Category: Grange Principle and Practice

Meandering Around the Grange Way of Life

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When Useless Things Aren’t

By Walter Boomsma, Guest Columnist

Road Trip 2024 is over, at least in the sense that the travel is complete. We traveled through eight states and over 3,500 miles. The theme of the trip was “simplicity and tradition.”

Traditions are beliefs and practices that are passed down from generation to generation, usually by word of mouth or actual practice. Much of the Grange Ritual falls into this category.

One of the things I wanted to explore was how “tradition” fits into a society that is changing at an increasingly fast pace. There was some irony in the call from a news reporter just before I left. Elizabeth Waltztoni of the Bangor Daily News wanted to discuss how (or if) the Grange was gaining new members and making good use of the often historic halls. The answer was given in the headline, “Once town centers of agriculture, these public spaces haven’t quite disappeared.” It’s a thoroughly researched and objective article.

One of tradition’s values is that it fosters social bonding and cohesion. In simplest terms, it brings people together with often unstated values and beliefs.

In essentials, unity…

Of course, the beginning of the Grange Slogan raises an important question: “What are the essentials?” In a society marked by increasing discord, it’s an important question! Our essentials are—or should be—our core values. Those values should be simple and straightforward and a focus of our practice and traditions.

In non-essentials, liberty…

There were two instructors at the oxen-driving workshop I attended. Each had a slightly different style and approach. They agreed on the fundamentals, so there was no confusion there. (“In essentials, unity…”) However, by seeing those differences, I was forced to consider my own approach and style. That’s an important point. Even with tradition, there is room for tolerance. What one sees as essential, another may totally dismiss.

I remember sitting in a meeting once and watching an argument develop regarding which foot to lead with during some Grange floorwork. It was sadly entertaining because it focused on differences of opinion. It lost sight of the essentials. (It might be important that two people “marching” together be in sync, but does it matter if they start with the left or right foot?)

In all things, charity.

One of the reasons I love the Grange Slogan is that it’s simple. It’s a great reminder that as we travel through life, we can be guided by “charity” or love. Under that guideline, we celebrate the essentials we share and allow each other the freedom to have differences.

Something simple is not always easy. Communicating with oxen is pretty simple, but I can testify to the fact that it’s not easy.

One of our daily chores involved getting fifteen bales of straw from the upper barn and delivering them to a different location. This was a learn-by-doing workshop. When we discussed our plan for the day, Instructor Rob said, “Using the oxen means it will probably take an hour and a half. We could hop on a tractor and do it in fifteen minutes. But what would the fun be of that?”

He could have pointed out that we wouldn’t learn much about oxen if we used the tractor. Instead, he made us think about what was important and reminded us that learning and work can be fun.

When we have a Grange Meeting, we could eliminate the ritual and save some time. But what would be the fun of that?

Perhaps during the closing of the meeting, there could be a follow-up question to the Master’s question, “Worthy Overseer, are the labors of the day complete?”

Overseer: “They are, Worthy Master.”

Master: “Did we learn anything and have fun?”

All, in unison: “We did!”

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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When Useless Things Aren’t

By Walter Boomsma, Guest Columnist

I briefly considered taking a sabbatical from writing this column during a summer road trip that spans two months. Then it occurred to me that I might find a connection between the trip and the columns. Plus, I can justify writing about the trip I’m so looking forward to!

Occasionally, I allow myself to speculate on the differences between the “Grange Way of Life” during the formative years of the organization and today. It’s easy to see the differences, but it’s fun and valuable to identify the similarities. An important value of tradition and ritual is familiarity. When we attend a Grange Meeting, we probably park in the same place each time. Our predecessors likely stabled their horses accordingly.

While it wasn’t totally intentional, this summer’s road trip is about tradition. We’ll spend a week among the Amish in Ohio, where we last visited nearly forty years ago. I’ve been warned to expect a lot of change, so I plan to look for things that haven’t changed much. Since the Amish accept change hesitantly and deliberately, what better place to look?

The ultimate objective of the trip is Scott, Michigan–the home of Tillers International. Here I will spend four days learning how to train and drive a team of oxen. Why?

