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The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls in California

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Closing out 2019 and Ready for 2020!

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By: The Girls and Adults of Helen G. McCallum Assembly

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.

Stay Safe, Stay Healthy

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By: Madison M. and Ireland P., Heart of the Valley Assembly

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!!

It’s the End of Rainbow as We Know it … Kinda.

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By: Sophia B., Natasha H., Ava J., Jeanine R., Golden Arch Assembly

(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!

Stay Calm and Zoom On!

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By: Sierra H., Concord Assembly

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!

From Old Favorite Jeans to New Tote Bag

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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

  1. The first thing you need to do is mark where you are going to cut.  For the body of the bag, you want to draw a line as close to the crotch seam as you can. You can always go lower if you want to use the legs as a double pouch too.  Next, you will need to measure 2 handles on one of the legs about 2 ½ inches wide and 20” long.  If your leg isn’t wide enough, no worries, there is a backside to the leg and you still get 2 out of one leg.
  2. Now you’ll want to cut along those lines so that you have the body of the bag and 2 strap pieces.
  3. Next, you will turn the body of the bag inside out and stitch about a ½” from the edges of the bottom to close your bag.  While you’re at it stitch the zipper closed.  Then turn the straps right sides together and stitch along the edge to create a tube.  Carefully turn your tubes inside out so the right side is showing and your seam is hidden.
  4. Then stitch your straps where you would like on the waistband of your bag.  I chose to use the front belt loops as an attachment point, but you can put them wherever is most comfortable for you.

And there you have it, a zippy little tote bag you can use anytime!

Hobbies in Quarantine

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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!

CA IORG Gives Back By Making Masks

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We are so proud to announce that together the California International Order of the Rainbow for Girls (IORG) has made 12,422 masks, 410 “ear savers”, 31 hospital gowns, and 24 eye masks! Some of these masks were donated to women and children’s centers, child welfare workers, homeless populations, medical personnel, senior facilities, and social workers. We loved seeing the participation in this event and know this will be helpful to local communities. We would like to thank everyone who has helped so far and challenge you to find a way to serve your community this week. 

If you would also like to make a mask, our members created how-to videos that can be found here.

The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls is a community service based organization for girls ages 11-20. Our order was founded in 1922 on the pillars of hope, love, and service. Today, we build leaders by teaching our members about public speaking, community service, how to run business meetings, and more. Members meet biweekly, hold various events throughout the year, and then join together for our statewide convention in the spring. To stay true to CA Rainbow’s mission to get girls ready for life during this time, we have adapted to meeting virtually, teaching video conference etiquette, and hosting interactive statewide challenges. Our most recent activity was our statewide mask challenge where members and alumni were asked to make masks for their local communities.