Celebrating Our Grand Assembly

Grand Assembly represents the vibrant gatherings that unite Rainbow Girls. Learn more on upcoming events, highlights from past assemblies, and stories from members who have experienced the magic of these grand occasions.

Meggie Boislard - Grand Worthy Advisor 2024-2025

Meggie is a Junior at the University of Maine at Farmington studying elementary education.

“Rainbow is a family organization that has given me sisters across the globe. It has taught me professional and public speaking skills that have taught me to organize and see our projects succeed.” 

Past Grand Worthy Advisors

** Elizabeth Crawford Harmon Portland Assembly #1 1949-1950
Anna Mayberry Westbrook Assembly #2 1950-1951
Margaret Libby Standley South Portland Assembly #3 1951-1952
Emma Jean Betterly Christy Hamden Assembly #4 1952-1953
Elsie Colby Mann Bucksport Assembly #5 1953-1954
Jane Ledyard Lazo Bath Assembly #6 1954-1955
Eileen Wright Atkins Sanford Assembly #7 1955-1956
Amanda Winter Murray Phillips Assembly #8 1956-1957
Sandra Jane Crowe Wooding Ellsworth Assembly #9 1957-1958
Joanne Witham Newman Augusta Assembly #10 1958-1959
Roberta Peasley Readfield Assembly #11 1959-1960
Sheila Vinal Montgomery Rockland Assembly #12 1960-1961
Linda Scott Wyman Lincoln Assembly #13 1961-1962
Joan Petrie Madison Assembly #22 1962-1963
Judith Lamson Howe Portland Assembly #1 1963-1964
Janice Butcher Adkinsson Lewiston Assembly #14 1964-1965
Sandra Scott Lagerquist Calais Assembly #18 1965-1966
**Valerie Noble Guilford Assembly #17 1966-1967
Karen Taravenian Karaa Old Orchard Beach Assembly #24 1967-1968
June Tingley Malone Houlton Assembly #26 1968-1969
Barbara Mealey Daigle Waterville Assembly #21 1969-1970
Gwendolyn Cummings Mason York Assembly #23 1970-1971
**Gweneth Hazelton Yarmouth Assembly #28 1971-1972
Susan Martin Lemos Damariscotta Assembly #36 1972-1973
Sharon Austin McDonough Waterville Assembly #21 1973-1974
**Lorrie Meserve Calloway Lewiston Assembly #14 1974-1975
Pamela Langelier Toussaint Lewiston Assembly #14 1975-1976
Brenda Woodward Hall Augusta Assembly #10 1976-1977
Janice Strong Flowers Belfast Assembly #40 1977-1978
Ellen Naughler Doughty Orrington Assembly #30 1978-1979
Leigh Beth Braley Shaw Portland Assembly #1 1979-1980
Rhonda Bamford Alafat Portland Assembly #1 1980-1981
Susan Frost York Assembly #23 1981-1982
Denise Buhelt Dyer Portland Assembly #1 1982-1983
Debora Buhelt Redmond Portland Assembly #1 1983-1984
Dorothy Moody Lagasse Windham Assembly #27 1984-1985
Lisa Dyer Randall Yarmouth Assembly #28 1985-1986
Kathlyn Billings Belanger Arrundel Assembly #35 1986-1987
Danette Drysdale Baltutis Waterville Assembly #21 1987-1988
Wendy Thompson Hutchins Old Orchard Beach Assembly #24 1988-1989
Donna Ferguson Johnson Sanford Assembly #7 1989-1990
Patricia Frank McHugh Pittsfield Assembly #15 1990-1991
Amanda Hall Bice Reed York Assembly #23 1991-1992
Jennifer Plummer Brewer Pleasant River Assembly #45 1992-1993
Amy Heywood Smith Bath Assembly #6 1993-1994
Dawn J. Post Pittsfield Assembly #15 1994-1995
**Laurie Knox Small Windham Assembly #27 1995-1996
Marcia Boles Jude Ellsworth Assembly #9 1996-1997
Dr. Cristy Skiles O’Connor Sanford Assembly #7 1997-1998
Marielle Jackson Bridgton Assembly #42 1998-1999
Patricia J. Keenan Ellsworth Assembly #9 1999-2000
April McConathey Kerr Bath Assembly #6 2000-2001
Ashley Wells Stevenson Yarmouth Assembly #28 2001-2002
Robyn Marshall Jones Guilford Assembly #17 2002-2003
Kelly Clough Alden Windham Assembly #27 2003-2004
Britney Lingley Taggett Calais Assembly #18 2004-2005
Meloney Marquis Orono Assembly #38 2005-2006
Abigail Franklin Lorenzo Yarmouth Assembly #28 2006-2007
Katie Cormier Doherty Waterville Assembly #21 2007-2008
Mara Davis McGowen Waterville Assembly #21 2008-2009
Kaitlin Toto Windham Assembly #27 2009-2010
Caitlin Walton Bremmer Lewiston Assembly #14 2010-2011
Kelsey Redmond Seymour Yarmouth Assembly #28 2011-2012
Amanda Redmond Fisk Yarmouth Assembly #28 2012-2013
Samantha Getchell Waterville Assembly #21 2013-2014
Michelle Walton Lewiston Assembly #14 2014-2015
Jacqueline Fraser Robbins Ellsworth Assembly #9 2015-2016
Samantha Kane Collins Yarmouth Assembly #28 2016-2017
Emily Smith Ellsworth Assembly #9 2017-2018
Madeleine Theriault Waterville Assembly #21 2018-2019
Sierra Price Waterville Assembly #21 2019-2021
Mara Colby Windham Assembly #27 2021-2022
Rebecca Holman Windham Assembly #27 2022-2023
Catherine Works Sanford Assembly #7 2023-2024
**Deceased