If you’ll permit a digression, many years ago, I was part of a team of Grangers who answered the phones at a PBS telethon. Viewers were invited to call with questions as well as donations. We wrote down the questions and handed them to the celebrity hosts for on-air replies. The program running during the telethon featured classical music including some Italian Opera. During one of my calls, the caller asked, “Why is that guy singing in Italian?” When I showed the question to Rick Tyler, he grabbed the paper and walked towards the camera. I remember it as if it was yesterday. He stood in front of the camera and read the question, then explained, “He’s singing in Italian because he can, Rose.”

At the time, I found it funny. After laughing, I realized it was also insightful. Sometimes we need to do things just because we can–that’s enough of a reason.

In my early explanations of why I was attending this workshop, I often joked, “It may be one of the most useless things I’ve ever done.” I suppose I could just say, “Because I can.” Do we really have to have a reason for everything we do?

Maybe, instead of seeking memorable experiences, we could seek experiences (even ones that seem useless) and then see if they become memorable and useful.

My friends, the person who has been speaking to you is that worst of enemies to progress—ignorance, attended by his companions, sloth and superstition. Give them no heed if you hope to advance.

Assistant Steward to candidates during the First Degree

The Grange Way of Life goes beyond being open to experiences and learning. If we are to progress and grow, we must abandon ignorance, sloth (laziness), and superstition (commonly seen as fear of the unknown). While it’s not limited to vacations, they can be a great time to try something different and, maybe even a little bit crazy.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

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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Owner or Steward?

By Walter Boomsma, Guest Columnist

A dairy farmer recently shared his thoughts and feelings regarding his favorite cow, Judy. A terminal illness meant a tough decision on his part. Explaining that decision, he observed, “ I do not own these cows. I am their steward.” He added that meant he was obligated to decide in the best interest of Judy and not on what he thought, felt, or wanted.

“It is required in Stewards that they be found faithful.”

Opening statement when installing the office of Steward

A simple definition of “steward” is one who manages the property of others. So we could rightly ask the Installing Officer, “To whom am I expected to be faithful?” The remainder of the charge given by the installing officer describes the steward’s obligation to the overseer, to “new workers,” and to “keep safely and in proper order the property of the Grange,” noting, “It requires good judgment on your part.” That might be an understatement.

I often visit a local dairy farm where we buy our milk—not quite directly from the cows, but from their steward. But I do get to pat the girls and scratch them under their chins. If the steward happens to be around, we talk about them and sometimes talk to them. I learn a lot. He describes himself as their caretaker. And, while we might be guilty of anthropomorphizing a bit, we are both convinced they trust his care. He points out, “They’ve got it made.” It seems to be a “good deal” for everyone. The milk they give is amazing!

Just maybe that epitomizes stewardship. I shared with him an Amish Proverb. “If you don’t help with the milking, you’ll forget the cows’ names.”

A few years ago, there was a movement (I don’t know where it started) to stop Grangers from saying “my Grange.” I suppose it was a well-intended effort to stop implying ownership. “It’s not your Grange; it belongs to everyone.” Personally, I never had a problem with the words. What’s critical is what we do, not what we say. If a farmer wants to call them “my cows,” that’s okay as long as he or she remembers it’s about stewardship and practices accordingly. Words don’t mean; people give meaning to them. If you tell me about your Grange, I am willing to assume that you live as a steward of it.

The Grange Way of Life is ultimately that of stewardship. During the Second Degree, the Chaplain reminds the candidate for membership, “In no other occupation does a man’s daily labor bring him into such close companionship with the Great Creator as in the cultivation of the soil. Therefore, guard against selfishness. If thine enemy hunger, feed him. Do good, hoping for nothing in return, and your reward shall be great. Love one another.

Love and stewardship are not always easy. One of the most memorable lessons of the degrees for me personally happens in the First Degree, when the Master displays a few kernels of corn and says, “Behold these inanimate kernels of corn! But the germ has life—the future plant is there. We loosen the soil—we bury the seed, and in so doing, impress upon our minds the truth of the immortality of the soul. There is no object in which, to appearance, life and death border so closely together as in the grains of seed buried in the earth; but when life seems extinct, a fuller and richer existence begins anew.”

Are you (in your Grange and in your life) helping with the milking? Do you know the cows names?

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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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.