CA Rainbow Girls

The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls in California

Menu

You are here: Home / News & Upcoming Events

Grand Representative Travel Blogs – Michigan

By

By: Shalyn M., Grand Executive Committee, California Flag Bearer, Circulation Manager and Rep. to Michigan

In June I had the privilege of attending Michigan’s Grand Assembly along with my Past Grand Deputy Mrs.Angie Thomas. I was welcomed by the Grand Worthy Advisor, Samantha, along with the Supreme Inspector. I met some of the girls at their first session of Grand Assembly. Their session consisted of the opening of a regular meeting along with a business meeting after that.  I had the pleasure of spending some time getting to know the girls over multiple lunches and dinners together. We bonded over playing games back at the hotel room along with a deep conversation over the different foods they have in Michigan to California. I even had the pleasure of touring the Masonic Pathway Retirement Home. During this time we got to bring cards to the Seniors that are staying in the retirement home. I even had the pleasure of attending their Saturday night party which consisted of an Indoor Water Park!  Although, I didn’t have a swimsuit where I could join in the fun I did enjoy getting to talk to the young ladies who also weren’t participating about their amazing state. I learned so much about how our states are different as well as similar, like how their Grand Officers are chosen, how many assemblies there are in Michigan, how old the girls that are Grand Officers usually are, and so much more. That night ended with me getting to go to my favorite place on earth, Olive Garden. This trip taught me so much about Michigan Rainbow. From the moment that I arrived, to the second that I left the girls and adults of Michigan Rainbow made me feel so welcomed and excited to be there. I will cherish those memories for a lifetime and hope to attend their Grand Assembly again in the future. Thank you!

Alumni Spotlight – Wedding Officiant

By

Had it not been for the endless hours of public speaking, memory work and people skills as well as speech writing techniques I attained in Rainbow, I wouldn’t be able to be a wedding officiant. These skills I learned through Rainbow have helped me to excel in this job in every way. From meeting the couple, planning out and writing the ceremony all the way up into wedding date and performing it, I utilize those skills quite often. Rainbow prepared me for this job in every way. Isn’t it ironic that a Past Grand Love has this job?

-Samantha, CA IORG Alumni

Submit a story here: https://forms.gle/2uEPf33bviDSxCCC9

Grand Representative Travel Blogs – Illinois

By

By: Chloe H., Grand Immortality and Rep. to IL

It was such a blast to travel to Illinois! My Mother Advisor and I headed to the airport early on Thursday, and I was so excited to take selfies with her in my new Immortality hat and jacket from my grandie. We landed at the St. Louis airport and met Holly W., one of my fellow Lemurs, and her mom to get the rental car and make the few-hour drive to Springfield, Illinois for Grand Assembly. It was the 4th of July, so we could see fireworks as we drove, and when we passed the “Welcome to Illinois” sign we tried to take a picture of it, but Mrs. Winter ended up accidentally taking a selfie instead, which we joked about for the rest of the trip.

When we made it to Springfield, we were greeted by the Illinois Rainbow girls at our hotel. They have their Grand Assembly at the same hotel every year, in downtown Springfield, and we were told to try the famous “lobby water” — which turned out to be filtered water with some fruit in it. We met Robin, a friend of Holly’s who grew up in Illinois Rainbow but now lives in California. She gave us lots of tips on how to make the most of our time here in Illinois!

The first event was the Grand Cross of Color ceremony. We went to the breakfast and got to sit with some of Illinois’ Grand Officers, who told us all about the adventures on the Grand Line, and we watched the Grand Cross of Color team rock the ceremony. Then, for the first session of their Grand Assembly, we watched the Grand Officers walk out in beautiful purple dresses and we got to see the Grand Worthy Advisor, Gabby H., reveal her Grand West. The Grand West is a whole side of the room that the Grand Worthy Advisor decorates according to her Grand Assembly theme, and Gabby’s Grand West was beautiful purple mountains. 

Later in the weekend, we went to their Grand Banquet, where all the girls pile into the room and enjoy an amazing dinner. The Grand Officers and other honored guests sat on a dais, and that was when the donations for the Grand Service Project were revealed. The Illinois girls raised a ton of money for the Shriner’s’ Hospital of Chicago, where the Grand Worthy Advisor herself was once a patient. It was very exciting!

We also learned a lot about Abraham Lincoln: we visited his house in Springfield, and his law offices, and we visited Old Salem, which is a recreation of the tiny town he lived in as a young man. We also ran around the state capitol building in the dark, which was quite an adventure! We got to take some pictures with the statues. Then, we went to Texas Roadhouse® for dinner, and had some bread rolls that changed our lives!

What an adventure in Illinois! I will always remember my travels there, and I’m so grateful to still be in touch with the Illinois girls I met.

