The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls in California
Let’s RUSH towards membership this October by showing our friends and followers all that we love about CA IORG! Each week this month, following along with the RUSH Social Media Challenge and your social media. Together we can grow!
COVID-19 has created an unusual atmosphere for everyone. Many of our usual activities aren’t safe to participate in right now, but social distancing does not have to stop us from giving back to our communities! Whether you’re just looking for a productive way to kill time, want to do good in the world, or need service hours for your college applications, virtual volunteering will be perfect for you.
In typical times, it can be hard to find the time to volunteer while being busy with school, work, or other activities. The idea of adding yet another venture into your schedule can feel overwhelming. While in this pandemic, most people have been able to find more free time, making this the perfect opportunity for acts of service. Pull out your calendar and think about how much time you are able and willing to give. Are you planning to take lead on a brand new project or help others who have already started?
Quarantine and social distancing have resulted in feelings of isolation and loneliness for countless people. Some of those affected most by this are the eldest members of our communities. They are at a higher risk for COVID and are likely yearning for connection in these uncertain times. Make phone/facetime calls, send cards, or make small gifts/care packages to send to senior citizens. You could also reach out to a local care home or nursing facility and ask how you can help. It can be as simple as playing virtual chess, checkers, or bingo. These are all simple and take little effort, but can bring such joy to others
Along with senior citizens, essential workers will be touched by your kindness. Many are making cards, signs, care packages, and posters to thank the health care workers who are working to keep us safe. Similarly to this, you can do these things for other essential workers. Think about the people in your community that are putting their health at risk while going to work each day. Choose any one, whether it is a firefighter, nurse, or grocery clerk.
There are plenty of service groups that are still meeting virtually! Look into what you have near you. The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls is an amazing youth group centering around leadership, service, and sisterhood. More information can be found at https://gocarainbow.org. There are other groups as well such as Girl Scouts, 4H, and church youth groups. See what is right for you and available in your community
Try out virtually tutoring younger students. Is there a class or subject that you excel at and enjoy? Chances are, there’s someone who would love your help with their learning. Schools are reopening and your academic skills could boost someone’s grades as well as their confidence. If you know younger students, you can reach out to them personally or go straight to local schools and teachers who can set you up with the students that will benefit from your help.
Many hospitals and fire stations have the option to pick up teddy bears that are pre-sewn to be stuffed and donated. You can sew, crochet, or knit your own as well! Donate them and bring a smile to a child’s face. In addition, you could make blankets to donate. If you’re not great at needlework, there’s nothing to worry about. Tie blankets are just as comfy and they couldn’t be easier to make! You can donate these to somewhere local like a hospital, animal shelter, or to the homeless. You can also send them to organizations such as the Painted Turtle: a free camp for children with serious medical conditions. They even have easy to understand directions here: https://www.thepaintedturtle.org/sites/main/files/file-attachments/fleece_blanket_flyer.pdf?1556639876.
With the extra time COVID has gifted to you, you can get organized while giving back! Clean out your closet and dresser drawers. You probably have plenty that you have outgrown or no longer wear. Throw them in the wash and donate them to someone in need! There are plenty of well-known options such as the Salvation Army and Goodwill, but there are also local nonprofits in every community. Do your research and donate your clothing, toys, books, etc. to whatever you see as the best fit.
Create or sign petitions for changes that you believe in. Take on issues that are global or local and use sites such as https://www.change.org. You can also make calls and send emails to communicate with mayors, governors, and other leaders. Spread the word and fight for what you believe in!
People now are in need of service and kindness more than ever, and as simple as these things seem, you can truly make an impact on the world. This is just a small list including only a few of the numerous ways you can make a difference. Think outside of the box and don’t give yourself limits when it comes to acts of service. No matter the reason that you have decided to volunteer, you are about to make people’s lives a little brighter!
Hello friends, brace yourself, this has the potential of being a long read, but I wanted to share a part of me with you all, please take the time to read it ….
