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Listed below are details about the Grand Assembly of Virginia.

Virginia

compiled on 08-31-01

Local (Assembly) Level:

Quantico Assembly No. 6, Quantico:

• Quantico Assembly celebrated its 10th anniversary in 1995 and its 15th anniversary in 2000, so the Assembly must have started in 1985. (It is possible that this was based on the constitution year of 1985; Institution may have been in 1984)

• Quantico Assembly meets at the Quantico Masonic Temple, and is sponsored by John A Lejeune Lodge #350

• Many of our service projects are passed down - Toys for Tots, MDA, Operation Turkey (food drive), etc. We used to have the story that the new initiate had to ride a greased pig - but that story has died in recent years.

• For Installation, the Worthy Advisor chooses: Theme, Motto, Mascot, Colors, Flower, Symbol (fun or serious), Scripture, Honored Station, and songs.

• Mascots. Technically it is up to WAA to buy a mascot on behalf of the girls - but most often, it is related to what the WA-elect has already chosen for her term's mascot.

• Installations are always on Saturdays. Our time depends on who else in the state is having Installation that day (we are a small state so we do our best to make sure everyone can travel to every Installation without much time conflict). If it is at night, we often have a dance afterwards, usually deejayed by our local DeMolay chapter. Every installation has a reception but not usually a dinner.

• The Worthy Advisor usually gives the officers to be installed (and sometimes the installing officers) carry-ins - they are the officer's "gifts" - pins or special brag-rags are not used in Rainbow here - that's an OES tradition. We have to wear formals to Installation but no particular color or style.

• We do not have the crowning ceremony that several states do with the DeMolay. Oftentimes we have a Special Installing Officer - someone the WA-elect asks to install her (has to be Masonic-related). Sometimes we have a Bible Bearer.

• Our Worthy Advisor pin is passed down from WA to WA.

• Rainbow Beaux are often DeMolay members, or one of the girl's boyfriends. Helper of the Term (formerly Parent of the Term) is also chosen. All are by paper ballot at one of the last two meetings before Installation. We take nominations for Rainbow Beau but not for Parents because the Parents are usually there.

• The girls award Friendliest each term to the girl who is generally friendly to everyone in the Assembly. The girls award Best Ritualist to the girl(s) who did the best ritualist work. The Loyalty Award is given out at the January installation - it is presented by the Advisory Board upon receiving and voting on written nominations by the girls.

• The outgoing WA receives her PWA pin and a Rainbow Bible the first time she becomes a PWA. If a girl becomes PWA again, another gift is given in place of the bible (depending on the girl's interests). We do not have the PWA pins that have bars for different terms/years. At the last meeting of the term, it is considered the WA's farewell and girls are encouraged to bring the outgoing WA some little gift to remind the WA of her term (related to her mascots or symbols usually); unfortunately this tradition is waning because several of our girls have been WA 2-3 times.

• We are supposed to sing "Rainbow Dreams" after the march-in but before the WA is escorted to the East (while everyone is behind the bow). We also are supposed to sing "The Rainbow of Hope Now is Shining" at the end of initiation. ("Supposed to" because we don't usually have a musician and we don't sing much). At Installations, the WA-elect may choose to have someone sing a special song pertaining to her term; recently a CD player has worked well too.

• We do a fairly simple march-in - not elaborate like many Grand Assemblies' are. At the end of the meeting, we form a cross to say the Lord's Prayer and then march out with an even simpler march.

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Area (District) Level:

• Virginia does not have Areas or Districts. Most of our non-local events are done on a state level due to the smallness of the state. Sometimes the Northern Virginia Assemblies (Fairfax, Ashburn, and Quantico) may be invited together to participate in something - for example, Quantico #6 invited Fairfax and Ashburn to join them in a Founder's Day picnic this year. There has been a push to free up some more Saturdays from Rainbow Activities by having two Assemblies combine for one Grand Visitation. Although most Assemblies need protems from other Assemblies, the forcing of two Assemblies together to make one official visit (opening, introductions, initiation, remarks by GWA and SI, and closing) has caused some problems between the Assemblies.

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Grand (State) Level:

• Virginia's first solo Grand Assembly was 1994. However, Virginia and South Carolina were a combined jurisdiction from 1973 until 1993.

• We don't really have a proficiency exam at all. We learn Questions and Answers to run for Faith - most of the other ritual work (other than your current station) is learned by working on the bars.

• Earning Merit Bars.

  Merit Bar - approx 50 points - give Word, Sign of Rainbow, Grand Honors, and Supreme Honors to MA

  Color Bars - 100 points - Recite appropriate lecture (Red=Love, Orange=Religion, etc.) to Advisory Board member (not a parent)

  Pot of Gold - 200 pts - recite Charity's Pot of Gold lecture to Advisory Board member (not a parent)

  Wreath - 300 pts - recite all three Chaplain prayers to AB member (not a parent)

  Service Temple - 400 pts - recite Obligation and Secret Work to AB member (not a parent)

  They have added little requirements to the color stations (ie: spend a day outside enjoying nature) since the Grand Worthy Advisor helped create the state points system in 1996.

• There are six active Assemblies in the state: Hampton #2, Fairfax #3, Smithfield #5, Quantico #6, Richmond #10, and Ashburn #11.

• We have 6 month terms - installations are "usually" in January and July.

• Rainbow crowns are worn by both local Worthy Advisors and the GWA. There is no distinction between the crowns. The WA is often crowned by someone she selects and to a song she chooses to play or have sung. This is down AFTER the closing of the Holy Bible (not at the altar as part of the official installation) so that we can take pictures.

