For those of you who don't know, a Delta Diamond is a sister who is matched with a rushee and guides her through rush.
I'm pretty certain that I don't have the reading/speech part, but I will double check. I can't believe International doesn't have this. If I recall correctly, the chapter President, VP, and Rush Chair read the speech. We turned on the CD and the music played as we turned on the candles one by one in a circle. (Actually, we didn't use real candles after a couple of years because the campus had rules about dripping wax so we used battery operated candles. It wasn't that different.) When the music ended, the Delta Diamond gave her rushees a 'pearl' to put into a bowl of water, said "Make a wish" and escorted her out. Sometimes we gave them an iris. Almost every year, we had rushees crying because they were so moved. I think that all chapters and colonies should do this memorable ceremony at rush.
I am so glad we didn't have to sing because that song is hard. Funny side note, one year we couldn't find our copy of the song so as the rushees lined up outside two of our sisters drove to the mall to buy the tape/CD. My housemate asked where they had gone and I told her. She said that we didn't have to buy it because she had a copy of her own in the car. She said, "You know me, I love Barry Manilow!"
I was an ACTIVE sister in the late 80's and early 90's. My last rush was a decade ago! Pin an iris on me!
