This section is currently under construction.
The Order of the Rainbow for Girls was organized in Texas on April 6, 1922, when Mrs. Daisy Cushing, wife of Dr. Daniel N. Cushing, Past Master of San Antonio Chapter No. 2, was appointed the first Supreme Deputy in Texas. It was through her efforts and the Masons and Eastern Stars of Texas that Rainbow was accepted and approval was given to the Assemblies in their sponsorship. Mrs. Cushing was elected Supreme Inspector in June 1923.
The first Assembly in Texas was Sherman No. 1, Instituted July 10, 1922. Their sponsor was indivisible Friend Commandery No. 13. Yoakum Assembly No. 2 was the second Assembly. The San Antonio Assembly No. 3 Charter is signed by William P. Freeman, Supreme Worthy Advisor, and W. Mark Sexson, Supreme Recorder of Supreme Assembly, Mother Assembly of the World. Its seat of authority is in McAlester, Oklahoma, Charter instituting date of May 13, 1922 and constituting date of June 2, 1923.
During the next years many Assemblies were instituted and sponsored by Masonic bodies, Eastern Star chapters and groups of Masons and Eastern Star members. Many of these early Assemblies are active today and many other Assemblies have been instituted.
Grand Assembly was organized August 20, 21, 22 in 1924 in San Antonio and in 1925 the Grand Assembly was held in Houston. History was in the making for Rainbow in Texas.
In El Paso at the 1941 Grand Assembly session, Mrs. Cushing was ill and Mr. Victor C. Whitfield was appointed Chairman of the Grand Executive Committee. Mrs. Cushing passed away September 5, 1941. Dallas had been selected as the site for the 1942 Session and Mrs. Roberta Kendall, Mother Advisor of Oak Cliff No. 67 and Mr. Whitfield went to McAlester to talk with Rev. Sexson regarding the Session. Rev. Sexson declared Mr. Whitfield as the General Chairman and his Deputy. At the Session, Mr. Whitfield was made Chairman of the Grand Executive Committee. He was also Chairman of the Grand Cross of Color until his passing away February 4, 1973.
Mrs. Martha Marie Whitfield was appointed Special Deputy at the 1941 Session. She was appointed Supreme Deputy in 1942, promoted to Supreme Inspector in 1950 and later was elected as Supreme Faith in 1972. She then advanced to the office of Supreme Worthy Associate Advisor until her passing away on April 7, 1989.
Thousands of girls have been initiated into the Order in Texas with Masons and Eastern Star members being their friends and serving on Advisory Boards. Each Assembly has charitable, financial and social activities that they may carry on the beautiful Ritualistic work in the manner provided by the Founder. The majority of the Assemblies meet in Masonic Halls, but, regardless of the meeting place, Rainbow has the pleasures that girls should have in their Order.
Through financial projects, donations have been given to the Masonic Home for the Aged. The first contribution was made for the Chapel at the Masonic School, as well as furnishing the Chapel at the Eastern Star Home, air conditioners, various pieces of furniture and wheel chairs. When Mrs. Mildred Haney Harris was Most Worthy Grand Matron, a portrait of her was given to the Home.
Two funds have been kept active through the years by Assemblies and individuals. The W. Mark Sexson Loan Fund to be used by Rainbow Girls to further their education and the Let’s Be Thankful Fund. This Fund is used to help through contributions for rent, food, clothing, medicine, hospital expenses, emergency travel and every need for members and friends.
We have one other scholarship funds to help girls further their education. The Martha Marie and Victor C. Whitfield Scholarship Fund which has helped many girls.
In 1950 at the Session in Mineral Wells, a life size portrait of Rev. Sexson was unveiled and presented to him during the meeting that he attended. The artist was Mr. Dimitri Vail, and to complete the portrait, Mr. and Mrs. Vail gave the beautiful gold leaf frame. The portrait hangs over Reverend Sexson’s desk in the library at the International Temple in McAlester, Oklahoma.
Rainbow Girls, in becoming Majority Girls, have taken their place in church, community and civic affairs, many of them serving on Advisory Boards and many of the Past Grand Worthy Advisors have served as Mother Advisors.
