My Chapter is Clueless! Help!

[dakotamamma]

I was recruited to join a new chapter of *** sorority (obviously trying to keep the name anonymous here, just in case), but it was very clear to me at the initiation ceremony that everyone is clueless. Even the elder sponsoring group didn't know what was going on - they repeatedly had to check their book, whisper to each other, etc., just to get through the ceremony. Most of the other members didn't know the ritual, handshake...anything! Now my pledge group is on it's own to continue until we are given member status, but it is becoming exceedingly clear that no one knows what is going on or what to do. I love what *** stands for - I did my research before joining - and I was so inspired by what we were told at ritual (even if those presenting didn't seem too familiar with it) that I really want to continue on this path. But no one seems to know what to do. HELP!

Originally Posted by dakotamamma

I was recruited to join a new chapter of *** sorority (obviously trying to keep the name anonymous here, just in case), but it was very clear to me at the initiation ceremony that everyone is clueless. Even the elder sponsoring group didn't know what was going on - they repeatedly had to check their book, whisper to each other, etc., just to get through the ceremony. Most of the other members didn't know the ritual, handshake...anything! Now my pledge group is on it's own to continue until we are given member status, but it is becoming exceedingly clear that no one knows what is going on or what to do. I love what *** stands for - I did my research before joining - and I was so inspired by what we were told at ritual (even if those presenting didn't seem too familiar with it) that I really want to continue on this path. But no one seems to know what to do. HELP!

Get off Greekchat and contact your HQ for help. We can't help you here.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by dakotamamma

I was recruited to join a new chapter of *** sorority (obviously trying to keep the name anonymous here, just in case), but it was very clear to me at the initiation ceremony that everyone is clueless. Even the elder sponsoring group didn't know what was going on - they repeatedly had to check their book, whisper to each other, etc., just to get through the ceremony. Most of the other members didn't know the ritual, handshake...anything! Now my pledge group is on it's own to continue until we are given member status, but it is becoming exceedingly clear that no one knows what is going on or what to do. I love what *** stands for - I did my research before joining - and I was so inspired by what we were told at ritual (even if those presenting didn't seem too familiar with it) that I really want to continue on this path. But no one seems to know what to do. HELP!

I know that my sorority assigns new colonies a Leadership Consultant whose sole job is to help them with anything they need, maybe you have someone like this that you can contact?

[Kevin]

The next time your elections come around, run for the office which is in charge of ritual. Actually hold practices. Make it a goal for ritual folks to memorize their parts.

Other than that, no, I really wouldn't recommend going behind the officers' backs and contacting HQ. Handle this from within.

If you have a good relationship with the ritual officer, you might want to talk to her about the situation -- maybe volunteer to assist her... but then again, that might just piss her off You'd know best.

Unless there's some NPC rule I don't know about (that happens a lot), I'm going to disagree with OTW. Handle this internally. If anyone contacts your HQ folks, it should be an officer.

[Thetagirl218]

Originally Posted by Kevin

The next time your elections come around, run for the office which is in charge of ritual. Actually hold practices. Make it a goal for ritual folks to memorize their parts.

Other than that, no, I really wouldn't recommend going behind the officers' backs and contacting HQ. Handle this from within.

If you have a good relationship with the ritual officer, you might want to talk to her about the situation -- maybe volunteer to assist her... but then again, that might just piss her off You'd know best.

Unless there's some NPC rule I don't know about (that happens a lot), I'm going to disagree with OTW. Handle this internally. If anyone contacts your HQ folks, it should be an officer.

I have to disagree with Kevin on this one. I believe most, if not all, NPC sororities have at least one, if not several Leadership consultants assigned to new chapters. When my chapter was founded we had one there permanently for a year.

If this was an older chapter than I would agree with Kevin and say handle it internally with the officers, but since it is a young group of newly initiated members, you should contact your sorority's HQ. Express your concerns in the appropriate way, and you should find the help you are looking for. Again, most NPC groups have ladies whose job it is to assist new chapters.

[DGTess]

I'm not reading NPC here - obviously there's an "initiation" and then "until we're given member status" - though I could be misinterpreting.

Contact your board of advisors, asking for help. Do so through your chapter's leadership.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by DGTess

I'm not reading NPC here - obviously there's an "initiation" and then "until we're given member status" - though I could be misinterpreting.

Contact your board of advisors, asking for help. Do so through your chapter's leadership.

I agree unless maybe the OP just doesn't know the terminology.

[honeychile]

Is there another chapter of *** sorority within driving distance? Is it possible for you to call them, tell them that you are a member of the Whatever Chapter, and could you sit in on an Initiation? I would imagine that they would have to have your national hq sign off on it, but it's much, much better to initiate correctly than to leave the door open for hazing.

[33girl]

It really sounds like you're making a mountain out of a molehill, quite frankly.

Many chapters only hold initiation and other pledge class related ceremonies once a year, and if the majority of the membership is new (which happens if there's a big graduating class) they don't know it by heart and it's going to be a bit of a cluster until there are people who go through it several times. It's not automatically going to be a perfectly choreographed Broadway number.

Are the majority of chapter members attending meetings and functions? Are women paying their dues? Is the chapter in good standing with Panhellenic and participating in campus-wide Greek functions? These things are far more important than if one of your sisters stumbles over a line in your ritual. It'll get smoothed out with time. Honeychile, this doesn't sound like a potential hazing issue, more of a "holy crap how do I pronounce that goddess's name" issue.