Grand Officers 2023-2024

Please Join us for the “Meddling Through to Better Days”
Grand Assembly Sessions
May 17th-19th, 2024
At Kora Shrine Center
11 Sabattus Street, Lewiston, Maine

Grand Worthy Associate AdvisorCatherine W.
Grand Worthy Associate AdvisorMeggie B.
Grand RecorderRebecca H., PGWA
Grand FaithKiera E.
Grand Confidential ObserverAbby S.
Grand Outer ObserverEmily S.

Grand Representatives 2023-2024

Makenzie C.Alabama, Illinois & Maryland

Lewiston Assembly #14

Elizabeth R.Alaska, Aruba & South Carolina

Pleasant River Assembly #45

Abigail S.Arizona, The Philippines & Texas

Bath Assembly #6

Krystle H.Arkansas, Georgia & Kentucky

Sanford Assembly #7

Alex W.Austrailia NSW, Florida & North Carolina

Waterville Assembly #21

Melissa L.Bolivia, Massachusetts & Ohio

Lewiston Assembly #14

Kiera E.California, Nevada & Pennsylvania

Pleasant River Assembly #45

Hannah F.Canada, Sao Paulo & West Virginia

Pleasant River Assembly #45

Lauren B.Colorado & Connecticut

Pleasant River Assembly #45

Emily S.Espirito Santo, Michigan & New Jersey

Bath #6

Hailee B.Hawaii, Mississippi

Faith Assembly #38

Rebecca H.Indiana, Louisiana & Rhode Island

Windham Assembly #27

Kaili W.Iowa, Missouri and Vermont

Waterville Assembly #21

Dakota S.Kansas & New Mexico

Sanford Assembly #7

Catherine W.Montana, New Hampshire and Tennessee

Sanford Assembly #7

Trinity R.Nebraska, North Dakota and Oklahoma

Pleasant River Assembly #45

Skye C.New York, Oregon and Washington-Idaho

Windham Assembly #27

Meggie B.Para, Parana & Tocantins Brazil

Pleasant River Assembly #45

Grand Choir 2021-2022

Grand Choir 2021-2022 will be added after our first Grand Family in September of 2021! Stay tuned!

Supreme Nature

Welcome to the Grand Assembly of Maine website! I hope you are enjoying “clicking through the pages” as we share our Grand Assembly and Maine Rainbow. I know that many of you looking at these pages are from Maine but many of you are from other jurisdictions throughout the United States and around the world. For those of you who don’t know me, I would like to introduce myself.

