Editor’s note: This is the second part of a two-part article. The first part was published in the April 29 issue of Agri-View.
In 1867 the National Grange of the order of the Patrons of Husbandry was founded to offer an opportunity for people to better their communities and their nation through engagement, fraternity and service. Betsy Huber is the current president of the National Grange; she’s the first woman to lead the organization, which has a headquarters building near the White House.
“Because we are right next to the White House, we experienced riots May 31, 2020,” Huber said. “We had a broken window and graffiti on the building. That was a wake-up call to everybody. (The Grange has) always been against prejudice and racism. I appointed a task force to look at our documents, rituals and purposes to make sure we are not unconsciously showing prejudice or favoritism toward one people against another. It’s an ongoing process. We are also looking into what we do at the local level to make sure we are welcoming to all races, creeds, religions and cultures at the local level as well as the national level.”
The national headquarters also had a view Jan. 6 of the insurrection.
“The established processes of voting and voicing opinions, and meeting with legislators, are the ways we influence government,” said Huber when reflecting on that event. “All of our policy comes from the grassroots local level. Any member at a Grange can write a resolution if they see something in our nation that needs changing. With local support, resolutions go up to the state level – where with support it goes to the national convention. If it has support from the majority of delegates at the national convention it becomes our policy. We have no policy that did not start with our membership at the local level.
“Our No. 1 issue now is broadband. We need to get broadband into all the rural areas of our nation. The need has especially come to light due to the pandemic over the past year.”
There are two ways to join the Grange.
“We have an e-membership that allows people who support the Grange and its mission to join online,” she said. “These members receive our weekly e-newsletter, our beautiful quarterly magazine and they get all of our legislative information too.
“People who want more involvement and who don’t have a Grange in their area can work with us to start a new Grange. It takes 13 people, including at least four men and four women, so it’s not a men’s club or ladies’ club. Contact our national headquarters to get assistance and we will help get a group started in a community.”
There is a saying in the Grange – “The office will seek the man or woman.”
“We have a unique process,” Huber said. “People do not run for office. Campaigning for office is discouraged.”
To elect the president and other officers of the National Grange, delegates meet, look around the room and choose the person whom they consider to be the correct person for each office. And so it was a complete surprise to Huber when she was elected president. Now in her third term, it seems evident the office found the right person.
The National Grange has helped heal our nation and move it forward since the Civil War. It’s ready to help move our nation forward again.
Visit www.nationalgrange.org for more information.
