Florida's Grandie Brag Rags

"Sweet Side of Life"

Almost any old Rainbow Girl remembers her brag rag.  We wore them with pride, showing off all that we had accomplished in our Rainbow careers, sharing our travels, our support of Grand Worthy Advisors through the years and, well, as the name implies, "bragging".  Nowadays, sadly, pins, merit bars and buttons as well as entire brag rags can be found for sale on eBay.  Now, I'm not a memorabilia collector so I don't regularly search the Rainbow Girls listings on eBay but I have a suspicion that there might not be a lot of brag rags originating from Florida that wind up for sale to the highest bidder.  Specifically, Florida's very special, unique Grand Officer Brag Rags.

"Celebrate Traditions"

Most jurisdictions have Grand Officer pins which are often passed down from girl to girl.  In Florida, every single Grand Officer is also given a custom, hand-embroidered brag rag which is hers to keep.  These brag rags are embroidered with her office, the year, and a symbol or emblem representing the Grand Worthy Advisor's theme.  Each Grand Officer attaches her office pin to this brag rag and generally also the session pin.  Some choose to add a few other pins special pins but these are designed to "brag" about your Grand Office and nothing else.  And, once you receive a Grandie Brag Rag you no longer wear any other brag rag.

"God's Garden of Hope"

The brag rags were started around 1992 when Mom Lish was State Mother Advisor.  She sent them to all of the Grand Officers that year as a birthday gift.  They were such a hit that others followed in her footsteps and eventually the Grand Worthy Advisors' support committees took on the task.  The tradition almost died a few years ago when Florida changed their GWA selection process and the GWAA stopped advancing, but a team of dedicated volunteers offered to take on this enduring tradition.  Now, they spend their summer months between Grand Assembly and the First Official Visit in a mad, furious haze of cross-stitching in order to deliver those coveted brag rags to the new, excited Grand Family. 

What an amazing, wonderful tradition that Florida has!  Kudos to the hard-working, creative folks who make this a reality every year! 

"All Things Bright & Beautiful",
"Let Your Light Shine", &
"Dare to Dream"

New England's Crowns

Assembly Installation
Photo courtesy of New Hampshire IORG

Many of my fellow California Majority Members like to joke about our varying degrees of crown envy.  As time has gone on and social media has expanded our horizons, we've discovered, thankfully, that we're not alone.  There are jurisdictions which allow crowns and others which do not.  And then, there's the whole of New England.

My level of crown envy has always been minimal, after all I now live in Oregon where crowns are allowed.  I've known for years that New Hampshire was special, that not just their Worthy Advisors wore crowns but their entire Line.  It wasn't until recently though that I learned New Hampshire is not alone.  This practice is customary throughout all of the New England states.

Vermont Grand Officers 2013
Photo courtesy of Vermont IORG

Vermont?  Check!  Connecticut?  Check!  Massachusetts?  Check!  The entire Grand Line and assembly Line Officers wear crowns in every single one of those jurisdictions.  Tongue in cheek, I joked with a few Facebook friends earlier this week, "we now know why Job's Daughters never caught on in New England!"  Who cares if the top three Line Officers wear crowns in Jobies when all five of 'em get to wear crowns in Rainbow?  I jest, but really, can anyone explain why Job's Daughters never made any inroads in the Northeast?

And then, there are Maine and Rhode Island.  They take this crown wearing to a whole other level.  It's not enough for the Worthy Advisor, Worthy Associate Advisor, Charity, Hope and Faith to wear crowns.  Nope, not at all.  Why not throw Chaplain and Drill Leader in for good measure? I'm pretty sure both of my nieces, who were each Drill Leader at the tender age of twelve, would have been a-okay with wearing a crown while escorting dignitaries. And if I ever tell them about this little New England tidbit, or they ever read this blog, or we ever visit a New England jurisdiction and see all those glittering tiaras in person, I'm pretty sure their level of crown envy will equal mine currently, which is just another way of saying, "I'm jealous!" 

New Hampshire Grand Line 2013
Photo courtesy of New Hampshire IORG

Now, my only questions is, since the six New England jurisdictions are jointly hosting Supreme Assembly next year in Providence, Rhode Island, will they put crowns on the Acting Supreme Line Officers, Chaplain and Drill Leaders?  That would get people talking!  And give the rest of the Rainbow world a serious case of crown envy.

