Tag: Grange Heritage

Exploring Traditions – May, 2026

Meandering Around the Grange Way of Life

By Walter Boomsma, Guest Columnist

From the First Degree

During our recent Degree Day, someone commented that they wished more people could hear the words from the Degree Work. For the next few issues, we’ll be sharing some of them!

Early in the First Degree, the Overseer explains to the candidates:

“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. The first four Degrees of our Order are based upon the seasons of the year, each conveying its appropriate lesson. You are about to enter the mysteries of the First Degree, symbolic of springtime on the farm, when all Nature is bursting into newness of life. The wild flowers are making the woods and the hills glorious with their beauty; orchards are in bloom, and the air is redolent with their perfume; plowing the fields has begun and soon the sower will go forth to sow.

Additional Laborers and Maids are needed for work in 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.”

Of course, the idea is to do more than simply hear (read) the words. With this, we have the opportunity to digest those words. It was not an accident that the Degree Work starts with the spring season, “when all Nature is bursting into newness of life.” Joining the Grange is also about newness in our lives as we commit to live differently, in accordance with the “precepts of our order.”  There is work to be done on our farms, our communities, and ourselves. Joining the Grange was never meant to be a passive experience, and the “idler has no place among Patrons of Husbandry.”

Another advantage of reading and absorbing these words is that we’re allowed to drift off into visualization. We can take the time to see what the overseer is describing. Imagine standing at the gate to a farm, ready to enter and become responsible for what happens on it. There is no sense of dread. Perhaps some anxiety and tension, but a deep sense of excitement and possibility.

As the Lecturer accepts the candidates’ applications (signets), he explains, “An honest man is the noblest work of God… The first and highest object of our Order is to develop a  better and higher manhood and womanhood.” That’s not just something we do to and for others. It’s something we do to and for ourselves.

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://wboomsma.com, on Mr. Boomsma’s Amazon Author Page, or by contacting the author.

From the Deacon’s Bench

By Clay Collins, Guest Columnist
207 837-0564

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another helper to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”                                                            

  John 14:15-17

Another month has gone by, and I am back behind the computer trying to write a thoughtful, respectful, and inspiring article that will make you want to go out and do good for your fellow human beings. Well, here goes nothing.

As we are told in this month’s bible verse, and I paraphrase here, “if you love Jesus, you will keep His commandments, and He will ask the Father to welcome you into the kingdom of heaven.

This is not hard at all. You probably are doing this right now and not realizing it. Maybe you held a door open for an elderly person or helped someone up after they had fallen. No matter what it was, you were keeping a commandment of the Lord. Another view of this is when you helped a student with their studies. These are just a few examples of how we all can keep Jesus’ commandments. When you do, doesn’t it make you feel a little bit better? It does me!

Until the next time, remember, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”

Benediction: “Heavenly Father, help us to remember that keeping your commandments is the only way to be admitted to your kingdom.   Amen.”

Thought for the month:

“God is good but never dance in a small boat.” [Irish Blessing]

While Chaplain Christine is burdened with technology challenges, she has invited Past MSG Chaplain Clay to share some spiritual thoughts with our Grange Flock.

Grange Heirloom – May 2026

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.

From the Deacon’s Bench

By Clay Collins, Guest Columnist
207 837-0564

Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”                                                             

  John 13:34-35

My friends and fellow Grangers, happy spring and happy Easter! As I write this today, I am looking out the window at the snow. Just sitting here watching the snow come down makes me think about all the things going on in the world.

All of the homeless people, the high cost of groceries, and the cost of gas and heating oil. We might not be able to do much about these things, but there is one thing that we, as a human race, can do to make it more bearable, and that is remember what Jesus said. “Love one another as He loves us!”

Many of you already do this, and I commend you for it. For the few that are stand-offish, take it slowly. When you meet someone, say, “Hello”, and strike up a conversation. Before you know it, you have a new friend. It might not be easy to start with, but do it long enough, it will become second nature. Think about it.

Until the next time, remember, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”

Benediction: “Gracious Father, thank you for giving us your Son, Jesus, for whom we would never have learned how to love one another as He loves us.   Amen.”

Thought for the month:

“May your right hand always be stretched out in friendship, and never in want.” [Irish Blessing]

While Chaplain Christine is burdened with technology challenges, she has invited Past MSG Chaplain Clay to share some spiritual thoughts with our Grange Flock.

Grange Heirloom – April 2026

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.

The Grange: More Than a Place

By Walter Boomsma, MSG Communications Director

This article was published in the April 2026 Issue of the Guilford Register.

© 2026, Walter Boomsma

One of my greatest 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 about the Grange, 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.

For those unfamiliar with it, the Grange, officially known as the Patrons of Husbandry, was founded in 1867 to revitalize American agriculture and foster a sense of belonging among rural families following the Civil War. By establishing local Granges, the organization provided a vital social hub that offered educational lectures, cooperative buying power to lower costs, and a rare space for men, women, and youth to participate equally. This focus on mutual aid and collective improvement transformed isolated farmsteads into tight-knit networks, cementing the Grange as a cornerstone of rural social life and civic engagement for over a century.

A sense of connection often attracts people to small-town rural America. But even small towns are experiencing a “social disconnect” as things like regional school systems and social media change the traditional model of community. We now have cell phones, tablets, and computers to stay “connected” with people – in many cases, people we 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 must be the search for connections and a sense of belonging. At the Grange, families find unity, shared purpose, and a sense of community regardless of geographic boundaries. Being from “LaGrange” is not enough. Being from “the Grange” offers more.

