Alpha
Phi Alpha
Initiation
Ritual
1976
Order of
Initiation
All paddling,
whipping, or other
physical brutality is PROHIBITED. The only exeption of physical contact will be
the three impressions at the end of the initiation ceremony. This shall not be
done in a brutal fashion.
The
numbered steps (1, 2, etc) in the order of initiation are obligatory and must be
taken by each and every chapter in initiating a candidate or candidates.
The
lettered steps (A, B, etc.) are elective, and may be omitted. Whenever and
wherever a step is omitted, this step shall be carefully explained by the
“Lecturer”, so that all ALPHA brothers will come through finally with the
same lessons.
It shall
be illegal to take or use in initiation any step not hereinafter defined.
Section
1.
The
candidate shall be directed to report at a very definitely specified place. He
shall be instructed to enter whether lighted or not. When he arrives, the place may
apparently be deserted
and darkened. As the candidate advances, he shall suddenly be
accosted and mystically addressed. The Oath of Secrecy shall then be
administered by a Brother designated by the President.
Section
2.
The
candidate shall be blindfolded. (Teaching that out of ALPHA PHI ALPHA, men walk
or stumble through business or trhough life, blindly missing much which should
be seen., used and enjoyed.)
Section
3.
The
candidate’s, features shall be bandaged beyond recognition, both because it
will not in any way help to have him personally recognized, but more
particularly to symbolize the complete loss of self in the actual work, the
uplift of all men of all races, but in particular, the loss of self in the
uplift of our people and our Brothers in ALPHA PHI ALPHA.
Section
4.
The
candidate shall be conveyed to a place unknown to him. He shall be left in absolute solitude for a
reasonable length of time.
Section
5.
The
candidate shall the be led to the door of the initiation room where the Brother
conducting him gives the significant knocks. A voice within asks, after the
knocks have been given: Who disturbs the peace and quietude of those assembled
within?
The
Brother conducting the candidate shall say: A Brother of those within and a most
humble servant of the laws they make.
The
Brother is then admitted with the candidate. Every
member present remains in absolute silence. The candidate is brought to a stop
and all remain silent for one minute. Then the Presiding Officer says: Silence,
the background of all thought. Our first step in ALPHA PHI ALPHA is taken in
thoughtful silence.
To you,
who are about to be initiated into ALPHA PHI ALPHA, we would say, we had enough
respect and admiration for you to invite you
to become a candidate for membership here. Know that that same respect, both for
ourselves and for you, will make it impossible for
us to do
anything by way of initiating you that will, in anyway, humiliate you or place
our dignity in question.
Section
6.
The
Presiding Officer then gives the sign, and from the anteroom the candidate is taken immediately out
into the world. The hand of ALPHA PHI ALPHA shall defend and guide him from all
sides as he goes. (Teaching that ALPHA
PHI ALPHA Brothers must face things unitedly.) All vicissitudes (whippings)
during the “Pledge
Week”, and during
the initiation, except the three impressions are prohibited.
Section
7.
As the
candidate goes, he shall be made to carry some suitable object, not burdensome,
which shall be called “THE NAME.” He shall be urged and ordered to “hold
up the NAME” (lesson obvious).
Section
8.
The
candidate on this trip shall be made to speak to someone “out in the world.”
(Teaching again that ALPHA’s greatest interest lies outside of itself.)
Section
9.
On
returning to the hall and after being admitted, Conductor
to use Pass Word for his admission, the candidate shall advance seven (7) steps
across the room as the Presiding Officer shall count audibly from one to seven.
At each step the Brothers in the room shall stomp in unison. At the count of
SEVEN, the candidate shall be halted, and immediately all Brothers shall shout
'ALPHA PHI ALPHA'. (Each candidate shall be initiated individually, and then
taken from the room immediately upon completion of his initiation.)
Section
10.
The
Presiding Officer then says: Compass him about. Several members shall gather
about the
candidate.
The Presiding Officer shall call the candidate first, to move two steps across
– to the right. He does it, but realizes he comes into immediate contact with
ALPHA PHI ALPHA men who are on all sides. He is ordered to move two steps to the
left, with the same results. He is then ordered to move two steps backward.
ALPHA PHI ALPHA men positively refuse to allow
him to move backwards at all. Finally, he is ordered to move two steps forward
and in this he is assisted in every conceivable way by ALPHA PHI ALPHA men.
At this point the Presiding Officer says: ALPHA PHI ALPHA delights in any
forward step, but will not stand for any backward steps on the part of any
Brother. (This step in the initiation is to teach that hereafter whatever the
candidate does will be watched and felt by ALPHA
PHI ALPHA, He does not any longer
affect himself only.)
Section
11.
