I’m currently enjoying the annual Rainbow Girls Grand Assembly in Honor Haven Resort & Spa in the Catskills. This is always a most joyous occasion! Last night I dined at the dais table with, among others: the Supreme Deputy for New York, Gale Gould; the Grand Worthy Advisor, Samantha Hansen; the Grand Master; the Grand Worthy Matron and Patron of Eastern Star; and found myself next to the Grand Worthy Advisor’s mother! The weather is gloriously spring-like – at last – and as an additional treat we watched a number of bald eagles circling over the forests during dinner.

I took a walk around the spar. No seeing ‘Keep Out’ signs I wandered over to a rather bleak series of buildings not far from the hotel. They were gray and crumbling, and looked a little like those image of Chernobyl one sees. Almost immediately a golf cart appeared out of nowhere and a man asked in a friendly but pointed manner what I was doing. Apparently this was what was left of one of the many hotels on the ‘Borscht Belt’ which failed in the last couple of decades, and was slowly rotting away. I walked back to the hotel under his watchful eye.

Yesterday evening we attended the Opening Ceremonies and were formally introduced. As always the event was full of fun, and the Grand Marshall and I shared suggestions that we should introduce some of their ideas into Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter, such as getting up to dance in our places regularly, or seeing the Grand Lone boogie in to pop music and perform a dance number! Later that evening we were treated to late night snacks, and then a competition – in the dark – from four teams competing in a glow-stick relay race. These girls know how to party 🙂

This morning we heard the lively reports from the Grand Representatives. Instead of a dry recitation of visits, they turn it into a play, which is both innovative and entertaining. Gale Gould, the Supreme Deputy was honored for her 10 year’s service as leader of New York in a beautiful ritual with carnations. Then came the part I remember only too well from last year, and had prepared myself with a pocket stuffed with Kleenex: The Majority Ceremony! When the girl reach 21 they can no  longer be Rainbow Girls, and in a moving and emotional ceremony they are reminded of their promises and what they have learned, embrace a circle of the former members of the Rainbow, and then the circle opens and they are effectively expelled from the sisterhood (hopefully to resume their relationship with the Order as a senior advisor). This year Callie and Lauren Trutschel, twins and both former Grand Worthy Advisors, achieved their Majority, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house – including mine!