Theta
Sigma Phi
Initiation
Ritual
Opening
Ceremony
1967
Arrangement
of Room:
Sorority
Banner hanging (when possible) in back of and above the President.
Officers
seated behind table, President in the middle. Black and pink cloth should be
spread
on
table with open Bible upon it in front of President.
Guard
should be at the door.
Other
members seated as desired by President.
1
Rap * — Calls attention, or seats group when standing.
3
Raps * * * — All stand, and remain standing until seated.
Officers
stand when addressed.
PRESIDENT,
*: I am about to
open a (formal or informal) meeting of … province
or chapter of Theta Sigma Phi Sorority.
Optional:
* * *. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
PRESIDENT:
Sister Guard, Are we free from intrusion?
From
now on, no one should be permitted to enter until ceremony is concluded)
GUARD:
Sister President, the door is locked, l am on guard, and we are free from
intrusion.
PRESIDENT:
Mistress of Ceremonies, is every person present entitled to participate in our
deliberations?
MISTRESS
OF CEREMONIES:
Sister President, all present have been tested and are entitled to be present at
our deliberations.
VICE-PRESIDENT:
Sister Mistress of Ceremonies, what is the meaning of the secret grip and
password?
MISTRESS
OF CEREMONIES: The
secret grip and secret password are the recognition signs of our sorority, by
which one sister may prove another worthy of the confidence of this sisterhood.
VICE-PRESIDENT:
What are the cardinal principles of Theta Sigma Phi?
MISTRESS
OF CEREMONIES:
Thoughtfulness, Sincerity and Faithfulness.
VICE-PRESIDENT:
For what do our three principles stand?
MISTRESS
OF CEREMONIES:
THOUGHTFULNESS - for the feelings, well-being and reputation of my sisters in TH
ETA SIGMA PHI. SINCERITY — in my loyalty to my sorority, to my sisters, and in
striving to so keep my daily life and actions that they may help bring honor to
my sorority and to my sisters. FAITHFULNESS - in keeping my vows as given to my
sisters when l became a member of our sorority.
VICE-PRESIDENT:
What do the Greek letters on our pin denote?
MISTRESS
OF CEREMONIES: PI
- Payne; MU - McClintock; GAMMA — Gurney; THETA — Thjomoe (pronounced
Chuma); OMEGA — Wintermeyer; — the names of our beloved founders.
VICE-PRESIDENT:
What are our colors?
MISTRESS
OF CEREMONIES: Our
colors are pink and black. Pink is symbolic of the morning dawn, the dawn of a
better day and purer existence for all through the privilege of membership in
our beloved sisterhood. Black is symbolic of the darkness of night, showing the
sphere over which our motto is to radiate in our life, from morning to night and
from night to morning.
VICE-PRESIDENT:
What is our flower?
MISTRESS
OF CEREMONIES: Our
flower is the pink rose, an emblem of light and happiness honoring our five
founders.
VICE-PRESIDENT:
What does our Secret Word WILL denote?
VICE-PRESIDENT:
W - M. of C.: Who are you?
VICE-PRESIDENT:
I - M. of C.: I am a sister.
VICE-PRESIDENT:
L - M. of C.: Love me?
VICE-PRESIDENT:
L - M. of C.: Love you I will.
VICE-PRESIDENT:
Very well, Sister Mistress of Ceremonies.
PRESIDENT,
* * *: Let us
pray. Most Holy and Gracious Father in Heaven, we who have gathered here that we
might honor Thy name, ask that Thou who has so graciously permitted us to meet,
help us to bear in mind throughout this meeting the principles for which our
sorority stands.
Keep
alive in our hearts the virtues of Thoughtfulness, Sincerity, and Faithfulness.
Make our
offenses to be forgotten and our services to be remembered.
Be with
our absent members and bless them. Amen. *.
Pledging
a Girl into an Established Chapter
To
be used in conjunction with informal meeting.
Table
covered with a black and pink cloth. Three lighted pink candles in black
candlesticks on the table in front of the Potentate in a triangle; open Bible on
the center of the table. Cushions in front of table for candidates to kneel
upon. Sorority banner hanging (when possible) in back of and above the
Potentate. Bring in only one candidate at a time. If you have four or more, you
may bring in two at a time.
PRESIDENT:
Worthy Secretary, are there candidates in waiting to receive the service of
pledgeship?
SECRETARY:
Worthy potentate, upon the unanimous vote of the sisters of Chapter of Theta
Sigma Phi Sorority, girls have been extended an invitation to pledge themselves
to Theta Sigma Phi Sorority.
POTENTATE:
Worthy Secretary, are their sponsors present?
SECRETARY:
Worthy Potentate, their sponsors are present, and upon their honor as members of
Theta Sigma Phi, sponsor these candidates as named: …, sponsored by ..., …
sponsored by …; etc.