So many girls and adult ladies have shared their “Rainbow Story” and #whytheyrainbow with you. I do not often hear the dads sharing their #whyirainbow. Well, I have my “Rainbow Story,” which a few within Rainbow have had the opportunity to learn, and yet, so many have not, including many of my friends and family who are not associated directly with Rainbow, CAIORG. I promise to do my best to keep it brief, however, that is a hard task when you become passionate about something, or an organization, and the work they do. . . .
Once upon a time, a man meets a lady; they giggle together, and smile at one another for seven months and decide to get married. In their search for a reception venue, the El Cajon Masonic Lodge is discovered and secured for the event. Immediately, the young groom begins to be told stories of Rainbow Girls (Girls Youth Group), DeMolay (Boys Youth Group), and their Sponsoring Head called the Masons. The groom inquiries, “Are these the Masons I have heard about that perform occult rituals, secret meetings, and mysterious acts?”
Sure enough, the groom learns this is that very group that he had been told about, however, they were rumors, and lies, and could not have been further from the truth. As you have probably figured out, that groom was me, and my beautiful bride is Lisa.
After our marriage, as we began to build a life together, her twin sister Pam, continued to discuss this group called the “International Order of the Rainbow for Girls” (IORG). Which she and her husband, Tim, were members of the executive board. I also learned, she and Lisa were members of the youth order, as teenagers.
Still a bit unfamiliar, you can imagine my intrigue and curiosity to learn what this was about, what they stand for, why it was important to her, etc. After all, until now, all I had heard were rumors. The longer we were married the more this organization crept into daily conversations.
As soon as we found out Lisa was pregnant with a girl, Pam made it clear that our daughter would be eligible to join on her 11th birthday, and the planning to have her initiated was put into motion. Many of you have stated your memories of her being carried to events as an infant, carrying the bible for Installations, being present at events and functions long before becoming a member, etc. All of this, giving me more exposure to the group, their adult supporters, and what they really stood for.
The time came for TaylorAnn to be initiated in the summer of 2010, and I still did not know much of the Rainbow practices, rituals, traditions, etc, all I knew is that the girls loved to have fun, and often participated in community service projects. I have a vivid memory of a non-Rainbow event in our home that many Rainbow Girls just happened to be at, as friends, I noted a comradery and sense of belonging among the girls, and
when clean up time came, it was done in a flash. I looked at Lisa and said, “These Rainbow Girls are invited to any and all events in the future.” What dad would not want his shy, timid, daughter involved in something like that, right?
It was now Initiation, and I had no idea what to expect, I was nervous, excited, and curious all at the same time. As the meeting went on, the lessons and traditions were made known. I was at the edge of my seat with excitement of the journey our daughter, and inherently, we, as her parents were about to embark on.
I mentioned that TaylorAnn was shy and timid, characteristics that some of you, meeting her more recently, may not have seen in her. Why, you ask? Because of her journey. As she slowly (very slowly) but surely began to open up, embrace the lessons taught to her in Rainbow, Girl Scouts, Church, school and home, and being exposed to new opportunities, she became more confident, aware, and mature, leaving her shyness behind, so that she could put others first, time and time again.
So yes, this dad, reluctant to allow his shy and timid daughter join a group because of rumors I had been told, could not be more proud of her and this organization. And let me say this . . .like any group of humans, it is not always about rainbows, butterflies and unicorns. There are difficult times and situations, there are adults both in and of the organization that will spread rumors like what I had been told about untruths. I can tell you, they are just that … Untruths! CA IORG stands for love and service, while
promoting business management, public speaking, event planning, and more.
We are not a religious group; however we do teach lessons of free public education, religion, nature, immortality, fidelity, and patriotism, and the importance they hold while answering the call of love and service. Notice the shift, as I spoke about a third-party organization, to including myself in first person! Remember what I said above? What father would not want their shy daughter involved in such a group? Well, I am here to testify, and shout it from the mountain tops, I am glad I did not listen to the rumors. I am blessed to be a part of this organization and have made so many of my friends here.
Thank you for letting me share my story, and our journey, this is #whyirainbow. Our journey includes a “how” we got here and “why” we stayed. I got here in spite of the lies, and stayed because of the truth!
