What are your Chapter's favorite Traditions?

violets · #1 10-21-2002, 05:30 PM

Sisters,
What are some of your chapter's traditions? My favorite tradition was the "Senior Banquet" ever year. It was always held at a hotel, the Seniors would arrive early and receive Jewel Degree from the alumnae, then there would be a banquet held in their honor. Each Senior had at least two underclassmen talk about them and their contributions to the chapter. It was always so sad and so much fun.

I know that some chapters "crown" their Seniors at Black Diamond Ball...they have a ceremoney in which their Diamond Sisters put a crown of flowers on their head...it looks very sweet actually. Do any of your chapters do the "Yellow Rose" ceremony? We did not, but I wish we had.

We also had traditional socials, like our fall social with Lamda Chi Alpha which was always a brunch thrown at their gorgeous house.

We also had a wonderful ceremony each semester to honor scholastic achievement...our Scholarship Chair based it on the Founding Day of Alpha Delta Pi as it is described in "Loyally." We would all wear the ribbons with "Adelphean" written on them as they are described in the book...it was gorgeous.

We weren't much for serenading...actually, I have to admit that we were not a particularly musical chapter. We always had one or two sisters who would try and try and try to get us to sing in harmony...to no avail, in my chapter "Little ADPi" was sung with just the soprano part.

How about all of you? I know that those of us who post regularly representative many different areas of the country, so some of your ADPi traditions may have a very specific regional flavor, which I always love to hear about. For example, one of the TCCs who visited us whilst I was still in school told me that one of the Texas ADPi chapters (can't remember which one) always made beautifully painted or decoupaged (sp?) wooden cut-outs of Texas for their little sisters. She said they loved being Texas ADPis! I think that's fabulous.

What about your chapters?

L&L,
violets

honeychile · #2 10-23-2002, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by violets
...We also had a wonderful ceremony each semester to honor scholastic achievement...our Scholarship Chair based it on the Founding Day of Alpha Delta Pi as it is described in "Loyally." We would all wear the ribbons with "Adelphean" written on them as they are described in the book...it was gorgeous...

L&L,
violets

I got all goose-bumpy (goose-bumpy?!) when I read this - that would be so totally COOL!!!! One thing that I've noticed at GreekChat more than ever before is the respect that other sororities give ADPi for being the first.

Traditions I remember best (I'll probably have more later!):

All but two of the Pitt sororities are housed in Amos Hall, and we are on the top floor. During finals, we would keep a large coffee urn filled with water, and put out instant coffee, tea, cocoa, cream, sugar, foam cups, and any goodies our alumnae or parents gave us. We then placed signs in the lobby and the elevator to join us for a study break at 11pm-12midnight, and invited the other sororities - but NO men! That way, everyone could dress casually. It was a wonderful way to learn to think Panhellenically, to say nothing of quizzing each other on class information! I don't think they still do it, and if not, they are missing a GREAT opportunity!

Before football games, we made a huge breakfast for sisters & their dates & friends. If a bunch of us was going to a concert, we'd have "A Feast" for all going (and dates). Also, just before Christmas break & the end of the year, everyone would pool the food they had in the refrigerator and we'd have a massive potluck.

We had a Christmas party (semi-formal) in the Suite, with Santa (usually our Black Diamond Beau), and everyone would hang special ornaments on the tree. The Committee would make a coupon book full of funny things to give to everyone ("A Night of TV with the Sisters of ADPi" and other silly things). That always went over well. We had our Black Diamond Formal in the spring, with the "Alpha Delta Pi of the Year" and "Senior of the Year" being announced.

Littles were sent on Scavenger Hunts to find their Bigs (after a week of clues & gifties). We had a Secret Sis for Friendship Week, and also used the Scavenger Hunt for that. Friendship Week gifts always included a lion, a decoupaged paddle, a small black diamond pin pillow, and a copy of the Creed. After Initiation, Bigs gave their Littles a decorative pillow with their names & ADPi on it - these usually used some "family tree" combination (my family always had rectangular pillows, for example).

Our Alumnae would host a Founders' Day Tea in February, since we were out of school in May, and our local chapter was founded in February. They'd break out the colored bread tea sandwiches and other dainties, and we'd have all the silver ready.

We ALWAYS had diamond shaped petit fours for Pref - azure blue with 2 violets and white ADPi on each. They were larger than the average petit four, but oh, so beautiful when served! The pnms ALWAYS gasped when they saw them, since they were so different from all the other Pref parties' cheescake!

I've looking forward to other traditions!

L&L,
honeychile

violets · #3 10-24-2002, 10:06 PM

Quote:

We ALWAYS had diamond shaped petit fours for Pref - azure blue with 2 violets and white ADPi on each. They were larger than the average petit four, but oh, so beautiful when served! The pnms ALWAYS gasped when they saw them, since they were so different from all the other Pref parties' cheescake!

Sounds like the most gorgeous Preference treat ever! I love this idea...I wonder if I could have them made by a baker near me? What a great idea for Pref, and what a fabulous memory.

Quote:

- these usually used some "family tree" combination (my family always had rectangular pillows, for example).

I love "family traditions" as well..I Loved walking into the room of a Senior and seeing that she had the very same pin box as I did, because we were in the same "family."

Quote:

We had our Black Diamond Formal in the spring, with the "Alpha Delta Pi of the Year" and "Senior of the Year" being announced.

Oh, those are great awards. And I think it is so important to continue recognizing Seniors throughout their last year at school. They're the ones who have helped the chapter grow for 4 years and deserve all the accolades for its health!