The Grange, with its fundamental principles and practices, is one place where the entire family can not only be together but also feel connected to other like-minded people and families. The Grange’s rich heritage as an organization with shared values and missions remains 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 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 crucial factors that distinguish the Grange from other civic and community organizations. The family orientation is one notable difference. 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, economic, and educational benefits to all. You can’t be born there, but you can belong.

Home on the Grange

By Walter Boomsma

Guilford Register Logo
Originally posted in The Guilford Register Magazine in celebration of Grange Month.

One of my greatest 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 about the Grange, 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.

For those unfamiliar with it, the Grange, officially known as the Patrons of Husbandry, was founded in 1867 to revitalize American agriculture and foster a sense of belonging among rural families following the Civil War. By establishing local “Granges,” the organization provided a vital social hub that offered educational lectures, cooperative buying power to lower costs, and a rare space for men, women, and youth to participate equally. This focus on mutual aid and collective improvement transformed isolated farmsteads into tight-knit networks, cementing the Grange as a cornerstone of rural social life and civic engagement for over a century.

A sense of connection often attracts people to rural small-town America. But even small towns are experiencing a “social disconnect” as things like regional school systems and social media change the traditional model of community. We now have cell phones, tablets, and computers to stay “connected” with people – in many cases, people we 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 of 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 where the entire family can not only be together but also feel connected to other like-minded people and families. The Grange’s rich heritage as an organization with shared values and missions remains 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 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.

Complete Issue of the Guilford Register

ⓒ by the author

Exploring Traditions – March, 2026

Meandering Around the Grange Way of Life

By Walter Boomsma, Guest Columnist

To Degree or Not to Degree

As we approach what have become annual degree days, there’s an opportunity to give some thought to our heritage and tradition. If it’s not obvious, I admit to having a bias that moving away from the things that made the Grange successful and strong is not always in our best interest. But I’m also not unreasonable. As you may know, the degrees are no longer considered the only path to membership. I’m okay with that.

But it might be a mistake to imply that those degrees no longer have value. One potential challenge we have is the vocabulary we’ve fallen into when talking about them. We often ask questions like “Have you had the four degrees?” or “Have you taken the degrees?” That creates a somewhat passive approach that potentially limits our engagement in the degree work.

The degrees are not a product; they are a process. That process was created to help members learn the “lessons of the Grange.” One could rightly question whether or not the process is as effective as it was in the early years of the Grange, but the expression “don’t throw out the baby with the bath water” comes to mind. In recent years, the Grange has approved of alternative paths to membership, including an obligation ceremony. I’m not aware of any hard data, but I suspect the vast majority of new members are not experiencing (my preferred term) the traditional degree work.

If you’re among them, I’d ask you to wonder if you have missed something.

But I would quickly add that even if you experienced the degrees, you probably have missed something. I know I did! It is only after repeated exposure and study that the lessons of the Grange became clearer and more meaningful. We may think the degrees are no longer relevant, but the lessons they contain are perhaps more relevant and important than they were in the early days of the Grange. I have lobbied in the past for finding creative ways to offer those lessons—or even to reinforce them. (Imagine an online self-paced class!) That desire is actually the basis for “Exploring Traditions” columns. 150 years ago, oral instruction and symbolism were state-of-the-art teaching techniques. They are still valid, certainly. The key is to remember that those lessons are a process, not a product to hand out.

So, while opportunities to experience the lessons of the degrees are infrequent, they are no less valid or important. You might be surprised at what you can learn by participating or observing. One of the moments I remember from my first time participating happened in the Second Degree.

“We are now to teach you how to plant the seed. 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.

From this little seed we have, first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. So with the mind, when duly nourished with Faith and Hope. But be not deceived! Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Therefore sow such seeds, and so cultivate them, that at the Harvest the ripened grain may meet our Heavenly Father’s approval and be garnered in the Paradise above.”

In my mind’s eye, I can still see those seeds as the Master completing the motions and saying those words. “When life seems extinct, a fuller and richer existence begins anew.” How can I not like thinking about that?! Every end is a beginning.

Find a way to engage with the lessons of the degrees. You won’t regret it.

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.

From the Deacon’s Bench

By Clay Collins, Guest Columnist
207 837-0564

“A woman from Samaria came to the well to draw water. Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink,’ (For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to Him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria? Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is saying to you, Give me a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you  living water.’ The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?”    

  John 4:7-11

I apologize for such a long scripture this month, but it said volumes to me. This was the scripture we heard in church this week (third Sunday in Lent). I took the middle part of it. The full scripture lesson is John 4:5–42.

Naturally, we, as good grangers and Christians, would think nothing of giving the stranger a drink of water, but in those days, the Jews and Samaritans were total opposites from one another. It would be very strange for the two of them to even be sitting in the same area, much less talking to each other, especially a man and a single woman.

The woman was correct in saying that Jesus had nothing to draw water, and that the well was very deep. Jesus was not talking about water from the well that we drink. He was talking about the living water that only God Himself provides us. That is what God feeds our soul with to help us understand the teachings of Jesus and God.

The ”Living Water” that comes from God is what sustains us so that we may do good here on earth. We need to drink it in so that we can continue to do God’s work.

Until the next time, remember, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”

Benediction: “Gracious Father, continue to give us the living water.  Amen.”

Thought for the month:

“May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow and may trouble avoid you wherever you go.”  [Irish Blessing]

While Chaplain Christine is burdened with technology challenges, she has invited Past MSG Chaplain Clay to share some spiritual thoughts with our Grange Flock.

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Grange Heirloom – March 2026

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.