{"id":98532,"date":"2026-04-02T07:52:41","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T11:52:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/?p=98532"},"modified":"2026-04-02T13:28:31","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T17:28:31","slug":"the-grange-more-than-a-place","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/?p=98532","title":{"rendered":"The Grange: More Than a Place"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Walter Boomsma, MSG Communications Director<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article was published in the April 2026 Issue of the Guilford Register<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a9 2026, Walter Boomsma<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of my greatest pleasures in life is attempting to explain the origins and purpose of this organization called \u201cthe Grange\u201d to excited third graders as part of our \u201cWords for Thirds\u201d program. I start by attempting to determine what they already know about the Grange, and I\u2019ll always remember the young girl who waved her hand enthusiastically and announced, \u201cI was born there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It took a little thinking to realize she\u2019d heard me say \u201cLaGrange\u201d \u2013 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

A sense of connection often attracts people to small-town rural America. But even small towns are experiencing a \u201csocial disconnect\u201d 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 \u201cconnected\u201d with people \u2013 in many cases, people we rarely see and certainly can\u2019t touch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But beneath all the communicating, we still want to see people \u2013 to touch and be touched \u2013 and to feel a part of something. People will claim their families are going \u201cin a million different directions\u201d 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 \u201cLaGrange\u201d is not enough. Being from \u201cthe Grange\u201d offers more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019t 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\u2019t be born there, but you can belong.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Walter Boomsma, MSG Communications Director This article was published in the April 2026 Issue of the Guilford Register. \u00a9 2026, Walter Boomsma One of my greatest pleasures in life is attempting to explain the origins and purpose of this organization called \u201cthe Grange\u201d to excited third graders as part of our \u201cWords for Thirds\u201d … Continue reading “The Grange: More Than a Place”<\/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_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[165,190],"tags":[34,206,25],"post_folder":[704],"class_list":["post-98532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-communication-2","category-grange-principle-and-practice","tag-grange-activities","tag-grange-advocacy","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":"By Walter Boomsma, MSG Communications Director This article was published in the April 2026 Issue of the Guilford Register. \u00a9 2026, Walter Boomsma One of my greatest pleasures in life is attempting to explain the origins and purpose of this organization called \u201cthe Grange\u201d to excited third graders as part of our \u201cWords for Thirds\u201d…","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1arC1-pDe","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98532","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=98532"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98532\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98628,"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98532\/revisions\/98628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=98532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=98532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=98532"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mainestategrange.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fpost_folder&post=98532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}