Kansas' White Grand Assembly Floor

Altar at Kansas Grand Assembly

Some traditions are borne out of a practical necessity.  The white canvas floor used at every Kansas' Grand Assembly since 1939 is one such tradition.  Like many other jurisdictions in their early years of Rainbow, Kansas' Grand Assembly was held in high school gymnasiums.  In order to protect both the hardwood floors and the girls' dresses, a decision was made between Kansas' first Grand Assembly in 1938 and their second session to cover the gym floor with a white canvas.

By the time Kansas moved to different venues like hotel ballrooms the tradition was firmly ingrained and while it is quite a task for the many adult volunteers to lay the white canvas floor prior to sessions and wash it every few years, neither active girls nor Majority Members could imagine doing away with it.  In 1987, in honor of their own Mrs. McLeod's fiftieth anniversary as their Supreme Inspector, a collection was taken throughout the state to replace the by-then worn-out original canvas.

Kansas Grand Assembly floor

But this canvas isn't something that is to only be seen.  It needs to be experienced as the canvas muffles the sound of the girls' feet.  I don't know about you but I have difficulty imagining lovely Grand Assembly marches and floor work so quiet that one only hears the music and the speakers.  And so, yet another Grand Assembly that I'll be visiting when I win that elusive Powerball jackpot!

To see more pictures of this amazing Grand Assembly floor, check out Kansas Rainbow's Facebook page!

New Jersey's Bow Pedestals

Naturally stained wood pedestals
of Golden Assembly #43
Photo courtesy Elizabeth Taschler Amodeo

Through the years I have seen some really neat bow pedestals.  One year, our GWA here in Oregon had an African theme and her family made a set of tribal-themed pedestals which were given to her assembly after Grand Assembly.  Those were some of the most beautiful ones I've seen but New Jersey might take the trophy for the most unique jurisdictional tradition with respect to assembly pedestals.

Wicker basket pedestal
Photo courtesy of
Elizabeth Taschler Amodeo

Sometime back in the 1960s, several New Jersey assemblies were informed they could no longer use their wicker basket pedestals.  Now, not all of the assemblies had these type of pedestals but the outcome of this decision was that every single assembly in New Jersey switched to a single, uniform pedestal style with the only variation being whether the pedestals were naturally stained or painted white. What makes these pedestals even better is that they are lighted! 

I'm sure that many, loyal blog readers are thinking, "Well, what's so special about that?  Lots of assemblies have lighted pedestals."  Fair point.  But I was a sad, little Rainbow Girl who never belonged to an assembly with lighted pedestals.  And, even when I did visit an assembly that was lucky enough to have lighted pedestals, California's rules stated the pedestals were to be lit before the meeting began or not at all.  And thus, we arrive at what, to this sad, little California Rainbow Girl, what makes New Jersey's lighted pedestals so special and interesting.

During assembly meetings, the room's lights are dimmed and the pedestals are lit as Hope approaches the Altar during opening, from Love to Service.  The Altar light is the last to illuminate the Assembly room.  This is reversed during closing. 

How neat is that?  I imagine that this makes this part of opening and closing only more impressive and solemn, and a very visible reminder of our Rainbow lessons.  And so, I say, good job New Jersey Rainbow!

Bow pedestals on display at the NJ Masonic Museum
Photo from Karyn Visscher

And for those curious about the tribal mask bow pedestals I mentioned in the first paragraph...  Here's the best photo I can find at the moment.

Oregon Grand Assembly 2009
Photo courtesy Scott Malmquist

Illinois' Grand Banquet

Someday, I'm going to have to get myself to Illinois' Grand Assembly just to witness in person one of the most unique traditions I've ever seen. 

Photo from Getty Images

Imagine having enjoyed a delectable dinner with everyone else in attendance at Illinois' Grand Banquet, you're relaxing, chatting amiably with friends and table mates but bubbling in the air is a growing anticipation.  Dessert, almost always Baked Alaska, is about to be served.  The lights dim, a spotlight is trained on the door nearest the kitchens, and then, appearing out of the darkness is one of your beloved Rainbow Dads, hoisting a large Rainbow emblem above his head.  Marching along behind to, as one Illinois PGWA describes it, "a rollicking version of 'The Saints Come Marching In'" are a parade of waiters, those Baked Alaskas, sparkling with live firecrackers, also raised high.  Around the banquet room they process while the entire gathering claps and sings along, cheering madly at the end. 

Really, watching a video of this Illinois-only tradition, can't do it justice.  Someday, yes, I'm going to have to get myself to Illinois' Grand Assembly.

