Maine State Grange

Meandering Around the Grange Way of Life

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When Tradition Evolves…

By Walter Boomsma, Guest Columnist

An interesting bit of Grange Trivia is that during our early days, there was much disagreement when members started using the term “Granger” to describe members. Opponents noted strongly that we are “Patrons of Husbandry.” The conservative position was that the term “Grange” applied to the building where those patrons meet. Fast forward some decades. During a recent meeting at our hall, a visitor asked what the “P of H” stood for in our logo.

I just finished reading an excellent book called Brainscapes, written by Rebecca Schwarzlose. The sub-title, “The warped, wondrous maps written in your brain and how they guide you,” doesn’t quite do it justice. It’s a fascinating look into the neuroscience of our brains. Science suggests that, in many ways, our brains have a mind of their own. (Yes, I’m proud of that play on words.) As might be expected, there are some interesting observations regarding our brain’s evolution.

Last summer, when I learned to work with oxen, our instructor warned us that the first thing we’d have to do was convince the team we weren’t trying to kill them. Of course, he was explaining the avoidance of predators instinct remains firmly implanted in our oxen’s brains. That’s not a bad thing, but working with them requires an understanding of what and how they think.

We could say the same of human beings. We benefit from an understanding of what and how we think. A goal of books like Brainscapesis to create self-awareness and understanding.

Realizing that organizations are collections of human beings, we can broaden the term “evolution” to see how organizations change. Much like the biological term, those changes may be slow and triggered by environmental changes. Unlike biological evolution, the timeline is often much shorter. We went from being Patrons of Husbandry to being Grangers in 100+ years.

That early debate ultimately ended quietly. In retrospect, we could understand the change as a response to the environment. It’s much easier to say “I’m a Granger” than to say “I’m a Patron of Husbandry.”

In a larger sense, the debate continues. Consider, for example, the recent shift of officer titles. Those who favor “president” over “master” see this as “evolution” and a response to our changing social environment. Those who resist are concerned with what gets lost in the process. As is often the case, the odds are good that both sides are right and both sides are wrong.

Some would likely suggest that the Grange has evolved in a way that “Patrons of Husbandry” is no longer an accurate description. Yes, we are still “patrons” – people who provide support. But are we still supporting husbandry? Merriam Webster defines the word as “the cultivation or production of plants or animals, or the control or judicious use of resources.” So, while our focus on farming may be reduced, we are supporters of the “judicious use of resources.”

It’s easy to forget that change is as much about what we keep as what we abandon. If we learn the lessons of the Degrees, we are still very much interested in agriculture. But we’re not limited to elevating farmers. We also look to nature for the lessons it teaches us. In every sense of the words, we are Patrons of Husbandry.

Evolution happens gradually and often with a lack of critical thinking—it’s a reaction. Fortunately, humans have the ability to engage in higher levels of thinking. We can do more than react to changes in our environment and society. Perhaps unfortunately, society seems to be evolving at a rapid pace. (One interesting question Brainscapes raises is whether or not individuals are keeping pace with the evolution of society. Our brains are powerful organs, but not without limitations.)

We are rightly proud of the Grange’s survival as an organization. Whether or not we continue to survive and prosper will largely depend on how we evolve. While it’s important to adapt to our environment, it’s more important that we do so consciously and deliberately. Let’s not wake up some morning and discover we’ve lost what got us here.

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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.