Not sure what to do (Sigma Chi Ritual)

[SignoVinces]

Hello all, I have the honor of being an active member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. I was sent here by a classmate who claims the ritual of Sigma Chi is, in fact, leaked onto the internet, and that anyone who so wishes may see the secret ceremonies and literature that we live our lives by. Reading through the comments posted left me wondering so I did extensive research in finding all sources I could.

There is no Time magazine article that states the Sigma chi Ritual is 2nd best kept secret, I looked for hours on many websites and search engines with no avail. That was likely a false statment made by a Sigma Chi to throw off the "diggers" as many of you here are. There is no literature at all that suggests that any of the documents online are false. You can go to google and simply type in "Sigma Chi Ritual" and up it pops.

http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&h...a4617bb3453d18

There is in fact a copy of our ritual sealed into the Library of Congress. The fraternity was forced to send a copy of our ritual to have a copyright implemented. (http://www.phigam.org/netcommunity/document.doc?id=348) That being said, if it were against the law(http://www.copyright.gov/title17/) to scan every page of our Ritual book (which I can assure you is much longer than 136 pages) wouldn't they have removed it by now? Wouldn't there be some kind of governing mechanism that removes copyrighted documents? Yes here it is: http://www.rbs2.com/copyr.htm --- Anything that infringes copyrighted documentation is immediately flagged for removal.

Being one of the hallowed few to actually see the real ritual and be enshrined in headquarters as a member, I can assure you i have read the so called ritual online, it's not even close to what our real ritual entails. After seeing the ritual, our chapter advisor assured us that headquarters releases false rituals every year for parents to see before they let their son be a part of it. I can find you 2 "official" rituals right now that are completely different in text.

Some of you may wonder why I would go out of my way to make this wall of text to set the facts straight if it wasn't really the ritual posted. the answer to that is very simple. I don't like anyone disrespecting my fraternity without justification. You see that posted ritual and you lose respect for us because it's no longer a secret. I can promise everyone reading this right now that if you want a real look at our sacred ritual then enroll in a university, and complete all of the processes of initiation.

Now maybe some of you are former pledges that tried to be one of the hallowed few to see the sacred ritual of Sigma Chi and failed. Maybe some of you are the outsider that is envious of the popularity that comes with being part of this fraternity. Maybe some of you are are just opposition defiant and demand sources to every statment ever made by those who cherish the code that we live by. Whatever the case may, I am truly sorry you will never experience the true values at which we hold ourselves.

In Hoc Signo Vinces (In this sign we conquer)

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by SignoVinces

Hello all, I have the honor of being an active member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. I was sent here by a classmate who claims the ritual of Sigma Chi is, in fact, leaked onto the internet, and that anyone who so wishes may see the secret ceremonies and literature that we live our lives by. Reading through the comments posted left me wondering so I did extensive research in finding all sources I could.

Dude, you're trying way too hard, especially since lots of what you say has already been dealt with in this thread years ago.

There is no Time magazine article that states the Sigma chi Ritual is 2nd best kept secret, I looked for hours on many websites and search engines with no avail. That was likely a false statment made by a Sigma Chi to throw off the "diggers" as many of you here are.

Did you even read this thread? Where do you come off calliing "many" of the people here "diggers"?

There is in fact a copy of our ritual sealed into the Library of Congress. The fraternity was forced to send a copy of our ritual to have a copyright implemented. (http://www.phigam.org/netcommunity/document.doc?id=348)

Did you read the source you cited (which was already referenced in this thread four years ago)? Nowhere does it say that Sigma Chi's ritual was submitted to the Library of Congress. All it says is this:

The origin of the LOC-Rituals urban legend is, like most legends, cloudy. The origins of the legend might stem from the Copyright Act of 1870, and the subsequent practice of depositing materials in the Library of Congress for copyright protection. This law, combined with the resulting lore that built up around the "biggest library in the United States," might have led many to conclude that the Library of Congress has every book known to exist in its collection. For Greeks, the conclusion follows that, since their rituals are indeed books, and the Library of Congress has in its collection all books known to exist, then... Of course, the LOC doesn't contain all the books known to exist, only a very large collection.

So, all the source you've cited says is that there's a reason Greeks might assume that their rituals were submitted to the LOC. If you're going to impress us with your research, at least get it right.

Being one of the hallowed few to actually see the real ritual and be enshrined in headquarters as a member

Okay, still trying too hard. "Hallowed few"? "Enshrined in headquarters"? Last I knew, Sigma Chi (a fraternity for which I have great respect) has over 15,000 collegiate members and over 200,000 living alumni. That's more than "a few."

After seeing the ritual, our chapter advisor assured us that headquarters releases false rituals every year for parents to see before they let their son be a part of it. I can find you 2 "official" rituals right now that are completely different in text.

Are you claiming that the national leadership of Sigma Chi Fraternity intentionally lies to parents by releasing false rituals so that they will let their sons join? Really?!

Some of you may wonder why I would go out of my way to make this wall of text to set the facts straight if it wasn't really the ritual posted. the answer to that is very simple. I don't like anyone disrespecting my fraternity without justification. You see that posted ritual and you lose respect for us because it's no longer a secret.

What thinking person would lose respect for a fraternity just because its ritual (or a fake ritual) has been leaked? I mean, I'm certainly not going to let some of the dribble you've posted here (coupled with the fact that you bumped an old thread that might otherwise have remained forgotten just to post the dribble) affect my respect for your fraternity.

Now maybe some of you are former pledges that tried to be one of the hallowed few to see the sacred ritual of Sigma Chi and failed. Maybe some of you are the outsider that is envious of the popularity that comes with being part of this fraternity. Maybe some of you are are just opposition defiant and demand sources to every statment ever made by those who cherish the code that we live by. Whatever the case may, I am truly sorry you will never experience the true values at which we hold ourselves.

Again, you didn't even read this thread, did you?

And again, you're trying way too hard.

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by lleduc

I do know however that there is a library in Illinois that DOES have copies of everyone's rituals.

Not mine.

Just sayin.

[knight_shadow]

Prove it.

[MysticCat]

I think I know what library that is, though I'd rather not say why for the reasons stated in the paragraph below. Just exactly which rituals that library may have, and whether they restrict access to them, I don't know and don't really want to know.

But I do get a bit uncomfortable when anyone starts saying anything here on GC that might point someone in the direction of rituals. I think it's better of us to avoid that altogether.

[LaneSig]

Originally Posted by SignoVinces

After seeing the ritual, our chapter advisor assured us that headquarters releases false rituals every year for parents to see before they let their son be a part of it.
Some of you may wonder why I would go out of my way to make this wall of text to set the facts straight if it wasn't really the ritual posted. the answer to that is very simple. I don't like anyone disrespecting my fraternity without justification. You see that posted ritual and you lose respect for us because it's no longer a secret. I can promise everyone reading this right now that if you want a real look at our sacred ritual then enroll in a university, and complete all of the processes of initiation.

Now maybe some of you are former pledges that tried to be one of the hallowed few to see the sacred ritual of Sigma Chi and failed. Maybe some of you are the outsider that is envious of the popularity that comes with being part of this fraternity. Maybe some of you are are just opposition defiant and demand sources to every statment ever made by those who cherish the code that we live by. Whatever the case may, I am truly sorry you will never experience the true values at which we hold ourselves.

In Hoc Signo Vinces (In this sign we conquer)

Brother, slow your roll.

#1 - I don't know where your advisor came up with the story about releasing fake rituals for parents to read. He obviously needs to go through Cornerstone Mentoring or Horizons training, again. HQ does not release "fake rituals" to confuse the matter more. I think the opinion of HQ is that there are more important things to worry about than wondering if someone has read a fake ritual or not.

#2 - Agree. I don't like someone disrespecting Sigma Chi, either. However, I doubt that if someone read our ritual, they would stop respecting us. Like everyone else's ritual, ours has a deep, personal meaning to us. If our ritual ended up in someone else's hands and they read it, it would still have a deep meaning to me.

#3 - I would bet money that not one active poster on here would attempt to read the Sigma Chi ritual (unless they are already a Sig). They have their own secret rituals and respect the secrecy of ours.

Our ritual and our Creed are guides for everyday. Something to remember.

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Okay, still trying too hard. "Hallowed few"? "Enshrined in headquarters"? Last I knew, Sigma Chi (a fraternity for which I have great respect) has over 15,000 collegiate members and over 200,000 living alumni. That's more than "a few."

True. But how many may claim to be "hallowed".

[SWTXBelle]

Originally Posted by LaneSig

Brother, slow your roll.

#1 - I don't know where your advisor came up with the story about releasing fake rituals for parents to read. He obviously needs to go through Cornerstone Mentoring or Horizons training, again. HQ does not release "fake rituals" to confuse the matter more. I think the opinion of HQ is that there are more important things to worry about than wondering if someone has read a fake ritual or not.

#2 - Agree. I don't like someone disrespecting Sigma Chi, either. However, I doubt that if someone read our ritual, they would stop respecting us. Like everyone else's ritual, ours has a deep, personal meaning to us. If our ritual ended up in someone else's hands and they read it, it would still have a deep meaning to me.

#3 - I would bet money that not one active poster on here would attempt to read the Sigma Chi ritual (unless they are already a Sig). They have their own secret rituals and respect the secrecy of ours.

Our ritual and our Creed are guides for everyday. Something to remember.

When the Theta Tau (TX State) chapter was installed, I was married to the President (Consul) of the petitioning local. They did not have a house, so the ritual equipment for installation was stored in our apartment. Some soon-to-be Sigs expressed dismay that I might chose to go try and read their ritual, look at their ritual items, etc. I informed them that I had my own ritual, thank-you-very-much. Even so, I burst out into tears when Grand Consul Keith Sorensen handed the charter to my husband - I knew how much it meant to him, even if I didn't know the particulars of the initiation he had gone through.

The written ritual would mean nothing to me - and actually, it isn't really alive even for Sigma Chi members until it is explained and LIVED. What makes ritual important is not the secrecy, nor the words that may or may not be written down; it is its implementation in the lives of those who vow to follow its precepts. To the op, who I realize is probably long-gone, I'd say worry more about living your ritual than in trying to defend it from outsiders who at best will have only a hollow representation of what is, I imagine, a deep, rich, meaningful legacy from the founders. (Team Caldwell!)

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by TSteven

True. But how many may claim to be "hallowed".

Point taken, good sir.