Tag: Grange Heritage

Meandering Around the Grange Way of Life

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By Walter Boomsma, Guest Columnist

Is It Test Time?

I never really understood the connection between the Grange and agriculture,” was a comment I heard from a member recently. I was both surprised and not. On the one hand, that connection can be complex and, at times, overwhelming. But on the other hand, it’s also basic and helpful.

One reason we often miss that connection is that we aren’t reminded of it often enough. When was the last time you attended or participated in a degree day? Well, you’re going to if you keep reading. We only have time to scratch the surface, but let’s start with the First Degree and listen to some of what the Master teaches at the outset. I have added some bold print for emphasis.

“The ceremony you are about to witness is to introduce you to the Ritualism of the Grange. There is far more to the Grange than Ritualism. The underlying philosophy of the Grange is portrayed by the oldest and most successful method of communication known to man—the use of symbols…”

It is important to note that this is a lesson for candidates, people who, for various reasons, have decided to join the Grange—it is not an explanation of the Grange to someone who is unfamiliar with it. That’s why it sounds backward. Someone unfamiliar with the Grange should be hearing the “far more to the Grange than Ritualism” first. The Ritual was always meant to play a supporting role.

To fully appreciate that point, would you advertise an open house at your Grange so folks could “Come to see what we do” and then conduct the degrees? I hope not.

But we could, with a little effort, find in the degrees some information that would be useful during an open house. Listen to what the Master has to say in the very next paragraph.

“The chief objective of the Grange is to build a better and higher manhood and womanhood, and to develop a mutual respect and concern through brotherhood.”

Could it really be that simple? Remember, the degrees are for people who’ve decided to join. The Master is reminding them (and others attending) that they have joined to help build a better and higher manhood and womanhood, and to develop mutual respect and concern through brotherhood. If we jump ahead to the Overseer’s greeting to the candidates, there’s a clear connection.

“Additional laborers and maids are needed for work in the field and household, and we accept you as willing workers, now in waiting for the tasks to which you will be assigned: For in our fraternity there is work for all, and the idler has no place among Patrons of Husbandry.”

Here, we need to understand symbolism because the Overseer is suggesting a comparison and using it. To paraphrase, “As we work together to build and improve our collective lives with mutual respect and concern, it’s like working in the fields and homes. There is lots of work for us… we are united by our objective and will work together fraternally.” (Fraternally means friendly or brotherly. It suggests a common purpose or interest—we’re not fraternal just for the sake of being fraternal!)

Granges—any organization, really—gets in trouble when they lose purpose. Ironically, one of the hazards of ritual is that it becomes a habit, done without purpose or thought. The founders didn’t form the Grange to “do the ritual.” The Master and Overseer make that clear at the outset of the first degree—if we listen. It should be hard to miss, actually, because one of the very next things we hear from the Lecturer is a reminder that “The first and highest object of our Order is ‘to develop a better and higher manhood and womanhood.’” If you are a member who celebrated the degrees, you heard that three times in the first few minutes.

When I’m teaching adults, I often say, “If you hear me repeat something three times, that might be important—maybe even a test question.” I suspect the authors of the degree work were thinking the same. We don’t, unfortunately, test candidates on what they learn during their degrees.

Or maybe we do—just not in a traditional manner with questions. If we understand the Grange’s chief objective, the test is how relevant we are to our communities and how actively we pursue and achieve it.

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Any degree or ritual quotations are from the forty-seventh edition of the 2023 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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By Walter Boomsma, Guest Columnist

May I Incite you? (Part two)

This month’s column is a bit of an “op-ed.” My October column challenged the use of the word “Incite” in the installing officer’s charge to the Steward during officer installation.

I also confessed to being a wordsmith. Lynn Van Note of Parkman Grange sent this reply.

While meandering through the recent State Grange Bulletin, I happened upon your “Exploring Traditions” column.

