Sorority Comeback
 

Hello! I am an alumnae of a local/social sorority. Our founders pulled the chapter a couple years ago. Well, now we are making a comeback! We are having a campout with our brother fraternity, in a couple weeks, and the new girls will be there. We are wanting to do some kind of ritual to welcome them into the sorority and note our comeback. I know rituals are a sticky topic...I don't want to know yours! I just need help with creating one. I want something new, refreshing, to signifiy this milestone. We will be putting them through a neophyte and active ritual eventually, but I think creating something new that can link us would be great. I am open to any and all suggestions. Thank you!

Just curious....what's your sorority's name?

kdgang,
It sounds like you are looking to write a new member pinning ritual, a ritual to officially recognize the new members as a part of your chapter but not as full members. If you want something to get an idea, my fraternity, Delta Upsilon is non-secret. Because of our non-secrecy, our ritual is online for you to read. I hope that it can provide you with some inspiration.

Here is a link to the associate member pinning ceremony: http://wwww.deltau.org/default.aspx?...t&ContentId=44

One idea would be to design new member pins if you don't have one. They could be a simplified version of your member badge with the secret parts taken off. Or they could be a specific symbol which represents new members for your organization.

Good luck and please let us know how it turns out.

DUKyleXY

Kappa Delta Gamma!

DUKyleXY,

Great suggestion!! I didn't even think about pinning them. I live in MS and am flying to IN for the campout, so I could bring the new pins with me. Thank you SO much for your fraternity link!

I don't want this to come off rude, so please don't take it that way.

I think you and your sisters should come up with your own ritual. Wouldn't it mean more to you all if it was something you all came up together vs. taking it off a bunch of strangers from the internet?

Maybe you should have a brainstorming session with your sisters and identify what elements you want to incorporate and go from there writing your own ritual. I just think it would be more meaningful if it's something you came up with.

So your "ritual" will be viewed by boys (non-members)?

I also wonder why you would have an "official" event such as a campout with a fraternity. If it is to deepen the bonds of sisterhood, then having anyone else there, especially boys, isn't going to help that happen. I am not sure what kind of "neophyte" experience you are attempting to produce, having a co-ed sleepaway (again, with non-members). You really need to figure out your goals.

In my opinion, if your sorority is keen on developing a sisterhood/tradition/ritual, etc., they need to sit down and figure out who they are, who they want to be, how they want to be perceived, etc., and then figure out what words/symbols/experiences will represent that.

It's like you are trying to buy a frame for a picture that hasn't been painted yet. Empty inside.

texas*princess

We are brainstorming. I'm actually in contact with one of our founders. I wasn't going to use someone else's...just searching for suggestions. Maybe something that could trigger an idea. It's just difficult...the whole "comeback" thing.

ree-XI

Whoever said the guys would be there for the ritual?! It will be held in a sister's home.

I can't speak for ree-XI but I think she was confused because you first said that you were having the campout, then went straight into talking about welcoming in the new girls. There wasn't any distinction that this "welcoming" was going to be seperate from the campout. At least, that's the way I read it, and I think that's what ree-XI, and others, might have thought as well.

Didn't you guys have a ritual before? Did you guys do a complete name change or something? What happened to the old info?

lovespink88,

Gotcha! I'm sorry to be confusing! I tend to jump around when I get excited...and this comeback has me pumped!

Taualumna,

Well, to be honest, the last set of girls that were there, pretty much ran our sorority through the mud. The founders were upset and decided to pull the chapter. We still have all the old info, but we just wanted to come up with something new.

I didn't realize founders could close a chapter... interesting stuff.

What about a ritual similar to a candlelighting, passing the flame of sisterhood to a new generation? This is totally new to your chapter, so I totally understand why you don't have a ritual for reopening the chapter. Check the local forum for ideas as well. Good luck!