When I went to our National Convention this past summer, I witnesses an intiation ceremony. It was beautiful; and I was pleased to see that we did it the "right way"! I think what may have happened to this particular chapter is that they have not emphasized ritual in quite some time. I can tell you that I learn something new everytime I witness our intiation ceremony or ritual in general. I do agree, however, that it does seem a little sad that the only time the group was concerend was when they recieved a National visit.

MysticCat, thanks for posting both of those links. They're outstanding. Read the Sigma Chi one while substituting your own letters/terminology for Sigma Chi's. If that doesn't drive the point home, nothing will.

I cannot fathom not knowing ritual. I'm sorry, but I just cannot. If a chapter finds itself so far away from it's foundation to not have time or not want to regularly celebrate ritual, then there's a problem. It breaks my heart. It does. Any sorority or fraternity's rituals are not something to be done because we as members "have". It's what each organization's founders wished to provide their members for the future, and is what they envisioned for their sorority or fraternity, their ideals. Ritual is what makes each of our organizations what it has been, what it is, and what it will become in the future.

Greeklawgirl summed it up well: If you don't regularly celebrate what makes your chapter a part your sorority or fraternity, why are you there? There's nothing wrong with informal meetings or anything like that, but without ritual there's nothing to bind us to each other and our organizations.


Christin
(the opinions expressed above are my own, and not intended to reflect any official position of AOII or any other greek letter organization.)

I think we're getting on two different topics here....

breathesgelatin originally started the thread re a chapter on her campus that did not include certain ritual aspects in their meetings, as is apparently their national tradition. Then people got to talking about how to perform initiation, etc. IMO these are two totally different things. It is perfectly understandable that someone who has only been a member for a short time would not remember aspects of the initiation ceremony.

As Lana said, our ritual is written and explicit directions are given about how it is to be performed. I had assumed everyone had something similar. I'm starting to imagine some initiations that go "I state your name..." ;)

I can't imagine not knowing ritual... We have to have at least two formal meetings (with ritual) a month... it's required by national... We can't hold things like elections and such if it's not a formal meeting. Everything from initiation and formal meeting to installation of Exec- Board is in our ritual book, so we've never really done anythig wrong as long as you follow the book... everything goes smoothly. I can't imagine that there wouldn't be some sort of book or guidance for ceremonies... just for the fact that things can get done wrong if everything is just passed on from people's memories...

I have heard of chapters that rarely have formal/ritual meetings throughout the year. I knew one fraternity on campus that, at that time, only had ritual meetings during initiation.

I know my chapter has it writen in our constitution (i'm not sure if local or international) that we must have a ritual meeting twice per month which means we usually have two formal and two informal meetings a month... This allows the sisters the chance to do all the things we do and to hear those words we hold so dear.

However, usually a couple times a year, we have a sisterhood, an informal gathering, to sit down and actually talk about our values, our ritual and what it means to us and to talk about how we can "live" our ritual every day.

I remember times when i was president and a few sisters would complain about formal meetings, having to wear pin attire and going through the process, but i'd just have to tell them this is who we are and they should enjoy doing it.

I think before you pass judgement on this sorority, you need to realize that every GLO does things differently. Some may have/do ritual at every meeting, others may only do it once a month, some may do them only 1 time a semester. and not everyone performs ritual at formal meetings- for some, they may not be the same thing.

I know what that is like. I know my chapter still sings some songs wrong. In addition we have actually been told we had been doing some of ritual wrong. A lot of this has to do with the fact that up until this year we have not had an advisor. Just one of those things to keep in mind when people keep saying well isnt that what an advisor is for. I know we have had issues with my chapter and having one, because we go to a school where people dont usually stay in the town after they graduate. Anyways...just something to keep in mind. I still cannot picture not knowing ritual though.

OMG, Sheila!! You made me snarf my hot tea! Ouch!

My Initation was totally different than most!

While I have seen the Ritual many times, it still raises the hair on the back of my neck from the importantance of what it means! I to this day still see things that I missed.

I do not understand, that if this is a Ritual Ceremony that is done at least twice a year that they would not know what it is about!

There is a difference in being on the Ritual Team and sitting watching!

But not to know, what is that all about! Am I to dense to understand?

I had a Brother recited his part over the phone today as we were talking about Ritual. He is # 54. Well we have over 600 +.

Importance of Ceremonies/rituals
 

I think its also tied in with a general issue of a lack of 'rituals' in our society, and thus a lack of appreciation of their importance and usefulness.

To add to what someone else noted, the Boy Scouts of American published in their magazine for adult leaders a good article on the importance of ritual. Here's the link http://www.scoutingmagazine.org/arch...09/a-rite.html while the focus is on the ceremonies used in Scouting, much of what is said can apply to the rituals in GLOs.

Hope this helps

Michael Brown

Interesting thread.

There are a few different things here...

1. "Not knowing ritual" in terms of not knowing/remembering specific secrets imparted to new members during their initiation, like how to do the handshake, the tune of a song, how to set up the initiation site (which after a year and a half as ritualist, I will never forget :p ). Not a huge deal... these are essentially tangibles. A few minutes with the ritual book or a member who knows it well and it'll come back.

2. "Not knowing ritual" in terms of not knowing the specific practices to be carried out during (formal) chapter meetings. I think this is what breathesgelatin is getting at. If you're supposed to be doing certain things every week or every other week at chapter - you'd better be doing them. Again, to some degree they're tangibles, but it serves as a regular reminder of my third point...

3. "Not knowing ritual" in terms of not having internalized the ideals of your sister/brotherhood and not living them every day. *This* is the real problem.

aephi alum--that pretty much sums up exactly what i'm trying to say. thanks.

I think it's all right if newer members are still a little sketchy on some of the really apecific things that you learn in initiation, but I think if you're not doing your meeting ritual at least a time a month or so, you're not going to remember or be aware of the wonderful values your organization has when it comes down to it.

This must be an ADPi thing! When I was a newbie, our pledge mother told us that the National Blessing was sung to the tune of "Here Comes Peter Cottontail" and, if you really compare the two, she wasn't off by much. Unfortunately, I still tend to sing it that way. Just to get back at me (I'm sure! :rolleyes: ), I cringe when I hear some of the ways other songs are currently sung.

And, I shouldn't admit this, but we were SO frightened/excited at pledging, that at least half of us DID say, "I state your name..."! I fondly remember one of the sisters saying in a stage whisper, "Oh, I'm not so sure about this bunch!"

honeychile

LOL!! Too funny...

not to give too much away but....
 

inititation boo-boo's:
-almost burning the house down
-trying not to laugh because damn-we look funny (you KNOW what I am talking about)
-loosing your place when you're reading-ouch
-spending months memorizing your lines only to say them out of order b/c you are so nervous
-MISPRONOUNCING ALL THOSE WORDS IN GREEK_AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!
-mispronouncing the pledges name
-mispronouncing your own name!
I really don't think I gave way anything secret here-I I did, some one edit me.