Celebrating Our Grand Assembly

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 51^st 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 50^th 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 50^th 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 57^th 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.