By: Lucetta O’Brian Kappers

Let’s travel back in time…waaay back.  The year is 1973, it is Spring.  Hair is long or big or both.  Wardrobe of choice is bell bottoms and granny gowns. The music you hear is probably ‘Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree’, or maybe ‘Big Bad Leroy Brown’. There are 12,347 Rainbow Girls in CA.

Focus on Fresno, CA, where Grand Assembly is underway.  Rainbow Girls from all over CA have gathered and are anxious to learn who their new Grand Officers will be for the next Grand Year.  One by one, Supreme Deputy, Barbara Campbell, calls each new Grand Officer.  Dazed and surprised, each of the 80 new Grand Officers made their way to the floor to meet their Grandie and their Froggie mascot. Our new GWA would be Susan Berry from Angels Camp Assembly.  We would be known as the Frisky Frogs with our new Supreme Deputy, Bernice Dyck.

And so, a year of travels in our violet travel dresses trimmed with Peter Pan collars and frog appliques and accompanied by our Froggie mascots and “Tadpoles” (Trailers) began.  What was it like?  Well, gas was 40 cents a gallon. Susan, our GWA, had this to say: “Years ago, we traveled the state of CA with no GPS, no cell phone, no email and no texting. At least we weren’t on covered wagons! What we did have was long-distance phone calls from a real phone (landline) or from a phone booth, for which actual coin money was needed. We had paper maps and mimeographed correspondence sent via snail mail and frisky excitement for our Grand year!”

Our Grand Service project was the NorthStar school for youth called “Star of Hope” with a motto of “Loneliness Hurts; Love Heals”. Our goal was to raise $8,000.00 to help add a new wing.  We traveled to 88 OVs, visiting girls in 248 assemblies in 80 districts.  At each OV. Susan would sing an original song and play her guitar.  45 RPM vinyls were sold for a dollar each to support our Grand Service project. Side 1 was “Sing a Song of Happiness” and side 2 was “Star of Hope”. Sometimes we would hear “Who Can Paint a Rainbow”.

We were probably the only group of Grand Officers to enter a frog in the “Frog Jumping Jubilee” in Angels Camp. We also got to meet Mrs. Mac (Florence Macdonald), whose husband wrote many of the marches still in use today.  We were honored to be the last appointees by “BC” (Barbara Campbell), and proud to be the First Grandies for “Sweet Bernice”( Bernice Dyck).  Incidentally, the Past Grand Officer database was started by Bernice Dyck!

 In those days, an assembly might go 3-5 years between Grand Officers.  The only office to repeat would be Assistant Grand Editor-who would become the new Grand Editor. Grand Assembly rotated between several cities, including Sacramento, Long Beach, and Fresno.

As our year wound down, the time for our Grand Assembly approached.  We would be the first Grand Assembly held at the Anaheim Convention Center.  We Entered the Grand Assembly room in our violet dresses with blue flowers, and purple sashes. Nothing could have prepared us for the sound of 7,680 guests cheering us on.  Wow!  All that practice sure paid off, as we made formation after formation!  

There were 50 Confidential Observer helpers, nicknamed the Starlets, looking lovely in their turquoise dresses.  11 of these ladies would go on to become Minnies.

The invocation was given by the Director of North Star, Dr. Mansdorfer. He had recently been in Washington DC and presented Susan a plaque with the Great Seal of the US.

Shortly after our Grand Assembly, several Frogs once again donned their travel dresses and headed to North Star, where the final check for our Grand Service Project would be presented.  We were so proud to be able to present $18,100.00!  Not only did we exceed our goal, but this was enough to fully cover cost of the wing with change to spare!  In terms of 2024 dollars, that amount was equivalent to approximately $112,660.51.

Susan was presented with a plaque expressing appreciation to CA Rainbow for the new wing. The students at the school also gave her a 16” tall miniature grandfather clock. Thus, our Frisky year came to an end, but, not the friendships, and not the memories.

This is the year we celebrate 50 years of Friskiness.  Yes, we have lost some of our sisters along the way.  They are dearly remembered, and they are missed.  And yes, we have changed—but inside each of us will always be the heart of a Rainbow Girl—and that Frisky Grand Officer!  Here’s to many more years of Friskiness!

