DST has a closed ceremony done at conferences and conventions for those who passed since the last conference or convention.

We have an open one that is done at the funeral or wake, per family request.

i have no idea if we do or not. One of our original founding members is still alive (she turned 103 this year!! :eek: ), I'm sure we will do something special to honor her memory. One of our most important rituals to honor a past sister is completely public...it's done in the middle of campus.

It can also be done at funerals, though I've not been to one where it has been done. Sadly, we did the ceremony TWICE this year--two times too many, in my opinion :(--once for a chapter founder who we all knew well, another time for a sister initiated in the 70's who died.

I find it touching that if the memorial ceremony is done at a funeral, a red rose is laid on the casket.

Kappa Delta has a public memorial service for members that have passed away. Our chapter sadly held one of these for sister Kimberly Gargano in April 2002. Many members of the Greek community came to support us that night, we were very appreciative.

ADPi memorial rites
 

At the bi-annual convention, we hold a memorial service for sisters who have passed away since the last convention. It is a very moving ceremony.

Co-sign.

But we do have a memorial service in which non-brothers can participate, so I feel little restraint from admitting as much.

Alpha Phi Omega
 

Alpha Phi Omega has a memorial service. It is found in the Ritual Book, but like the installation of officers and meeting opening and closing ceremonies in the book is open to the public. It was added to our ceremonies at the 1994 Convention in Phoenix. It is actually fairly loose so that it may be adapted to anything from being a part to a general memorial for the University to a closed session for brothers.

Randy Finder

So does Alpha Kappa Alpha.

Re: Alpha Phi Omega
 

No wonder I didn't know about that. That was right before my last active semester and (luckily) I haven't had occasion to see it done.

The Delts also have a ceremony that is non-sectarian and can be performed anywhere.

Re: Alpha Phi Omega
 

And who wrote the ceremony?

:)

I wondered about that. It was a topic at Karnea a few years ago, but I didn't know if it was ever completed.

We have a ceremony that is open to anyone. We also do the ceremony at each convention to honor those Alpha Chi's that have passed since the last convention. If you submit a name and date of death, they will read that information before on the list of all of those.

Sadly, the chapter I advise has lost a couple of young sisters (before my time as CA) - I know they held the ceremony for their family members. I think its a very special thing to do to honor the memory of a sister.

Thanks for all the responses! During the past three weeks, I've helped plan and implement two Omega Funeral Rites for departed brothers, one which was done at a funeral home and the other at the church. And as Asst. Chaplain of my chapter, I've helped plan the the annual memorial services (informal and formal) which must be done in March, when our Memorial Day falls. These are meant to be public exercises, possibly including eulogies and a sermon/homily, readings, in addition to the ceremony proper. We usually have a repast afterward.
Back in the early '90s I met up with one of my LBs in LA, when I was going to seminary there. he told me that a few years earlier he attended the annual Memorial Service for one of the LA graduate chapters. he told me that the strangest feeling came over him there. Very soon after that he found out that one of our LBs had died in very tragic manner. That brought home to me anew the true nature of the bonds we share as brothers.

"Omega calls her Sons of Light, her newborn blazing glory; her older heroes honor dight and her immortals hoary to meet and greet and drive all gloom away..."--first stanza of 'Omega Calls Her Sons of Light' by the Rev. Dr. Herman Dreer.

On a side note, I must give Omega props for some REALLY beautiful songs and lyrics. But I couldn't expect anything less from the fraternity of Langston Hughes. :)