The
candidate shall kneel and eat the food prepared
by the gods for ALPHA
PHI ALPHA men. (Oysters or cold raw macaroni.)
Section
12.
The
candidate shall drink to the health of ALPHA PHI ALPHA. (Any drink not
injurious, first agreeable and then disgusting to
the taste. Two drinks.)
Section
13.
The
candidate kneels. The Presiding Officer says: “EGKAIETE.” Then all shall say:
Brand him!
A
Brother designated by the Presiding Officer shall proceed to brand him with a
piece of ice applied to the skin, during which time a piece of raw meat is
burned with a hot iron near the candidate's nose,
Section
14
(Bending
over a table or some other object)
The candidate
receives the THREE
IMPRESSIONS.
The
Presiding Officer orders him to repeat: “ALPHA PHI ALPHA. As he repeats, he is impressed
after each word.
For
purposes of administering the impression, each chapter shall use a flexible
fabric from four (4) to 6 (six) inches and from three ( 3 ) to four (4) feet long
and fashioned on a
wooden handle sufficient to allow free use of the flexible portion. The wooden
handle should never come in contact with the candidate.
ALL
CHAPTERS are reminded that brutality and carelessness were never intended, and
are not condoned and do not comply either with the
SPIRIT or INTELLIGENCE
of ALPHA PHI ALPHA.
Section
15.
BROUGHT
TO LIGHT. All members shall say: “BEHOLD! BEHOLD!”
as the candidate's blindfold
is withdrawn, and he sees “ALPHA PHI ALPHA. THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD” in large
letters just over the altar.
The
Presiding Officer then reads the following from
the fourth chapter of the
Ephesians:
I
therefore beseech you, Brother, that ye will worthy of the vocation wherewith ye
are called,
with all lowliness and
meekness,
with long suffering,
forbearing one another in love; and endeavouring to
keep the
unity of the Spirit in
the bond of peace.
There is
one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
one Lord, one faith,
one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and
through all, and in
you all. But unto every one is given grace according to the measure of the gift
of Christ.
This I
say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other
Gentiles walk, in the
vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened,
being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, because the blindness of their heart. Let no corrupt
communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which
is good to the use of edifying
that it may minister
grace unto the hearers. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger
and clamour, and evil
speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one to another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven
you.
The
candidate shall then be made comfortable.
Section
16.
A
lecturer, (either the President or someone designated by him) shall say: We have
no desire in any way to attempt to mystify. We have reached that stage in both
age and development where we readily realize the bigness of simplicity. Nothing that you have been carried through
has been
done for our amusement. Everything has been meant to teach some lesson.
(Here
cite incidents and give lessons. Explain omitted steps, if any.)
ALPHA
PHI ALPHA must ever be prepared to meet conditions as they confront us in a
changing world. Scholastic excellence must be upheld as an outstanding
objective. To this end every child must be encouraged to remain in school, and
the more promising and prepared boys and girls must be urged and assisted to
attend college. While there may be special interests for
many of us, we dedicate
ourselves to the
betterment of all youth of all races and nationalities.
Finally,
a word about clannishness. The trend of fraternities has
been toward clannishness. As one of the oldest fraternities, ALPHA PHI ALPHA
feels it its duty to face this menace. In facing this actual menace to the good fellowship which should prevail, particularly among
all educated men, ALPHA PHI ALPHA has only to emphasize the unselfishness for which it
already stands. Not only is it not the idea of ALPHA PHI ALPHA to have Brothers
think less of other fraternities, but
we urge all to honor and take more
pride in them. If
association here does not make us think more of fraternities in general,
then there is
something fundamentally wrong here. Cooperation must be our keynote. Anything
that tends
to separate the
already too thin and too widely separated ranks of college
men must be killed.
Let us work together with
whatever
power we have, plus what ever cooperation we can enlist, for the uplift and
advancement of men everywhere and our people in particular.
Section
17.
a
b
c. Oath
of Allegiance
d. The
new Brother shall be given the RAP OF ADMISSION and
the PASS WORD
Section
18.
At the
next regular meeting, the new Brother shall be given the GRIP and the HAILING SIGNAL. And the
entire ritual shall be read to him.
Oath of
Secrecy
I do
solemnly swear (or aver) to keep absolutely secret the name and working of the
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.
Oath of
Allegiance
I do
solemnly swear (or aver), of my own will and accord, to obey and support the
constitution and by laws of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.; to aid in
promoting a more perfect union among college men; to aid in and insist upon the
personal progress of its members.; to further brotherly love and a fraternal
spirit within the organization; to discountenance evil; to destroy all
prejudices; and to preserve the sanctity of the home, the personification of
virtue and the chastity of woman, to the best of my ability.