Tag: Grange Heritage

Exploring Traditions – November, 2024

Meandering Around the Grange Way of Life

All is secure!

By Walter Boomsma, Guest Columnist

If we are inclined to doubt that the Grange is about a way of life, we might simply pay close attention to the things we say and do somewhat automatically. In one of my teaching assignments, I am responsible for “locking up” the building when I finish. This includes “walking the building” to ensure lights are off, and no one remains inside. Once I’m outside, I “report in” by texting the person in charge. I usually text “All is secure.” In my mind, the words “Worthy Master” accompany my message of assurance.

I then call home to report my progress. I’ll admit that I am on occasion tempted to announce at the beginning of the call, “The labors of the day are complete.”

While the language of the Grange can readily become part of our lives, an occasional pause and reminder to make sure we are living the Grange way of life can be worthwhile. The language helps us. “Let us be quiet, peaceful citizens…” I often stop right there. I like the word “peaceful.” Merriam-Webster defines it as “untroubled by conflict, agitation, or commotion” and offers as synonyms “quiet” and “tranquil.” Those are some tall orders in today’s society, which seems filled with conflict, agitation, and commotion.

The way we end our meetings is meant to ensure “all is secure,” but it goes beyond closing the Bible and implement case to include the assurances offered by the Grange Way of Life. We are also reminded that we “place faith in God, nurture hope, dispense charity, and are noted for fidelity.” These are the qualities that drive us to “add dignity to labor, and in our dealings with our fellow men be honest, be just and fear not. We must avoid intemperance in eating, drinking, and language, also in work and recreation, and whatever we do, strive to do well.”

I can imagine leaving a Grange meeting years ago, riding home and unhitching the horse, and achieving another “all is secure” at home and in the barn. The animals are settled in for the night. The labors of the day are complete. All is secure. The farm and home are quiet and tranquil. The world we are in is at peace.

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.

Chaplain’s View – November 2024

Christine Hebert, MSG Chaplain
(207) 743-5277

Cultivating a Thankful Heart

(Guest written by Tina Thurston of Norway Grange with the encouragement and guidance of Chaplain Christine Hebert.)

As Grange members, we are not only consistently reminded of our fraternity with each other but also reminded that we are servants of God. Good and faithful servants at that! Constantly challenged to not only build our own strengths and talents but to uplift and foster the strengths and talents of each other.

How then do we do this? What is it, good brother or sister reading this, that sparked your interest and desire to go beyond yourself to make a difference in the world around us?

Although I cannot answer that question for you, I can surmise from my own calling that the answer would have to be God’s knowledge. The knowledge that if we greet the world with unwavering thankfulness, the faith and belief that God is the creator and s/he loves us more than anything- “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if received with Thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.” (I Timothy 4:4-5) We can do anything.

Like all Bible quotes, a wealth of implied instruction is there waiting for us to open ourselves to the true beauty of God’s plan for us.

God created everything. Everything is good. Therefore, there is nothing bad, and if we perceive anything as less than good, we know it is not of God, but a distraction away from our path. So, no matter what confronts us, God says to receive it with Thanksgiving. Being thankful is one of the most powerful ways to be. The act of giving thanks is consecrated by the word of God and prayer –
an ability to turn a frown upside down. To be witness to the awesome love our Lord and Savior has for us by doing his will. We are so very fortunate to know the power of a thankful heart and mind. We are so blessed with the abundant love a thankful countenance affords us. No wonder we are told to spread the good news!

As we continue to ponder the great mystery of this thing we call life, I remind you – “With God all things are possible.” (Mathew 19:26)

And most importantly – and I sincerely believe this to be a commandment: “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

Carry on with a thankful heart, good and faithful servant, carry on!

Note that as requested, the words to Veterans of the USA are available in the Chaplain’s View of the Program Books and Information Page.

Grange Heirloom — November 2024

Grange Heirlooms are snippets from the lessons of the Grange as taught in the Rituals and Declaration of Purposes.

Use the icons below to share this Grange Heirloom on social media and help others understand what the Grange stands for! If this heirloom has a particular meaning for you, click the “leave a comment” link at the left and share your comment with us!

For additional information and resources regarding the Heirloom Program, visit the Heirloom Resource Page on the Maine State Grange Website.

Grange History with Scarborough Historical Society!

A person writing history

Don Taylor, Historian with the Scarborough Historical Society recently posted a number of interesting Grange-related resources. I’ve also added the Society to our Historical Resources Page.

Here’s a list of the available resources.

