 3 cemeteries for Memorial Day. We support, through donations, the local food bank and several of our members also volunteer their time there. We also give to the Mt. Vernon Giving Tree. We hold an annual Christmas party for community children. This year we partnered with several organizations to have a community Trunk or Treat which had a great turnout! The tool lending library continues on an "on call" basis. We have put in 4 raised-bed gardens; some of the produce raised will go to the food bank. The Hall is open on Tuesdays for anyone in the community who'd like to socialize and do crafts. Each year, members of the Grange create a beautiful quilt to raffle off, with proceeds to benefit our community service projects.
Historically, the Grange, officially known as the Patrons of Husbandry, has supported farmers and agriculture. It began after the Civil War to advocate for farmer's rights and continues that function on a local, state and national level today. Mill Stream Grange honors this tradition while also trying to help make our community a better place for all.
For more information, call Jill Sampson: 293-4960. You can also visit our (public) Facebook page!