October of 2019 was our Halloween in Hawaii Installation of Officers; we had so much fun and installed four girls into new positions. Congratulations!
In November, Brooklyn represented Helen G. McCallum at the Riverside National Cemetery by helping to post flags to honor our Veterans for Veterans Day.
Following our December meeting, we took our annual fun trip to the Mission Inn in downtown Riverside. This is where we ride rides, eat churros, and have some hot chocolate. Mr. and Mrs. Padilla always make sure we get something special to remember the evening, thank you and Merry Christmas!
January is the Last OV and there was a lot to do. We had props to build, ritual to memorize, flag tributes to learn and practices. For most of us, this was our very first ritual Official Visit. We got together with the other assemblies in our district and area to practice. We visited their meetings and filled in whenever we could. We wanted to be ready. The theme was “Journey with the Goddesses of Rainbow”. The day started early, we had to be at Yucaipa High School by seven am to help setup, practice, and be ready. There were a lot of things happening all at once. Our adults said we did an amazing job, some of them cried. It was fun, a lot of hard work, and scary at times because there were over 300 people there.
We were busy in February with dinner servings, meetings, our Installation, a fun trip to Color Me Mine©, and delivering sweet treats to our local firehouse. At Color Me Mine©, we all picked something special to paint, then we walked through the mall for a while. We went back to Mrs. Padilla’s house for snacks and played some games. Riverside Fire Station 3 is always happy to see us when we show up. This time they showed us
their new engine and even extended the ladder. They asked if anyone wanted to go on it; no one did! LOL.
March is always busy for us because this is Grand Assembly prep month. We started out with a dinner serving and two youth presentation events. We were asked to speak about Rainbow to the men of Temescal Palms Lodge in Corona and to our own men at Riverside Lodge. We did the Rainbow Flag Tribute that we did at the OV and Connor spoke about Rainbow. It was after that when the Covid-19 virus shut everything down.
We were sad to learn that Grand Assembly had been postponed. We held our first virtual meeting on the 25th of March. That was different.
In April, we found out the Grand Assembly, parts of it, were going virtual. It was kind of cool. It was nice to see the Grand Officers and watch them showing us stuff. We are still hoping that we will get to go to Grand Assembly, somehow. We have had two more virtual meetings and even a virtual BINGO©. We have sent cards to the Masonic Homes since we couldn’t do our Easter egg project this year.
We are having fun, but sure do miss getting together.
Ready to RUSH? The CAIORG State Membership Team is inviting all girls and adults to attend a RUSH workshop on Saturday, September 26th, 2020 at 7pm on Zoom. Learn what RUSH is and how to prepare your Assembly to RUSH towards membership this October!
Email [email protected] for the Zoom link and more information.
We all missed you in Fresno during our usual Grand Assembly time, but that did not stop us from honoring all of the girls during the week. Our Mother Advisor called out girls each day for special recognition. We especially want to thank our own Grand Officer, Rhiannon, for her year as a Leading Lemur!! She certainly showed us the way and we are glad to have her back as our reigning Worthy Advisor. Alexis, Gwen, Linnea, and Maddie, we hope that when we get to have Grand Assembly that you will have fun fulfilling your chosen roles as Confidential Observer Helper, Grand Page and Grand Choir.
The girls have been staying busy making masks, tying blankets, and helping out their families and neighbors during this time of quarantine. We are especially excited to begin working on neighborhood community library boxes for the Reading Heart program here in Fresno. We will be sanding and painting boxes that will become a “leave one/take one” library box for areas here in town.
We want to congratulate Ireland who won first place in her poetry category for Grand Assembly. She is someone who loves to write, so we know she will be entering more into the future.
We are also checking on different members of our Eastern Star, Shriner, Scottish Rite, Masonic, and Nile supporters. We also are sending cards to our own Past Supreme Deputy Mrs. Dyck. We miss our times with our adult orders.
