Rainbow Girls Medallion of the Grand Cross of Color
by David Barth
written April 6, 2008
The medallion shown in the picture is believed to be an early Rainbow Girls Medallion of the Grand Cross
of Color. This particular medal was issued during the mid-1920s.
The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls (IORG) is a Masonic youth service organization which teaches
leadership through activities related to community service. Girls aged 11 to 21 learn the value of charity
and service through their involvement with their local and Grand (state or country) service projects.
The order was created in 1922 to set forth some of the principles of Freemasonry. The first initiation consisted
of 171 girls on April 6, 1922 at the Scottish Rite Temple in McAlester, Oklahoma.
Girls can hold many offices in the local Assembly. Officers include:
- Worthy Advisor
- Worthy Advisor Associate
- Charity
- Hope
- Faith
- Recorder
- Treasurer
- Chaplain
- Drill Leader
- Senen Bow Stations
- Confidential and Outer Observers
- Musician and Choir Director
- Historian
- Bible Bearer
- Goodwill Ambasador
- American Flag Bearer
- State Flag Bearer
After a girl has been a Worthy Advisor, she may be elected or appointed an office in Grand Assembly, the highest
level in her jurisdiction. Grand Officers serve for one year.
Other Grand Appointments include Grand Representatives who correcpond with the representatives from other
jurisdictions.
The Grand Cross of Color is the highest award given to a member for outstanding service.
Famous Members of the Order:
- United States Senator Olympia Snowe
- United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
- Actress Lee Meriwether
- Inspirational speaker Jill Kinmont. She was a shoo-in for the 1956 Winter Olympics until her
downhill accident during the tryouts in Alta, Utah in 1955 resulted in paralysis from the neck down. The accident
occurred the same week that Kinmont was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. After her
rehabilitation she went on to graduate from UCLA and earned a teaching credential from the University of
Washington. She married in November 1976. She taught special education from 1975 to 1996. She was the subject of
the movie, The Other Side of the Mountain.
- Actress Dawn Wells who starred as Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island.
Information provided courtesy of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.