Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1908-08-21
THE GRANGE
Conducted by
J. W. BARROW. Chatham. N r..
Press Correspondent Nev Tor's State
Grdn0s
FINANCIAL BENEFITS.
Do We Give Them Too Much ProSni-
nence In Selecting Membersf

Especial Correspondence
Should we give the financial benefit
to be derived from grange membership
more prominence than we do at the
present time. or should we give 1t less?
Is question which no doubt would be
answered In more than one way, de-
pending somewhat on ones observe
ton and experience. With very
large number OF people 1t Is OF the first
Importance to them to understand that
they are to be benefited tn financial
way In order to induce them to be
come interested enough to seek men,
bership In the grange.
However, very many people who Join
the grange from a purely mercenary
motive become so interested In the So
cial and educational features Of the
Order that they wonder how they lived
so long without these advantages and
are not only willing but anxious to
put their shoulders to the wheel and
help to keep things moving, Such peo-
pie would retain their membership
even though all financial benefits were
eliminated, but II 1t had not been for
the hope of financial gain to start with
we should never have had the oppor-
tunity to enlighten them as to the best
membership
The grange being so much more pop
ular than twenty or even ten years
ago, 1t is not as necessary to put the
financial benefits foremost to every
one we desire to have become a men,
Der as formerly. but at the same time
the grange makes more rapid strides
/ In sections having a good. strong CO.
operative insurance company which re-
Quires grange membership to be eligi-
BILE to receive the benefits of insur-
ance. In proof of this assertion we
have but to call attention to sections
in this state where oranges once
strong and prosperous have become
dormant because the grange insurance
companies in an unguarded moment
opened wide their doors to those out
side the Order. This alone appears to
be positive proof that 1t Is necessary
to still keep prominent the hope Of
financial gain.
1t is true there are other financial
benefits to be derived from grange
membership. Cooperative buying has
been a great success In many localities
and no doubt has added very ma
terially toward increasing the grange
membership. In the declaration Of
purposes promulgated forty years ago
we find that one Of the primary OBJ
Jects was to buy and sell together.
OF course the end In view was flnan-
cial gain. People Of today are not so
years ago, and it Is necessary to hold
out about the same Inducements to at
tract their attention as then.
At the present time our honorable Or
der has advantages In It's favor as
against the odds Of forty or even twen-
ty years ago. Now It Is very popular,
and no one, no matter what position
he holds, thinks 1t beneath his dignity
to become a member Of this great and
influential organization, but In the
early history of the Order this was not
so, and there were some people who
became members In order to receive
the hoped for financial gain and who
seemed fearful that their friends
would find out that they had become
united with an organization Of farm
ers, but that Is all In the past. Today
the entire membership Is proud to own
allegiance to an Order that has made
the most rapid growth Of any order
that has ever existed and one that has
been of untold benefit to mankind tn
general and to the agriculturists h
particular. But Notwithstanding all
this it is still necessary to keep In
prominence, and there are financial
benefits connected herewith to keep
up the strong, healthy growth that we
desire. W. Fl. VARY.
Jefferson County, N. Y.