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Glossary

When you first join Rainbow, there will be terms and phrases you may not know.  Below are a few definitions to help you out.  If there are others that we’ve not included, please ask any Rainbow Girl or your Mother Advisor!

Advisory Board: Adults who work closely with the girls in the Assembly. Must be Majority Rainbow Girls, Masons, members of the Eastern Star, parents, grandparents, or legal guardians of active or majority members.  The Mother Advisor is a member of this board. 

Assembly: When you hear the word “assembly,” they are referring to a specific group of girls or chapter.

Big Sisters/Little Sisters: This is a pairing of “old” Rainbow girls (those who have been in Rainbow for a while) with “new” Rainbow girls (those who are fairly new to the assembly).  A Big Sister helps you with all sorts of information that you might need or want to know.  Ask her lots of questions!

Calling Committee/Visitation Committee: A committee of two adults and Rainbow girls who will visit a girl who has signed an application to join Rainbow. The purpose of the visit is to answer any questions the girl and her parents have regarding Rainbow.

Color Stations: Seven girls representing the seven color stations and teachings of Rainbow. Also known as “the Bow”.

DeMolay: the Masonicaly affiliated group for young men between the ages of 12 and 20.

Elections: Election time is an exciting time for all assemblies. At the end of each term, girls will be elected to fill the offices of Faith, Hope, Charity, Worthy Associate Advisor, and Worthy Advisor. Terms are either four or six months. Contact your Mother Advisor to find out the qualifications for these offices. The offices of Assembly Treasurer and Recorder may also be elected for a 1 year term. 

Founder’s Day: a fun celebration for assemblies honoring the birthday of W. Mark Sexson, the founder of Rainbow, held the Sunday closest to July 8th.

GA: G.A. is the abbreviation for Grand Assembly.  (See “Grand Assembly”)

Galloping Gavel: Galloping Gavel is a special meeting shared by 2 or more assemblies.  All members are encouraged to attend the meeting; the assembly that has the highest percentage of members from their assembly attending wins the Galloping Gavel (a real gavel that travels from assembly winner to assembly winner) and hosts the next Galloping Gavel meeting!

Girl of the Term: An assembly recognition for the girl who has given the most support to the Worthy Advisor during her term.

Girl of the Year: These girls have received state-wide recognition for their excellence in two areas. The first is for Membership- given for girls who have sponsored the most new initiates in a Grand Year. It is awarded for 2 age groups: 8th grade and below, and for those those in 9th grade and above. The second is for service- given to girls who have given the most service hours in any Grand Year. Recipients of these awards are recognized at all Official Visits with "honors", and may be identified by the special medallion they wear.

Gold Book: An instructional tool for adults related to floor work, etc. 

Grand Deputy: The Grand Deputy is a liaison between the Supreme Inspector and local assemblies. She/he also acts as the advisor to the Grand Officers for the assembly(s) she is assigned to.

Grand Officer Reception: An event hosted by an assembly to recognize a girl in her final year of Rainbow for her service and dedication to Rainbow.

Grand Assembly: Grand Assembly is Nevada Rainbow’s State convention. It is the state meeting for all of the Rainbow Girls in our state and visiting delegations. We exemplify all our ritual work, install the new Grand Officers, and discover the new state mascot.

Grand Officer: A Grand Officer is a girl selected to hold a station at the state level.  These offices are held by girls who are Past Worthy Advisors.

Grandie Leadership: Leadership is a once-a-year event held shortly after Grand Assembly.  This weekend session is when the new Grand Worthy Advisor announces her theme, mascot, food, flower, etc. The Grand Officers also discuss and make any changes or corrections to the guidelines for Nevada Rainbow (i.e. dress code, "Grandie Shoes", Proficiency Challenges, etc.)

Grand Representative: A Grand Representative is an office assigned by the Supreme Inspector.  The girls chosen for these positions write to their counterparts in other states or foreign jurisdictions; getting information about their own Grand Assemblies. They present this information during Nevada Grand Assembly.

GWA: The GWA or Grand Worthy Advisor is the Worthy Advisor (girl Presiding Officer) for the state level.

Honor Night: An Honor Night is held for a non-Grand Officer to recognize a girl in her final year for her service and dedication to Rainbow.

Initiation: Initiation is the ceremony performed as girls when you join your assembly. 

Installation: Installation is the open ceremony at which all of the members of our assembly get new offices.  It’s a great time to invite friends, potential candidates for Rainbow, and your family.

International Order of the Rainbow for Girls (IORG): A Masonic affiliated order for young girls between the ages of 11 and 20.

Lamb Skin Apron: A miniature replication of the apron worn by members of the Masonic Lodge. This is given to the girls at their Initiation, and they are required to wear this apron on their left wrist at Rainbow Sunday held once every year.

Line Officers: The top 5 elected officers within an assembly. They are Faith, Hope, Charity, Worthy Associate Advisor, and Worthy Advisor of an Assembly. Usually once a girl is elected Faith, she moves “up the line” to the office of Worthy Advisor many months later. Sometimes also called "The Line".

Majority: At age 20, or upon marriage, whichever occurs first, a girl who is a member in good standing is eligible to receive her majority membership.

