How to Present Meaningful Ritual

1. How to Present Meaningful Ritual

2. How do I get to Carnegie Hall? Practice … Practice … Practice

3. How do we present meaningful ritual? Practice … Practice … Practice

4. What does it mean to present meaningful ritual? Thoroughly Prepared Proper Equipment & Attire Conducted in a professional/meaningful manner

5. Thoroughly Prepared Schedule plenty of rehearsals (spoken words and music) 1st rehearsals should be on book Later rehearsals should be off book

6. Memorized/Learned Collegiate members MUST memorize!

7. Memorized/Learned Alumnae members are highly encouraged to memorize too! However, in special circumstances exceptions may be made Ritual is never to be read from the book!

8. Memorization Ensure time for memorization Utilize Member Ritual books Sign out Master books early

9. Memorization(continued) I forgot my lines, now what? Do not panic, do not giggle, remain calm! Look to your prompter for a cue!

10. Memorization(continued) I am the prompter (VPR), what do I do? If someone pauses during their lines… Give them a minute to think If they need a cue they will look at you “feed” them the next few words

11. Memorization(continued) I am the VPR so I am permitted to hold a ritual book … may I read my lines? NO! Even though you are acting as the prompter, you may not read out of the book

12. Memorization(continued) No one expects memorization to be perfect! We all make mistakes It is the effort that counts

13. Memorization(continued) Memorization techniques … (share various memorization techniques)

14. Proper Equipment Proper equipment is required for all initiation ceremonies! Consult Master Ritual Book, p. 90-91 for a chart of equipment needed

15. Proper Equipment(continued) NO substitutions or additions! Common mistakes … Tray is not silver or silver color Use of additional items not listed

16. Proper Equipment(continued) Ensure ALL items are present and in good working order prior to the actual ceremony Ensure any extra items are obtained prior to the ceremony (i.e. batteries, extension cords, etc.)

17. Proper Attire Proper attire is required for all initiation ceremonies! Consult Master Ritual Book, p. 22-23 for proper attire for Collegiate Initiation Ceremony (participants and initiates)

18. Proper Attire(continued) Proper attire for audience members is ALWAYS badge attire ONLY initiates are to wear white for the Collegiate Initiation Ceremony!

19. Professional/meaningful manner Conduct ritual ceremonies as if they were performances

20. Professional/meaningful manner Make eye contact Look at each participant Speak TO them Make them feel involved

21. