OPENING FRATERNITY IN MY COUNTRY!!!

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by ree-Xi

- ceremonies a.k.a. rituals. Ritual is "simply" something you do on a regular basis (each meeting, once a year, etc.). The purpose of any ritual may be to commemorate or celebrate something, like the introduction of new members, anniversary of your founding date, how you start or your meetings (do you say your creed together? shake hands? bow? how do you ask for agreement? raise hands? snap fingers?) etc.

- methods of inducting new members - for example, do you have a ceremony in which you give a new member a pin? Some groups may give new members flowers, recite a creed or poem, sing a song. You might incorporate items that are special to your group or purpose - like reading from a bible or document, planting a tree, lighting a candle, or even dancing.

Good points, but to clarify: In most fraternal organizations of which I'm aware, ritual is typically not "simply" something done on a regular basis. Ritual is primarily an esoteric (that is, "hidden" or "secret") initiation ceremony, where new members learn what the various secrets and symbols of the group are/signify and see the "teachings" (values, ethical principles) of the fraternity placed in a context that gives meaning and coherence, and in which the take solemn oaths of loyalty to the organization and those teachings. Such rituals often utilize myth or legend to provide that context. And in many fraternities and sororities, the specific secrets (such as the meaning of the letters) are never written down; they are passed along orally.

All other ceremonies -- opening and closing of meeting rituals or founders day ceremonies, for example -- typically grow out of or are related to the primary initiation ritual and serve to underscore what is taught in the initiation ritual or renew the bonds created in the initiation ritual.

Here is an excellent resource into understanding Ritual from a sorority perspective; it might help the OP see how rituals function in fraternities and sororities generally: Sorority Rituals: Rites of Passage and their Impact on Contemporary Sorority Women; a Dissertation by Mari Ann Callais

[ree-Xi]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Good points, but to clarify: In most fraternal organizations of which I'm aware, ritual is typically not "simply" something done on a regular basis.

I had written another sentence but erased it. I meant that the word ritual in its simplest implications is something that is done on a regular basis, for example, someone's "morning ritual" of waking up, eating breakfast, brushing your teeth, showering. A Greek org ritual could be someone that you do regularly to say, start a meeting, induct new members, a handshake, etc.

I was trying to explain what a ritual is in the broader sense, then applied it to what the term refers to in Greek/fraternal/other organizations, because I am assuming the OP is not a native English speaker and/or the term "ritual" may or may not translate culturally.

Forgive the misunderstanding. My post was meant to try to put things in general terms that someone outside the US collegiate Greek system could understand. I know that there is so much more to the process, and many, many better posts about the topic.

[MysticCat]

^^^ Yeah, I understand what you were trying to do, especially given that the poster is presumably not a native-English speaker.

That said, he's asked for advice on an English-language board, so I'll assume he has some comfort with the language. My concern, I guess, was that he'd get the idea that fraternities and sororities just have "random" rituals -- "this would be a cool way to open a meeting," or "this would make a neat handshake/grip" -- instead of starting from the point of "what values/principles/ideas do we want to impart and preserve" and then asking "how do we pass those ideas along and reinforce them, and reinforce the bond between members through the way we initiate, open meetings, shake hands, etc."

[ree-Xi]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

^^^ Yeah, I understand what you were trying to do, especially given that the poster is presumably not a native-English speaker.

That said, he's asked for advice on an English-language board, so I'll assume he has some comfort with the language. My concern, I guess, was that he'd get the idea that fraternities and sororities just have "random" rituals -- "this would be a cool way to open a meeting," or "this would make a neat handshake/grip" -- instead of starting from the point of "what values/principles/ideas do we want to impart and preserve" and then asking "how do we pass those ideas along and reinforce them, and reinforce the bond between members through the way we initiate, open meetings, shake hands, etc."

Point taken and understood. I started off talking about rituals because he asked for feedback on the name of the fraternity, and I said that that type of thing is often "secret/ritual", and usually means something special to the members. And for many non-Greeks, the mystique of fraternities and sororities hovers around the secretiveness.

I just came at it from a different direction. I also noticed that he was looking for "a friendship-partying-positive-mad community, :-))))."... so I hope that I spent enough time on the importance of establishing ideals and finding others who embody those ideals, because shared ideals and experiences are what leads to the Bonding he appears to be seeking.

Perhaps the best way for someone to "recreate" a fraternal organizational system is not to "copy" the processes/specifics of the North American "way" of doing things, but rather to focus on determining the ideals, and bringing together people who embody and will live those ideals, according their own culture's norms. Otherwise, an understanding of how and why the Greek system developed is important.