Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1904-04-21
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Conducted by
w, DAEROW, Chatham, N. r..
Pres Correspondent Nep York state
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DISTRICT DEPUTY SYSTEM.


tant Feature of Grange Work.
From an able report presented at the
last meeting of the New York state
grange on the above subject we make
liberal extracts.
The district deputy system is in op-
Grafton in New Hampshire, Massachu-
setts, Maine and Michigan. In New
Hampshire and Massachusetts the dis
trict system has been in use for sew
eral years and has proved it's great
value in promoting the growth and
welfare of the grange. Its establish
ment in Michigan and Maine is more
recent, but the results are very salts
factory.
New Hampshire has general depu-
ty, two Pomona deputies, four special
deputies and thirty three district depu,
ties. each Of the latter with eight sub
ordinate oranges in charge. The sys-
TEN has been in use twenty years.
Each subordinate grange is visited
twice each year by the district deputy
and instructed in grange work. A de-
tailed report of each inspection, for
which printed blanks are furnished, Is
made to the general deputy, in which
the efficiency of the degree work and
literary work of the grange is recorded
by the deputy on the scale of 100. The
Pomona deputies also make similar in
spections of the Pomona oranges and
report to the general deputy.
The state grange offers annual prizes
It,,n
for excellence in literary work. A series
of competitive programmes Is arranged
whereby the subordinate oranges in
each deputy district compete In pairs,
each grange being represented by two
members at alternate meetings. The
district deputy scores the work. Prizes
are also offered for degree work in
both Pomona and subordinate districts.
The deputies are paid 50 for each of
the two visits they make annually to
each grange, they paying their own
expenses. The state grange pays the
deputies actual expenses for attend
ance at two general conferences, one
day in January and one in October, for
instruction.
Master Ladd says of the deputy sys-
tenn in Massachusetts: Il consider our
deputy work as very essential part
of our grange work. We have one
general deputy, three Pomona deputies
and twenty state deputies, who have
the entire charge of the secret work.
My deputies have the work very nearly
letter perfect, but we meet once a year
for drill, etc. Each deputy is assigned
eight or ten subordinate oranges to in
spect the state master making the as
signments. The principal feature of
the system is having the deputies and
state master know the secret work
alike. We used to have, years ago,
more or less friction because no two
in the state could give the work alike.
You would indeed be surprised to note
the improvement of the work Of
oranges since we have begun to be
thorough in our unwritten work. At
our state session / have four Of the
deputies give the secret work by de-
grees.'
Master Horton says of the deputy
system as organized in Michigan: I'VE
have had such large growth Of
oranges and members during the past
| few years that new department has
| been created which is entirely free and
| Independent from the organizing part
of our work. This new department is
called a supervising or supporting de-
| partment. The state is divided into
thirteen districts and a visiting deputy
is selected for each. and the whole is
oh Of
uty. These district officers are to visit
all Of the oranges, giving necessary at
| tention to the weaker ones as different
cases may require.
| Master Gardner of Maine in speak
ing Of the deputy system says: 'The
| state deputy system is in force in our
| state now. and every deputy acts di-
| rectly under orders from the master,
with sufficient number to thoroughly
compass the state. We get the very
best results we ever had under this
| system, for the master knows where
each deputy is at work and where aud
what the results are, thus keeping his
hand on the lever at all times"
There are some points to be gained
from the study of the district deputy
| system, the principal features being
the higher attainment reached in de-
gree work and the greater uniformity
of the unwritten work. This is largely
brought about by the semiannual state
conferences Of the deputies, which are
devoted to the interchange Of ideas and
drill in the unwritten work, at which
| the deputies actual expenses are paid
by the state grange
Cooperation Fundamental.