Meandering Around the Grange Way of Life
by Walter Boomsma
It’s Officer Installation Season–maybe!
“Let me caution you, that you keep the eye of the mind open among your members. Encourage improvement; remember that Nature’s motto is ‘onward.’ She never goes backward.”
From the Installing Master’s Charge to Masters
The installing officer’s charge to Masters being installed is one of the longer ones. As a result, it’s easy to stop listening. As with the Grange Ritual in general, there is much to learn.
Not every member is destined to hold the office of Master, but every member could benefit from what masters are taught during the installation ceremony. I’ve chosen just a few sentences for consideration.
“Keep the eye of the mind open…” is a skill that can be developed. Here, we are talking about being observant of our members. That’s consistent with being a fraternal organization. By most definitions, a fraternal organization is a social club or membership organization formed around a common bond, ideology, or personal background. We might do well to consider how strong that bond actually is. But one of the things that makes it stronger is “keeping the eye of the mind open” or, in other words, “keeping an eye on each other.” Can you answer these questions?
- Who, now, is the happiest person in your Grange?
- Who, now, is the most discouraged person in your Grange?
You get the idea, right?
“Encourage improvement.” I suspect this is a two-word sentence by design because it allows us to be broad in our thinking. What do we want to improve? This is not subtractive thinking designed to get us focused on what’s wrong. It’s opportunity thinking. What can we make better? I’ve thought it would be fun (a lecturer’s program, maybe) to spend some time during a meeting asking everyone to identify one thing relative to the Grange he or she could improve. It doesn’t have to be monumental. Does the fridge need cleaning?
“Nature’s motto is ‘onward.’” Sometimes I find myself thinking the Grange is stuck in the fall season and has become focused on declining. One of the saddest emails I’ve read recently included, “Our Grange seems to be falling apart… how can I bring back the excitement that I still feel in our Grange?” It’s a simple but not easy question to answer. “Encourage improvement and remember that Nature’s motto is onward.” Nature uses fall and winter to her advantage. We often think of winter as a time for rest. In Maine, we may well “hunker down.” But just as sure as winter arrives, so does spring together with an awaking and a time for growth and blooming.
“You may encounter difficulties. Overcome them, remembering that difficulties are but opportunities to test our abilities. As Master of this Grange, your fellow laborers will look to you to devise work. A judicious Master will use due care that no time is lost in labor. Let all labor and all time tend toward improvement. Your laborers will come in contact with their minds; if they are left uncultivated, if neglect is allowed, the moral weed crop will baffle and torment you.”
Ibid
There is no reason to assume this is exclusively the Master’s responsibility. One feature of a fraternal organization is that everyone is a leader in the sense of fostering a common bond. Every member should be keeping the eye of the mind open, encouraging improvement, and moving onward. What one thing can you improve today?
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.