| JULY 7, 2026 -- As we all enter the next chapters of our lives, regardless of age, we typically reflect on the events and the people that have come into, and in many cases exited our lives.
We are approaching a next phase of our lives and we are going through stuff, oh what to keep and what to cull. One of the items we came across was the guest book from the reception Ekonk Community Grange and the then Quinebaug Pomona held for us when I was elected State Grange President. What a wonderful walk down memory lane. The names, the sentiments, the memories.
As we looked through the book we stopped and reflected on those that were there to wish us well and giggled a little about those that were there to be able to say I told you so when, in their opinion, we failed. Life is all about successes and failures, about highs and lows, about love and hate. It’s ironic, I actually hate the word hate. I mean I hate squash, but I cannot say I actually hate a person, living or dead. We may not align socially, morally or intellectually, but I cannot say I hate someone because of their beliefs. I don’t want to nor have to associate with them or be in their presence, but hate, that unrepairable and strong. But I digress, hatred is not what this article is about.
It is about those who come and go in our lives, those that have made an impact, both positive and negative and how those who have left us permanently, they are the ones that charted a course for or with us, they are the ones that helped make us who we are today, again, both positive and negative us. How those who are In our lives impact us personally, so do those in our Grange, our members, impact our Grange.
If when one person exits our lives typically someone new enters, the suto replacement if you will. Imagine what your life would look like if when someone you knew, or loved passed away and no one came into your life. What would you do, how would you survive that lonely existence. We all have that friend of a friend or relative that’s just not our cup of tea, but they are at various gatherings or family events. Do you choose not to go, or out of respect for the others do you attend and participate, doing your best to be your best while regardless of who else is there. This is called positive co-existence. Very well may be a real thing or a really cool term we just created.
Positive co-existence is not always easy, but out of true respect for the host or the event, and more importantly, respect for yourself, it is necessary. Again, if you avoided every event, every store, every whatever because you could run into someone who doesn’t care for your or visa versa, how sad would that be? How lonely would that be?
Our Grange is no different, as we lose our members due to age (death) or just them or us not being the right fit, we MUST replace them with new members for if we do not, well I do not need to tell you what that will look like now do I! When new people enter our Grange, they do something scary, They bring new energy and ideas. New life, new hope, new future. They must be embraced, they must be encouraged, they must be supported, just as you were.
If your Grange is relevant and visible embracing new ideas, new approaches should be simple. We’re actually kind of jealous of a new(er) Grange because there is no there to say “we already tried that” or “we don’t do that here” or even worse, “that’s not the Grange way.”
The Grange way! THE GRANGE WAY? What are you talking about? The Grange way is progressive. It is a forward motion. Hmmm, forward motion. Forward motion! Novel concept isn’t it. Wait maybe not, isn’t is written in one of our ceremonies “Natures motto is onward, she never goes backwards.”
With that in mind, how will you look at your Grange’s future now? Will you be content with the status quo? Will you settle for what we got is what we got? Or will you embrace the future. Even if it’s grim, and give your all to ensure there is a Grange, your Grange, even when you only become a memory.
Again we ask, How will you Grange today?
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