That's how I'm going to be with my daughters!

Yeah, KR, you should be breeding your girls to be DZ's in the north just like you were ;)

The thought of "breeding" humans to do anything is disgusting. Maybe you'd feel more comfortable on www.hitlerrulz.com if that's really how you view the world.

Your daughters will probably end up going to Oberlin. hahahahahaha

Sweetie, and I use that loosely, before Killarney Rose trains her beautiful and intelligent daughters to join Delta Zeta, I'm sure she'll make sure they can spell first. After all, she does live on your side of the Mason-Dixon line!

As for breeding, let's leave that for dogs and other wildlife, okay? Surely you were raised better than to use that word when referring to a lady - which KR most certainly is!

Nope- Haven't attended an initiation service since I graduated. Makes me sad since I was our chapter Ritualist for my last year. That was neat because I really got to know our service and how it works. What was hard, though, was knowing what our ritual means, but not being able to get the other members to really see it. I have helped with our initiation a couple times since I graduated, in ways other than the service. One day I'll get to see another service, I hope. When I get married and have a beautiful baby girl . . . Years from now! :p

Since graduating, I've been to a reading of the ritual, but not an actual initiation ceremony. That was the only time I've ever heard the ritual just being read. It was interesting how information sank in differently during the reading.

undtheta, I think everyone should serve in some kind of ritual capacity while they're active. It provides such a deeper understanding of the ideals we're supposed to live up to. I know the logistics behind having EVERY person serve in a ritual capacity are pretty overwhelming, but I think it's important enough to try to incorporate it.

SydneyK-
Well, I had some ideas of how to get the members involved in our ritual, but no one seemed interested. Sad. :( Anyhow, I tried.
Unfortunately, ritual just doesn't seem to be a priority in our chapter, which is sad because the ritual is a huge part of the organization. I don't know about other chapters, but in mine the ritual is the one big thing that is the same between all other Theta chapters. It is what makes the org. so special and so wonderful.

In my part of the South:

Horses, cattle and dogs are bred.

Pets and farm animals are raised.

Children are reared or brought up ;) .

As to the OP, it's been a while since I've been able to attend a ritual, but I've always enjoyed the chance to attend as an alumnus, whether at my own or another chapter.

I've been to several. I attend when I can, and when they tell me about it.

For the past decade or so I've averaged attending or assisting in the initiation ritual for for both undergraduate chapters in my area and my graduate chapter. It's very special to me. The principles embodied in it are vitues and values that I live my life by. Since I'm the chaplain of my chapter, I get to carry out certain ritualistic functions. It's really meaningful to me to pray the collects (prayers) in the initiation ritual and other services. I have an old ritual that I take to these functions and use, and I read it from time to time.

I've been back to a few of my chapter's initiations since I left. I've never been to an initiation of another chapter.

The first time it was very weird watching/participating from and Alumn poit of view. It was still very beautiful.

MysticCat81, I don't know what part of the South you're in, but I was raised right. ;)

I've never heard of a person who was told that they were reared or brought up right - not in the South, at least. Maybe it's a regional thing?

I had the oportunity of attending initiation this past Saturday at convention. It was amazing to watch six AIs get initiated. I actually had a pretty good seat and was able to see everything! Since graduation, I have had the opportunity to attend a few initiations at my chapter and at 2 conventions. My first initiation as an alum was really weird, but beautiful!

I hadn't really thought about Rituals at conferences and Karnea. It is always performed at these. Generally, someone or some group is actually being initiated, but sometimes it is simply a "model" Ritual.

These are usually very well done, because the chapter recommended by the Chapter Consultants as being the best at performing the Ritual is chosen to present it.

Often the chapter will also present The Rite of Iris, which is an "open" ceremony done by many chapters in the week leading up to initiation. It is an adaptation of the Ritual of the former Rainbow Fraternity, which was basically a small Southern group, which merged with Delta Tau Delta many years ago. The Rite, which is very impressive, is performed at least partially in honor of that former fraternity and its members who became Delt Brothers.

As a total aside, my experience has been that our Ritual is often best performed by some of our smaller chapters. I'm not sure why that is.