By: Karen Rice Hester

Hello Mother, Hello Father, Greetings from your, long lost Daughter… and thus began one of our favorite traveling songs.  It’s hard to believe it has been 35 years since the Eager Beavers of 1989 celebrated A Rainbow of Promise and Victory sessions at California’s 59^th Grand Assembly Sessions in Fresno.  With 79 grand officers, we entered the Grand Assembly room wearing our amazing light blue crystal sheer organza dresses that had ruffled skirts and sleeves for days.  We were two by two, as our Grand Worthy Advisor, Julie Gerbrandt (Rey) and Acting Supreme Deputy, Mrs. Anna Lind entered with Noah in his Ark.  

These sessions were the culmination of an incredible year of traveling, making gnawsome new friendships and creating bonds to last a lifetime.  Together with Mr. Gene Gregg, our State Rainbow Dad and Mrs. Mary Schenck, our Mother Advisor for Grand Assembly, as Beavers, we traveled from Alturas to Chula Vista and every point in between for Official Visits and Receptions.  The summer of “free-fun” continued as we traversed the state in large caravans.  We had sleepovers, trips to water parks, beaches, and slept in a hayloft.  We used the sign of distress to communicate from car to car back in an age before cell phones.  And made plenty of phone calls home asking for mom and dad to send just a few more dollars so we could drive a few more miles.  We over packed our cars, ate too much and slept too little.  And had the best time of our lives.

Thousands of car washes, bake sales, selling fireworks and endless hours of serving dinners came together to allow us to present over $104,000 to the Blind Children’s Learning Center in Orange County.  Their mission is to prepare children with visual impairments for a life of independence through early intervention, education, and family support.  For over 55 years, this organization, originally founded by six blind adults, has sought the key to helping visually impaired children from the very start.  They include much needed follow-though during a child’s school years, building confidence and self-esteem, mainstreaming early and teaching skills needed throughout their lives.  Today this organization is still going strong and providing support to children throughout southern California.  

Keeping true to our promises, the lessons we learned as young girls became the inspiration and help us continue to thrive as we go through our adult lives.  We have many of our sisters working with Rainbow assemblies both in California and in other jurisdictions.  We have gone on to be teachers, lawyers, police officers, project managers, hair stylists, medical assistants, fundraisers and historical archivists.  Many have become wives and mothers. And a few even profess to having developed a lifelong love for quilting (thanks to having to embroider all our own squares back in the day). Favorite memories from our grand year are as true today as they were 35 years ago, and I’m sure ones you will hear repeated with this years’ Red Panda’s.  Most talk of walking onto the grand assembly floor for the first time, stepping up to the microphone to give their representative report in front of a packed room of friends and family, and meeting our new Grandies.  And for many of us, those memories are as fresh today as they were in that moment.  We are so proud to have served the state of California and represented our jurisdictions across the country.  As we share our 35^th anniversary with the Red Panda’s, we can’t help but to look back over that time of big sleeves and even bigger hair, gas was under $ 0.90 a gallon and cell phones weren’t a thing.  There was no social media, and you had to take a picture and wait until you got around to developing the film to see if your picture came out ok.  While times have changed, the memories created in Rainbow stay true.  We are so thrilled to be here with everyone celebrating.  And if you want to talk to a real-life person who survived traveling without our parents and without a cell phone or GPS, come sit down and have a chat.  We’d love to tell you the stories.

By: Liz Nicks

Imagine a day when cell phones were too expensive for a family plan, dial-up internet was just becoming a thing, and social media was non-existent. It was a time when we carried around camcorders and had to develop our film to make sure we got everyone in the frame. It was even a time when this year’s grand officers weren’t even born yet. Say What!?!

It was April 5, 1998. We were just a group of strangers, hearing our names called by Anna Lind at the last Grand Assembly sessions in Anaheim, CA. It was a whirlwind of a weekend to say the least and kicked off our 1998-1999 grand year.

Fifty-four Charismatic Camels traveled up and down the state making memories! That year we attended 41 O.V’s, four out of state Grand Assemblies, three Rainbow Camps, several Instructionals and receptions too. We had mass sleepovers, late night TP excursions, and road trips that lasted weeks and weeks. The bonds we formed and the memories we made are still fresh, 25 years later!

Our Grand Assembly sessions were held March 27-30, 1999, in Fresno. It was a “Rainbow Caravan Across the Sands” and our blue floral dresses made for a beautiful mirage in the warm desert landscape. Of course warm was not really the temperature, our sessions took place on ICE! Carpet covered ice, where our floor girls wore layers of thick socks to stay warm and their hoops created the perfect personal igloo! 

Our sessions kicked off with a heartwarming surprise, when we dedicated our Grand Assembly sessions to Bill and Anna Lind. They had no idea, in fact Mrs. Lind approved a program dedicated to the Grand Deputies. We swapped that page out before print and presented them with a final version the day we checked in! The look on Mrs. Lind’s face and the finger shaking was well worth it!