Sponsors
are those who have proposed the candidates for membership. The sponsors stand as
their names are called, and step to center facing Potentate.
POTENTATE:
Sisters, by your ballots cast in voting upon these names, we are about to bring
them to be pledged to Theta Sigma Phi, and if they remain faithful to their
pledge made at this service, to become one of us by solemn initiation. Worthy
Mistress of Ceremonies, you will kindly retire with the sponsors to the anteroom
and prepare the candidates.
In
anteroom, the pledge must remove her shoes and be draped in white. Pledge pins
are to be pinned on robe. Candidates are conducted one at a time to the door of
the meeting place.
MISTRESS
OF CEREMONIES: I
have with me ..., who has been requested to attend our deliberations.
POTENTATE:
If she is properly vouched for and prepared, let her enter and be brought
forward.
Mistress
of Ceremonies and Sponsor, each holding an arm of candidate, bring her into the
room. If more than one candidate, Mistress of Ceremonies takes first candidate
and Sponsor takes second candidate, stopping three paces in front of the
potentate.
SECRETARY:
"Be of good temper, not easily provoked."
TREASURER:
"Be humble. Love vaunteth not itself."
VICE-PRESIDENT:
"Silence is golden."
MISTRESS
OF CEREMONIES:
Worthy potentate, I present to you, who by unanimous decision of the sisters of
… Chapter has been extended an invitation to become a pledge and if she proves
herself worthy, a member of Theta Sigma Phi Sorority.
POTENTATE:
Is the Candidate accompanied by a Sponsor?
SPONSOR:
Worthy Potentate, upon my honor as a member of Theta Sigma Phi, l stand as
sponsor for this candidate proposed by me for membership in Theta Sigma Phi, and
to be responsible for her conduct and training as a pledge, until such time as
she shall become a member Sponsor steps back into group.
POTENTATE:
You have been advised by the Worthy Mistress of Ceremonies that you are about to
be pledged to Theta Sigma Phi Sorority, and you have expressed your desire to
make this pledge and to keep faithfully the promises of this pledge.
In the
presence of the members of Chapter of Theta Sigma Phi Sorority, I charge you to
think well of the step you are about to take. You are now at the entrance of the
councils of Theta Sigma Phi, ready to place your feet upon the first step where
many have waited before you.
To be a
member of Theta Sigma Phi is an honor conferred upon few and one which any girl
may well covet. To maintain the high standard of our sorority, it is the duty of
every member, new and old, to give her all, to so conduct herself that reproach
may not be cast upon a sister or upon our sorority, to consider sister members
before herself, as we are a sorority and without cooperation, we might as well
disband.
POTENTATE:
Worthy Mistress of Ceremonies, you will place the candidate in position to give
the pledge, kneeling on both knees, her left hand over her heart her
right hand resting upon the open Bible, if desired.
POTENTATE:
You will give your name in full, and repeat after me: "l, …, do solemnly
promise to carry out the following conditions imposed upon me by the Theta Sigma
Phi Sorority. I will wear on all occasions the pledge pin (or ribbons) given to
me by the members of Theta Sigma Phi Sorority until the time when they shall see
fit to initiate me. I will do immediately and to the best of my ability anything
that is imposed upon me by any member or members of the Theta Sigma Phi
Sorority. I promise not to attend any meeting of any similar organization while
I remain a pledge to Theta Sigma Phi Sorority. That this pledge which I take now
in all seriousness shall not be held lightly or broken carelessly by me."
ALL:
"Amen".
POTENTATE:
You will now rise. With this pin (or ribbon) I hereby pledge you as a future
sister of Theta Sigma Phi Sorority, provided you prove yourself worthy in the
test. You will wear this pin (or ribbon) at all times until you have been
initiated into full membership or until it is recalled.
It is my
privilege to be the first to welcome you into pledgeship in Theta Sigma Phi
Sorority. May you prove yourself worthy.
Pledge
is then taken out of the room and the next pledge brought into the room in like
manner. After all have taken the pledge, the Mistress of Ceremonies should
provide them with a typed copy of the pledge rules, any explanations needed, and
such orders as may be desired. The President then proceeds with the regular
order of business.
Table
covered with black and pink cloth. Three lighted pink candles in black
candlesticks on the table, with open Bible at the front. Chapter charter and
vase of roses (one rose for each pledge). Sorority banner hanging (when
possible) in back of and above the Potentate.
POTENTATE:
Worthy Secretary, are there pledges in waiting to receive the honor of full
membership in our beloved order?
SECRETARY:
Worthy Potentate, upon the unanimous vote of the members of chapter, Theta Sigma
Phi Sorority, girls were pledged to our beloved order on … date,
and after having satisfactorily fulfilled their pledge term, are now eligible
for full membership in our order. These girls are … names,
etc.