Visit the Scarborough Historical Society Website

Exploring Traditions – October, 2024

Meandering Around the Grange Way of Life

Fragments of Life

By Walter Boomsma, Guest Columnist

“…reap for the mind as well as for the body. Natural history is replete with both the wonderful and beautiful, and its study enables us the better to carry out the principles we inculcate of Faith, Hope, and Charity. Cultivate an observing mind. It is delightful to acquire knowledge, and much more so to diffuse it. It is sad to think that any human soul should fail to perceive the beauty that everywhere abounds. Nature preaches to us forever in tones of love, and writes truth in all colors, on manuscripts illuminated with stars and flowers.

‘Be faithful, be hopeful, be charitable,’ is the constant song Nature sings, through warbling birds and whispering pines, through roaring waves and howling winds. As Harvesters and Gleaners of this wisdom, teach others how beautiful, how angelic, seems every fragment of life which is earnest and true.

Lecturer to candidates, Lessons of the First Degree

One of the joys of rural living is found in what the Lecturer describes as “fragments of life.” We can often hear warbling birds, whispering pines, roaring waves, and howling winds.

Hearing those may be different than listening to them. Even in the country, we are often overwhelmed by the noise created by competing “fragments of life.” We scroll through social media posts and hear the television or radio calling to us in the background. There is no shortage of things to give our attention.

A gleaner gathers crops or produce left behind after the harvest. As a child, I remember families occasionally being invited to a local potato farm to “glean” potatoes the harvester had missed. The work was hard but enjoyable, and friendly competition was fostered. We came home dirty but bearing a sense of accomplishment.

The lecturer reminds the candidate to “reap for the mind as well as the body.” Just prior to this lesson, the Master noted, “…gather only the good seed. Our associations in life are the fields in which we reap.” A long-standing truism comes to mind: “You are known by the company you keep.”

It’s not a stretch to suggest the lecturer reminds the candidates to be mindful. “Nature preaches to us forever in tones of love, and writes truth in all colors, on manuscripts illuminated with stars and flowers.” It’s a lot harder to find love and truth on a computer or smartphone screen.

I’m not condemning technology, but the Grange Way of Life suggests we keep things in perspective. When we harvest for the mind, we must deliberately consider which fields we harvest and glean. If our purpose is to “inculcate” the principles of Faith, Hope, and Charity, nature is “replete with both the wonderful and beautiful.”

Maybe it’s time to sit in the yard or go for a walk. “Cultivate an observing mind.” It might also be a good idea to take someone with you. Leave the phone at home. Let nature preach. Listen.

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.

Chaplain’s View – October 2024

Christine Hebert, MSG Chaplain
(207) 743-5277

Fall is upon us

Now that fall is upon us, it is time that we gather our winter flowers, apples, squashes, pumpkins etc., and put our gardens to bed. For the winter months are fast approaching, and there will soon be snow on the ground.

Let’s remember that under the snow are tiny seeds that, with the sun’s love in the spring, will become the flowers and plants to grace our homes and yards in the next summer.

How thankful we are to live in this glorious country. God Bless.

“Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways. You will eat the fruits of your labor: Blessings and prosperity will be yours.”

Psalm 128:1,2

“Blessed is the man who trust in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream, It does not fear when the heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a fear of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7,8

Grange Heirloom — October 2024

Grange Heirlooms are snippets from the lessons of the Grange as taught in the Rituals and Declaration of Purposes.

Use the icons below to share this Grange Heirloom on social media and help others understand what the Grange stands for! If this heirloom has a particular meaning for you, click the “leave a comment” link at the left and share your comment with us!

For additional information and resources regarding the Heirloom Program, visit the Heirloom Resource Page on the Maine State Grange Website.

Why the Grange

by Walter Boomsma

The following article was written in the spring of 2009 as part of a National Grange Essay Contest… and it won second place! It seems even more true today than it did fifteen years ago.

One of my greater pleasures in life is attempting to explain the origins and purpose of this organization called “the Grange” to excited third graders as part of our “Words for Thirds” program. I start by attempting to determine what they already know and I’ll always remember the young girl who waved her hand enthusiastically and announced “I was born there.”

It took a little thinking to realize she’d heard me say “LaGrange” – one of the small, rural communities here in Maine. Her answer was certainly amusing, but it was also insightful and telling. Like the organization she was learning about she was proud of her roots and heritage.  She announced her connection and kinship to LaGrange just as enthusiastically as I announce my connection to the Grange.

That sense of connection attracts people to rural, small-town America. But even small towns are experiencing a “social disconnect” as things like regional school systems and “social networking” using the Internet change the traditional model of community. We now have cell phones, PDAs and computers to stay “connected” with people – in many cases people we only rarely see and certainly can’t touch.

