RCGI Anniversary Banners at May Gathering Here's a photo of the new RCGI Anniversary Banner, one of two made for the Congregation in 2009.The idea started 5 years ago.Nan Brooks and I got to Madison a few days before the Priestess Gathering in 2004. When we got to the Mother House we realized that it was the 20th anniversary of RCG-I. What a momentous occasion! There were plans for a special ritual, but nothing was planned for a commemorative art piece. It was too late to complete something before the weekend, but not too late to start a project. We came up with an idea for quilted banners. The most important thing was to have it include the names and thoughts of the women of the Congregation.We decided we could get the women to draw and write on fabric squares throughout the weekend. We picked out cotton fabrics of various colors, and cut them into 8" squares. Sid drew crescent moons on all the squares and we took 'em off to the gathering with lots of magic markers. Nan carried a basket of fabric all weekend, and we got as many women as we could to decorate a square.After the Gathering, I sent a square to each of the ordained priestesses of the Congregation, so that they could participate as well. When we looked them over, some were very fancy, and others plain and simple-and all were full of heartfelt blessings for RCG-I.Then the project took a detour for a few years. The squares sat in my closet while I went through a detour of my own, due to health--and there they remained until this year! Marcia Finger offered to take the squares and the border fabric and transform them into two banners. Now they could celebrate the 25th Anniversary as well as the 20th!Marcia's expert stitchery was a perfect enactment of our original idea -- except that the banners are also enhanced by her artistic eye and handiwork. Look closely at the quilting for all sorts of surprises!"The banners are on permanent display at the Mother House and will be carried to the Gatherings every year from now on. Check them out!
-Sid Reger
Priestess of RCGI
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