The 87th annual "Under The Big Top with Massachusetts Rainbow" session of the Grand Assembly of Massachusetts, International Order of the Rainbow for Girls, will be held at the Plymouth Memorial Hall in Plymouth, Massachusetts on Friday, June 28 to Saturday June 29, 2013. Grand Worthy Advisor, Megan E. Fowler, 18, of Westford, MA will preside over the ceremonies as the culmination of a year of fun and service for Rainbow Girls from across the state.
More than 600 girls and advisors are expected to attend the Grand Assembly sessions from 160 Massachusetts towns, with visitors from other Rainbow jurisdictions in 10 states. The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls (www.GoRainbow.org) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization for girls between the ages of 11 and 20 that promotes self-esteem, leadership and community service. Through meetings, ceremonies, and fun activities, girls make friends and learn leadership, public speaking, citizenship, and valuable lessons and skills to help them succeed in life and careers.
Miss Fowler was installed as Grand Worthy Advisor of the Grand Assembly of Massachusetts on June 23, 2012. Her theme for the year was “Under the Big Top with Massachusetts Rainbow: Step Right Up and Join the Fun!,” leading to many circus-themed events in local Rainbow Assemblies across the state throughout the year and state-wide trips to the Shriners circuses in Wilmington and Springfield.
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Under Megan’s leadership, Rainbow Girls have collected approximately 500 items so far to donate to the Shriners Hospitals for Children in Springfield and Boston, where children are treated for severe burns, burn scars, and other similar injuries, as well as cleft lip and other conditions that call for reconstructive surgery. Patients up to 18 years of age receive treatment regardless of their financial status. In addition to collecting items such as new toys, games, and crafts, the Rainbow Girls have been making fleece tie blankets.
“Children are flown in from various countries with severe burns and can be unprepared for the cold New England weather, so the blankets are a blessing,” said Fowler.
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As in past years, the Rainbow Girls of Massachusetts have also collected hundreds of thousands of can tabs, which are used to earn funds to benefit the hospital Transportation Fund.
“The hospital provides free-of-charge care for children up to age 21, and since a lot of these children are flown in, there are high transportation expenses. These expenses also come from the trips from the hotel and the Y, where patients and families stay while receiving treatment,” said Fowler. “It has been an amazing and rewarding project not only in supporting our Masonic family's cause, but to meet and help these wonderful children.”
On Saturday, June 29, Megan’s year as Grand Worthy Advisor in Massachusetts will end, and the Grand Worthy Advisor-elect, Amy E. Randall, 18, of Foxborough, MA will assume leadership of the organization for the next year. Randall will announce her service project and plans for another fun year of activities for the Rainbow Girls of Massachusetts at the close of the Installation of Officers.
