{"id":98248,"date":"2026-01-15T15:23:04","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T20:23:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/?p=98248"},"modified":"2026-05-08T05:42:03","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T09:42:03","slug":"exploring-traditions-meandering-around-the-grange-way-of-life-july-2017-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3-2-2-3-3-2-3-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/?p=98248","title":{"rendered":"Exploring Traditions – January, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Meandering Around the Grange Way of Life<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

By Walter Boomsma, Guest Columnist<\/em><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Is It Test Time?<\/h3>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/a>
AI-generated image<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I never really understood the connection between the Grange and agriculture,\u201d 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\u2019s also basic and helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One reason we often miss that connection is that we aren\u2019t reminded of it often enough. When was the last time you attended or participated in a degree day? Well, you\u2019re going to if you keep reading. We only have time to scratch the surface, but let\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe ceremony you are about to witness is to introduce you to the Ritualism of the Grange<\/strong>. There is far more to the Grange than Ritualism<\/strong>. The underlying philosophy of the Grange is portrayed by the oldest and most successful method of communication known to man\u2014the use of symbols<\/strong>\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is important to note that this is a lesson for candidates, people who, for various reasons, have decided to join the Grange\u2014it is not an explanation of the Grange to someone who is unfamiliar with it. That\u2019s why it sounds backward. Someone unfamiliar with the Grange should be hearing the \u201cfar more to the Grange than Ritualism\u201d first. The Ritual was always meant to play a supporting role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To fully appreciate that point, would you advertise an open house at your Grange so folks could \u201cCome to see what we do\u201d and then conduct the degrees? I hope not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Could it really be that simple? Remember, the degrees are for people who\u2019ve 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\u2019s greeting to the candidates, there\u2019s a clear connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAdditional 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.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, we need to understand symbolism because the Overseer is suggesting a comparison and using it. To paraphrase, \u201cAs we work together to build and improve our collective lives with mutual respect and concern, it\u2019s like working in the fields and homes. There is lots of work for us\u2026 we are united by our objective and will work together fraternally.\u201d (Fraternally means friendly or brotherly. It suggests a common purpose or interest\u2014we\u2019re not fraternal just for the sake of being fraternal!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Granges\u2014any organization, really\u2014gets 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\u2019t form the Grange to \u201cdo the ritual.\u201d The Master and Overseer make that clear at the outset of the first degree\u2014if 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\u00a0\u201cThe first and highest object of our Order is \u2018to develop a better and higher manhood and womanhood.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/em>If you are a member who celebrated the degrees, you heard that three times in the first few minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I\u2019m teaching adults, I often say, \u201cIf you hear me repeat something three times, that might be important\u2014maybe even a test question.\u201d I suspect the authors of the degree work were thinking the same. We don\u2019t, unfortunately, test candidates on what they learn during their degrees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or maybe we do\u2014just 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

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\u2014Celebrating the Grange Way of Life” can be found at <\/em>http:\/\/abbotvillagepress.com<\/em><\/a>,<\/em> on Mr. Boomsma’s Amazon Author Page<\/a>, or by contacting the author.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Meandering Around the Grange Way of Life By Walter Boomsma, Guest Columnist Is It Test Time? I never really understood the connection between the Grange and agriculture,\u201d 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. … Continue reading “Exploring Traditions – January, 2026”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2122,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[190,19],"tags":[34,176,25],"post_folder":[365],"class_list":["post-98248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-grange-principle-and-practice","category-history-and-trivia","tag-grange-activities","tag-grange-degrees","tag-grange-heritage"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false,"post-thumbnail":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Walter Boomsma","author_link":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/?author=2122"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Meandering Around the Grange Way of Life By Walter Boomsma, Guest Columnist Is It Test Time? I never really understood the connection between the Grange and agriculture,\u201d 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.…","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1arC1-pyE","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98248","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2122"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=98248"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98248\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99354,"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98248\/revisions\/99354"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=98248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=98248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=98248"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fpost_folder&post=98248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}