Grace

[MysticCat]

Originally posted by Optimist Prime
That sounds really weird. I'm glad we don't do that. No offence but it would freak me out to see a bunch of people singing a prayer in the dining hall.

In my experience, a fraternity's or sorority's grace would be used for formal dinners, meals in a house or other occasions where there is some privacy. (In the History Channel's "Frat Boys," the Phi Delt chapter was shown reciting what appeared to be a fraternity grace before a meal in the chapter house dining room.) It would be unusual, in my experience, to sing it in a crowded dining hall.

We don't have an "official" (as in officially adopted for all time), grace, but all of our songbooks have contained a prayer entitled "Sinfonian Grace" -- there have been three or four prayers with this name over the years. The one with which I am most familiar (although I am not sure that it is the grace in the current songbook) is:

Lord of love and law and light,
God who gave us sound and sight,
Hear our hearts in harmony
Singing grateful thanks to Thee.
Bless the bread upon the board,
Bless our brotherhood, O Lord;
Bless Sinfonia's noble aim,
As in song we bless Thy Name. Amen.

[GeekyPenguin]

Originally posted by erniegurl00
We always say grace before lunch and supper, and we sing it before formal dinners. I've heard through our alums that our chapter, IN Gamma, is one of the few Pi Phi chapters to say grace regularly. Is this the same way with other orgs? Do you find that every chapter says grace (for those that have one) or do only certain chapters use the grace?

I think we sing it fairly regularly - we don't have meals together at the house so we don't sing it then, but we do at all appopriate events.

[Lil' Hannah]

Originally posted by UGAGal

Gracious Lord we ask thy blessing
On thy bounty which we share.
May Delta Gamma live forever
'Neath thy guidance and thy care.

Very interesting. Our chapter did a different one:

Lord now the board of Delta G is spread
With meat and drink as by His grace we're led.
We humbly thank thee for this gift of food
And all the pleasures of our sisterhood.

I'm a little iffy on that second line but it's something like that.

[AGDLynn]

At the 1st gathering of our local Panhellenic group, Cele asked if anyone would sing their sorority's grace. Since an AGD was brave enough to volunteer, I "helped"

Since my chapter doesn't have a house, Grace is only sang
about 2-3 times a year. Hopefully the song is on the IHQ tape because we should practice!

[UGAnchora]

Gracious Lord we ask thy blessing
On thy bounty which we share.
May Delta Gamma live forever
'Neath thy guidance and thy care.

Yup, thats it!!

[DeltAlum]

I can't remember it exactly, but this is a close approximation of the Delt blessing:

"Father, we bow our heads,
Thankful for you and for our daily bread,
Help us discover all things that are good,
Out of our Delta Brotherhood."

The last line might be "As part of our Delta Brotherhood." It's been a while.

[UFfitZ56]

Sigma Chi grace

Our father
We thank thee
for thy many blessings
keep us from harm
may the white cross guide us
and teach us to be true
to each other
ourselves and thee
amen

[OleMissGlitter]

Originally posted by AOII_LB93
Grant us now thy grace we pray,
Sisters gathered here today,
Be our hearts fraternal love,
kindled still by thine above.

Help us to be fair within,
Free from every secret sin,
Keep our motto ever nigh,
Make us worthy A-O-Pi.

(It's cool when it's sung in a harmony...we did that in my chapter for a few years)

I LOVE OUR GRACE! At my chapter, Nu Beta, we sing it in a shorter form for non-sit down meals.

Grant us now thy grace we pray,
Sisters gathered here today,
Keep our motto every nigh,
Make us worthy A-O-Pi.

I've attended two conventions (NYC and Norfolk), and it is amazing when there are so many AOIIs singing the grace. I get chill bumps!

[nhpgator]

I am an AOII too, and I too love our grace. At my chapter we sang it every sit down meal we had together (usually dinner - but sometimes lunches when we had family weekends or homecoming lunches, etc...). We were lucky enough to have a chatper house so we had dinner together often.

We sang the shortened version too, and we didn't know there was the 2 verse version till we were at convention in Arizona - it was so funny we all looked so lost as the others sang the real version....

but you're right it does sound great!

tasha

[SAEalumnus]

Ye ancient Father of our clan
we bow our hearts to thee
We offer thanks for bread and meat
and for our SAE
Bless brothers all we humbly pray
tho' far on land and sea
And keep us true to high ideals
we ask for SAE

[dee_zee20]

Originally posted by KillarneyRose
I think that's so nice that some organizations have a Grace! As far as I know, Delta Zeta doesn't have one. Sisters, am I incorrect?

KillarneyRose, Delta Zeta does have a Grace.

Father we lift our vocie in thanks to thee
For these thy gifts of loving charity
Bless to thy use and strengthen as thou would
these Delta Zeta bonds of sisterhood.

Amen

[sigmagrrl]

Originally posted by ShyViolet
I've only heard the grace at our national gatherings and such, I don't remember if we sang it at the Alumnae/College Advisory Committee meeting, though. I'm sure there are some chapters who use it more often, though. I think it's really pretty.

For thy love and for thy care,
For the food thou didst prepare,
For thy goodness everywhere,
Father in heav'n we thank thee.
Amen.

~ ShyViolet

At Convention, we sing it at almost EVERY meal! Hpe to see you there!!!