Reviving Ritual

[BetaAST1899]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

Another thing that they started this past semester is to have at least one business meeting per month in badge attire. The girls would continuously attend meetings in not just jeans, but sweatpants, and they decided that they should look more presentable. If you feel better about yourself, you tend to feel better about what you're doing.

What?Is that something each chapter gets to choose to do? Because for us, every chapter meeting is badge attire required, except in cases of Dollar Dress down nights for our local philanthropy...
I'm still fairly new in the group...but I just want to know why this wouldn't be a uniform rule across the board?

[33girl]

Originally Posted by BetaAST1899

What?Is that something each chapter gets to choose to do? Because for us, every chapter meeting is badge attire required, except in cases of Dollar Dress down nights for our local philanthropy...
I'm still fairly new in the group...but I just want to know why this wouldn't be a uniform rule across the board?

If there isn't anything about meeting attire in your national bylaws, it's not uniform. Over the years national bylaws, chapter bylaws and "tradition" tend to get a little mixed up as to which is which.

If you have questions, I would go straight to the source - your procedural handbooks from your HQ.

[fantASTic]

Originally Posted by BetaAST1899

What?Is that something each chapter gets to choose to do? Because for us, every chapter meeting is badge attire required, except in cases of Dollar Dress down nights for our local philanthropy...
I'm still fairly new in the group...but I just want to know why this wouldn't be a uniform rule across the board?

Um, I am pretty sure that we require 4 business meetings a month to be in pin attire.

When I get home (I'm away right now) tomorrow, I will check my copy of the Constitution and let you guys know.

[SWTXBelle]

We always had one PACE meeting (informal) a month, and the rest of the meetings were badge attire.

[BetaAST1899]

Originally Posted by fantASTic

Um, I am pretty sure that we require 4 business meetings a month to be in pin attire.

When I get home (I'm away right now) tomorrow, I will check my copy of the Constitution and let you guys know.

Ok, Thank-You I thought for sure that there was a rule that pertained to this...like you have to have a certain number of business meetings a month(business meetings meaning badge attire) versus months when there are 5 Sundays and we might only have announcements or a paper meeting...

[fantASTic]

Originally Posted by BetaAST1899

Ok, Thank-You I thought for sure that there was a rule that pertained to this...like you have to have a certain number of business meetings a month(business meetings meaning badge attire) versus months when there are 5 Sundays and we might only have announcements or a paper meeting...

Right, that's what we do as well - 4 BM no matter what, then if there are 5 Sundays we'll throw in a paper meeting, or make up for a snowday or something.

[ASTalumna06]

Honestly, that might even be a national rule that you have to wear badge attire at all meetings. But sometimes, rules and rituals get lost, and you have to revive them. My chapter has started to look more presentable at meetings, but I'm not sure if that's required nationally.

[fantASTic]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

Honestly, that might even be a national rule that you have to wear badge attire at all meetings. But sometimes, rules and rituals get lost, and you have to revive them. My chapter has started to look more presentable at meetings, but I'm not sure if that's required nationally.

After reviewing our National Handbook, I couldn't find anything...but my edition is kind of old {1990} so I don't know.

[Canadian]

We do two things to keep ritual relevant. Firstly, we have something called ritual proficiency. Any member, alumnus or active can learn the ritual and be tested on it so that during a formal ceremony they can be called to take that place. Testing is every few months and it's a nice way to keep brothers active, together and focused on something other than Iota Tappa Keg. It gets to be a competition and its very important in the fraternity. If you get a certain level of ritual proficiency, you get a certificate, and often this happens well after graduation, so alumns get involved.

The other way ritual becomes important is that its spiritual. We have certain signs, tokens, passages, etc used in the ritual. If you are initiated, you learn the value of these metaphors and it means more than the words in the book. It's like at church how if you're not baptized, Holy Communion is a chance for a drink of wine, but a baptized member has a spiritual reaffirmation. To us, ritual means more than a mere chore.

Something else we do is require that respect be shown during the meetings and that there is a traditional method of recognition and transferring of the floor, so it's not like you just stand up or shout across the room. Sometimes things get boisterious, or in a very long meeting we choose to dispense with such pleasantries, but they're a nice touch in a short, efficient meeting.

Thomas