POTENTATE:
Sisters, is it your will that you receive these girls into our midst and
initiate them into the rites and secrets of our order?
ALL:
It is.
POTENTATE:
Mistress of Ceremonies, you will retire to the Anteroom and prepare the pledges
for initiation.
In
Anteroom, the pledge must remove her shoes and be draped in white. Pledge pins
are to be pinned on robe.
*
* * - all stand. .Mistress of Ceremonies enters, holding the pledge by her left
arm with the sponsor assisting, and stopping three paces in front of the
Potentate. Bring in one pledge at a time, and repeat until all pledges have been
initiated. When there are more than 3 pledges, two may be initiated at one time.
When pledges are in position, officers in turn repeat the following:
SECRETARY:
"Be sincere in your duties."
TREASURER:
"Be thoughtful of others."
VICE-PRESIDENT:
"Be faithful unto all."
MISTRESS
OF CEREMONIES:
Worthy Potentate, l bring to you one who has faithfully kept her pledge vows and
who is eligible to the sisterhood of Theta Sigma Phi.
POTENTATE:
Kneel, place your left hand over your heart, right
hand resting upon the open Bible if desired, and repeat after me
these solemn vows. Mistress
of Ceremonies assists the pledge and then steps back.
POTENTATE/PLEDGE:
In swearing allegiance to this sisterhood, I solemnly promise to hold sacred
through life my pledge of "Thoughtfulness", as applying to each and
every member of the Theta Sigma Phi Sisterhood, exhibiting in my words and
actions, remembrances of this vow. I wilt cultivate the practice of
"Thoughtfulness"
In my
loyalty to the Theta Sigma Phi sisters, I promise to be sincere to the bond of
friendship which holds the members of Theta Sigma Phi in this sisterhood which
receives me on vows of honor too strong to be broken.
I will
strive with all sincerity to raise the Standard of my daily life. I will value
the esteem of this sisterhood and the dignity of Theta Sigma Phi, and will hold
remembrances of this second law close to my heart — this law of
"Sincerity".
With the
pledge of "Thoughtfulness" and "Sincerity", I bind the vow
of "Faithfulness". In my keeping of this motto, I promise to be
faithful in holding secret the plans and proceedings of the meetings, I will be
faithful in performing to the best of my ability the duties imposed upon me, and
I will be faithful in my attendance of the meetings, and to each and every
member of this sisterhood. I will be faithful in loving kindness and respect and
hold sacred this third law of Theta Sigma Phi Sorority — the law of
"Faithfulness".
POTENTATE:
This finishes your vows. Remove your hand and stand. These vows cannot be
revoked for should you ever be forced to cease affiliations with this
sisterhood, you are still a sister in deed and thought.
Thus you
do promise to be "Thoughtful", "Sincere", and
"Faithful" in every day life, in your allegiance to your sisterhood,
your obedience to the regulations and statutes of this sorority, your duty in
attending meetings and keeping of this motto — Thoughtfulness, Sincerity and
Faithfulness — sacred forever in your heart. Do you solemnly promise?
PLEDGE:
I do.
POTENTATE:
The letters on our pin - PI, MU, GAMMA, THETA, OMEGA, denote the initials of our
five founders: PAYNE, McCLINTOCK, GURNEY, THJOMOE (Chuma) and WINTERMEYER.
Our
colors are pink and black. Pink is symbolic of the morning dawn, the dawn of a
better and purer existence for you through the privileges of membership in our
beloved sisterhood. Black is symbolic of the darkness of night, showing the
sphere over which our motto is to radiate in your life from morning to night,
and night to morning.
Give
flower. Our flower
is the pink rose, an emblem of light and happiness, honoring our five founders.
Give
grip. Our grip is
always to be covered by the left hand.
Our
password is "WILL". W — Who are you?
I — I
am a sister.
L —
Love me?
L —
Love you I will.
In the
name of Thoughtfulness, Sincerity and Faithfulness, l pronounce you a member of
Theta Sigma Phi Sorority.
Give
Certificate, Constitution and Membership Card. Have membership book signed.
I
congratulate you.
New
member then joins the group until all pledges have been Initiated. Then all
members repeat the Creed.
*
— all seated. The President then proceeds with the regular order of business.
Sister
Vice-President, you will please give the closing instructions.
VICE-PRESIDENT:
Sisters, in Theta Sigma Phi, let us remember the solemnity of our oath, that if
we are to maintain our integrity and our position as a secret order, our ritual
must remain within the confines of this sorority.
PRESIDENT:
I now declare this … province
or chapter meeting of Theta Sigma Phi Sorority closed to meet again
on at …, (or you will be notified of the next meeting).
*
- Dismissed.