But beneath all the communicating, we still want to see people – to touch and be touched – and to feel a part of something. People will claim their families are going “in a million different directions” but not really consider why. Some of it has to be the search for connections and belonging. One reason every community needs a Grange is that folks are searching hard for a sense community and geographic boundaries no longer provide it. Being from “LaGrange” is not enough. Being from “the Grange” offers more.

The Grange, with its fundamental principles and practices, is one place the entire family can not only be together but also feel a connection to other like-minded people and families. The rich heritage of the Grange as an organization with shared values and missions is relevant today. One hundred years ago it was about farmers coming together and overcoming rural isolation. Today, it is about a larger and redefined community, but it is still about coming together and overcoming isolation.

In a 1986 study, psychologists McMillan and Chavis identified the four elements required for a “sense of community”: 1) membership, 2) influence, 3) fulfillment of needs, and 4) shared emotional connection. An in-depth study isn’t required to see how an active Grange contributes to those elements and builds a sense of community. From potluck suppers to community service projects, Grange members and friends feel a sense of kinship and demonstrate a cooperative spirit.

There are several important factors that distinguish the Grange from other civic and community organizations. The family orientation is one notable exception. Grange families find occasions when they don’t go in a million directions. Another is the diversity of programming and interests. The Grange offers social, political, economic, and educational benefits to all. You can’t be born there, but you can belong.

Exploring Traditions – September, 2024

Meandering Around the Grange Way of Life

Abandoning Traditions

By Walter Boomsma, Guest Columnist

A tradition I haven’t abandoned is keeping an eye and ear out for community service opportunities. I also have some appreciation for burial traditions, so it was quite natural that I jumped at the chance to join a restoration project undertaken by the Abbot Historical Society. Volunteers are meeting for a couple of hours each week to clean and restore the stones in Abbot’s oldest cemetery. It’s a fun project—one where you can immediately see the results of your work. It makes you think. It makes you feel good.

My first “assignment” included an almost illegible stone that read simply, “Baby.” When I told my friend Jack what I’d done, he replied, “Everyone does their best to make life work… Keeping gravestones clean is a nice reminder of how the system works. Not a bad spiritual exercise.”

Before and after. Interestingly, some markers show signs of silver paint, others green. The marker reads “Grange No 329” across the top and includes the sheaf, sickle, and “P of H” binding the sheaf.

I’m always a “flag holder straightener” and it didn’t take long to notice there were many opportunities. While doing that, I noticed many short holders without flags. I didn’t count, but in the section I was working in, there were a lot of them! A closer look revealed that they were all Grange flag holders! On the one hand, it wasn’t a surprise. At one time, Abbot had a very active Grange (#329—right on the holder). The surprise was how many there were! Since these were custom-made with the Grange number, one might assume that Abbot Grange maintained a tradition of providing one whenever a member passed. I have tried to visualize blue Grange flags flying. Since this cemetery is right across from the town hall, on the main highway through town, what an amazing display it must have been.

Unfortunately, the tradition and Grange are gone. But at least part of it remains, and I’ve decided to “restore” every marker with some cleaning and painting. Like the stones, this is definitely a long-range project and “not a bad spiritual (and Grange) exercise.”

I’m reminded of another Grange sign that must have existed for a while. Frankly, I’m still kicking myself for not buying this when I saw it. It was a slightly rusted green and white sign that probably was made to hang on a barn that declared Grange Membership. I don’t recall the exact wording, but it was something like, “This is a Grange Farm.”

In life and death, as the song proclaims, “It’s a good thing to be a Granger.” Traditions such as these served as a visual reminder of the Grange Way of Life.

Of course, traditions change. We could probably have an interesting discussion (lecturer’s program?) about the burial customs. Tillers International (where I learned to communicate with oxen) is offering a workshop during which students will build their own caskets in anticipation of an environmentally friendly burial. Until needed, it serves as a bookcase.

If, as Jack suggests, “Everyone does their best to make life work,” a reasonable question might be how the Grange supports that. Perhaps some of our traditions and ritual do so and maintaining them is “a nice reminder of how the system works.” I have always valued our connection with the earth—the biggest system we live in.

We may abandon some of the Grange’s traditional practices for many reasons, but we should do so thoughtfully and deliberately. A word that comes to mind is “legacy,” defined as something handed down from the past. Flag holders and farm signs are simple reminders of our legacy. These flag holders are reminders of a time when everyone knew what the Grange was and what it was about. I know that painting and making them more visible isn’t enough to preserve the memory and meaning, but it may trigger people’s interest. Besides, it’s not a bad spiritual exercise.

(Grange flag holders (slightly different) and flags are still available through the Monroe Classics Grange Store.)

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.