Two years ago I aged out of the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls when I turned 20, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been able to stay involved. Despite being away at college for the last two years, I remained semi-active in the preparations for the annual event of Grand Assembly, held every Fourth of July weekend in the state of New Hampshire. Despite attending this event from age 11 to 20 as I grew up, Grand Assembly as a Majority Girl is different.

I can look at the girls around me and recall myself at each stage. From being 11 years old and sitting on the sidelines in my khaki skirt and white shirt as I watch the older girls in their gowns and crowns glide gracefully across the floor as they perform their ritual and drills, to becoming that Grand Officer sitting proper and poised on the Grand Floor, I watch each girl learn more and more each day as I sit on the sidelines helping out wherever I may be needed.

I am the adult now and I get to watch these amazing girls grow and determine who they are and where they want to be in life. From the newly appointed Grand Representatives getting their first Grand Appointment, wide-eyed and a little terrified but far too excited to keep that grin off their face, to the experienced Grand Officer that is being installed in her fourth Grand Office, keeping her professionalism but also showing excitement as she gets the station she wanted. I was once both of those girls, but I have now become the “experienced” adult that can answer questions and learn what goes on in the background.

I have become the adult supervisor instead of the girl needing supervision. I watch the drills and help the girls perfect them instead of working tirelessly to get that one move I just can’t get. I help to make sure all of the girls are where they are supposed to be instead of running in a gown to get there just in time for the line-up song. I am the adult instead of the girl.

I have begun to learn the ins and outs of Grand Assembly and all that goes into it that you cannot understand, nor do you need to, as a girl. I have experienced the other side and I’m so grateful for it. As much as I loved being a Rainbow Girl, being a Rainbow Adult at Grand Assembly allows me to learn more about myself.

By watching these girls, I can reflect on my time as a girl. The years come and go so quickly you don’t realize the importance of what you are doing. As the younger girl, you don’t think about the older girls looking to you as the future of our organization, and as the older girl, you don’t always see the younger girls looking up to you and watching your every move. The two sides go together like peanut butter and jelly; you generally cannot have one without the other. Older girls and younger girls need each other to help our organization grow, and I never really started to think about that until I attended Grand Assembly as a Majority Girl and watched the connections grow.

So, to our active girls who define New Hampshire Rainbow, keep up your amazing work and don’t take anything for granted. Help our organization continue to grow each year and don’t rush to become an adult.

To our most recent Majority Girls, welcome to the club! It’s a whole new world and you will learn more than you ever thought you could.