Port Neches Assembly is sponsored by The Port Neches
Order of the Eastern Star # 677, Worthy
Matron Mrs. Linda Booker,
Worthy
Patron Mr. Norman Abshire. OES Meetings are 1st
and 3rd Thursdays, 7:00 p.m. at the Port Neches
Masonic Lodge,
909 Port Neches Avenue, Port Neches, Texas
HISTORY OF PORT NECHES ASSEMBLY
Port Neches
Assembly #159 was instituted Friday, May 24, 1946 in the Masonic Temple at Port Neches. Sister Edna Oakley, Grand Officer of
the Order of the Eastern Star had been appointed deputy by Sister Martha Marie Whitfield
to Institute the Assembly. The first Worthy Advisor was Carol Jean Sanders and Mrs. Avonelle Cockran was Mother Advisor.
Our first Grand Assembly was in Amarillo, January 24, 1947. There were seven that went
by the train.
The first Grand Officer was Carol Jean Sanders, Jr. Member of the Grand
Credentials Committee. Grand Assembly was in Dallas. At this Grand Assembly Rev. W. Mark
Sexon, the founder of Rainbow was present.
In 1948 there were seven that went to El Paso by train, to Grand
Assembly.
At a Christmas party in 1948, the Assembly voted to have an informal hen party after the
meeting and to bring a gift not more than 50 cents.
We have had a lot of money making projects, including donut sales, selling
toothbrushes, lampshades, and aprons in the early years. In 1950, when the Recorder called
the roll, each girl present would answer with some good deed she had done or how Rainbow
had helped her.
In 1952, 97 girls attended church service wearing hats and lambskin
aprons. In 1961, our own Rainbow girl, Vivien Powers, was elected Grand Worthy Advisor and
served as Grand Worthy Advisor in Austin at our 1962 session.
We have enjoyed many Charity and Service projects and Socials over the years.
We had a special day for Mrs. Marie Youngblood, Past Mother Advisor and Grand Visitor on
her 80th birthday, she was like a Grandmother to all of us.
In 1982, we started selling funnel cakes at the Nederland Heritage
Festival. We built a new booth and it was finished March 1997 for the Annual Heritage
Festival. Over the years our Rainbow Assembly has enjoyed good fellowship and activities
with DeMolay.
At Grand Assembly in 1996 our girls were delighted to meet Katherine
Reese Jones, composer of our beautiful song, "My Rainbow,".
We participated in a drill for Grand Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star in
Beaumont in 1996.
We have had over 170 Worthy Advisors, over 22 Mother Advisors,
13 Grand
Floor Officers, 1 Grand Worthy Advisor, over 24 Grand Representatives and 13 other Grand
Appointments. We are thankful for the last 50 plus years.
We would like to thank Port Neches Order of the Eastern Star #677 for
sponsoring us for over 50 years and Port Neches Lodge #1163 for allowing us to have our
meetings in their Lodge.