I'm here!!!

Well, I made it. I'm here in Colorado Springs in one piece and with all my luggage so I would say that my first day at Supreme Session was a success.

The day started pretty early for me. I got up and checked for the millionth time that I had everything packed that I needed to take. Then my mom and I started for the Indianapolis airport. She got stopped by the scanner, but I made it through without suspicion. We had a layover in Dallas. I had heard awful things about that airport, but everything went smoothly, thank God. When we arrived in Colorado Springs, we were met by Elecia. We got the luggage, and we headed for the hotel.

It's been almost ten hours since I arrived at the Indianapolis airport, so it's been a pretty long day for me. I met up with Tiffany and Mahaley, so it's great that I actually know someone here. There's not much to tell yet since I just got here, but I'll try to blog more in the next few days as Supreme Session 2010 gets underway. Keep checking back for more news about Supreme Session!

Thanks for all the support that I've received on the Guestbook. I truly appreciate it. Keep rooting for me!

Worthy Grand Patron's Reception and Demolay Conclave

Yesterday was another long day with Anita and I traveling to the Worthy Grand Patron's Reception in Princeton, Indiana then making our way to Conclave for the Installation and Dance!

We couldn't stay as long as we wanted to for Bill Shoulders, the Worthy Grand Patron's reception, but we did get a few pictures with Bill and his wife. I got to see the Grand Worthy Advisor, Breonna, and Elizabeth, the Grand Charity this year. We had some Chex Mix and tried to wait it out so we could see the addendum to the "Wizard of Oes" skit from last weekend. Unfortunately, we had to cut out before the program started so we could get to Greencastle for the Demolay Installation.

The Demolay Installation was very short to my surprise. Their ceremony doesn't take long at all, which I was thankful for. SarahBeth gave her final remarks as the State Sweetheart then handed the reins and the really awesome crown down to Sam from Bethel #54, who is this year's State Sweetheart. I know she already has a lot of plans in the works and will do a great job, so congratulations to Sam, and I look forward to working with you and comparing crown height this year! James went in as State Master Councilor. I know he was really excited, and all of the Jobie girls I was sitting with were really excited for him. He and I are going to be good friends, now that he finally remembers my name. It's going to be a super year with the theme being super heroes this year for the Demolay. The capes he and Sam got from Maddy were hilarious, but I still prefer mine!

A quick Messenger Team practice and I was off to the dance! It was really fun dancing with all of the girls, and yes, even some of the boys no matter how awkward some of them were. We did the classics, though I must admit that I wish we had done the Cha Cha Slide. It was a really great time, especially considering it was my first Conclave dance! It's definitely something I'm going to try to go back to! I hope everyone that went had a great time!

Well, this week is pretty much an easy one. I only have a meeting for my home Bethel tomorrow. Then I'm off to Colorado Springs for Supreme Session, where I will represent our jurisdiction in the Miss International Pageant. I'll do my best to represent all of you and our simply awesome jurisdiction! Wish me luck, and remember to keep checking back for more posts on my travels!

Demolay Conclave

Last night, I went to Demolay Conclave along with Anita, Lynn, Elecia, Becca, and Kathy. We saw the Ceremony of Lights, and when it came time for introductions and remarks, I gave remarks again on behalf of Indiana Job's Daughters. It went well, and after all the remarks and introductions were finally over, they began the Demolay Olympics, called the Demo-lympics, to fit with their Conclave theme of "Ancient Greece". The games began with a game called "Hanky Panky" as a reminder the Greeks aptitude for plumbing and waterworks. Each chapter was given the name of a Greek city-state. Boys from each chapter competed by using only one hand to pull all of the tissues one at a time from a new Kleenex box. It was hilarious, and the boys started throwing armfuls of tissues at one another. The prizes were probably more funny though since the first three boys to pull out all of the tissues from their boxes received gold, silver, and bronze plungers. Afterwards, we had cookies and punch, and I talked a lot with Sam, their next State Sweetheart, and Jamie, who is a Hendricks County Chapter Princess, both of whom are Jobies! Overall, I had a great time, and I look forward to the dance tomorrow night where I hear all the fun really happens.