I agree with Kevin - when elections come around, run for chaplain or whatever the ritual conductor is called in your group. You aren't going to make ANY points as a new member/pledge running to HQ or complaining about how it came off - especially if you throw in things like "I did my research and know what this sorority stands for."

[navane]

Originally Posted by 33girl

It really sounds like you're making a mountain out of a molehill, quite frankly.

Many chapters only hold initiation and other pledge class related ceremonies once a year, and if the majority of the membership is new (which happens if there's a big graduating class) they don't know it by heart and it's going to be a bit of a cluster until there are people who go through it several times. It's not automatically going to be a perfectly choreographed Broadway number.

This is what I was thinking.

OP, if you're a new member of a new chapter, the women initiating you will likely have volunteered to conduct the ritual on your behalf and those women may not have even known each other before the installation.

You'll understand later that ritual is something that needs to be practiced; but, it's not always easy to get lots of practice in. Let's not forget that the sisters conducting ritual likely aren't oscar winning actresses, they're just people. People are human...they make mistakes. You'll find out when it's your turn.

.....Kelly

[ASTalumna06]

If sisters don't know things like the handshake, I have a very simple solution... read the ritual book.

And you definitely need to practice the ceremonies.

My chapter, at the beginning of each semester, would run through all of the ritual ceremonies after a business meeting so that everyone knew what they were required to do. This is especially important to do the semester after officer elections, as the people who used to perform parts of the ritual ceremony will no longer be doing it, and they will pass it on to the next person. And that person won’t have someone next to them to hold their hand. They’re on deck, and if they’ve never performed a part of a ritual ceremony before, and it gets handed to them 20 minutes beforehand, then naturally they’re going to be nervous, and generally, they won’t know what they’re doing.

Does your chapter have an advisor? If so, make sure they're attending the ritual ceremonies. If your chapter has specific questions about the ceremony that your advisor can’t answer, contact the next person up the chain. If you continue to practice ritual, but you feel some things still aren’t going well, contact any leadership consultants, or anyone else whose purpose it is to make sure that things in the chapter are being done properly.

And if you're a brand new chapter, I wouldn't be too worried about this right now. Granted, yes, you want ritual to go smoothly, and you want things to be done correctly, but unless people are completely clueless, and are unwilling to actually read the ritual book and take ceremonies seriously, I wouldn't start contacting all of HQ right now.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

If sisters don't know things like the handshake, I have a very simple solution... read the ritual book.

I don't think I'd be going too far out on a limb to speculate that the ritual books of many (maybe even most?) GLOs do not describe the grip, just in case the book falls into the wrong hands. It has to be learned directly from someone else.

Originally Posted by DGTess

I'm not reading NPC here - obviously there's an "initiation" and then "until we're given member status" - though I could be misinterpreting.

I don't think you are, based on the following (in addition to what you noted already):

Originally Posted by dakotamamma

Even the elder sponsoring group didn't know what was going on - they repeatedly had to check their book, whisper to each other, etc., just to get through the ceremony. . . . Now my pledge group is on it's own to continue until we are given member status, but it is becoming exceedingly clear that no one knows what is going on or what to do. I love what *** stands for - I did my research before joining - and I was so inspired by what we were told at ritual (even if those presenting didn't seem too familiar with it) that I really want to continue on this path.

I agree it doesn't sound NPC.

[Ch2tf]

Sounds like a mixed bag to me. Somethings sound NPC and other things maybe not so much. Either way the advice given in useful. Learn the ritual and make sure (via practice or whatever), that the next time ritual is performed it isn't as fumbled as the OP feels it was.

[RU OX Alum]

Originally Posted by Ch2tf

Sounds like a mixed bag to me. Somethings sound NPC and other things maybe not so much. Either way the advice given in useful. Learn the ritual and make sure (via practice or whatever), that the next time ritual is performed it isn't as fumbled as the OP feels it was.

I think that it's a colony, and it seems like their sponsors are pretty new.

Ritual is very important, but this happens a lot. In fact, it's probably one of the hardest areas for new groups to get a good grip on (no pun was intended, but it's a good one so I'll leave it).

I agree with the advice that she should run for ritual chairperson/chaplain/equivalent, and, if you find a genial person in the same position as herself like at a conference or something, could ask her for help.

[dakotamamma]

Just to clarify a few things (for both y'all and myself):
- we are a non-collegiate, non-pan. group
- our sponsors are a, shall we say, VERY established group (most members over 50)
- the leadership in our group has NO idea what's going on, or what to do
- Finally, it's not just about the ritual. No one seems to know what to do or have any direction for us. There is no liason, and even if there were our sponsor group all but admitted that they have just started following their handbook in the last month or two because they wanted to sponsor us. In fact, we are having our third meeting this month and I just got my Handbook and "Invitation to Life" book because I requested them. Odds are our VP was going to forget them again at our next meeting and I wanted to see what else I could do to possibly pitch in and help. As far as our leadership goes, they were all elected before we even officially started our meetings (which seemed a little off to me anyway) and they have admitted they have no idea what they're doing (maybe due to the fact that no-one is looking in or even had acces to a handbook). Since few of my sisters even go online, I'll just let you know that I am in a new chapter of Beta Sigma Phi - which may change some of your answers/opinions on how to help me.