What is Rainbow?
Rainbow is a non-profit, character building, service oriented organization. The main goal is to help its members become more than they dreamed possible. Involvement in Rainbow teaches girls three basic virtues: to have faith in a Supreme Being, other people and themselves; to have hope in all that they do; and to be charitable, to live a life of service is the most rewarding life of all.
Rainbow is open to girls between the ages of 11 and 20, regardless of race, creed, color, religion or national origin. You can be assured that the values promoted by Rainbow are strong and basic to many beliefs. We also offer Pledge groups for younger girls who wish to join Rainbow when they turn 11. The age range for Pledge Girls is 7-10 year olds.
The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls was founded in 1922, by William Mark Sexson, a Christian minister and active member of the Masonic Lodge. The Rev. Sexson spent his life dedicated to both fraternal organizations, and his ministry. He saw the need for an organization for young women who were from a Masonic background. Today, membership is open to any girl regardless of Masonic affiliation. Rainbow helps prepare today's young women to be tomorrow's leaders.
The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls has an active membership across the world. Our organization has 275,000 members in 45 states and in 9 foreign countries, Queensland, New South Wales, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Aruba, Japan, the Philippines, Canada and Germany. Since our order began in 1922, more than one million girls have been initiated into our order and we have more than one million majority members (girls over the age of 20 who are no longer considered active members of their assembly) still participate.
In the book of Genesis, after the flood, God made a covenant with people that He would never again destroy the earth, and placed a Rainbow in the heavens as a symbol of that covenant. The Reverend Mark Sexson, our Founder, believed that this symbol of God's love was an appropriate symbol for the Order, so the Rainbow and its colors provided the inspiration for both the International Order of The Rainbow for Girls and for the lessons that are taught in the ceremonies of the Order through these colors of the Rainbow.
All Rainbow jurisdictions are members of the Supreme Assembly, whose headquarter offices are located in McAlester, Oklahoma. Each State is a jurisdiction within itself under the leadership of a Supreme Officer. In Texas, Mrs. JoAnn Weaver is the Supreme Deputy. Mrs. Marlene Dibrell is Supreme Fidelity and Supreme Liaison to Mexico. Each local Assembly is organized and governed by a uniform code of by-laws set forth by the Supreme Assembly. The leadership of Rainbow begins in the local assembly which is made of elected officers who lead the Assembly under the direction of a Mother Advisor, Advisory Board, and usually an area or Grand Deputy and appointed officers who complete the leadership in an assembly. All girls participate and learn how to lead and how to follow and gain the knowledge of basic parliamentary procedure. The adult governing body of each Rainbow Assembly is known as the Advisory Board and is comprised of seven to fifteen adults.
At the age of 20, Rainbow Girls receive their majority certificate. That means they are no longer active, voting members of their assembly, but now hold a lifetime membership in the Order. Former members of the order include: Former Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor, Former Miss California and Actress Lee Merriweather, Actress Lily Tomlin, Actress Dawn Wells and Maine’s Senator, Olympia Snow.
Rainbow is open to girls between the ages of 11 and 20, regardless of race, creed, color, religion or national origin. You can be assured that the values promoted by Rainbow are strong and basic to many beliefs. We also offer Pledge groups for younger girls who wish to join Rainbow when they turn 11. The age range for Pledge Girls is 7-10 year olds.
The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls was founded in 1922, by William Mark Sexson, a Christian minister and active member of the Masonic Lodge. The Rev. Sexson spent his life dedicated to both fraternal organizations, and his ministry. He saw the need for an organization for young women who were from a Masonic background. Today, membership is open to any girl regardless of Masonic affiliation. Rainbow helps prepare today's young women to be tomorrow's leaders.
The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls has an active membership across the world. Our organization has 275,000 members in 45 states and in 9 foreign countries, Queensland, New South Wales, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Aruba, Japan, the Philippines, Canada and Germany. Since our order began in 1922, more than one million girls have been initiated into our order and we have more than one million majority members (girls over the age of 20 who are no longer considered active members of their assembly) still participate.
In the book of Genesis, after the flood, God made a covenant with people that He would never again destroy the earth, and placed a Rainbow in the heavens as a symbol of that covenant. The Reverend Mark Sexson, our Founder, believed that this symbol of God's love was an appropriate symbol for the Order, so the Rainbow and its colors provided the inspiration for both the International Order of The Rainbow for Girls and for the lessons that are taught in the ceremonies of the Order through these colors of the Rainbow.
All Rainbow jurisdictions are members of the Supreme Assembly, whose headquarter offices are located in McAlester, Oklahoma. Each State is a jurisdiction within itself under the leadership of a Supreme Officer. In Texas, Mrs. JoAnn Weaver is the Supreme Deputy. Mrs. Marlene Dibrell is Supreme Fidelity and Supreme Liaison to Mexico. Each local Assembly is organized and governed by a uniform code of by-laws set forth by the Supreme Assembly. The leadership of Rainbow begins in the local assembly which is made of elected officers who lead the Assembly under the direction of a Mother Advisor, Advisory Board, and usually an area or Grand Deputy and appointed officers who complete the leadership in an assembly. All girls participate and learn how to lead and how to follow and gain the knowledge of basic parliamentary procedure. The adult governing body of each Rainbow Assembly is known as the Advisory Board and is comprised of seven to fifteen adults.
At the age of 20, Rainbow Girls receive their majority certificate. That means they are no longer active, voting members of their assembly, but now hold a lifetime membership in the Order. Former members of the order include: Former Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor, Former Miss California and Actress Lee Merriweather, Actress Lily Tomlin, Actress Dawn Wells and Maine’s Senator, Olympia Snow.