Tonight though, I am off to Baskin Robbins for an ice cream party my Bethel is having tonight. Yummy!

I hope to see all of you at the Conclave dance tomorrow, and remember to keep checking back to keep up with me and all of my activities and travels this year!

Knightsville and Fishers Initiation

I have just been all over the place this week: Daleville on Monday, Knightsville on Tuesday, Fishers yesterday, and tonight I am going to Demolay Conclave in Greencastle.

Knightsville was fun! Amanda presided very well, and the meeting was so short. Jasmine and I pro-temmed in the West, with me as Guide and her as Marshal. She became a member there that night. I know that made her very happy, and since she's already a member at Bethel #2, Terre Haute, it made me very happy that we didn't have to do the whole Ceremony of Initiation. We just escorted her up to the East and sang the Welcome song! It's definitely the shortest Initiation I've ever been to.

Fishers was also really fun, and I was happy to sit in and pro-tem as Jr. Princess. We wore the old crowns, which was interesting since I've only ever worn them once. Their Sr. Princess commented that they were really heavy. I laughed and told her that she should try on the Miss Indiana Job's Daughter crown because it weighs like four times as much! I was happy to help initiate Kirsten and welcome into what I think is the best organization in the entire universe! Lindsey and Becca sat in the West and helped as Guide and Marshal! The Librarian's report was funny-kind of! Each Daughter was asked to tell an old joke. Most of them didn't have any. I blame Elecia. If she had been there with Laffy Taffy, we all would have had one. I'll tell you mine though. Why did the clown cross the road? To get to the shoe carnival. I know it's cheesy. Oh well! For refreshments we had some awesome pizza rolls and cookie cake and actual cake to celebrate Stephanie's birthday!

Tonight I'm off to Conclave, but I know that Bethel #22, Bloomington, is initiating. Good luck to them, and keep up the great work, Indiana, so we can reach our goal of 100 new members this year! I hope I'll see some of you at the Conclave dance on Saturday!!! Then I'll be off to Supreme in Colorado Springs! You can keep up with me here on my blog so keep checking back!!!

Daleville Initiation

Last night was another great night, one of many to come this week. I had a great time helping Daleville initiate Mandy and Jessica, along with some girls from Muncie and Becca. I pro-temmed Chaplain and Fourth Messenger. The refreshments were awesome with ice cream cake for someone's birthday, hot dogs, and chips. It was great to see almost a full corps of officers on the floor. There should be some more fun to report on after I attend Bethel 121, Knightsville's meeting tonight!

Worthy Grand Matron's Reception

Yesterday was a very long day with a four hour car ride one way to Goshen, Indiana for the Worthy Grand Matron's Reception. It was fun though because Anita and I met Elecia and Lynn after about an hour and a half. Before we met them, I was looking over the proposed amendments to the Supreme Guardian Council's Constitution and Bylaws. There are some really interesting ones this year, and some of them relate to the survey on the Supreme webpage that Anita mentioned at the Schools of Instruction. Remember girls, you have until July 31, to be included in this survey, the results of which will be reported at one of the business meetings at Supreme. You can find both the survey and the proposed amendments on the Supreme webpage.

When we arrived, we got pictures with the Worthy Grand Matron. Elecia put my crown on for the first time. We promised we'd learn how to do it together this year. We had some fruit and cheese at the social hour, then proceeded to the main event. Kathy and her husband had this cute Wizard of Oz skit since that's her theme for the year, only she changed it to the Wizard of OES (pronounced like in Spaghetti O's). She was dressed as Dorothy and her husband as Toto while the Worthy Grand Matrons and Worthy Grand Patrons of the Grand families she's served in were dressed as other Wizard of Oz characters. After the skit, all the Past Grand Matrons and Patrons involved as well as Kathy and her husband exited. They entered a few minutes later from the back, but this time Kathy was dressed as Glenda the Good Witch and her husband as Dorothy. It's probably one of the most hilarious things I have ever seen. The music was awesome with a Past Grand Organist playing and several soloists singing songs. Then we loaded up to go back home, a total trip of about 450 miles both ways for me.

