My Chapter is Clueless! Help!

[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.

[KSUViolet06]

FYI: Greekchat has a Beta Sigma Phi forum too, maybe there are some sisters over there that can help you.