We are anxiously awaiting a time when we can have meetings as we also have three initiates in waiting. In the meantime, our Zoom© meetings are including them, our Pledge group, and members. It’s a good way to keep in touch and to be able to see each other.
We can’t wait to be able to see you all again when we can see you in person! Until then, your assembly in Fresno wishes all of you good health, sunshine times, and to find a small way each day to give back to someone in need!!
(Sung to the tune of “It’s the End of the World as We Know It”)
It’s the end of Rainbow as we know it,
It’s the end of service as we know it,
It’s the end of laughter and joy as we know it, and we feel sad!
Trio Installation. Blast. Dance party.
Get caught in laughter and smiles
Mother Advisor’s phone, goofy selfies, hidden
Bella’s Reception, Grandie family, final travels
Covid-19 attacks, Quarantine activated
Started Zoom© meetings, Virtual games, movie nights
Sewing masks
Sewing masks
Virtual Grand Assembly began, our district Devotional,
Tik Tok© dances were made, virtual food trucks, poetry contest
Heart beats were invested!
Hoop challenges accepted!
Announcements made, we LOVE our Acting Supreme Love!
It’s the end of Rainbow as we know it,
It’s the end of service as we know it,
It’s the end of laughter and joy as we know it, and we feel sad!
Hello California Rainbow! As I’m sure you all know, we are living in an uncertain and frightening time. There seems to be bad news and more things to fear everywhere we look. For those of us who struggle with anxiety or depression or even those who don’t, the isolation and atmosphere of panic can be overwhelming. That’s why I believe this is
the perfect time to speak about the positive, happy happenings that still exist. It can be hard to hold onto joy when you’re alone, so let’s do it together CA Rainbow!
Concord Assembly has been hosting a weekly book club and movie night on Zoom©! We are currently reading “Five Feet Apart” and we watched Frozen© Two on Friday. This has helped me immensely. I miss my friends, especially my Rainbow people, and these meetings help me feel more connected. Maybe you and your assembly can implement some kind of events like these! Remember to reach out to those around you,
even if you can’t see them in person. You aren’t alone and all of this is temporary.
It’s also helpful to remember that over 150,000 people have recovered from COVID-19. There have been 103-year-olds who recovered. There is hope! Just stay at home and limit your contact with the public. Hold onto joy and your quarantine buddies, and this will be over soon. Don’t forget to wash your hands!
By Colleen W.
It’s back-to-school time and we all have clothing that we loved last year that is either too small, too worn, or just out of fashion now, but we still love the piece. I am going to show you how easy it is to create a brand new tote bag from your worn-out jeans.
Supplies List:
Thread
Needle
Scissors
Marker
Old Jeans
And there you have it, a zippy little tote bag you can use anytime!
By Hope C.
The majority of us have been stuck in our houses for what feels like ages, which can cause feelings of stress or boredom. If you’re in search of something fun and productive to do while taking your mind off of things, try out some of these awesome hobbies!
1. Take Out Your Camera
Need something new to post on your social media? Whether you’re using your cell phone or a professional camera, practicing photography and videography is a great hobby to pick up during COVID-19. It’s also the perfect opportunity to get better at editing your photos and videos to enhance their beauty!
2. Get Fit
It’s not always easy to motivate ourselves to get fit. With so much extra time on our hands, now is better than ever! Not all forms of exercise are for everyone, so this is a great time to figure out what works best for you. Don’t like running? Try biking or power walking. Do you enjoy spending time in nature? Go on a hike or try out kayaking. You can stay extra safe and exercise without even leaving your home! Try hula hooping, jump roping, or dancing. If you’re not sure where to start, there are thousands of free videos online for everything from Zumba to yoga. Try something new and stay in shape while having fun!
3. Get in the Kitchen
Try cooking new foods and taste test them! Look for an old family recipe or surf the internet to find new ones. Take the time to experiment and make unique creations. If you’re baking, get artistic, and practice your cake decorating skills. If you make extras you can share with your friends or family – you could even donate to essential workers to make their days a little brighter!
