On August 25th, Hampton went to our monthly service project in Phoebus. We work with the local church to make lunches and give them out, along with clothes, to the homeless people in our area. We had a big turnout this month! Our girls Bella, Eva, Thora, Kensley, Sara, Reagan, and I all showed up. We mixed peanut butter and jelly to spread on 70+ sandwiches and made 70+ bologna and cheese sandwiches, too. We packed snacks in brown paper bags and raced to see who could stuff bags the quickest. Afterward we helped load them into the van and headed to our location to pass them out. Many people come out to get our lunches and are always so grateful to us. It’s an amazing feeling to help people in our community, and I’m so glad I get to share these experiences with my Rainbow sisters. 

With Rainbow Love, 

Lauren Ann

Portsmouth Chapter had their installation on August 18th and it was an amazing time. Sara and I showed up as on theme as possible. We both wore flower dresses and lays for the Hawaiian themed installation. All the boys wore Hawaiian shirts and looked like cheesy tourists. The Portsmouth boys seemed to have added new members, which was very nice to see. They’ve grown a lot since their reinstating a few years ago. Afterward, we headed to the reception hall for fellowship and the Hawaiian theme did not stop! There were tons of fun decorations and the food was very tropical. One of the advisors even took time to cut fruit like watermelon and pineapples into works of art. There were pineapple ducks and volcano cakes. It was all very cool to look at and delicious to eat. We joked around and by the end of the night, we didn’t want to say goodbye. It was another fantastic DeMolay event and we were glad we could bring our Rainbow enthusiasm to the mix! 

With Love and Service,

Lauren Ann

On July 29, Hampton Assembly went to the Virginia DeMolay Conclave dance. Some of our girls were already inside at the banquet while we waited for the doors to open. In the lobby, we joked around with the other girls and shared stories. A major highlight of big events that sometimes gets overlooked is that everyone comes together and you get to reconnect with your Rainbow sisters. Sometimes it feels like an eternity has gone by since you last spoke to each other but when you and your friends get together it’s so easy to talk to them that it makes you feel like they never left. When the doors opened a flood of people rushed out. There was chattering and laughing and cameras flashing. It’s all very chaotic and completely wonderful. After I found our girls, Sara, Maddy, Alex, Reagan, our prospect Audrey, and I all got together to take photos and joined in with many other Rainbow girls in their photos. The room was cleared and we entered the dance floor. Like any dance, it was super fun and everyone seemed to be having a great time. Kensley made a reappearance later in the night after speaking at the banquet and leaving to go to Supreme practice. We all danced around together and had a good night. 

With Rainbow L&S,

Lauren Ann

Hampton Assembly made a surprise visit to Smithfield Assembly! Kensley, Sara, and I all packed into Mrs Kim’s car and headed down the road with tubs of ice cream. Since Smithfield won the sandcastle building contest at beach day, they were entitled to an ice cream social. When we got there we began setting up the table with toppings like nuts, whipped cream, sprinkles, m&ms, and teddy grahams. We also had delicious caramel and chocolate topping and cherries. When the girls arrived they looked shocked to see us. Did I forget to mention this was a bit of a surprise? They were even more surprised when they saw we had ice cream! We joined them in their meeting and all ate our treats together. Even with all of the girls and adults eating, we still couldn’t finish all the ice cream. It was a delicious and fun time! 

With Rainbow Love and Service, 

Lauren Ann