Jumping in Feet First

This weekend was a whirlwind of excitement for me. I began what will be a year-long journey as Grand Worthy Advisor in Massachusetts.

For those of you who weren’t there, this past weekend was Massachusetts’ Grand Assembly, which is like a convention that we have every year in Plymouth. It is also the time during which the current Grand Worthy Advisor has her final meeting and the new Grand Worthy Advisor takes office. It is a lot of fun, but also a ton of work for those involved.

This weekend made me think of my first Grand Assembly experience and how dramatically different it was from this year. My favorite memory from that year was driving to Plymouth with my best friend. She had made a mix CD for the ride and brought an impressive amount of junk food. I couldn’t stop laughing at the fact that she had packed for an hour and a half car ride like she was going to be leaving the country for two months. She seriously had enough kettle corn, M and M’s, and Coca-Cola to last that long. The rest of that weekend was spent in the stands at Grand Assembly, watching the Grand Officers and Representatives perform beautiful floor work and listening to the Grand Worthy Advisor’s impressive speech. I remember watching the meetings like I would watch a play, and thinking how lucky these girls were to be a part of something so special. I also remember thinking that I could never do what they were doing, because it looked so complicated.

Now, five years later, I have learned so much more about Rainbow. I understand the ceremonies, how much work goes into learning and performing floor work and speeches, and I can better appreciate everything that I have seen at Grand Assemblies, both in Massachusetts and in other states. At my first Grand Assembly, I remember sitting in the stands and wondering how much longer everything was going to last. Now that I am a part of Grand Assembly, and one of the people speaking on stage, all I can think is that I never want it to end. The Grand Worthy Advisor who came before me, Emma Machado, shared a beautiful message in her final speech that compared our organization to a campfire. I loved that idea, that Rainbow is something that can last forever as long as people keep fanning the flames of interest in it and telling people about it. Emma promoted the fun of Rainbow Camp, and I think that she has done a wonderful job of helping to grow our organization.

I am so grateful for everything that happened this weekend, even if it did seem to fly by. Life moves pretty fast, as Ferris Bueller once told us, but I plan to take the time to stop and look around (with a cup of tea, of course).

My only hope for this year is that I can make it as special as other state officers have made it for me. I have a fantastic group of girls to work with, and I know that each of them is bringing to our organization a different talent that they will use to add to what is an already amazing experience. I can’t wait to see what they will do with this year’s theme, which is “Sailing Along with Massachusetts Rainbow.” I have heard some very creative ideas already, and I think it’s going to be a great year.

This week, I will be traveling to New Hampshire for their Grand Assembly sessions. I can’t wait for my first out-of-state visit as Grand Worthy Advisor and I hope that many of the 2015-2016 ship mates will be able to attend with me!   

What am I drinking today? Golden Monkey Tea from Teavana!

Okay, so I’m not drinking tea in this picture, but I thought it was a really nice picture from Grand Assembly!