I think the word “incite” was used deliberately:

During the 1800s, the word was used with the same general meaning it has today. For example, in the 1828 edition of the American Dictionary of the English Language by Noah Webster, “incite” is defined as:

• “To move the mind to action by persuasion or motives presented; to stir up; to rouse; to spur on”.
• “To move to action by impulse or influence.“
• “To animate; to encourage. “

A notable example of its use in that era is in the context of the “Slave Bible” from the 1800s, which omitted passages that might “incite rebellion” or inspire liberation among enslaved people. This demonstrates that the word carried the connotation of encouraging significant, sometimes negative or rebellious, action, which is consistent with modern usage. 

Although the word has tended to go negative more recently, I think it had a more rousing, encouraging aspect — to incite the mind to the point of action, whether good or bad.(But, of course, Thomas Paine’s writings certainly did “incite” those damn colonists to rebellion.)

In replying, I noted that we really didn’t disagree, but the discussion does raise an interesting question. When we talk about “updating” the language of the Ritual, what guidelines do we follow? For example, in defense of Lynn’s point, changing the word “incite” might significantly change the meaning (and appropriateness) of the Ritual itself. How say you? Do we want the steward inciting people? Sometimes the question is more important than the answer. Questions mean we’re thinking, not just parroting the words we’ve been given.

We can surely agree, the Ritual gives us much to think about. I don’t know the word count for the installation of officers, but we’re discussing just one word of it. It’s tempting to adopt that perspective and flip a coin, but do we really want to subscribe to Ritual that’s based on the flip of a coin?

I hope it’s obvious this is a friendly, civil discussion. And I can’t resist noting it’s proof that people really do read the Bulletin!

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Any degree or ritual quotations are from the forty-seventh edition of the 2023 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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By Walter Boomsma, Guest Columnist

Words and Symbols

“Friends, the Grange is a great fraternity, and the lessons of its ritual are expressed by the use of symbols drawn from the field, the farm and the farm home.”

Overseer to Candidates at the beginning of the First Degree

I recently completed a “Words for Thirds” presentation at five schools, with nearly 250 third graders. The presentation includes “a little bit” about the Grange and a lot about words and dictionaries. It all ties together by the integration of farmers, their tools, and words that apply to the Grange. One of our objectives is to introduce the word “steward” and get the kids thinking about taking good care of their tools, including the dictionary they are receiving.

The staves or staffs we use in Grange Ritual are incorporated, and the spud and pruning hook are tools that help us “weed out” things that don’t belong. The shepherd’s crook is a reminder that anyone can be a leader. The owl with his big, round eyes reminds us to keep our eyes open both for things that shouldn’t be and for opportunities to be a leader.

It’s an interesting challenge to get the kids to transfer the purpose of the staffs into non-farming life. Since I’ve been doing this for over twenty years, I’m aware of changes. The transfer challenge seems to have increased. In the past, when I asked for examples of “weeds” (things we don’t want in our classrooms) it didn’t take long to get to things like “trash on the floor” and “meanness.” In one memorable group this year, it didn’t come easy. Even the teachers were rolling their eyes when the kids started answering “weeds” and “bugs.” Finally, one of the teachers raised her hand, and when I called on her, she answered “unkindness.” That got us on track, and additional answers were more to the point. Since I believe in shared management when it comes to learning, I’ve figured out that in the future, when I attempt the transition, I’ll give a sample answer.

Later, when we’re working with the dictionaries, I’ll find a kid who’s helping a classmate find the assigned word. “Look!” I’ll shout. I might even grab the shepherd’s hook. “There’s someone being a leader by being helpful to someone else. Anybody can be a leader!”

But the exercise does raise some interesting questions and consideration about the use of “symbols” and the lessons they can offer. Or maybe the questions are about our ability to find and adapt those lessons.

Occasionally, we get thank-you notes from the kids. (Another observed change—a few years ago I would have reported that we always get thank-you notes from the kids.) In kid form, the notes often include drawings. I’m always pleased and a bit surprised when the drawings accurately represent the four staffs. I wonder if the artist remembers what they represent.

So, Patron of Husbandry, what are the four staffs? More importantly, what is the purpose of each, and what does it remind us of? There’s often conversation about adapting the ritual and symbolism to today’s society. It just might be more important for “society” to adapt some of the symbolism to our daily lives.

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Any degree or ritual quotations are from the forty-seventh edition of the 2023 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.