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December 4th. marked the 140th. Birthday of The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry. It was on this date in 1867 when the several men who had conceived the idea and developed the structure of the proposed organization met in a small office in Washington, DC, and organized themselves into a body politic. They were all visionaries, with each having a faith in God, in their fellow man, and the future. They also possessed the determination to see their plans materialize.

While it is imperfect to compare organizational development with human development, there are some striking similarities. Just as newborns face challenges in their new world that sometimes call for extreme solutions, so it was with the infancy of the Grange. Mistakes in judgment as to why someone would want to join this new association nearly snuffed it out before it could really begin. Financial misjudgments and political alignments (even though these were prohibited from the beginning) early on had disastrous consequences. Yet, there was survival.

Just as youth are often accurately characterized as impetuous, that designation in an off beat way could be said of the Grange. Programs and positions were developed that had a little more foundation than it seemed like a good idea at the time, much like the thoughts of a young person. Even with these "side trips" the initial focus of developing a better manhood and womanhood was never lost. Through all of this, there was survival.

Though 140 years is old by human standards, it’s a bit different in relation to organizations. In sticking with the human analogy theme here, I’d have to say that perhaps the so called mid-life crisis is where the Grange is today. Most of the mechanization and technology we take for granted today was unknown in 1867. The population the Grange was originally formed to assist stood at 97% of the total in 1867, and stands at less than 3% today. Just as some people in the mid-life situation feel that life has passed them by and there are no more opportunities, it is an easy thing to transfer that thinking into organizational experiences, as many times it is the "mid lifers" that make up the majority of active members. As most people survive that crisis so will the Grange.

The old adage The more things change the more they stay the same comes into play here. William Saunders in penning the preamble to the Constitution of the National Grange stated: "Society is fragmentary....." It can be said without fear of contradiction that those words are just as true now as they were when written in 1873, and we need not look very far to see the consequences. While populations have shifted, priorities have changed, professions unknown in 1867 proliferate, people are the same. Saunders went on to say in the Preamble that nothing would get done without organization to do it, and that is just as true today as it was then.

While the appearance of society has changed, the basic needs have not. The Grange has a proven track record in relation to the ability to meet these needs. As there is a divine purpose with the birth of every human being, so was there the same in relation to the Grange on December 4, 1867. The human/grange analogy stops when it comes to mortality. We have no control over ours, but we have complete control over the other. The continued life of the Grange (or any other association for that matter) is in our hands, just as it was in the hands of those who have gone on before us. Are our hands any less capable?

Happy Birthday Grange; 140 years young. We wish you many more to come.