The Grange

By Joshua David Hall

If you have ever driven down Church Street, then you have driven by the Stockbridge Grange Hall. But what is the Grange? The Grange is a family organization that originated from Reconstruction. Farmers needed extra help following the Civil War and the Grange was developed to help. Over the last 150 years the Grange has helped to bring about agricultural education, fought the railroads in order to have fair transportation, and is partially responsible for rural free delivery.

A number of the founders of the Grange were Freemasons. As a result of this connection there are some similarities between the two organizations. This partially accounts for the Degrees that a member must go through in order to become a member.

In the Grange there are seven (7) degrees that a member can go through. Degrees are part of the time-honored traditions the Grange has and are designed to be presented as a play with the candidate as an active observer there to learn certain lessons.

To become a member of the Grange, a candidate goes through four degrees which represent life on a farm throughout the course of the four seasons. There are lessons that are imparted to the candidates about faith, hope, charity, fidelity, and continuing education.

Once an individual becomes a member of a Subordinate, or Community Grange, they can take the Fifth Degree, also known as the Degree of Pomona. A Pomona Grange is a regional Grange that is made up of two or more Subordinate Granges. Here the candidates are seeking more understanding and are challenged to persevere through obstacles to reach Pomona's court.

The Sixth Degree, or Degree of Flora, is the state level degree and is held annually at the State Grange Annual Session. Similar to the earlier degrees, candidates are journeying to learn more about the organization and are introduced to Flora.

The final degree, the Seventh Degree, or Degree of Ceres, is performed at the Annual Session of the National Grange. This play brings all of the lessons of the previous six degrees together and leads the candidate through the story of the history of agriculture. The goddess Ceres is introduced as one of the storytellers.

Time to go. Photo: Patrick White