By Carley L., Grand Charity, Assistant Editor & Representative to WA/ID

Hey everyone, I’m Carley! It has been an honor to serve as Grand Charity and Representative to Washington/Idaho. Now you may be wondering, what exactly does Grand Charity and Representative to Washington/ Idaho do throughout the Grand Year? Grand Charity is a part of the Grand Line. This means that we support the GWA throughout the year as she travels up and down the state as well as participates in the Beyond the Line Luncheon, held on Sunday at Grand Assembly. The luncheon is attended by the line officers from each assembly. The Grand Line also votes on who will be awarded the Distinguished Leader Award for the year. Charity also memorizes Opening, Closing, Initiation, and In Memoriam for Grand Assembly. But wait, there’s more. As Representative to Washington/Idaho, I connected with the Grand Representative to California and she taught me more about Rainbow in Washington/Idaho. Did you know that Idaho is called the Gem state? Also, Starbucks was actually founded in Washington! In addition, one of my favorite shows, Grey’s Anatomy was set in Washington, which I ended up basing the theme of my Representative report around. I did attend Washington/Idaho’s Grand Assembly and had an absolute blast! I learned about all the cool traditions including that the Grand Worthy Advisor gets her own special dress, they elect the Grand Line during sessions, and that they hold the First OV at their annual summer camp! Serving as Grand Charity and Representative to Washington/Idaho has been incredible and I cannot wait to watch my 2024 Grandie shine!

By Ashley H., Grand Religion & Representative to AL, GA and NC

Although Religion is primarily associated with the color orange, crosses, and prayer, the main purpose of the Office of Religion is to advocate for the diversity and variation in religion among the members of the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls. 

As appointed Grand Religion, I am a part of the God Squad, which consists of myself and four other Grand Officers. The God Squad creates devotionals for the Grand Family which are given before large events like the Grand Officer retreat, First OV, Last OV, and GWA reception. It is a great way to unite everyone and start the day out together.

 Did you know Alabama’s official state insect is a monarch butterfly? As a Grand Representative, I am responsible for corresponding with my three counterparts from Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina. 

Although best known for its peaches, watermelon is Georgia’s number one produce crop with over 40,000 acres in production! A Grand Representative’s job is to spread the magic of California Rainbow by sharing information about our Grand Service Project, special traditions specific to our jurisdiction, and speaking about what we are up to throughout the year. 

Where are all my Pepsi®  lovers out there? North Carolina is the motherland of Pepsi-Cola®! As Grand Representatives, not only do we share about California Rainbow, but we have the wonderful opportunity to learn about the similarities and differences of Rainbow in other states. With all the information gathered, we then create a representative report to share with all of California Rainbow!

All Grand Officers are required to join a state team during their grand year. This year, I and a few other Grand Officers joined the open team. You may be wondering what that means. The open team has an amazing opportunity to create a project for the year. This year, we created Run with the Pack, a virtual 5k run and the proceeds went to the California Rainbow for Girls Foundation. It was so exciting to customize t-shirts, attend various meetings, and complete the project as a team.

By Maddison C., GEC, Color Bearer & Representative to CO/NV

Each part of my office is very special to me and is all equally important.

The first part of my title is Member of the Grand Executive Committee. The Grand Executive Committee basically makes a lot of the rules and decides on very important things. My job as a girl in the GEC is to bring up concerns/ ideas from the girls and advocate for them. Whenever you have an idea or concern a GEC member would be the best place to start.

The next part of my office is Color Bearer. What the Color Bearer does is carry the American Flag. At Grand Assembly, we also have the opportunity to give a tribute. Another very important part of this office is we get the chance to bring in the American Flag at Grand Lodge which is a super big honor. It is basically Grand Assembly for the Masons.

The last but one of the most important parts of my office is I am the Representative to Colorado and Nevada from California. Being a Rep. entails being in contact and even most of the time visiting that rep state. It is a great program that gathers Rainbow Girls not only all over the United States but the world now. Learning and corresponding with other jurisdictions is super important.

Thank you for taking the time to read about my office. It means a lot to me and hopefully, you learned something new.

By Sabrina C., GEC, Christian Flag Bearer & Representative to Aruba, FL and TN

Are you ready to learn about all the wonderful things that you get to do as Member of the Grand Executive Committee, Christian Flag Bearer and Representative to Aruba, Florida, and Tennessee? Well, good cause I’m ready to share with you.

As a member of the GEC, you get to attend meetings in the room where it happens. Although it’s not technically a room and more of a Zoom™ meeting, you get to be a part of the process of making decisions that affect all of California Rainbow. 

Being Christian Flag Bearer is a big responsibility, not only do you carry the Christian Flag at Grand Assembly, you also get to write a personal tribute to the flag and what it means to you. I myself am so honored to be able to speak about our flag and how it has made such a huge impact in my life and in the life of others. 

Being a Representative in itself is a wonderful opportunity. Not only do you get the chance to talk with girls from other jurisdictions and see what Rainbow looks like outside of California, but you also get to form friendships with girls you would otherwise never meet. If you are able you can even visit these jurisdictions. After you learn all that you can, you get to give a report at Grand Assembly informing everyone of what you learned about your jurisdictions. I think that we’re pretty blessed in our Representative states of Aruba, Florida, and Tennessee. They are the coolest places to visit after all.  You will also get the opportunity to honor your Rep. states in the Cavalcade of Flags which I think is pretty cool.