4. Read and Write
Many libraries and bookstores have reopened, but if yours hasn’t there is no need to worry. Reading is not off of the table! Get online and check out the thousands of free books in the public domain. There are many other free audio and eBooks that are easily found, not to mention what you may already have at home. Don’t want to read someone else’s book? Become an author and start writing your own! Whether you’re creating a novel, poem, or blog, the options are endless when it comes to writing. You could also start journaling to document what it was like for you during such a big moment in history.
5. Get Musical
Want something new to show your friends on FaceTime or when you see them again? Start to learn a new instrument or compose some music. If you’re not into the classics, you could even learn how to DJ! Whether you have an instrument at home that you played when you were younger or you’re creating music for the first time, you’re sure to have a blast!
6. Work With a Needle
Learn how to sew, cross-stitch, or embroider! If someone in your household already has this skill, they’d probably love to teach you and share this fun hobby. If not, thousands of articles and videos are available to teach you for free or a very low price! This is the same for crocheting, knitting, and quilt making.
7. Make Something to Wear
Quarantine is the perfect time to clean out your closet and pull out old clothes. These can be donated or you can put your new sewing skills to use while you re-purpose them. This will add to your wardrobe without the expense of new clothes! You can also make masks to go with your new outfits or to donate to people that don’t have these important resources. Friendship bracelets are another simple and fun craft that you can share! All it takes is embroidery floss and a bit of time, so get online and pick a pattern. You can also create other accessories and jewelry or tie-dye!
8. Make Something to Use
If you don’t need new clothing or accessories, but still enjoy being innovative this is a fun hobby to take up. Soap and candles are fairly easy to make and only take a few supplies. These are perfect to use in your household or to give as gifts! Don’t want to stop there? Take it up a step and make perfume or design a phone case!
9. Do a Puzzle
Lots of us probably have unopened boxes of puzzles sitting in our house, just waiting to be done. When’s a better time than now? Get the satisfaction of finishing a puzzle and take a picture of it or mount it to your wall for decoration! Not into classic jigsaw puzzles? Try a crossword, sudoku, or a word search!
10. Pick Up Beauty Skills
Watch tutorials and take your hair techniques to another level! Whether you’re learning to braid, put in curlers, or nail a messy bun, your hair will look amazing by the time school is back in session. Perfect your nail art or learn to correctly apply acrylics! You can master makeup techniques that you otherwise may have not had the time to learn.
11. Become an Influencer
Rather than spending your time scrolling through social media or watching YouTube videos, create new content! Start a podcast, vlog/blog, YouTube channel, or social media account. Now you can inspire others with your amazing ideas!
12. Get Artistic
You can go with the popular skills of drawing and painting or try something a little different! You can learn the arts of origami, calligraphy, or flower pressing. Why not try scrapbooking and include some of these other skills inside as well as photos to capture your memories in one place? You can also participate in your new hobbies while making cards as an act of service to brighten people’s days.
13. Stargaze
Now that it’s summer, you’re likely staying up a little later than you otherwise would. Lay in your yard and watch the stars! You can look for constellations and take this time to learn about astrology.
14. Start a Garden
Growing your own food is not only super fun, but it is also better for the environment and healthier than purchasing from a grocery store! If your green thumb isn’t interested in growing food, you can also plant flowers to add color to your yard!
15. Meditate
Self-care is always extremely important. In a global pandemic, many people are feeling stressed and anxious making it even more important to stay healthy not only physically, but mentally. According to the Mayo Clinic, having a hobby is, “a healthy coping strategy,” and “a positive distraction”. Whether your kind of meditation is sitting with your eyes closed while focusing on breathing, or listening to your favorite song, it is an important hobby. Take care of yourself!
COVID-19 is an unusual time and likely very different than what any of us are used to. By finding a new hobby that you love or rediscovering an old one, you may find that your quarantine is a little less stressful and a little more fun. There are plenty of hobbies that are not already listed such as mastering a magic trick, pogo-sticking, or even learning to juggle. Whatever it is that you decide to do, make sure it is something that you enjoy and allows this to be a time of positivity and growth!
