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(my ramblings... remember this is my own personal take on things!)

with minor text revision on 05-19-02

I feel that there are a lot of reasons for the decline of Rainbow. Not just my Assembly, but all over the state, country, and probably internationally! Now, I know there are many Assemblies that thrive and have actually grown and flourished... but in other places, there are other, more appealing choices for extracurricular activities. Sports, for example. There's also the problem with parental participation. I was lucky; both my parents were very involved with things and made time to be there for me. But I remember seeing so many girls whose parents would drop them off for meetings and activities, car engine still running, then race away without even saying hello! We never seemed to have volunteers for driving to events, helping with setup for our fundraising activities, or coming to the meetings! Our sidelines were as bare as the scalps in "before" pictures of Hair Club for Men ads. Even more upsetting... our Advisory Board wasn't always helping out. Granted, I know they sometimes have other obligations. But try and come to the meetings, and support us, people! Be a good role model. Be our mentors. We need that so much!

Then, of course, there are always the people (adults, usually) who are obsessed with Rainbow. (insert sound clip from "Psycho" here.) They are the ones who hear "The International Order of Rainbow for Girls" as "The International Order of Rainbow for simple-minded children who need to be told what to do, and I'm here to show them the way!" They are usually also the ones who don't want any Majority Member under the age of 30 on the Advisory Board because they're "not old/mature enough" and then wonder why none of the former girls want to come back and get involved again. (Duh! you've shown these future potential mentors, assistants, and Board Members that you won't take them seriously till they've got two dozen gray hairs, so they go off and find something else to be involved with and lose interest in Rainbow.) Yes, I've met probably a dozen or two of these people during my time in Rainbow... their motto seemed to be "it's MY way or the highway". But let me tell you, girls, they're not just in Rainbow, so don't feel you're alone. I was an optimist, and believed I'd get away from such behavior when I joined Eastern Star. Wrong! This is part of the reason I don't go to their meetings, and don't want to be an Officer or anything right now. (However, I also have a house to pay for, and a new husband and kitties to take care of. Please don't think things like 70-year-old women having tantrums because all their hard work isn't given enough due recognition is keeping me from being involved right now. And yes, it really did happen.)

Thankfully, though, 'problem adults' usually seem to disappear after a while. Sometimes, they fade away on their own, other times the other adults get them to leave, Area or State adults come in and 'ask' them to leave, or the girls won't stand being pushed around and gang up on the adult. (By ganging up on them, I mean informing other Advisory Board members, your Grand or Area Grand Deputy, or even your Supreme Inspector/Deputy of the problem, not actually waiting for the person in question in a dark alley with lead pipes and baseball bats in-hand.) Yes, it does work, but you have to go about it in a mature way.

I'm pleased to report that, from what I know, cases like these are oftentimes very mild (i.e. - they don't cause the Assembly to dwindle away to nobody and close), when they do exist at all! Usually, if it happens once, the girls and adults won't let it happen again.

Advice to the current and former Rainbow Girls: Don't let any Board Member, any fellow member, anyone bully you, or otherwise keep you from being involved with Rainbow, or from joining Eastern Star or Amaranth when you're of age. [Did you know Majority Rainbow Girls are now eligible to join Eastern Star, regardless of any Masonic relations (or lack thereof?)] If your parent(s), grandparent(s) or legal guardians are able, get them involved as well! It's a way to spend some time together as a family, you know! Also, try and stay involved with your Assembly after being Worthy Advisor, after being a Grand Officer or Grand Representative, after getting all the honors and merit bars and whatnot that you can earn. There's more to Rainbow than having the longest 'brag rag'. If your life after attaining Majority, after finishing school, after starting your career, after marrying your sweetheart, after starting a household and family allows you the time to get involved again as an adult, BE THERE! Help without being asked. Offer your services, advice and encouragement. You've been there; you KNOW what works and what doesn't.

Okay, I've said my piece. Agree? Disagree? Let me know!

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