Quote:

Before football games, we made a huge breakfast for sisters & their dates & friends. If a bunch of us was going to a concert, we'd have "A Feast" for all going (and dates). Also, just before Christmas break & the end of the year, everyone would pool the food they had in the refrigerator and we'd have a massive potluck.

Sounds delicious and so much fun. We had more informal traditions like meeting every Tuesday and Thursday for lunch in the Student Union. All the Greeks would sit at their "tables" and everyone would wear either "pin attire" or letters. Tuesday we would talk about the weekend before and Thursday we would discuss the weekend ahead.

Quote:

During finals, we would keep a large coffee urn filled with water, and put out instant coffee, tea, cocoa, cream, sugar, foam cups, and any goodies our alumnae or parents gave us. We then placed signs in the lobby and the elevator to join us for a study break at 11pm-12midnight, and invited the other sororities - but NO men! That way, everyone could dress casually. It was a wonderful way to learn to think Panhellenically, to say nothing of quizzing each other on class information!

That is so Panhellenic, fun and useful...what a great idea for chapters who live on floors of University-owned residences! Puts the emphasis on scholarship as well as sisterhood. Great idea.

Quote:

I got all goose-bumpy (goose-bumpy?!) when I read this - that would be so totally COOL!!!! One thing that I've noticed at GreekChat more than ever before is the respect that other sororities give ADPi for being the first.

Yes, I loved this one. It's no surprised that we had the highest GPA out of all Greek organizations on campus for 7 years. We valued the fact that scholarship had brought us together, and we recognized scholastic achievement, individually and as a whole. In addition, the ceremony our Scholarship Chair wrote was gorgeous and fairly simple...she just used the description of the founding as it is in "Loyally." Gorgeous.

honeychile, thank you so very much for sharing your memories, they really made me smile. They also gave me great ideas for when I go back to a full-time advising position, (for now I just "pinch-hit.")

Loyally,
Violets

honeychile · #4 10-25-2002, 04:10 PM

Originally posted by violets

Sounds like the most gorgeous Preference treat ever! I love this idea...I wonder if I could have them made by a baker near me? What a great idea for Pref, and what a fabulous memory.
I don't see why not, Violets. Ours were two layer, yellow batter with white in the middle, and were slightly larger than when you make the <> with another sister. Of course I have no ruler right here, but each side was about 4". The baker can make a large sheet cake, then slice it appropriately. They really were beautiful! The biggest problem we had was with pnm's wanting to take them home with them!

Oh, those are great awards. And I think it is so important to continue recognizing Seniors throughout their last year at school. They're the ones who have helped the chapter grow for 4 years and deserve all the accolades for its health!
The alumnae from my years in school donated 2 plaques for awards for the sisters: the Denise Dufer Scholarship Award, and the Cindy Webb Spirit Award. Both were in our years, and died young. We found it a fitting way to keep their memories alive.

Sounds delicious and so much fun. We had more informal traditions like meeting every Tuesday and Thursday for lunch in the Student Union. All the Greeks would sit at their "tables" and everyone would wear either "pin attire" or letters. Tuesday we would talk about the weekend before and Thursday we would discuss the weekend ahead.
This sounds TOTALLY cool! We had "tables" in the cafeteria, too - ours was nearest to the Pika table.

That is so Panhellenic, fun and useful...what a great idea for chapters who live on floors of University-owned residences! Puts the emphasis on scholarship as well as sisterhood. Great idea.
The study break was one of my absolute favorite traditions. It gave us a leg up in Panhel elections, and allowed us to learn to be gracious hostesses, too. When we weren't rushing against a certain sorority, they would help us with pnms, since they knew us! I would imagine that it could work on campuses with houses, if the sisters WANTED to make it work. I understand that only about 5 people came the first time they tried it, but when I was there, it could get pretty crowded!

Yes, I loved this one. It's no surprised that we had the highest GPA out of all Greek organizations on campus for 7 years. We valued the fact that scholarship had brought us together, and we recognized scholastic achievement, individually and as a whole. In addition, the ceremony our Scholarship Chair wrote was gorgeous and fairly simple...she just used the description of the founding as it is in "Loyally." Gorgeous. *sigh* I hope the actives are all taking this in!!

honeychile, thank you so very much for sharing your memories, they really made me smile. They also gave me great ideas for when I go back to a full-time advising position, (for now I just "pinch-hit.")

Loyally,
Violets

Violets, as you've said before, you're an ADPi after my own heart. I'm so glad to be able to call you my sister!! Thank you for starting this thread - maybe others will add to it, or take some of the ideas back to their chapters. And, isn't that what it's all about - building on the foundation that Eugenia Tucker Fitzgerald started 151 years ago?

Have a great weekend!
Loyally,
honeychile

honeychile · #5 10-27-2002, 12:50 PM

Violets, I forgot to ask: What is the Yellow Rose ceremony? Is that like a candlelight for being laviliered/pinned/engaged?

Also, no matter HOW many years you're out of school, we still serenade an ADPi bride & her groom with "Remember Your ADPi girl"!

honeychile

violets · #6 10-27-2002, 05:15 PM

Honeychile:
Thanks so much again for your posts!
To answer your question about the "yellow rose ceremony," it is a pretty common ceremony that was developed to honor seniors. As far as I understand it, it takes place at an ADPi event, maybe a Alumnae Tea or Senior Banquet, the Senior's ADPi "Family" stands behind or around her and there's a "script" in which they thank each Senior for all her work. Then they receive Yellow roses from the youngest woman in their "family." This is how it was described to me.
Sounds lovely.
Maybe a GC ADPi will enlighten us on more of the details...any takers sisters?
violets