Maine State Grange

Degrees and Symbols

As many know, the Valley Grange “Words for Thirds” Dictionary Program has become a “rite of passage” in our area–and a bit of a ritual. We had to make significant changes in our approach last year when COVID meant third graders couldn’t visit the Grange Hall and Grangers couldn’t visit them at school.

One of the things I’ve always enjoyed is showing the kids the staves, explaining what farmer’s tool each represents, and how we apply that to “the Grange Way of Life.” I’m also always pleased when the thank you notes we receive include hand-drawn staves. The kids remember them!

So I can’t resist asking you to list the four staves. Bonus points if you know which officer carries which stave! (This is reminiscent of the game “Are you smarter than a third grader?”

While the recently released National Grange Brochure doesn’t cover the staves, it does a nice job of summarizing the Four Degrees: their emblems, seasons, and lessons. You can read the introductory post and download a copy from The Program Books and Information Page. One thing that recommends this brochure is that it removes any mysticism, simplifies the degrees and symbols, and shows how they can apply to our daily lives.

The kids are pretty good at the application when we discuss the staves. I offer a brief explanation, then invite them to consider if they had one in their classroom, what might it remind them of? One of my all-time favorites came from a young fellow who said, “The pruning hook would remind me to pick up papers and trash on the floor of our classroom.” I was less pleased when a student asked if we couldn’t use it to “cut out the math lessons.” But she gets points for thinking. And we get to think about the fact that we don’t always like what’s good for us.

I wonder–do we “modern-day” Grangers consider the Degrees and Symbols as part of our daily lives to the same degree our forebears did? The kids end up thinking about what agriculture and farming tools can teach us. Some think it would be pretty awesome to have staves in their classrooms. (They really like the owl.) We make the point that their dictionaries are tools as well and try to teach the concept of stewardship in a simple form.

Are we smarter than third-graders?

Memorizing the degrees and symbols can be fun, but let’s not miss the meaning. If a Grange is struggling, could we not look at the emblems as a way of thinking through change? What do we need to prune out? Can the hoe help us “destroy error… while promoting the growth of knowledge and wisdom?”

An obvious Lecturer’s Program based on this brochure is to develop a “trivia” contest based on the degrees and symbols. But if we stop there, we fail our purpose as educators.

When is the last time someone other than the master actually looked at the items in the implement case and thought about each? The knowing is good, but let’s not omit the doing. What tools do we have to grow ourselves and our Granges and how are we going to best use them? Who is ready to grab the shepherd’s hook and lead the way?!

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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.

People like us do things like this…

Seth Godin recently described culture as “People like us do things like this.” That’s an interesting definite that Grangers could apply to our Ritual and Heritage. Seth also noted that “Our conversations and arguments about how we react to changes in the culture do little to change the forces that are shaping our future, though.” He concludes “Our response to change is often all we have control over. And the way we respond is how we create the next cycle of culture and possibility.”

That somewhat coincidently aligns with some conversation I had recently with Amanda Brozana Rio regarding the reorganization and fantastic growth of Jefferson Grange in Pennsylvania. (If you missed that interview, it’s available on the MSG website and YouTube channel. After reorganizing, they doubled their membership in three months.) One of the components of the reorganization was considering what the culture of Jefferson Grange would be like. In Seth’s terms, they thought long and hard to define what “people like us were going to be doing.” The basis of their recruiting program became finding like-minded people doing the things Jefferson Grange would be doing.

Of course, that also meant they had to be clear on what they would be doing—and, to some extent, thinking! For an organization steeped in tradition, this can become challenging in part because tradition and ritual sometimes mean doing without thinking. But it’s also important to realize that “thinking” doesn’t mean changing or abandoning.

“Syncretism” is one of those fancy words that describes integrating new cultural ideas and practices into the ones that already exist. We might think of it as “evolving” and it’s common in religious practice. It’s not about this or that; it’s about both.

We’ve recently entertained some families with younger children. We realized that while unrelated, nearly every child who visited was defined as a “grazer,” meaning they didn’t eat full meals—they tended to snack throughout the day. I confess we wanted (and to some extent did) stand our ground when it was mealtime. While the adults sat together at the table, the child “came and went.”

The families weren’t related and didn’t even know each other. We ultimately realized we were witnessing a new culture and we’d have little to gain by expecting something different. Well, we might have gained some frustration, I suppose. My point is not to argue the value of a sit-down family meal. We did have an established mealtime—it just took place over an extended period of time. And we were able to visit with the appearing and disappearing children. Later, we could reflect on the realities of family schedules with multitudes of activities and begin to understand that the family meal (an old cultural practice) was fitting into some new cultural realities.

