Category: Grange Principle and Practice

Meandering Around the Grange Way of Life

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Harvesting the low-hanging fruit

By Walter Boomsma, Guest Columnist

We are kept from our goal not by obstacles but by a clear path to a lesser goal.

Robert Brault

An apple picker often works with a bag slung over his shoulder. Experienced pickers always begin at the top of the tree. Typically, the fruit is “better” because it gets more sun. The bag gets heavier as the work progresses. Starting at the top puts gravity to work on the picker’s side.

Until insurance regulations required us to remove a wood stove, the foyer of our Grange hall included a non-working woodstove with several chairs around it. One day, during a quick stop, I found my companion sitting in one of the chairs, staring into space.

He explained that he was visualizing a scene from a century earlier. He pictured a few farmers sitting there, absorbing the warmth and discussing their challenges. I joined him in his reverie.

While the past is behind us, sometimes it’s worthy of a visit. When considering those early Grangers, we should explorre how difficult their lives were as farmers and as early organizers of the Patrons of Husbandry. Consciously or not, they didn’t just focus on the low-hanging fruit in their farming practice and in growing the Grange.

Perhaps we should sit by the stove virtually and discuss continuing the Grange. I recall a conversation (electronic, not by the stove) several years ago with a member who passionately suggested that the Grange should be open and welcoming to everyone. He wasn’t wrong. But the hazard we may create is forgetting the lessons of agriculture. Culling livestock, selective breeding, and many other practices are necessary to maintain the health of the herd. Weeding the garden removes unwanted plants. The word “contribution” comes to mind.

This is certainly not to say that the low-hanging fruit has no value. Even the drops (fruit that falls to the ground) serve a purpose. But most know how “one rotten apple will spoil the barrel.”

I worked with a management team years ago that had a team member affectionately referred to as “good ole number 32.” In football terms, John got the ball when the team needed a yard because the team could count on him to get it. Sometimes, you win by a yard.

But the players who can advance the ball further down the field are just as important and can’t be overlooked.

In our drives to increase membership, we must remember it’s not just about increasing membership, it’s really about increasing the reach, relevance, and resilience of our organization. Find some members who can make an end run or go up the middle. We also need and want some number 32’s.

Whether we use the lessons of farming or a sports analogy, we must remember the goal of membership is not simply increasing the roster. Remember: we are increasing our reach, relevance, and resilience.

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.

Meandering Around the Grange Way of Life

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What is a Patron of Husbandry?

By Walter Boomsma, Guest Columnist

“…I will endeavor to be a true and faithful Patron of Husbandry, perform the duties enjoined in this order and aid others in the performance of the same…”

Obligation from the First Degree

Until insurance regulations required us to remove a wood stove, the foyer of our Grange hall included a non-working woodstove with several chairs around it. One day, during a quick stop, I found my companion sitting in one of the chairs, staring into space.

He explained that he was visualizing a scene from a century earlier. He pictured a few farmers sitting there, absorbing the warmth and discussing their challenges. I joined him in his reverie as we speculated the topics of conversation.

While the past is behind us, sometimes it’s worthy of a visit. When we consider those early members, we should consider how difficult their lives were as farmers and as early organizers of the Patrons of Husbandry. Consciously or not, they didn’t focus on the low-hanging fruit in their farming practice and in growing the Grange.

Those familiar with Grange History will know that the term “Granger” was a relatively new term introduced amid some significant controversy. From the beginning, members were (and still are) Patrons of Husbandry. Those who fought against adopting the term “Granger” pointed out that the “Grange” was a building. Patrons of Husbandry went to the building (Grange) to meet.

Viewed in the frame of Grange vocabulary, that makes sense. A grange was (in the historical sense) “an outlying farm with the barns belonging to a monastery or feudal lord.” (Cambridge Dictionary) Small wonder that we have members who serve as masters, stewards, and gatekeepers.

We can debate the value of the changing vocabulary, but the bigger question might be what is a “true and faithful Patron of Husbandry?” What is a new member agreeing to? The answer is found in the entire obligation and Degrees, but we don’t include that in the membership application.

What are the duties of a Patron of Husbandry?

When I explain this to third graders, we look up the words in their new dictionaries. The keywords in the definitions are “support” and “agriculture.” Kids are usually quite literal, and that works for them. Adults may want to know, “What’s the fine print?” For the most part, the answers are found in the degree work. But you don’t get to experience that until you’ve decided to join.

Ultimately, we all develop our answers to the question. I remember one third grader who visited the Grange Hall. She explained to her young friend that Grangers lived there and read a lot because we like books. Maybe that was close enough.

Pull up a chair next to the virtual woodstove. Someone who knows little about the Grange has joined us. He asked, “What do I have to do if I become a member?”

That might be more important than “What do I get if I become a member?”

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.

Meandering Around the Grange Way of Life

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The opposite of insubordination is now enrollment.

By Walter Boomsma, Guest Columnist

Complete subordination might have been the goal in an industrial setting. But now, it’s dangerous, expensive and inefficent. Because people close to the work know exactly what needs to be done.

Someone who is enrolled in the journey doesn’t have to be told exactly what to do. Instead, given the goals, the tools and the culture, they will figure it out.

Seth Godin, The Opposite of Insubordination

I can’t be the only person who wonders about the term “Subordinate Granges.” Seth Godin raises the point that subordination had value during the Industrial Revolution, but the Grange, with its Subordinate Granges, was founded before then.

At some point, the Grange was seen as a “grassroots movement.” That implies growth and movement from a local area and seems inconsistent with the local Grange being “subordinate.”

Are your mental wheels turning yet?

There’s a notable shift in language, identifying “Community Granges” rather than “Subordinate.” That seems more consistent with the alleged “grassroots” nature of the Grange. Of course, we could debate to what extent word changes change the actual nature of things. For example, does adopting the term “president” change the role and character of the “master?”

From an organizational design perspective, the Grange seems to have developed a bit of a conundrum. Is the local Grange a grassroots organization, or is it subordinate to higher levels?

I know; the easy answer is “It depends.” It’s also probably the correct answer. But is it the best answer?

Seth’s observation, “The opposite of insubordination is now enrollment,” may offer a clue. As a retired organization design and development consultant, I practiced through an era when “employee empowerment” was more than a fad. It was an attempt to create engagement and encourage employee loyalty. I remember working with one organization that actually had a job title called “Extra.” (They also had an attendance problem–they hired and scheduled these extras as part of their solution.) One of my recommendations was to drop that job title and create a “Gold Team” of cross-trained employees. Would you rather be an extra or a member of the Gold Team? Did I mention that to become a member of the Gold Team, you had to maintain a good attendance record?

I “get” the original structure of the Grange- its grassroots nature encouraged enrollment and engagement. An umbrella was necessary for it to be effective at state and national levels, and that is still true to a large extent. But when we start looking around for the active, relevant, growing local Granges they are locally focused. One might even say they are insubordinate.

Note that Seth’s observation, by implication, compares the industrial setting with today’s society. During the Industrial Revolution, fitting in was more than important—it was essential. We’ve gone from standing in line to punch a time clock to wanting flex time and the ability to work remotely.

We could have an interesting discussion about society’s journey.

If I’m involved in that discussion, I’ll probably refer to Robert Frost. In 1954, he defined freedom as “Being easy in your harness.” He wasn’t just referring to horses.

The notion of freedom does not mean the absence of constraint. Becoming an insubordinate Grange could mean “being easy in your harness.”

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.