Grand Assembly is an annual event looked forward to from the closing of Installation until the following year as is Supreme Assembly every two years. Our attendance at Grand and Supreme Assembly is excellent and every adult glows with pride at the interest and respect shown by the girls.
These Sessions are of utmost importance, but local Assembly meetings are the ones planned and conducted by the girls with their Advisory Board, being their friends and advisors.
1974 marked our Fiftieth Anniversary and it was fitting and proper that San Antonio was again our host. Mrs. Rosalie Kohler Bell, P. G. W. A. presented a beautiful program to honor our fiftieth year.
Texas was pleased and honored to have been chosen to host the Thirty-fourth Biennial Supreme Assembly “Follow the Spirit” Session in Fort Worth, Texas in 1992. We were honored with the presence of many distinguished guests.
Mrs. Pearl Mills was appointed Supreme Deputy in 1982 by Mrs. Agnes McLeod, then appointed to Supreme Inspector in 1990 by Mrs. Edna McLaurin. Later she was appointed Supreme Chaplain in 1992 by Mrs. Margaret Kofed and then appointed Supreme Drill Leader in 1996 by Mrs. Linda Freimann. In 1998 she was appointed as Supreme Outer Observer. Mr. Hubert D. Mills is Chairman Emeritus of the Grand Executive Committee.
Mrs. Marlene Dibrell was selected by Supreme Assembly as Supreme Deputy in mid-1999 and was installed on June 16 at Grand Assembly session in Corpus Christi. Mrs. Mary Muhs, Supreme Worthy Advisor and Mr. Joe Blair, Supreme Parliamentarian, were present at the entire Texas Grand Assembly session and Mrs. Muhs installed Mrs. Dibrell, assisted by Mr. Blair. Mrs. Dibrell's husband, Mr. David B. Dibrell, is a Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Texas.
The Reverend W. Mark Sexson had been asked to make an address before South McAlester Chapter #149. As the DeMolay had come under his close study and observation during his Masonic activities', he became more and more conscious of the fact that an Order for girls setting forth some of the truths of Masonry would be necessary. He asked the regular officers of South McAlester Chapter No. 148, O.E.S., to exemplify the work. The first class of girls that was initiated into the Order consisted of a class of 171 girls, on April 6, 1922, in the auditorium of the Scottish Rite Temple, McAlester, Oklahoma.
The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls has assemblies in 46 states in the United States in addition to assemblies in 8 other countries. Current state which do not have assemblies are: South Dakota, Delaware, Utah, and Wyoming. The countries outside the United States which DO have assemblies are: Australia (both Queensland and New South Wales), Brazil, Canada, Germany, Japan, Panama, and the Philippines. Italy is in the early stages of starting Assemblies.
William Mark Sexson
William Mark Sexson was born at Arnica Springs, Missouri, July 8, 1877. He was the son of Thomas and Hanna Sexson who came from Illinois as pioneers in the early settlement of southwest Missouri, located upon a farm in the valley of Sac River, Cedar County, Missouri, near the village of Arnica Springs.
At twelve years of age he joined the church, and at fourteen began his ministry. At seventeen he was ordained a minister of the Christian (Disciples) Church by Elder John H. Breeze. He married Miss Edith Edwards of Windsor, Illinois, and as a young married couple they went to Bloomfield, Indiana, where he became pastor of the First Christian Church. After serving for two years as minister of this church, he moved to Indianapolis where he entered Butler College in further preparation of his ministry. He served as Evangelist in the Christian Church conducting revival meetings in Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and a number of western states. He came to Cleveland, Oklahoma, in 1906 as minister of the Christian Church at that place. He afterwards served the church at Cherokee and Stroud, Oklahoma.
Mr. Sexson was made a Master Mason in Bloomfield, Indiana, during the time that he was minister of the First Christian Church of that city. He immediately became identified with the craft as a lecturer and contributor of fraternal literature. He spent practically all of his life in this field of research work and as a result of such research has been honored by the Fraternity on many occasions.