I was reminded of the Grange president/master who declared the end of potluck suppers. He made it his job to prepare a meal for the membership before every meeting. His explanation was that “today’s young people” don’t have time to plan and prepare a portable meal to bring so I’ll do that for them. It was a potluck in the sense they didn’t know what they were getting until they got there, but it was a new approach and practice. I think that’s syncretism.

It’s easy to resist change, to dig in one’s heels and be unequivocal. But the results often are not productive beyond creating polarity. Whether or not we believe in evolution in the Darwinian sense, the term can be used to describe a comfortable change that recognizes it’s possible to be in favor of something without being against something else. In my potluck example, being in favor of the master/president providing the meal didn’t mean being against the “potluck.” (An interesting variation could be different members volunteering to provide the meal each month.)

You don’t have to be an intense student of history to recognize how the “Grange Way of Life” has evolved over the years. And to be thankful that it did! We can be equally thankful that some things have not changed.

We need to recognize, however, that society (culture) is changing at a much more rapid pace than ever before. In a recent adult class, I asked for a show of hands representing the reality and impact of 9-11. Over ten percent of the class were either not alive when it happened or were too young to remember what for many of us was a significant and very personal experience.

When we study the Grange of 150 years ago and compare it to the Grange of today, it’s comparatively easy to accept the differences. But, whether we like it or not, the timeline is shortening. Consider what the Grange (which usually means the one you are a member of) of ten years ago looked like in comparison to today—not just in terms of membership and budget but in terms of purpose and personality (or culture). What will it look like in a year or two?

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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.

It’s Officer Installation Season–maybe!

“Let me caution you, that you keep the eye of the mind open among your members. Encourage improvement; remember that Nature’s motto is ‘onward.’ She never goes backward.”

From the Installing Master’s Charge to Masters

The installing officer’s charge to Masters being installed is one of the longer ones. As a result, it’s easy to stop listening. As with the Grange Ritual in general, there is much to learn.

Not every member is destined to hold the office of Master, but every member could benefit from what masters are taught during the installation ceremony. I’ve chosen just a few sentences for consideration.

“Keep the eye of the mind open…” is a skill that can be developed. Here, we are talking about being observant of our members. That’s consistent with being a fraternal organization. By most definitions, a fraternal organization is a social club or membership organization formed around a common bond, ideology, or personal background. We might do well to consider how strong that bond actually is. But one of the things that makes it stronger is “keeping the eye of the mind open” or, in other words, “keeping an eye on each other.” Can you answer these questions?

• Who, now, is the happiest person in your Grange?
• Who, now, is the most discouraged person in your Grange?

You get the idea, right?

“Encourage improvement.” I suspect this is a two-word sentence by design because it allows us to be broad in our thinking. What do we want to improve? This is not subtractive thinking designed to get us focused on what’s wrong. It’s opportunity thinking. What can we make better? I’ve thought it would be fun (a lecturer’s program, maybe) to spend some time during a meeting asking everyone to identify one thing relative to the Grange he or she could improve. It doesn’t have to be monumental. Does the fridge need cleaning?

“Nature’s motto is ‘onward.’” Sometimes I find myself thinking the Grange is stuck in the fall season and has become focused on declining. One of the saddest emails I’ve read recently included, “Our Grange seems to be falling apart… how can I bring back the excitement that I still feel in our Grange?” It’s a simple but not easy question to answer. “Encourage improvement and remember that Nature’s motto is onward.” Nature uses fall and winter to her advantage. We often think of winter as a time for rest. In Maine, we may well “hunker down.” But just as sure as winter arrives, so does spring together with an awaking and a time for growth and blooming.

“You may encounter difficulties. Overcome them, remembering that difficulties are but opportunities to test our abilities. As Master of this Grange, your fellow laborers will look to you to devise work. A judicious Master will use due care that no time is lost in labor. Let all labor and all time tend toward improvement. Your laborers will come in contact with their minds; if they are left uncultivated, if neglect is allowed, the moral weed crop will baffle and torment you.”

Ibid

There is no reason to assume this is exclusively the Master’s responsibility. One feature of a fraternal organization is that everyone is a leader in the sense of fostering a common bond. Every member should be keeping the eye of the mind open, encouraging improvement, and moving onward. What one thing can you improve today?

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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.

It’s Officer Installation Season–maybe!

“…we believe there is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor. It is from the hand of God.”

From the Installing Master’s Opening Address

Installation Ceremonies are a great opportunity to eat and drink, but more importantly, they are an even bigger opportunity to learn much about the Grange in general and the responsibilities of those who hold an office. One of the most important duties of every officer (and member, truly) is to “make his soul enjoy good in his labor.” For those reasons and more, the Installation Ceremony has always been one my personal favorite rituals.

We are facing the unfortunate reality that there are very few Installation Teams these days. An even more unfortunate result is that we are missing the lessons of the ceremony. We might do well to raise this question: “Is it necessary for there to be a dedicated group conducting the installation ceremony?” The short answer to that question is, “No.” It is certainly nice to have a practiced group of individuals conduct the ceremony but that is not a requirement. Let’s look to some credible resources to learn the requirements.