My name is Debbie (Buhelt) Redmond and I began my Rainbow career when I joined Portland Assembly #1 as a shy, quiet 12 year old girl. I served my Assembly as Worthy Advisor three times. I served the Grand Assembly of Maine as Grand Fidelity, Grand Charity, Grand Worthy Associate Advisor and was installed Grand Worthy Advisor in May of 1983 by my sister Denise who had just completed her term as Grand Worthy Advisor in Maine. I was honored to receive the Grand Cross of Color with my dad. I served as Mother Advisor of my home Assembly for several years, a Grand Deputy and a member of the Grand Executive Committee. I was installed the Supreme Deputy in Maine at the Supreme Assembly Sessions in Omaha, Nebraska in 2010. I was elected to the House of Gold at our Supreme Sessions in Hampden, Virginia in 2018 and installed as Supreme Fidelity at our virtual Supreme Sessions in 2020, Supreme Drill Leader in Oklahoma City in 2022 and I was installed Supreme Nature in Hampton, VA in July of 2024.

I am a member of Deering Chapter #59 Order of the Eastern Star. I have served as Worthy Matron of my Chapter twice and the Grand Chapter of Maine as Grand Adah and Grand Representative to New Jersey.

It is an honor and a privilege to serve the Grand Assembly of Maine in any capacity and the Supreme Assembly as the Inspector in Maine. I look forward to watching the girls grow into the amazing young women they can be through this time honored and amazing organization.

Please enjoy our website—which has been made possible by Pinepoint Creative–A website and marketing company in Windham, Maine.

Should you have questions about Maine Rainbow or our Grand Assembly, please contact me directly at mainerainbow@gmail.com.

Past Supreme Inspectors & Deputies

Cornelia Mae Crosman was born on July 5, 1883, in Lisbon Falls, Maine.   Her younger sisters, Lillian Maud (4) and Eva Belle (2-mos), would pass away due to diphtheria.  After the birth of another sister (Ethel Maud), and the birth of a brother (Leon Herbert), the Crosmans moved from Lisbon Falls to Bath, and just as Cornelia was finishing her freshman year at Morse High School, in May of 1898, the family moved again, this time to Sawyer Street in Portland, Maine.  One third of a mile from the Woodford’s Corner Masonic/Oddfellows Hall.

 

On December 1, 1900, while Cornelia was out running an errand for her mother, little Ethel Maud (6) and their mother, Harriet (36), died in a horrific fire in their home.  Father, Herbert (38), couldn’t return to the home, so he moved himself and Leon (4) to South Portland. He settled Cornelia with a room at the home of Dr. Knight.  She graduated from Deering High School on June 25, 1901, and went to work at Plummer’s Dry Goods Store on Congress street, all before she turned 18, on July 5, 1901!

Her employer, Mr. Plummer was a member of the Odd Fellows, and he introduced Cornelia to the Rebekahs.  On June 18, 1907, Cornelia married Guy Calderwood, a Mason.  They were both invited to join Deering Chapter #59, and were initiated on Thursday, May 21, 1908.  She achieved high ranks and commendations both from the IOOF and from the OES. In 1919, she was awarded the Decoration of Chivalry from the IOOF, and that same year became Worthy Matron for the Eastern Star, Deering Chapter No. 59. In 1931, Cornelia and Guy also assisted in chartering the Madonna Shrine, No. 1, Order of the White Shrine of Jerusalem, and in 1938 were charter members the Royalty Court, No. 1, Order of the Amaranth. In 1946, Cornelia received a lifetime membership certificate for Deering Chapter No. 59.

Cornelia became Secretary of Deering Chapter No. 59 in 1924, and two years later the organization sponsored Portland Assembly, No. l of the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls.  Mabel J. DeShon was the Matron of Deering Chapter, tasked with selecting an advisory board and a mother advisor (Cornelia) for a new Rainbow assembly in Maine.  The first.  The Institution Ceremony of Portland Assembly #1 was held in Corinthian Hall at the Masonic Temple in Portland on April 17, 1926.

Cornelia was Portland Assembly No. 1’s first Mother Advisor, serving from 1926-1931. She resigned in January 1931, and a month later was offered the position of Supreme Deputy by W. Mark Sexson; she held that position until 1941. Cornelia was also elected* to the Grand Cross of Color for the Rainbow Girls. In his letter to her regarding this honor, W. Mark Sexson wrote that she was “faithful in the smallest things… ” and “willing to serve many times when there was no reward but only the inner consciousness doing [her] duty.”

  • Westbrook Assembly #2 was instituted June 19, 1926, with Mabel J. DeShon, PGM, Special Deputy (IORG) presiding. 
  • South Portland Assembly #3 was instituted on May 26, 1928
  • It wouldn’t be until 1944 when the next Rainbow assembly would be instituted.  Imagine, they were rationing gas (WWII) and Supreme Assembly sent money so that the Officers of Portland Assembly #1 could travel to Hamden (by train) to initiate and institute this new assembly (#4).