West Coast Mascots & Nicknames

Mascots are an integral part of many jurisdictions however this has not always been the case.  In California, the first known use of a mascot for the Grand Officers occurred in 1956 with stuffed pink kittens but there was no guarantee mascots would catch on.  In fact, if there was a mascot for the 1957 Grand Officers it is not known.  But, in 1958, mascots arrived for good in California Rainbow with stuffed white rabbits.  Within fifteen years, mascots were so ingrained that the Grand Officers were given an alliterative nickname - the Darling Ducklings.  Forty-five years later, this unique tradition is still going strong.  It is the last big announcement of California Grand Assembly as the newly installed Grand Worthy Advisor almost always reveals the new Grand Officers' nickname during her installation address.

I'm not sure if California was the first jurisdiction to adopt a stuffed mascot or if the tradition originated elsewhere.  If it did come from somewhere else, it is likely that one of those fun-loving, wiglet-and-hoop-wearing West Coast jurisdictions was the culprit.  Each jurisdiction has developed its own traditions when it comes to mascot selection and nicknames. 

Like California, Nevada's outgoing Grand Worthy Advisor selects the mascot for the following year and often the mascot bears no relation to the Grand Assembly theme the new Grand Worthy Advisor selects.  Another key difference is that Nevada has nicknames for both the Grand Officers and Grand Choir that are related to the mascot.  I'm uncertain when Nevada's nicknames are announced but if you know, please share! 

Moving north, in Oregon the newly-appointed Grand Worthy Associate Advisor moves up to Grand Worthy Advisor so this girl has time to select a mascot that fits with her theme for the year.  And, unlike her southern counterparts, Oregon's Grand Officers suggest nicknames, which generally have nothing to do with the mascot - ie "Boot-Scootin' Beauties" in 2013 when the Grand Worthy Advisor selected a western theme , and vote at their annual Grandie Retreat. 

Similarly, Alaska's Grand Worthy Associate Advisor also moves up, though she is elected rather than appointed, and she gets to select her theme and mascot.  I'm not positive when Alaska started giving their Grand Officers a nickname but from what I've seen on their website, when they have had nicknames it has been alliterative like California, Nevada and Washington/Idaho.  And, uniquely, Alaska's Grand Worthy Advisor selects a "fun mascot" to travel with her throughout the year which is not the same as the Grand Officers' mascot.

A new Grand Worthy Advisor is elected each year in Washington/Idaho.  The candidates for GWA submit to their Supreme Inspector a theme idea and bring one stuffed animal to Grand Assembly which is revealed, along with their new nickname, at Grand Installation should they be elected.  Like Oregon and Alaska, the mascot is related to the chosen theme.

Mascots and nicknames have been a West Coast Rainbow tradition for over fifty years.  Slowly, this fun tradition has spread throughout the world of Rainbow.  I had the unique pleasure of attending Arkansas Grand Assembly in 1988 which happened to be the first year that Arkansas was allowed to have stuffed animal mascots - a teddy bear, if I recall correctly!  Until then, the closest they, and many other jurisdictions, came to a mascot was allowing an animal as one of the Grand Worthy Advisor's symbols for the year.  There are some jurisdictions where this is still the case, though sometimes the mascot is called a "fun symbol".  Girls love their mascots and fun symbols though, which is why their use has gradually spread. 

California Rainbow's Revelations

Photo courtesy Deborah Ratto Dash

Welcome! 

As California Grand Assembly 2015 comes to a close, this former California Rainbow Girl has been avidly following the wonderful live updating on their Facebook page.  Anyone who has had the chance to attend California's Grand Assembly will be certain to tell you, the most exciting part of their sessions is Revelations.  Of course, that is a strange word and anyone visiting California Grand Assembly for the first time will squint their eyes and ask "what's Revelations?"  As was explained to me as a wide-eyed, enthusiastic 13-year old attending my first Grand Assembly, Anaheim 1986, "Revelations are when the new Grand Officers are revealed."  Well, that made perfect sense but to most out-of-state visitors, this is quickly translated to "Grandie Announcements" or "Grand Officer Announcements" or something similar. 

No jurisdiction does Revelations quite like California.  The rest of the West Coast comes closest, with the retiring Grand Officers forming a circle around the perimeter of the assembly room, whether the convention is being held in an arena, a gymnasium, a theater, or a hotel ballroom.  The video clips from Revelations 2015 took me back to the last time I attended California Grand Assembly, and to every other year I was lucky enough to make it to Fresno, Anaheim or, once, Sacramento. 