I know we have a few initiations going on this week, some of which I'm trying to go to. I hope that all goes well for the new members and for the Bethels initiating them. Good luck this week, and I hope to see all of you at the Conclave dance this weekend!

4-H Parade!!!

We had a great turnout from my Bethel. There were lots of girls, who weren't exactly raring to go since it was so hot and humid. When they were complaining about having to walk while the girls who were riding as Honored Queen and Senior Princess and I rode on the golf cart, we were telling them we'd rather walk than wear the capes. I thought I was suffocating in mine, but I think the Honored Queen had it worse than I did. That's okay though. Since we have no air-conditioning at my Bethel, we're conditioned to it.

The golf cart was interesting. It's the first time we've ever used one of those in a parade. It was sort of fun though, but with Peggy in the driver's seat, we were going up and down hills to pass people to get in line for the parade. I never know quite what to expect when Peggy's driving. We had to ward off some of the members of the 4-H Rabbit Club who were trying to soak their competition with water guns. We met a Past Honored Queen from our Bethel, and despite sweating half to death thanks to the heat, we waved and smiled like princesses, and finished the parade just before it began to thunder.

Tomorrow, I'm off to the Worthy Grand Matron's Reception. Keep checking back for more news on my travels!

A Pretty Quiet Week

Well, this week is going to be pretty quiet in comparison to last week. Thank heavens since my mom and I curbed our front passenger side tire. Nobody's hurt...our car just isn't moving anywhere anytime soon.

Tonight, I have a meeting at my home Bethel. Then Thursday, we're going to be in the 4-H parade. I heard it's supposed to rain, so we'll see how that turns out. If it doesn't rain, it's going to be really hot in my cape and a formal with all the heat and humidity we've been experiencing lately. Saturday, Anita and I are going to Goshen for the Worthy Grand Matron's reception. That's going to be a long car ride. Oh well, I'll bring my bus and sleep!!! They make such great pillows.

My First Two Weeks as MIJD!!!!!

Well, it's been a very busy couple of weeks. Well, really it's been a very busy month since I won Pageant. It's quite the whirlwind between all the traveling and the studying for the Miss International Job's Daughter Pageant!

We're off to a running start this year! I've already been to several Bethels attending Schools of Instruction in Plainfield, Knightsville, Greenfield, Fort Wayne, Jeffersonville, and Valparaiso. Then there was the All Day School of Instruction. The morning session was interesting. I'm wondering what new category Jamie Hadley has cooked up for the old Story of Job competitors. I'm out for Lynn though. He is so getting pied in the face at Job-A-Rama!!! The meal was great, but I have to tell you that I don't think I have ever seen that many cookies in my life!!! I had a great time playing Candy Land! I'd never played before! I think it was more difficult for me to try to learn the names of all of the girls than it was for me to answer Elecia's trivia questions. I'm getting there though...maybe by the end of the year I'll have everyone's name memorized. No promises!

I've also given my first remarks on behalf of Indiana Job's Daughters on Thursday at Rainbow Grand Assembly. I appointed a Crown Committee while we were there too! I finally figured out how to put one of the Job's Daughter crowns on my head without help, and then I get a new one. I think maybe that's the last test at Pageant-getting the crown on! The drive home was really tiring though. We were so tired from the night before at Valparaiso that we could barely keep our eyes open!

Then on Friday, Anita and I went to Bill Profitt's viewing. My heart goes out to Linda and her family. Please remember to keep them in your prayers. After stopping to eat, we went to Tiffany and George Ingles' Installation as Worthy Matron and Worthy Patron of Brownsburg Chapter of Eastern Star. Karen acted as the Installing Officer and Bethel 107 did the Bible Ceremony, which made the ceremony even more special. Congratulations to Tiffany and George, and thanks to the members of our Job's Daughters family who came to support them. We were quite a presence on the sidelines.

It's been great to see everyone over the last few weeks, and I look forward to seeing more of all of you throughout my travels this year. Keep up the great work, Indiana!

~Rustie~