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Information About Rainbow
What will a girl gain from
Rainbow?
The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls emphasizes the following
things:
1.) Effective Leadership
2.) Church Membership and Active Participation in the church of your
choice
3.) Patriotism
4.) Cooperation with Equals
5.) Love of Home
6.) Loyalty to Family
7.) Service to Humanity
The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls helps promote
self-esteem and leadership in its members. As a member, a girl will learn
the importance of proper etiquette. She will learn valuable public speaking
skills and will attend meetings presided over girls her own age. While there
is always adult advisors to provide direction, all meetings are conducted by
girls.
If given the opportunity to rise to the position of Worthy Advisor of her
local Rainbow Assembly, a girl will learn to plan a program beneficial to
all members and, by carrying out these plans, become a director and leader
of people. Furthermore, she will learn the proper way to conduct a business
meeting.
In addition to their local Assembly, girls may have the opportunity to
advance to leadership positions on a statewide level. They will also have
the opportunity to apply for the various scholarship finds available to
those members who meet the academic qualifications.
What do Rainbow girls do?
Members of Rainbow are active in their churches, schools, and communities.
They raise money for various charities through bake sales, dinners and car
washes, and they extend themselves in service to their communities, churches
and their sponsoring organizations. Rainbow Girls have many fun activities
and opportunities to many lifelong friendships.
Who can attend a Rainbow meeting?
Rainbow Members in good standing, as well as any Mason, Eastern Star or
Amaranth in good standing, any Majority Member of Rainbow, and parent or
legal guardian of a Rainbow Girl is eligible to attend a meeting of the
International Order of the Rainbow for Girls.
Is Rainbow a Religious Organization?
No. The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls is a service
organization. Rainbow does, however, encourage each member to be an active
participant in the church of her choice.
Ritual of the Order
The Ritual for the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls is a book of
ceremonies used primarily for the Opening, Closing and Initiation of a
Rainbow Assembly. Members of the Order recite, from memory, the ceremonies
contained in the Rainbow Ritual.
The Seven Colors of the Rainbow are represented by seven stations,
strategically placed in the shape of a bow. Each station is represented by a
color, and each color teaches one of the seven lessons of Rainbow. The
stations and lessons of the Rainbow are as follows:
Red is the first
color station and represents Love.
Orange is the second color station and represents Religion.
Yellow is the third color station and represents Nature.
Green
is the fourth color station and represents Immortality.
Blue
is the fifth color station and represents Fidelity.
Indigo is the sixth color station and represents
Patriotism.
Violet is the seventh color station and represents Service.
The leadership structure of
Rainbow begins with the local Assembly and extends to the State and
International Assemblies. Each local Assembly is made up of five line
officers (Rainbow Girls who lead the Assembly under the direction of the
Mother Advisor and Advisory Board) and thirteen appointed officers. The
adult governing body of each Rainbow Assembly is known as the Advisory Board
and is comprised of seven to fifteen adults from various Masonic
organizations.
What IS Rainbow?
The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls is a character building
organization for girls between the ages of 11 and 20. It's purpose is to
promote effective communication, leadership skills and, most importantly,
service to humanity.
The Order of Rainbow was established in McAlester, Oklahoma in 1922. The
very inception and writing of the first ritual, and the laws governing the
Order, was the work of W. Mark Sexson, a 33 degree Mason from McAlester,
Oklahoma.
Reverend Sexson was very active in several Masonic dependant organizations.
Among his many offices, he held the titles of Most Worshipful Grand Master
of a sovereign Masonic Grand Jurisdiction (1928) and Worthy Grand Patron for
the Order of Eastern Star (1925-1926), both in the state of Oklahoma. The
degrees of the Order of Rainbow were first exemplified on April 6, 1922, by
the regular officers of South McAlester Chapter No. 149, Order of Eastern
Star, for a class of 171 girls at the Scottish Rite Temple in McAlester,
Oklahoma.
Today Rainbow Assemblies can be found in many jurisdictions around the
world, including the United States, Australia, Brazil, The Philippines,
Germany, Canada, and Japan, to name only a few. Nearly all states in the
United States have Rainbow. |