Maine State Grange

Meandering Around the Grange Way of Life

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The opposite of insubordination is now enrollment.

By Walter Boomsma, Guest Columnist

Complete subordination might have been the goal in an industrial setting. But now, it’s dangerous, expensive and inefficent. Because people close to the work know exactly what needs to be done.

Someone who is enrolled in the journey doesn’t have to be told exactly what to do. Instead, given the goals, the tools and the culture, they will figure it out.

Seth Godin, The Opposite of Insubordination

I can’t be the only person who wonders about the term “Subordinate Granges.” Seth Godin raises the point that subordination had value during the Industrial Revolution, but the Grange, with its Subordinate Granges, was founded before then.

At some point, the Grange was seen as a “grassroots movement.” That implies growth and movement from a local area and seems inconsistent with the local Grange being “subordinate.”

Are your mental wheels turning yet?

There’s a notable shift in language, identifying “Community Granges” rather than “Subordinate.” That seems more consistent with the alleged “grassroots” nature of the Grange. Of course, we could debate to what extent word changes change the actual nature of things. For example, does adopting the term “president” change the role and character of the “master?”

From an organizational design perspective, the Grange seems to have developed a bit of a conundrum. Is the local Grange a grassroots organization, or is it subordinate to higher levels?

I know; the easy answer is “It depends.” It’s also probably the correct answer. But is it the best answer?

Seth’s observation, “The opposite of insubordination is now enrollment,” may offer a clue. As a retired organization design and development consultant, I practiced through an era when “employee empowerment” was more than a fad. It was an attempt to create engagement and encourage employee loyalty. I remember working with one organization that actually had a job title called “Extra.” (They also had an attendance problem–they hired and scheduled these extras as part of their solution.) One of my recommendations was to drop that job title and create a “Gold Team” of cross-trained employees. Would you rather be an extra or a member of the Gold Team? Did I mention that to become a member of the Gold Team, you had to maintain a good attendance record?

I “get” the original structure of the Grange- its grassroots nature encouraged enrollment and engagement. An umbrella was necessary for it to be effective at state and national levels, and that is still true to a large extent. But when we start looking around for the active, relevant, growing local Granges they are locally focused. One might even say they are insubordinate.

Note that Seth’s observation, by implication, compares the industrial setting with today’s society. During the Industrial Revolution, fitting in was more than important—it was essential. We’ve gone from standing in line to punch a time clock to wanting flex time and the ability to work remotely.

We could have an interesting discussion about society’s journey.

If I’m involved in that discussion, I’ll probably refer to Robert Frost. In 1954, he defined freedom as “Being easy in your harness.” He wasn’t just referring to horses.

The notion of freedom does not mean the absence of constraint. Becoming an insubordinate Grange could mean “being easy in your harness.”

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.