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Rainbow Girls thrive on the wonderful support from their parents! So, as a prospective or current Rainbow Girl parent you probably have a lot of questions about what our organization is all about and what it means for your daughter.
Below is a list of common questions parents have while their daughter is considering joing New York Rainbow, so please take a moment to read through this information.
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| If you would like to find out more please visit our Links section for access to the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls website, or e-mail your questions directly to New York Rainbow. |
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| What will my daughter gain through membership in the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls? |
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The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls promotes self-esteem and leadership skills among its members. Girls learn valuable public speaking skills, parliamentary procedures, and acceptance of each individual member's strengths and differences.
Members have the opportunity to run for leadership positions on the local level, making them responsible for the planning and executing of the programs and activities for their assembly, and for conducting business meetings. Girls also have the chance to advance to leadership positions on a statewide level.
Other principles of the order include, but are not limited to: Patriotism to country, Love of home, Loyalty to family and friends, Teamwork, and Service to Others.
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| Is Rainbow a religious organization? |
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| The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls is a fraternal service organization for young women. Although members are required to uphold the belief in a Supreme Being, girls are encouraged to actively participate in the house of worship of their choice. |
| What is the Ritual? |
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| The ritual is the Rainbow book of ceremonies based on lessons of right living and thinking. The same ritual is used for the opening and closing of business meetings, and the initiation of new members by every Rainbow girl in every Rainbow assembly in the world. Girls who become officers in their local assemblies assume the responsibility to learn and recite their ritual parts from memory. |
| What do Rainbow Girls do? |
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The activities of a Rainbow assembly are as varied as its members, and only limited by their imaginations. With the direction and assistance of the advisory board, the girls plan and hold a variety of different projects and activities. Fun activities may include dances, swim parties, picnics, or trips to amusement parks; Fundraisers may be bake sales, car washes, pancake breakfasts, or candy sales; and Charity/Community Service projects may consist of bowl-a-thons, planting flowers in the community, visiting at local hospitals and nursing facilities, and collecting toys for children and can tabs for the Shriner's Hospitals. Girls are encouraged to suggest new ideas, and participation by parents in any of our activities is always welcome.
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| How much time is spent on Rainbow activities? |
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| Typically, most assemblies in New York have two regular meetings per month, every two weeks on an established day, time and location, to plan their activities and perform the official opening and closing ceremonies of the ritual. In addition to those meetings are whatever other local assembly events the girls have planned to hold during that month, which may include a variety of fun, fundraising, or charity/community service activities as described earlier. There are also opportunities for the girls to travel to other assemblies in the state for their meetings or activities, and to attend and participate in various state-level functions and events. With the assistance of the advisory board, the girls decide on the planned meetings and activities of their own assembly, trying to schedule times not in conflict with other planned state Rainbow or community or school events. While there is no set requirement for girls to attend functions, it is important to stress that the benefits they gain through membership will depend on their level of involvement and commitment to the programs. |
| Who supervises the girls at Rainbow functions? |
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Each Rainbow assembly is supervised by an advisory board comprised of 7 to 15 dedicated adult volunteers who oversee the girls and guide them in the proper planning of their business meetings and activities, provide stability, set examples, and help interpret rules. These adults donate much of their time and money to developing our future leaders, and they may be members of Eastern Star, Amaranth, Master Masons, or majority Rainbow girls (over the age of 21). The advisors also act as the "record-keepers" and administrators of the paperwork that is required to keep the assembly operating.
Parents, grandparents, and legal guardians of active girls are also welcome and encouraged to attend meetings and activities, and may even join the advisory board. Family members may also volunteer for special projects or functions based on their time availability and areas of expertise. Of course, the most important role any parent or family member can play is as a member of the support network who the girls can rely on, and who will be a constant source of advice, encouragement, and sometimes even a voice of conscience to motivate the girls to be all that they can be.
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| Are there any awards or other benefits offered through association with Rainbow? |
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Some of the most obvious but intangible benefits of membership are her opportunities to make new friends, travel, learn new things, and become a responsible citizen and leader.
There are other, more concrete rewards offered to the girls, mainly in response to acts of service they perform. Members earn merit bars for a variety of participation, special awards for membership recruitment, opportunities to advance to state office, competitions in ritual as well as other special programs held at Grand Assembly, and scholarships from not only Rainbow, but from many other Masonically-affiliated organizations as well. This is particularly important in a highly-competitive area where students may be awarded scholarships or accepted into schools or programs based not only on their academic credentials, but also their involvement in other community and civic organizations.
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