Theta Sigma Phi
Initiation Ritual

 
1967


Opening Ceremony
 
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.
 
 
Initiation of a Girl into an Established Chapter
 
To be used in conjunction with informal meeting.
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.
 
 
Closing Ceremony
 
PRESIDENT: I am about to close this (formal or informal) meeting of … province or chapter, Theta Sigma Phi Sorority. * * *.
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.


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