What has GC taught you?

[susan314]

Originally Posted by cuteASAbug

My question is- how would they know? 9 pnm's out of 10 would not walk into a recruitment party and go "hey, I want to be an Alpha Gamma Delta because I already have your ritual and I think it's beautiful."

I think that knowing the ritual of the GLO that you pledged prior to initiation would spoil the meaning of the whole ceremony for you - part of the fun of initiation is finally having everything revealed to you.

As far as knowing the rituals for other GLOs...I suppose I'd be lying if I didn't say that I had a mild curiosity about stuff. However, despite that mild curiosity I wouldn't actually try to find anything out b/c its none of my business. I extend the same courtesy to other groups' ritual as I would want extended to my own.

I suppose on some level it disturbs me a little that there are people out there trading rituals, but its one of those things that we just have to let go b/c we'll never be able to stop it. In the long run, our ritual is more than just what's written on paper...its the actual feeling and experience you get from being in the room with your sisters and hearing the words spoken by them, etc. I've seen written copies of our ritual (legitimately, b/c I used to have a role in my chapter's initiation ceremony ), and I can honestly say that reading it on paper pales in comparison to actually being there for a real live ceremony. Knowing some of the secrets doesn't give you the full experience.

[BetteDavisEyes]

Originally Posted by susan314

Just out of curiosity...when you're talking about the person being "outed" are you referring to the posts in this thread? (Which just happened last evening, so that person not posting on GC since then could just be a coincidence.)

This one. It could be a coincidence but I doubt it. We'll have to wait and see. This person was particularly active lately but has been suprisingly quiet since the posts started yesterday.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by BetteDavisEyes

This one. It could be a coincidence but I doubt it. We'll have to wait and see. This person was particularly active lately but has been suprisingly quiet since the posts started yesterday.

Well, she's already switched usernames once...who's to say she HASN'T posted since...just under another name.

[cuteASAbug]

I'm clearly missing something here. Anyone want to fill me in?

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by susan314

I think that knowing the ritual of the GLO that you pledged prior to initiation would spoil the meaning of the whole ceremony for you - part of the fun of initiation is finally having everything revealed to you.

As far as knowing the rituals for other GLOs...I suppose I'd be lying if I didn't say that I had a mild curiosity about stuff. However, despite that mild curiosity I wouldn't actually try to find anything out b/c its none of my business. I extend the same courtesy to other groups' ritual as I would want extended to my own.

I suppose on some level it disturbs me a little that there are people out there trading rituals, but its one of those things that we just have to let go b/c we'll never be able to stop it. In the long run, our ritual is more than just what's written on paper...its the actual feeling and experience you get from being in the room with your sisters and hearing the words spoken by them, etc. I've seen written copies of our ritual (legitimately, b/c I used to have a role in my chapter's initiation ceremony ), and I can honestly say that reading it on paper pales in comparison to actually being there for a real live ceremony. Knowing some of the secrets doesn't give you the full experience.

Exactly. I know that there are people out there trading my, and other people's rituals, but you can kind of just shrug it off. It doesn't mean anything to them and they're not any closer to being my sister because of it.

I think there are some people who legitimately are interested in rituals for more academic reasons, but that doesn't mean I'm going to hand mine out to them. (Not that I exactly keep one around either).

I suspect we're all nosy and curious, I am, but that doesn't mean you can't be mature about it. (And this sounds like the opposite of maturity to me)

[SydneyK]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

Well, she's already switched usernames once...who's to say she HASN'T posted since...just under another name.

hijack
When things like this happen, it makes me think there should be a thread where GC-questionables are listed... with all their aliases. At least then everyone would know who to watch out for. (Although, in reality, I think such a thread would quickly become a train wreck/flame war.)
end hijack

GC has taught me that recruitment threads somehow emit some kind of addictive drug. I haven't yet figured out whether the drug is ingested through the eyes (screen) or the fingers (keyboard/mouse), but I'm working on that.

[BetteDavisEyes]

I *think* there might have been a thread like that once but I don't know if it still exists. Still, if it is out there, we can add her name & her aliases to the list.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by SydneyK

hijack

GC has taught me that recruitment threads somehow emit some kind of addictive drug. I haven't yet figured out whether the drug is ingested through the eyes (screen) or the fingers (keyboard/mouse), but I'm working on that.

So true and funny.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by susan314

I think that knowing the ritual of the GLO that you pledged prior to initiation would spoil the meaning of the whole ceremony for you - part of the fun of initiation is finally having everything revealed to you.

As far as knowing the rituals for other GLOs...I suppose I'd be lying if I didn't say that I had a mild curiosity about stuff. However, despite that mild curiosity I wouldn't actually try to find anything out b/c its none of my business. I extend the same courtesy to other groups' ritual as I would want extended to my own.

