70th Birthday Celebration
1936 to 2006
Iris Assembly #31 celebrated 70 years of Rainbow History at a dinner held
at the new lodge in Neptune on Saturday, November 11, 2006. It was attended
by about 70 people including many Majority Members and friends.
Trenton Assembly instituted Iris 70 years ago and we were thrilled to have the
current Mother Advisor & Line Officers of Trenton join us for this celebration.
Current members posed with Majority Members and Past Mother Advisors for a group picture.
The evening began with many displays of photo albums
and scrapbooks brought by current and Majority Members.
Other memorabilia included old bulletins going back almost to the beginning,
along with convention booklets, and a collection of installation corsages from
the 1970s. PGWA Stacy Egan brought her crown and other items from her year.
Several Majority Members that live too far away to attend
sent birthday greetings that were posted on a display board.
In addition to reviewing the displays, old friends that hadn't seen each other
for many years, enjoyed sitting together, catching up and reminiscing.
After a wonderful dinner, Grand Worthy Advisory Katie Vander Horn brought
greetings from the Grand Assembly and Supreme Deputy Miss Kathleen Nase
spoke of her own Iris memories. Grand Deputy Linda Brennen offered a
slideshow spanning the 70 years. The Grand Officers presented a ceremony
in which the girls told the history of the assembly while pausing to light
a candle for each decade. The seven rainbow colored decade candles were lit
from one central white candle that represented the 51 Charter Members.
Everyone sang Happy Birthday to Iris and then the current members and pledges in
attendance wished for at least 70 more wonderful years and blew out the candles.
In all the years, as part of their retiring march, Iris has sung a song unique
to this assembly. It is an old song that came out on the radio about the time
that the institution planning began. All in attendance joined hands and
sang their signature song, "There's a Rainbow Shining Somewhere".
It was wonderful to see the many family members and friends that also
came out to help Iris celebrate, including Grand Worthy Associate Advisor
Kat R., Jr Past Grand Worthy Advisor Jenn R., and members of the Grand Staff.
After the formal ceremony concluded several groups posed for pictures.
The Mother Advisors!
Standing: Mrs. Jeanne Jarema Gionfriddo, current Mother Advisor
Seated: Miss Kathleen Nase (1977-1982), Mrs. Joan Weston Heldreth
(1983-1990) and Mrs. Shirley Egan (1996-2005)
Majority Members from the 1940's!
Seated, from left to right: Phyllis Scisco Toren,
MaryJane Thompson Wardell and Betsy Winans Thompson
Majority Members from the 50's & 60's!
Standing (60s): Maryadele Jarema O'Neil and Beverly Barton Emonds
Seated (50s): Margaret Clayton Finberg, Joan Weston Heldreth
and Barbara Barton Reed
Kathy's "Angels" from the 1970s!
Standing: Carole Bennett Gunderson, Jeanne Jarema Gionfriddo, Linda Jarema Brennen,
Lisa Murray Winkler, Hope Ann Heldreth, Nancy Bennett Massey
Seated: Cathy Woolley Woolley, MA Kathy Nase, and Nora Post Wolcott
It was a wonderful evening!
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