• We are really beginning to expand our Pledge Groups by Building a Rainbow). We now have Pledge Group Red (Fairfax #3), Yellow (Smithfield #5), Green (Ashburn #11), and newly created BLUE (Quantico #6). Unfortunately, Orange was not associated with a particular Assembly and is currently inactive.

• Opening March. Onward Christian Soldiers is sung by the Officers because we do not have a choir in the regular Assemblies. They walk in normally - not a precision march and not floating either. Hopefully they still square their corners.

• Songs sung during Initiation include:

  Love - Love Divine, All Love Excelling
  Religion - I Love to Tell The Story
  Nature - In the Garden
  Immortality - Old Rugged Cross
  Fidelity - Be Not Dismayed (God will Take Care of You)
  Patriotism - something patriotic
  Service - O Master, Let me Walk with Thee
  
  

• Closing March. The WA and WAA lead the officers to form a cross at the altar to recite the Lord's Prayer (sometimes substituted with the Serenity Prayer). Then a simple march out.

• Dress code. For formals, no black. Navy Blue and most other dark colors are allowed, but a nice rule of thumb is - if someone can question if it's black, it's probably too dark. Regular Assembly meetings are approximately knee length dresses or skirts/blouses with dress shoes and pantyhose. Initiation and Installations are formal - floor length gowns. Special functions are usually meeting attire unless it's a picnic or some other outdoor attire. Grand Assembly sessions are considered formal.

• Hoopskirts are allowed by anyone, although since we split from South Carolina, we do not see them as often.

• Our Grand Recorder is in charge of our state newsletter and the name usually changes to reflect the current Grand Worthy Advisor's term. For example, last year's GWA had penguins for her mascot so the newsletter was called The Chilly Willy Wire. We generally try to have it come out four times a year - at a fall Grand Visitation, at a January GV or installation - at a spring GV and at Grand Assembly. This format was created in 1994-1995.

• Grand Officers are usually WA's or PWA's - about 16 years of age. Grand Representatives used to have to be 14 years old (but I do not know if this is still true).

• We do not have elections of Grand Officers; our Supreme Inspector appoints them based on "resumes" submitted by the girls' Advisory Boards and on her own opinion. The GWAA moves up to GWA automatically, and (unfortunately) we are such a small state that once you become a Grand Officer, you are (so far) almost guaranteed a Grand Officer (or at least a Grand Representative) position until you become inactive with Rainbow (usually through Majority).

• Grand Representatives. For many years they were considered equals because many Grand Officers were also Grand Representatives. However we now have two distinct groups - but I don't know that Grand Representatives are considered "lesser". Our Grand Representatives are titled "Grand Representative to (state) in Virginia".

• We have Flag Bearers - generally girls younger than Grand Representatives who show potential. We also have a Grand Page to the Supreme Inspector and Grand Page to the Grand Worthy Advisor. They are selected by the SI and GWA respectively and act mostly as a gopher.

• There are no limits to the number of times you can be a GO/GR nor to how many GO/GRs each Assembly can have.

• Grand Officer duties. Grand Officers have increasingly been given more responsibilities. Some are: Grand Charity, Grand Love, and Grand Treasurer are responsible for state charity fundraisers. Grand Service coordinates the State Service project. Grand Religion and Grand Chaplain were in charge of the devotional at Grand Assembly. Grand Recorder is in charge of the states newsletter.

• We do not have an official Grand Cross of Color Team. The officers are GCC holders who volunteer to take a part in the ceremonies.

• Grand Choir members tend to be the younger girls in an Assembly who do not have any Grand Appointments. There are no limits on girls since each Assembly does not have many younger girls with nothing to do at Grand Assembly.

• The Helpers/Tilers/Sentinels are Master Masons who are always around Rainbow.

• Attire at Grand Assembly. Some Assemblies have chosen to wear matching dresses but since sometimes 1/2 the girls are GO's/GR's, they do not want to have to make a GO/GR dress and an Assembly dress that they can't wear at session so the idea has been dropped in recent years. The dress code for formal sessions is floor length gowns of any color except black.

• Grand Officers wear identical dresses, and the color or fabric depends on what the GWA chooses. Grand Representatives wear a different color or print, but they are also matching. Since the beginning of VA Rainbow (1993), we have chosen to have GO/GR dresses MADE (rather than bought) and many of those dresses have been a cotton print. We do not wear hairpieces.

• Other Grand Appointments. Grand Assembly Committee is adults who work regularly with Rainbow on the local and state levels. Grand Executive Board are Rainbow adults who usually have been around for a LONG time. We do not currently have a Junior Grand Assembly Board. All appointments are by the Supreme Inspector.

• All appointments are announced at our Grand Banquet. Traditional ceremonies include initiation, majority, memorial, Book of Memories.

• State Rainbow Representative is a competition based on one's service to Rainbow as exemplified by the girl's essay, recommendations, and interview about Rainbow and general current events (this competition is always in revision so it's hard to explain)

• Grand Cross. The new designates are revealed at a local Assembly meeting or sometimes that Assembly's Installation or Grand Bisitiation. We have flip-flopped between having the investiture at Grand Assembly and having it in combination with the November observance.

• Majority Association. VaMMA - Virginia Majority Members Association - is our statewide majority group. We're not very active though - except for doing the majority service at Grand Assembly. Through a reciprocal agreement, VaMMA members who were Rainbow Girls while SC and VA was a combined jurisdiction may become a dual member of SCAMM - South Carolina Association of Majority Members.

  
  

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