He was initiated, passed, and raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason Bloomfield Lodge No. 80. at Bloomfield, Indians, in 1902. He was made Master of the Royal Secret 32 degree in Oklahoma Consistory No. 1, at Guthrie, May 30, 1907. In October, 1911, he was crowned Knight Commander of the Court of Honor at Guthrie.
In 1912 he came to McAlester as Secretary of the McAlester Scottish Rite Bodies, serving them as such until January 1, 1922. In 1913 while Secretary of the McAlester Scottish Rite Bodies, he was mad a thirty-third degree Mason and coroneted as Inspector General Honorary by the Supreme Council at Washington. He was a Royal Arch Mason, a member of Indian Chapter No. 1, North McAlester; also, a Knight Templar, a member of McAlester Commandery No. 6; a Noble of the mystic Shrine holding active membership in Indian Temple at Oklahoma City, and honorary membership in Bedouin Temple at Muskogee, and Akdar Temple at Tulsa. He was a member of Amrita Grotto of Fort Smith, Arkansas. He was Past Grand Patron, O.E.S., of Oklahoma.
He was Past Master of South McAlester Lodge No. 96 (1921) and served the Grand Lodge as Grand Chaplain in 1920 and 1921 and as Grand Orator in 1923 and 1924. At the meeting of Grand Lodge in Tulsa, 1925, he was elected Junior Grand Warden, in 1926 was elected Senior Grand Warden, and in 1927 was elected Deputy Grand Master. On February 15, 1928, he was elected to the highest office and given the highest rank attainable in Freemasonry, that of Most Worshipful Grand Master of a sovereign Masonic Grand Jurisdiction.
Mr. Sexson was initiated in South McAlester Chapter No. 149, Order of the Eastern Star, September 13, 1921; installed Worthy Patron, January 9, 1923; made a life member of South McAlester Chapter No. 149, in 1931; was elected Worthy Grand Patron of the O.E.S. Grand Chapter of Oklahoma in 1925-1926; served on the Ritual Committee of the General Grand Chapter, O.E.S., 1928 to 1931. In April, 1937, he was initiated in the White Shrine of Jerusalem at Muskogee, Oklahoma.
In 1909, he went abroad spending some time in the near European Countries and then journeying to Assyria, Palestine, and Egypt in search of Masonic information and further preparation for his work as a contributor to Masonic literature.
His greatest work was the organization of the Order of the Rainbow for Girls. This is a junior organization for girls of the teen age from Masonic, Eastern Star, and Amaranth homes, and the friends of members of Rainbow.
One evening in the spring of 1922, Mr. Sexson had been asked to make an address before South McAlester Chapter No. 149. As the DeMolay had come under his close study and observation during his Masonic activities, he became more and more conscious of the fact that an Order for girls setting forth some if the truths of Masonry would be necessary. He made a stirring appeal for such an organization in his address and the Worthy Matron, Mrs. Sarah Church, immediately replied, "We would start it if we had someone to write the ceremony of Initiation." Mr. Sexson said, " I will write the Ritual." The next day, he wrote the Ritual, giving it the name "Order of the Rainbow for Girls." He dictated it to the Church stenographer, Mrs. Helen Ambrose, in the study of the first Christian Church of which he was then a minister. He asked the regular officers of South McAlester Chapter No. 149, O.E.S., to exemplify the work and furnished them with typewritten copies of the Ritual.
On April 6, 1922, the degree were exemplified for the first time on a class of one hundred seventy-one girls in the auditorium of the Scottish Rite Temple, McAlester, Oklahoma.
The Supreme of governing Body was formed by Mr. Sexson in June, 1922. He wrote the law governing the Supreme Body was well as the law governing the Subordinate Assemblies. At the formation of this Supreme Body, Mr. Sexson was made the Supreme Recorder and later was given the title, Supreme Worthy Advisor Emeritus.
On December 20, 1953, Mr. Sexson died in a McAlester hospital, following a short illness. The funeral service was held at the First Christian Church where he served as minister for many years and where the Ritual of the Order of the Rainbow for Girls was written. Burial was in the Masonic Section of Oak Hill Cemetery in McAlester, Oklahoma.