The National Grange Digest of Laws answers the question quite clearly. “A Master or Past Master of a Subordinate Grange, or a Fifth Degree member, may install the officers of a Subordinate Grange.” (6.14.1, Page 42.)

Maine State Grange By-Laws do not address the who, but they do address the when. “…They shall be chosen at a regular meeting, held in the Fifth Degree, in the month of June each year, and installed as soon as practicable after August 1st.” While there is no deadline, it logically follows that officers should be installed prior to the Annual State Grange Session in October. (XI Section 2, Page 6).

The 2013 Subordinate Grange Manual repeats the observation that a Master or Past Master of a Subordinate Grange or a Fifth Degree member may conduct the installation. Also, that manual offers the “traditional” installation ceremony and an “alternative” version. The consensus seems to be that the alternative version is simpler and significantly shorter. There are a number of suggestions made for both ceremonies and it is noted that the Installation Ceremony may be open to the public.

Within that context, let’s consider how we can protect the value and benefit of installing officers. A few years ago I received a call from the Master of a Grange who was nearly desperate. He could not find an Installation Team but to his credit, he wanted his officers and members to experience it and receive the value and benefits. The idea we came up with was actually a simple one—a “do it yourself” installation ceremony. As Master, he was qualified to conduct it. It seemed intimidating at first but the more we talked about it, the more practical it became, particularly the only other alternative was to do nothing. Since I started this column with reference to food and drink, I would offer this analogy. “If you can’t have steak, you can either go hungry or have hamburgers.” He chose hamburgers.

He later happily reported they’d done it, admitting it was “a little rough” and “we managed to laugh at our mistakes.” But they’d worked together and done it. The hamburger tasted pretty good after all was said and done. In the words of the installation ceremony, they made their souls enjoy the good in their labor.

Too often ritual becomes a source of power when it was meant to be a source of learning and inspiration. I occasionally scratch my head at some of the “old Grange tales” I hear stated by “experts” in the context of “You’re supposed to…” Maybe instead of worrying about which foot you’re supposed to start off on, we should be saying and hearing, “You’re supposed to make your soul enjoy good in your labor.”

Don’t skip installation and lose the value and benefits. Use it as a reason for your members to work together. If you need or want some help, you can and should reach out to others—nearby Granges, your deputy… and if you decide to have a rehearsal or practice session, open it by reading the closing paragraph of the installing Master’s opening address.

“We ask none to join us who cannot see good in their fellow beings; but to all interested in agriculture, who have generous hears and open hands to help the needy, raise the fallen, and aid in making the labors of this life cheerful, we say, ‘Welcome to the Grange.'”

Ibid

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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.

Let’s bring a few things together…

After our hiatus last month, let’s come back to the teachings of the First Degree. I’ve mentioned in the past that when I occasionally visit Granges I somewhat enjoy asking if everyone is aware of the “rule” regarding not passing between the altar and the three Graces–a portion of the hall sometimes referred to as “sacred ground.” Most are. But the second and more important question is “Why is that so?” That question is often met with silence.

I am tempted to point out that not being able to answer the question is proof that the lessons of the First Degree have been forgotten. (And after this column is published, proof that either it wasn’t read or also is not remembered.)

The Master gives the answer after providing the “secret” instructions of the first degree. Note that the Master’s answer is not meant to be a secret.

It is also my duty to instruct you that to honor Womanhood and show our reverence for the Bible we respectively refrain from passing between the Altar and the station of the Graces when the Grange is in session, except as prescribed in the Manual.

Master, to candidates during the First Degree

So now you know. It’s easy to remember: the key words are reverence and respect. But wait, there’s more!

You are now Laborers and Maids in the First degree of our honorable Order. The salutation of this degree places Faith in God.”

Ibid

Does this “ring a bell?” We repeat the salutation, too often robotically without remembering that the roots of the salutation are found in the lessons of the Degrees! (To see how robotic it may have become, try reciting it while seated, without the hand movements. “A Patron places…”)

It should also be interesting that having paid homage to Womanhood, the three Graces next offer important instruction to the candidates. Ceres reminds us to save “the best seed” as a symbol of Faith in a promised reward. Pomona speaks of the “products of the earth” as “food [which] tends a healthy and refined temperament, both of body and of mind.” Flora speaks of flowers as making life pleasant and teaching us that there is another and a better world. Combined, these lessons provide a complete cycle both in nature and in life–seeds, flowers, fruit.

The scene of the First Degree is a farm in the springtime. As I write this, we have just a week of spring left before we officially begin summer. Additional symbols of spring are childhood and seeds. New beginnings with a promise that the cycle will repeat itself. Have faith!

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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.