Cornelia passed away on January 12, 1961. She is buried in Portland’s Evergreen Cemetery, with husband Guy (1877-1953), daughter Eleanor Shirley (1909-1910, only 3 mos old) and son Roger Douglas (1911-1986)

*in the beginning, Grand Cross of Color was an award where Supreme Assembly voted on recipients, and it was considered a separate organization.

Grand Assembly 2023

We hope you are all excited to join us for our “Making Moves Since 1922” Grand Assembly Sessions to be held May 19-21st 2023 at the Kora Shrine Center, 11 Sabattus Street, Lewiston, Maine.

Our Maine Rainbow History

Rainbow in the Grand Jurisdiction of Maine began on December 8, 1925, when Deering Chapter #59 OES agreed to assume sponsorship of an Assembly in Portland.  It was on April 17, 1926, that the officers of Boston Assembly No. 1, from Massachusetts, under the direction of Supreme Deputy Mrs. Lula Gobrecht, presented the Institution Ceremony with twenty-seven in the charter class.  The first Installation was held on May 16, 1926, with Elizabeth Rolf installed as the first Worthy Advisor and Mrs. Cornelia Calderwood as Mother Advisor.  The charter was presented on April 14, 1928, by Miss Mabel J. DeShon, Past Grand Matron of the Grand Chapter of Maine, OES with Mrs. Calderwood as Marshall.

Miss DeShon was appointed to serve as a Representative of the Supreme Worthy Advisor in 1928 and served in that position until Mrs. Calderwood, having resigned as Mother Advisor, was appointed Supreme Deputy.  Upon Mrs. Calderwood’s resignation in 1941, Miss Dshon was appointed Supreme Deputy and served in that position, and as Supreme Inspector, until she moved to California in 1960.  Mrs. Gertrude Powers, PGM was appointed as Supreme Deputy and served until 1970.

Westbrook Assembly #2 was instituted June 19, 1926, and chartered April 21, 1928.  South Portland Assembly #3 was instituted May 26, 1926, and chartered February 28, 1931.  In 1943, at the 51st annual session of the Grand Chapter of Maine, OES, Portland Assembly #1 was invited to exemplify the Initiatory Degree.  In 1944, Hampden Assembly was instituted by twenty-eight girls from Portland Assembly #1.  Due to gasoline rationing, it was impossible to get cars to transport girls the approximately 100 miles, so Supreme Assembly graciously sent a check for train fare.  This was the beginning of the growth of Rainbow in Maine.

1946 saw the first all-inclusive meeting to celebrate twenty years of Rainbow in Maine.  This was the first of three “Merry May Festivals” held at City Hall in Portland.  Also, it was in 1946 that Bucksport Assembly #5 was instituted.

The first Grand Assembly of Maine was held in Portland on May 7, 1949, with more than 300 girls and 200 adults in attendance.  Elizabeth Crawford of Portland Assembly #1 was the first Grand Worthy Advisor and Mr. Elmer S. Doe was the first Chairman of the Grand Executive Committee.

In 1970, Mrs. Dorothy Merrill, Past Mother Advisor of Portland Assembly #1 and Lewiston Assembly #14 and Past Matron of Mount Olivet Chapter #29, OES, was appointed to serve as Supreme Deputy in Maine.

On Thursday, April 6, 1972, an impressive celebration was held to honor the 50th Anniversary of Rainbow at the Masonic Temple in Bangor.  It was the beginning of what we refer to as “Grand Families” where the Grand Officers gather and perform the Initiation.  That evening with over 400 in attendance, the Grand Officers exemplified the degrees under the direction of Gweneth Hazelton, Grand Worthy Advisor.  The active candidate that evening was Elizabeth Frewin, daughter of Mrs. Cora-Ellen (Doe, Frewin) Moody, Past Worthy Advisor of Portland Assembly #1, her grandmother and great grandmother, both Past Mother Advisors of Portland Assembly #1 were also in attendance.

1972 also saw the beginning of the decline in Assemblies. Between 1972 and 1984, nineteen Assemblies surrendered their charters, but two Assemblies were instituted.

At Grand Assembly in 1991, Mrs. Dorothy Merrill Higgins resigned her position as Supreme Inspector and Mrs. Cora Ellen Moody, Past Worthy Advisor of Portland Assembly #1 and Past Mother Advisor of Windham Assembly #27 was appointed Supreme Deputy.  “Mum” Higgins retained her membership in the House of Gold.