Our Mean Mama Camel was Mrs. Darlene Cabral and our State Rainbow ‘Rad Dad’ was Mr. Bill Hutchison. Mr. Hutchison passed this last December and will forever remain in our hearts and our memories. Mr. and Mrs. H, and Mr. and Mrs. Cabral were always on the road with us, ready with hugs, support, directions, and sweets! We were a lucky bunch, having them as our mom and pop!

Our first Grand Assembly session began as our Thomson Three took to the floor! Our Grand Lecturer is the cousin of our TWIN Grand Drill Leaders. How awesome is that! The Charismatic Camels then danced their way in to songs from The Prince of Egypt, and of course, Prince’s ‘1999!’, making way for Mrs. Lind and I, as we rode in on LIVE Camels! It was hoot watching Mrs. Lind climb up in her formal. I remind my Grandies every year that we hold the title for the only GWA to ride in ON her mascot! (Love you GWAfia!)

Our Grand Service Project was The Blind Babies Foundation, a non-profit based out of the Bay Area. California Rainbow raised an amazing $85,876.37, and we were beyond proud to present that oversized check! We had a blast meeting our new Grandies Sunday night, at Revelations, when the Zany Zebras were announced. Monday sure was tough though, removing our jewels and singing ‘Rainbow Dreams’ for the “last time!”. 

Needless to say, our GA sessions were only icing on the cake. We had an amazing year and I am beyond proud to be a Camel. Our core of officers have remained true sisters, supporting each other as life happens, emotionally, physically, and financially. We currently have over 85 camel babies, one of which is this year’s Grand Drill Leader (Go Alyssa!!), and more who are Rainbow Girls and Future Rainbow Girls. 

This organization has changed our lives and we are stronger and better women because of it. We all need to continue to support each other and this order, sharing when you can and where you can. “Keep the spirit of Rainbow in your heart” (-Vickie Diem).

By: Linda Cunningham

“Panda’s back again, check my hairpiece let’s begin”… That was our signature Grandie Song in 1993-1994 song to the beat of “Whoomp, there it is” as we traveled up and down California during our year as the Playful Pandas; lead by our GWA Pam Hardy aka “Pamda”.  It’s hard to believe it’s been 30 years since that fateful day on April 4, 1993 in Fresno, that Mrs. Anna Lind appointed us as Grand Officers.  There were 67 appointed, and do you know that a group of pandas is called?  An “embarrassment”? 

Playful Panda travels were back before the days of GPS and cell phones we relied on Thomas Guide paper maps to get us from here to there, often getting lost along the way all while wearing our pansy shift dresses and hair pieces as we traveled and raised $67,000.00 for our Grand Service Project, The Scottish Rite Childhood Language Disorders Clinic.  We had 52 Official Visits along with receptions, Northern and Southern Camps, Schools of Instruction, Washington/Idaho, Oregon and Nevada Grand Assemblies to attend with our Mama San Barbara Heeney and Panda Pop Harry Wagner to support us every step of the way.  

On our travels there were no Starbucks and Dutch Bros., Redbull and Monster Energy Drinks, so we had Mountain Dew and Jolt soda to keep our energy up after slumber parties and miles of traveling.  We had phone trees to get messages out, cassettes, CD’s and often could be found displaying spoons on our noses for endless hours of laughter. “Friends” the TV show first debuted, the Northridge Earthquake rocked Southern California and the World Wide Web was just in its infancy.  A gallon of gas averaged $1.10 a gallon and most Grand Officers preferred our epic bangs sprayed with Aqua Net to go with our hairpieces.  

Since our Grand Assembly sessions “Around the World with Rainbow” in Anaheim, where our seafoam green dresses trimmed with white eyelet ribbon around the neckline floated onto the Grand Assembly floor, many of our Playful Pandas have traveled and lived around the world.  From the Netherlands, Australia, England and Hawaii and all of the United States in between, we still often find time once or twice a year to get together as many as we can to celebrate our sisterhood and the amazing year of memories we made. As well as popping in here and there to celebrate our “Panda Cubs”.  This year, we’re so proud to call Hannah Ray not only a Resiliently Ruby Red Panda, but a Playful Panda Cub!  

Many of our Playful Pandas have since carried on lives of leadership and service and as moms, teachers, Air Force Officers, school principals (3), an anesthesiologist, a university professor and even a write in candidate for State Assembly this year, proving that the “embarrassment” has continued on as successful and fearless women!