Photo courtesy Deborah Ratto Dash

So, what makes them special?  Well, imagine a young woman wearing a floor-length formal, complete with a hoop and pantaloons underneath, capped by a rosette-shaped wiglet bun on her head, and a stuffed animal clasped in one hand, dressed to fit the office to which the new recipient was being appointed, bouncing up and down with unbridled excitement to meet another young woman who will be serving in that Grand Office for the next year.  When the new name is called, there are shouts of acclamation from around the arena, the young woman is mobbed by her own assembly before she is escorted down the arena's stairs to the floor where she is then allowed to run to meet her new Grandie.  And, if they collide with joy, especially if they are both jumping or sometimes manage to fall in a heap, the shouts from the audience only grow louder.  A visor is placed on the new appointee's head, they pose for pictures and then retire to the perimeter, sitting down on a sheet which has been embroidered or puff-painted with the names of that Grand Office's predecessors.

All of this is preceded by the Grand Officers Protest, which once upon a time, before 1990, was called the Grand Officers Farewell.  The retiring Grandies flood the arena wearing t-shirts of various colors and capes or boas to fit their office, chanting "No!  No!  We won't go!" all while holding up protest signs with cute phrases such as "Have you lost FAITH in me?" or "I would LOVE another year."  Once their pleas are acknowledged but ultimately disregarded by the Supreme Deputy or Inspector, they gather 'round barrels or boxes for the first reveal of the night - the new mascot.  Many in the arena will have, by this moment, successfully guessed what the animal is based off the clues delivered at the conclusion of the prior sessions of that year's Grand Assembly but it is still thrilling to finally see the cute stuffed animal the retiring Grand Worthy Advisor has selected for the next year's Grand Officers.

Photo courtesy Deborah Ratto Dash

And then, onto those bouncing, ecstatic Grandies, nearly thirty in all, repeating their scene, over and over, until there are only two offices left - Grand Worthy Associate Advisor and Grand Worthy Advisor.  At this point, the rest of the retiring and newly appointed Grandies form two lines, from East to West, about twenty feet apart.  Down this channel, the GWA and GWAA skip to the West, and there they wait, anxious to meet their new Grandies.  A name is called, hugs, a meeting, then the GWAAs skip to the East.  And then, the new Grand Worthy Advisor is revealed.  She has no idea, only her parents and the Supreme Deputy or Inspector know the name of that young woman about to be announced.  Shocked is an understatement any California PGWA will tell you, of her reaction to that fateful moment.  Once she makes her way to the floor, receives her visor and hugs her Grandie, they also make that run to the East but this time they dash up the ramps to the podium where she's asked "Do you accept the office of Grand Worthy Advisor?"  Never has a girl said no, and the arena always erupts in thunderous approval. 

Then, you might think, it's all over.  But it's not.  In days of old, the arena floor would be flooded with Past Grand Officers and assemblies eager to congratulate their new Grandies.  This is still the case but most of the congratulating takes place at the Grandie Party, which is held in an adjacent exhibit hall.  There are tables set up for each Grand Office, filled with goodies and gifts including a dress bag, a jacket and a customized box filled with hair bows that the Grandie will wear throughout the next year, tucked into that much-desired wiglet, the most easily recognizable badge of any California Grand Officer.

Past Grand Musicians, Past Grand NJs & Past Grand NYs
in attendance at the 2015 Grand Musician/NJ/NY Reception
Photo courtesy Deborah Ratto Dash

Part of what makes California Rainbow so unique are the bonds between not just any given year's Grand Family but also the Past Grand Officers Families.  Past Grand Officers eagerly wait to hear who their "new Grandie" is, and many who are still active with California Rainbow keep their eyes on girls as they develop into leaders worthy of a Grand Office and hope for one girl or another to become a part of their special Grandie family.   Even with the loss of membership and the resulting combination of many Grand Offices which used to be single appointments - ie Grand Musician and Grand Representative to New Jersey & New York counts all of the Past Grand Musicians, Past Grand New Jerseys, Past Grand New Yorks and Past Grand New Jersey/New Yorks as "her Grandies" - these networks are lasting and lifelong associations.  They don't celebrate reunions at Grand Assembly like the yearly Grand Families but often make an effort to attend their Grandie's Reception and feel a strong bond with one another.  They do, however, conduct a "Memory Walk" during the last session of Grand Assembly to welcome the new Past Grand Officers to their ranks.  This is one of the most memorable, tear-filled moments of any Grand Assembly as it really hits home, in those moments, that another group of Grandies are retiring from an unbelievable experience that started a year earlier with, for them, a life-altering California Revelations.