Re: Library of Congress
 

Yes. It's an urban legend.

http://mcrae.ca/greek/docuhome.htm

(click on "rituals" if it doesn't take you directly to the document)

99% of that stuff you see on websites about sigma chi secrets is fake. There was a site a couple years back that had some legit stuff but got shut down after a couple months. But the fraternity secrets site about our letters standing for the sons of christ and whatever else it said was a riot. And there was some site awhile back that said he was once a sigma chi and said a bunch of funny stuff like something called the commission. That guy is actually a brother from Western Conn who made up a fake ritual site.
And I always love it when girls say they know our "secret" handshake which turns out to be a public one we use. Then when i say we have multiple handshakes they don't believe me. Its always a riot when people say they know our ritual cause 9 times out of 10 they don't. Oh and BTW....How high does the eagle fly, as high as the white cross of sigma chi is NOT our motto's...haha its another joke. Pretty lame if it was our motto i think.

Re: Library of Congress
 

It's probably just an urban legend. There would be a good legal reason to file a ritual in the LOC, though-- filing with the LOC is an important step to winning a copyright infringement case if they wanted to go after someone for making unauthorized copies of the ritual. If I recall correctly, the copyright office will let you file a "masked" copy of a document, so if there is indeed something there, there's probably more black ink on it than on, say, a recently 'declassified' CIA dossier.

Yeah KD, thats' what i heard,

One of my ex's <a Pi Phi-not making any judgements here ;)> told me that Sigma Chi and Pi Phi were the only 2 that weren't included, because at the time the president was Coolidge? maybe, or some other Sigma Chi, and his wife was a Pi Phi so their rituals were left out.

I remember thinking that sounded kinda fishy

33girl-
Thanks for the link. that definately cleared it all up, next time i run into the ex i'll be able to correct her mistake :P



Kitso
KS 361

The LOC things is a rumor... I have heard so many versions and there is always one or two fraternities or sororities whose ritual was "saved" and removed from the LOC because a president or his wife or something was in that GLO and had it removed... whatever.

Here is the text from the form letter sent out by the Library of Congress regarding the rumor that all of the Greek Rituals are on file there:


"The Library of Congress receives frequent inquiries concerning college fraternity and sorority publications, particularly those detailing secret initiation rites. The Library's general collections do not include any publications which detail secret initiation rites for specific fraternities. The rumor that a collection of documents detailing specific initiation rites exists at the Library of Congress stems from the belief that such publications were requested by either the House Committee on Un-American Activities or by Senator Joseph McCarthy's Subcommittee of the Senate Government Operations Committee in the 1950's. We have been unable to identify any information to support this in the indexes to Congressional hearings or the Congressional Record. Unpublished materials from these committees are in the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration and are still sealed. No checklist or indexes exist for these documents.

The Library of Congress does have some fraternity and sorority publications which we receive through gifts, copyright deposit, and purchase. Greek letter society publications most commonly found in the Library of Congress collections include alumni directories, constitutions and by-laws, histories, song books, and periodical publications. These publications are recorded in the Library of Congress card catalog (pre-1980) or computer catalog (post-1968) under the name of the organization (e.g. Phi Kappa Theta, Delta Delta Delta) or under the broader subject heading "GREEK LETTER SOCIETIES." General information on initiations may be found by searching under the subject heading "INITIATIONS (INTO TRADES, SOCIETIES, ETC.)."

The Library of Congress owns published editions of Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (call no. LJ31.B2). This reference work contains information on men's and women's college fraternities and sororities, professional fraternities, honor societies, recognition societies, and inactive Greek letter societies. Part I contains a general discussion of the origins and evolution of the college fraternity altars, rituals, and accouterments. Part II lists fraternities by college campus. Parts III-VI describe individual fraternal organizations, including brief discussions of history, government, traditions and insignia, publications, funds and philanthropies, headquarters and chapters.

The New York Public Library, Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, New York, New York 10018, also maintains an extensive collection of Greek Letter Society publications, including the William R. Baird collection which was deposited in 1921. The most notable resources of this collection are the nearly complete sets of periodicals published by individual fraternities and sororities. Further information on college fraternities may be obtained from the National Interfraternity Conference, 3901 W. 86th Street, Suite 390, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46268."


Now, speaking of totally unfounded urban legends, what did I do with that letter about badges on the moon...

This is funny-

One of the sisters of TBS in my MC class (Woo BE class!) and I were over her bigs house and he (yea were co-ed) and he lived with another male TBS sister and two male brothers of KKPsi, our brother org. Well Lisa is sitting there at the kitchen table and sees this binder, opens it, starts reading and then realizes its Kappa ritual and throws it... it was funny..

And then we were upstaris in the room shared by the other male TBS and a KKPsi - Ryan, and he reaches under the bed and pulls out something, and it happened to be a TBS ritual book, he sees the cover and throws it and screams.. it was funny too...

:)

AngelPhiSig, no offence but why on earth do y'all keep your rituals where people could easily find them??! In SAI, ours are locked away and kept safe by our VP Ritual.

BTW TBS is co-ed at my school too. We used to have KKY but they lost their charter a few years back (that's why TBS is co-ed here).

I agree with everyone. Our rituals are in the ritual room.. The ritual chair and the housing director are the only ones with keys. That room is always locked and so sisters can't even get in there without the housing or ritual chairs being there. Theres no way anyone can get in this room, the room looks like a mess anyways so finding our rituals would take forever.

LOC thing is total fake. But the rumors are the Sigma Chi was not included by the publisher, Regan took out tke, some one took out dke, Wilson took out phi psi. If they were in the LOC anyone can take it out. Its the easiest thing, just check it out, give a fake name, and never take it back. Its a public library. I learned about it on Mr. Rogers when i was like, 5. You can even get a copy printed out of everything they have. But the only thing the LOC would have about fraternity rituals would be that guy's study about comparing them.

Last semester one of my roommates (who happens to be in a very well known sorority) was accused of hazing and one of our administrators had the nerve to call and ask her exactly what went on during pledge and their ritual etc. etc. He went so far as to send a public safety officer over and she had to write out a statement while he questioned her loud enough for us to hear even with the commons door shut and our room doors shut. I know how much her sorority means to her and how much mine means to me, so the remaining roommates piled up in my room and turned the TV up loud. My roomie later came up to me and said she knew exactly what we were trying to do and thanked us. ;)

Eirene, if she was in a "very well known sorority," then why didn't she tell the administrators and the public safety officer to take up their case with her nationals?

DeltAlum is right on!

LXA was not in because Harry Truman was Pres and forbad it!

Most of this is BS!

There are people who are disgruntled, but once you go through Your Ritual, it is kept Secret as there is rally a bonding No matter how bad the situation gets!

I have NEVER told anyone about My Ritual unless they can prove they are one of my Brothers!

I have no idea, probably because they were putting pressure on her....Some people panic under those conditions. Her nationals did get involved and handle the situation from what I understand.