| JUNE 1, 2025 -- When we think of the overall structure of any business or organization, we immediately think of the hierarchy of management. Every business has a President (leader), some or several executive positions, then mid-managers and lastly workers. The Grange is structured the same way, President, Executive Committee, Officers and Members.
Some businesses have subsidiaries or branches of a larger corporation. The State, Pomona and Community Granges, if you will, are subsidiaries of the National, for the National Grange issues the Charters for each level under their umbrella.
We are taught to look up to, not down upon people, to raise them up, not knock them down. With the spirit of Grange in your mind and heart please look at the inverted “Grange Hierarchy Pyramid”
Many of us have been raised to respect authority or those in a leadership position. These people were elevated to a status of higher responsibility. We join the Grange as a Community Grange member, then attain the knowledge and teaching to rise to the ranks of Pomona, reaching higher and now we are members of the State Grange, then the Golden Goose Egg NATIONAL Grange. There is no higher aspiration in our order than receiving the teaching of the 7th Degree, we’ve made it. YES!!! We’re at the top, or are we????
We believe the higher teaching, lessons and responsibilities of the levels of Pomona, State and National Grange are to be respected, but we adamantly feel we need to look at how the pyramid is filled, like a funnel if you will. The Grange pyramid is filled or fueled by the Community Grange. We join a Community Grange; we cannot benefit from the lessons of the higher levels without being in a Community Grange. We as Community Grange members initiate all policies of our State and National Grange. Without each and every Community Grange member, there is no Pomona, State or National Grange. But remember, with responsibility, comes responsibility! There are procedures and rules to follow. There is a formatted structure that makes us GRANGE. When you go into any franchised store or restaurant, they are all the same basically, that way you, as the customer get used to the brand, recognize that brand and become loyal to that brand. Basic marketing.
If you don’t like the branding, propose change. Use the structure and rules set forth by Grange practice, be the change you want to see. Feed the funnel with positive influence, build support at each level as it progresses through the pyramid, there are less to influence the deeper you go. Again, as we are exhibiting in the inverted pyramid, everything we do, everything we are, is because we are Community Grange Members. We create the policy, we create direction, we create the FUTURE.
We encourage each of you to live a connected life, connect with your fellow members at all levels, because they too are Community Grange Members.
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