Mascot: The stuffed animal or character that each Worthy Advisor or her Line Officers or Grand Worthy Advisor picks for her term.

Masonic Organizations: Our Masonic family includes adults and youth!  Examples of adult organizations include the Masonic lodges (men’s organization including Shriners), Amaranth (a woman’s organization), Eastern Star (a woman’s organization), DeMolay (a young men’s organization), and Job’s Daughters (another girl’s organization).  At times, we participate in various events with all of these organizations.

Merit Badge: This is the first award earned by a new Rainbow member. It is earned by memorizing the Obligation, and given at the altar during an Assembly meeting.

Red Merit Bar: This merit bar is earned by memorizing and reciting the American’s Creed (found in the ritual)   to the Mother Advisor or her adult designee, and earning 100 points.

Merit Color Bars (6): These merit bars are awarded in order by earning additional 100 points for each bar.

Mother Advisor: A female adult who helps the Worthy Advisor and all of the girls in a local assembly. She is also the liaison between the girls and the Advisory Board of that Assembly. Our Mother Advisor is very important in our assembly.  She is available as your friend, guide and help.  It is her role to help the girls with their assembly tasks.  Should you ever have a problem or a need , please feel free to contact her.

Mystery Trips: Mystery trips are sometimes planned by the Worthy Advisor in conjunction with the Mother Advisor and the Advisory Board.  We just show up at the temple and go to . . . . . . (a mystery location!) for some really fun event.

Obligation: The promise made during Initiation to follow a certain course of action or duty. The candidate symbolically agrees to take upon herself the responsibilities of a Rainbow Girl; she agrees to respect and be true to her God, her country, her family, her Assembly, and her school. A final vow, tying the others together, is the candidate's promise to live a life of service.

Official Visit: Also referred to as an “OV.”  When one or more assemblies get together and hold a special meeting with a special theme in honor of the visiting Grand Worthy Advisor and her officers. 

Perfect Attendance Bar(s)/Awards: These awards are earned for perfect attendance for one year, which must be verified through the roll book. Each assembly sets its own guidelines regarding attendance.

Pot of Gold: The Pot of Gold is awarded after all other Merit Bars and additional 100 points are earned.

Proficiency: The Proficiency test is given to each Rainbow Girl who wishes to demonstrate her basic knowledge about Rainbow. 

Rainbow Camp: Held in Tonopah, the second weekend in March. We enjoy crafts, leadership, play games, eat food, and have fun. The purpose of the camp is to meet new girls and to “let our hair down”. The dress for camp is casual (no shorts). There is always a non-denominational church service at camp on Sunday.

Rainbow Dad/Pop/Grandpa: Our “Rainbow Dad” is a usually Mason who is part of our Rainbow Family.  (We need to have a Mason to have a meeting.)  This special man has agreed to “be there” for us and to help support us. 

Rainbow Reflections: This is a newsletter distributed by the Grand Assembly several times each year to every Rainbow girl.  Read it carefully for fun information.

Rainbow Sunday: Rainbow Sunday is a Sunday when all Rainbow girls are encouraged to attend a non-denominational service with their assemblies.  It is held on the Sunday closest to April 6th (the Sunday that is not Easter) honoring the first time the degrees of the Order were exemplified (the day Rainbow started) in honor of our founder’s birthday. It is considered one of the two mandatory meetings for every girl each year. We often celebrate Rainbow Sunday at camp where we are all together.

Raps of the Gavel: Signals given by various officers in the assembly room using a gavel. They represent actions to be taken: One rap-Everyone sits; Two raps- Officers stand, Three raps- Everyone stands.

Ritual: This book has our basic ritual (memorization) work in it.  When you hold an office, there will be parts for you to learn that will be in this book.  If you have any problems learning a part, please see the Mother Advisor for help!

Ritual Practice: Ritual practice is a time when we come together to work on ritual work.  Girls should have their parts memorized before coming to a practice.

Service Projects: Each term the assembly tries to accomplish a service project or two.  These projects vary from term to term and are a lot of fun!  You won’t want to miss them!  (There are also service projects for the Grand Officers and Grand Assembly levels!)

Supreme Assembly: The Supreme Assembly is the International Governing Body for IORG. It is also the biennial gathering of all IORG members to complete the ritual exemplification and to install the new officers and all other business that is required. Officers in Supreme Assembly are adults, typically one from each jurisdiction.

Supreme Deputy/Inspector: The Supreme Officer is the highest authority in the state. It is her/his duty to work with the Grand Executive Board to oversee the business of Nevada Grand Assembly (and it's local assemblies), the ritualistic and floor work, the appointment and training of the Adult Leadership Team, and all other tasks as required.

Term: A term refers to a four-month or six-month period, depending on the requirements of the assembly. Girls hold offices for a term.

Worthy Advisor: A girl elected to serve as the assembly leader for a four or six month period.

Wreath: The wreath is awarded after the Pot of Gold by correctly answering 20 specific questions about Rainbow’s history and traditions.

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Ritual Vocabulary

The following words have been chosen due to their infrequent use in daily conversation.
Definitions are based on their usage in the ritual.