I suppose on some level it disturbs me a little that there are people out there trading rituals, but its one of those things that we just have to let go b/c we'll never be able to stop it. In the long run, our ritual is more than just what's written on paper...its the actual feeling and experience you get from being in the room with your sisters and hearing the words spoken by them, etc. I've seen written copies of our ritual (legitimately, b/c I used to have a role in my chapter's initiation ceremony ), and I can honestly say that reading it on paper pales in comparison to actually being there for a real live ceremony. Knowing some of the secrets doesn't give you the full experience.

You're right on so many counts. But it does bother me a little that we might have active plans in place about pins on E-bay, but nothing for ritual that I know of. I think part of what may bug me the most is that I think that while we all learn ritual as member, members don't even usually get a written copy as far as I know, so we're talking about someone with some authority being pretty casual about information members are instructed to hold dearly.

And I'm emphatically not asking anyone to explain, but it's the skulls as symbols that alway trigger my curiosity. Roses, pearls, and squirrels, while absolutely lovely and dear to my heart, just don't have the mystic impact of a skull on your badge or crest.

ETA: I feel obligated to note, I'm not goth or emo.

[KSUViolet06]

Whoa. How did I miss this? My goodness.

I wouldn't be happy if someone had a copy of my ritual. But I'd take comfort in the fact that just reading it doesn't mean you "know" it (most of it cannot be understood by reading anyway). It has to be experienced for anyone to ever truly understand it.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

I think there are some people who legitimately are interested in rituals for more academic reasons, but that doesn't mean I'm going to hand mine out to them. (Not that I exactly keep one around either).

I hadn't thought too much about this until yesterday when this story broke on GreekChat and someone mentioned the idea or more "legitimate" ritual collectors in a pm, but it really would be interesting historically and symbolically to examine founding principles and social influences and aspirations in terms of representations in ritual.

What did the founders choose, out of what tradition did they think they picked it, (like AOPi's rejection of having a coat of arms as Medieval and some groups avoiding the term sorority as Latin not Greek, etc.), what contemporary (to the founding) vision of womanhood, manhood, or friendship do the symbols align with? etc. There might be Ph.d in there somewhere for someone who doesn't care about oaths they've taken and secrecy.

I don't mean to go all Da Vinci Code on your butts, but symbols and their significance is pretty interesting generally.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

I hadn't thought too much about this until yesterday when this story broke on GreekChat and someone mentioned the idea or more "legitimate" ritual collectors in a pm, but it really would be interesting historically and symbolically to examine founding principles and social influences and aspirations in terms of representations in ritual.

What did the founders choose, out of what tradition did they think they picked it, (like AOPi's rejection of having a coat of arms as Medieval and some groups avoiding the term sorority as Latin not Greek, etc.), what contemporary (to the founding) vision of womanhood, manhood, or friendship do the symbols align with? etc. There might be Ph.d in there somewhere for someone who doesn't care about oaths they've taken and secrecy.

I don't mean to go all Da Vinci Code on your butts, but symbols and their significance is pretty interesting generally.

Yeah, and when I say legitimate I don't mean in the sense that it's necessarily OK for them to be doing it, just that they're not the point and giggle *OMG I Can't BELIEVE they wear CATSUITS* crowd.

[SydneyK]

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

I hadn't thought too much about this until yesterday when this story broke on GreekChat and someone mentioned the idea or more "legitimate" ritual collectors in a pm...

Ok. I've reread this thread and I'm thinking some posts must've been deleted because I'm pretty lost. I don't really know what story broke here. Maybe you're referring to something in another thread? If so, can you point me in the right direction?

And, this brings me to something else I've learned on GC. If you want a direct answer, ask a direct question. Of course, you have to be prepared for the answer to be, "This doesn't concern you. Mind your own business."

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by SydneyK

Ok. I've reread this thread and I'm thinking some posts must've been deleted because I'm pretty lost. I don't really know what story broke here. Maybe you're referring to something in another thread? If so, can you point me in the right direction?

And, this brings me to something else I've learned on GC. If you want a direct answer, ask a direct question. Of course, you have to be prepared for the answer to be, "This doesn't concern you. Mind your own business."

I'm not sure what's still in the thread, but in essence, it has come to the attention of some GreekChat mavens that someone using the name of a frequent recruitment thread poster who had transfered schools and is planning to re-rush, solicited and received on a different message board copies of various GLOs ritual.

Post 90 has a list

[BetteDavisEyes]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

*OMG I Can't BELIEVE they wear CATSUITS* crowd.

You bitch!!! Thanks for revealing that part of our ritual!!!