At Supreme Assembly in 1992, “Mum” Higgins was appointed Supreme Religion. She was Maine’s first Supreme Officer ever! “Mum” Higgins served as Supreme Religion until she was elected Supreme Hope at the Supreme Assembly Sessions in Seattle, Washington in 1996. She progressed through the line as Supreme Charity and Supreme Worthy Associate Advisor and would have been installed Supreme Worthy Advisor at the Supreme Assembly Sessions in Orlando, Florida in the summer of 2002 had she not passed away in January of that year.

In 1993, Phillips Assembly #8 was re-instituted after 12 years. Sadly the years of 1995 and 1996 saw the surrender of charters from two more Assemblies.

At the 1997 Grand Assembly Session, celebrating 75 years of Rainbow, Marcia Boles, Grand Worthy Advisor presided and the Reverend Gweneth Hazelton, Past Grand Worthy Advisor (who presided at our 50th Anniversary of Rainbow in 1972), led the devotional.

At the Supreme Assembly sessions in St. Louis (1998) Mrs. Moody was elected to the House of Gold and became a Supreme Inspector.  At the Supreme sessions in Orlando, Florida, “Mum” Moody was installed as Supreme Chaplain.

In 2004, at the Supreme Assembly sessions in Colorado Springs, Maine was honored to have Britney Lingley (Taggett) appointed Acting Supreme Worthy Advisor by Pauline Stonehocker, Supreme Worthy Advisor. Britney presided with grace and poise and brought great honor to the Grand Jurisdiction of Maine.

Mrs. Moody was elected Supreme Faith at the Supreme Assembly Sessions in Oklahoma City (2006), Supreme Hope at the Sessions in Chicago (2008), Supreme Charity at the Sessions in Omaha (2010), Supreme Worthy Associate Advisor in Grand Rapids (2012) and was installed Supreme Worthy Advisor in Baltimore (2014).  The installing suite included several members of the Grand Assembly of Maine including Mrs. Debora (Buhelt) Redmond, Past Grand Worthy Advisor and Supreme Deputy as Installing Officer and Elizabeth Frewin Ashey, Mrs. Moody’s daughter as Installing Marshall.

In 2010, at the Supreme Assembly Sessions in Omaha, Nebraska, Mrs. Moody resigned as the Supreme Inspector in Maine, as she progressed through the Supreme Line and Mrs. Debora Redmond, Past Grand Worthy Advisor and Past Worthy Advisor of Portland Assembly #1 was installed as Supreme Deputy in Maine.  Since that time, Mrs. Redmond was elected to the House of Gold and became a Supreme Inspector in Hampden, Virginia at the Supreme Sessions in 2018. In 2020 at the virtual Supreme Sessions, which were to be held in Reno, Nevada, “Mum” Redmond was appointed and installed as Supreme Fidelity. Grand Fidelity was the first Grand Office that “Mum” Redmond held as a Rainbow Girl many years before.

Supreme Assembly 2016 was held in Providence, Rhode Island and hosted by the Grand Jurisdictions of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut with assistance from several other Grand Jurisdictions as Mrs. Cora-Ellen Moody presided as Supreme Worthy Advisor.  Maine was so proud of “Mum” Moody for not only serving the Grand Jurisdiction of Maine for more than nineteen years as our Supreme but for serving the International Order for more than twenty-five years in several different capacities.

Maine Rainbow continues to have several traditions that have continued for many years. We still have Grand Families where the Grand Officers preform the initiatory degree. Our Grand Worthy Advisor wears a traveling GWA jewel that is one of a kind and is handed down each year. At the end of the Grand Year, our GWA receives a handmade quilt with squares made by all her Grand Officers.

Our Rainbow Scholarship was established in 1963 and named for Mabel J, DeShon. Miss DeShon served Rainbow in Maine for more than 40 years as a Supreme Representative, Supreme Deputy and Supreme Inspector.  At the time of her death, it was decided that a permanent memorial be established. 2020 was the 57th year that scholarship awards were made. 492 first year awards and 115 second year awards totaling over $475,000. In 1984, the Gertrude Powers Award was established within the scholarship fund, and it recognizes an outstanding high school senior continuing her education. Many Maine Rainbow Girls have benefited from the legacy of these devoted Rainbow supporters.