Alumni Spotlight – Director of Clinic Operations

By

In 2019, following the devastation of the Camp Fire, myself and a few other individuals founded a nonprofit medical clinic called Medspire Health. Our clinic was created with the intention of providing completely free medical care to those that were impacted by the fire. Since March 2019, Medspire Health has provided care to over 150 people. I believe that my desire to help others directly came from my time in Rainbow. Rainbow instilled upon me the confidence I needed to believe that this goal was achievable and to not be afraid to work hard for something I believed in.

-Hannah, CA IORG Alumni

Submit a story here: https://forms.gle/2uEPf33bviDSxCCC9

Grand Representative Travel Blogs – Oregon

By

By: Ryanne G., Grand Hope and Representative to OR/Brazil

Hi everyone! It’s me, Ryanne, Grand Hope and Representative to Oregon and Brazil. This summer, I was so lucky to be able to travel to Pendleton, Oregon to visit their “Adventure Awaits” Grand Assembly and was absolutely amazed by everything Oregon Rainbow had to offer. Most of their Grand Assembly was very similar to California’s, just on a slightly smaller scale. They had beautiful decorations, sparkling new Grand Officer dresses, and even an exciting informal walk-in… just like us! They also have a very talented Grand Choir and Grand Pages for all of the line officers, who are also announced at their “Grand Officer Announcements”. The Meerkats of 2019 truly shined and I am so excited to see what the future holds for the Hedgehogs of 2020. Being able to travel to their sessions and sit in the East definitely reinforced my love for my jurisdiction and reminded me how wonderful it is to be able to learn and share all of the incredible ways that each jurisdiction is different. I loved watching all of Oregon show their spirit and excitement for service and community, and I really look forward to seeing their jurisdiction grow. I couldn’t be more proud to represent California in such a beautiful state full of such beautiful Rainbow adventures, awaiting in the future!

Top Five Tips How A Youth Group Can Stay Connected During COVID-19

By

By Elise S.

Being shut in doesn’t mean we have to shut out opportunities to support one another and promote your non-profit youth group. In fact, new ideas for ways to stay connected seem to be popping up every day! Here are a few to inspire you to reach out and stay connected during the COVID-19 Pandemic!

1. Host a Facebook or Instagram Live Q&A About Your Organization

Since people are more active on social media, this is the perfect opportunity to spread the word about your youth group! You can create a Facebook and/or Instagram Live event to tell everyone why you love your organization so much. Write out an agenda for your presentation, and try to involve everyone in the group. Be sure to include a few pictures and descriptions of group activities in your presentation. To be prepared ahead of time, have everyone write out what they plan to say, as well as some fun facts about your non-profit, and some ice-breaker questions to get the conversation started. You also write out some typical questions and answers, and even invite alumni to join you and talk about how your youth group has helped them in college and careers!

2. Drive-By Parades.

Have you seen what teachers and friends have been doing for each other? They have been holding drive-by parades or “carades” for their students or friends! So, why not do the same thing with the youth members and adults! Not only is this encouraging to the members, and an excuse to get out of the house, but it is also a great publicity tool! You might even want to make posters and decorate your car to cheer up your friends (and for even more publicity)!

3. Wear your Organization Shirts and Merch on your Video Calls.

Have you ever noticed athletes and public figures wearing hats and shirts with company logos? They’re doing this to promote a company or organization they support! We can do the same thing when video calling friends (and let’s admit it, we’re spending lots of time on video calls)! A t-shirt can be a conversation starter! Who knows, you may even get to talk about it with your friends and gain a prospective member!

4. Write Letters or Make Calls to Members.

Something that makes everyone happy is getting letters! One way we can encourage each other is by sending letters to active and inactive members. Another way you can keep in touch with members and adults is by giving them a call! This is a good way to cheer up, stay connected and reconnect with alumni, inactive members, active members, and adults!

5. Have a Virtual Game Night.

Another way you can have fun and stay inside is with online games! Have a Zoom call while you play on-line games, bingo or multi-player card games so you can talk during the game! You can plan this with your youth group and invite prospective members!

And don’t forget – encourage your members to share on social media using hashtags. Choose popular hashtags for a higher chance of the general public landing on your accounts, such as #fun #kids #stayinghome. Use a hashtag generator site such as https://ritetag.com/ or https://hashtagify.me/. It’s also good to include hashtags that are member only used hashtags in your organization and/or for an event. The International Order of The Rainbow Girls California https://gocarainbow.org/ uses #caiorg and #whyitainbow. It will help keep members posts organized in one hashtag location.

By doing these 5 simple things you can boost spirits, have fun, stay connected and share about your organization! This is just a start to the activities you could host!

Alumni Spotlight – Culinary Arts Teacher

By

Today I am a full time culinary arts teacher and the owner and operator of a food truck. Each time I stand in front of new groups of students and each time I have to learn new names and get to know new faces I am reminded of the time I spent traveling as a representative to my jurisdictions. Each class that I teach I am reminded of my rainbow speech skills. I try really hard to give my students the opportunity to stand before their peers and present because I know how important it is be able to speak in front of a room full of people. As a business owner I use the skills I learned in my local assembly through fundraising and budgeting. I spent many years on my assemblies budget committee and then as treasurer of my assembly. These skills are invaluable to me as a business owner. I work with students and customers on a regular basis and Rainbow has given me the skills I need to be successful at both.

-Amanda, CA IORG Alumni

Submit a story here: https://forms.gle/2uEPf33bviDSxCCC9

Grand Representative Travel Blogs – Rhode Island

By

By: Holly W., Grand Executive Committee, Dean of the Grand Cross of Color and Representative to CT/RI

Hi California Rainbow! My name is Holly and I am a Member of the Grand Executive Committee, Dean of the Grand Cross of Color, and Representative to Connecticut and Rhode Island. I’d like to share with you my trip to Rhode Island. I was fortunate to be joined on my trip by my friends, Lucy and Angellina. When I arrived at my hotel room I got a wonderful bag that had goodies and information about some of Rhode Island’s landmarks. I knew we had to visit some in our spare time. I had so much fun at the, “Believe in Your Own Magic with Rhode Island Rainbow” Grand Assembly sessions. I had the opportunity to meet so many new people including my counterpart, Eryka, and the Grand Worthy Advisor Hannah, who would be the new rep to California! One of the coolest things I learned was that the Grand Line, Grand Chaplain, and Grand Drill Leader all wear crowns during Grand Assembly. All the Grand Officers have matching dresses and bows that match the theme. The Grand Worthy Associate Advisor moves up to Grand Worthy Advisor and this year her name was Holly, how funny is that?! Holly chose the theme, “Find the Key to Your Dreams with Rhode Island Rainbow” which is an Alice in Wonderland theme! This year they will be supporting the American Heart Association as their Grand Service Project. In between sessions Angellina, Lucy, and I got to visit some awesome places like the Roger Williams National Park. Roger Williams just so happens to be my relative and after sharing this with my counterpart Eyka we found out she was also related to him! So I guess we are very distant cousins. Next, we toured some lighthouses, got to eat lobster, and drink milkshakes the size of our heads! They were so good but boy! were we full! After sessions were over we decided to take that list I got earlier and try to visit as much as we could. One of the most memorable things we did was visit a memorial to the world’s largest chicken but the funny thing was that we didn’t know it was a memorial. We thought we were traveling to see an actual chicken so, after an hour of traveling, we found out that the chicken had unfortunately passed away many years before. We ultimately spent less than a minute there just to take a picture! Next, we visited the Newport Creamery where we had coffee milk, the state drink. One of the last things we did was visit the Roger Williams Zoo. Unfortunately, there were no lemurs, but we got to pet armadillos, goats, and sheep! Last, but by no means least, we got to go to the Breakers, a mansion owned by the Newport family. It was absolutely stunning and after our tour, we decided to run around the lawn, explore the garden, and of course, visit the gift shop! Finally, it was time to head back to California! I had so much fun in this wonderful state and I wouldn’t trade it for the world! I have memories that will last a lifetime and new friends that I’ll get to see again in April when they come to visit California to attend our Grand Assembly!

Alumni Spotlight – Social Service Program Assistant

By

In my current job as a Social Service Program Assistant with the county, I assist families in the community who have fallen on hard times by providing supportive services and resources. I believe Rainbow helped shape my life and led me to this career path because of our focus on community service and helping others. When the opportunity to apply as an Eligibility Worker, I knew this was the right job for me. A leadership opportunity has presented itself and I know that my experience in preparing an agenda, leading a meeting, public speaking and presentation skills, along with learning to plan and execute a training or meeting will help me get the job! Rainbow does help girls prepare for life!

-Tammy, CA IORG Alumni ⠀

Submit a story here:
https://forms.gle/DAqhhQqnSdvPNA9w8

Grand Representative Travel Blogs – Montana

By

By: Sarah B., Grand Nature and Representative to MT/ND

Hi! It’s Sarah, Grand Nature and Representative to Montana and North Dakota. I had the opportunity to attend Grand Assembly in Montana with a few girls from my Assembly. We arrived in Montana at a crazy hour in the morning after a wild plane ride. Grand Assembly started the next day, and it was exciting. To pass the time, we walked around downtown Bozeman trying local coffee shops and looking at bookstores. Grand Assembly was held at the Bozeman Masonic Center in Bozeman, Montana. I got to meet the Representative to California, Trinity. It was so fun to meet so many girls. The floor is very different from California, they open their Grand Assembly by singing a song about Montana while creating an M and they walk really fast. Songs were also all different. Montana has something cool called chocolate chances, where you have to try to find the chocolate with a golden ticket for a prize. I was especially excited to learn about their theme, “Books are a Dream Held in your Hand.”  The Assemblies helped read to local schools and donated books, as their service project. I had a wonderful time visiting!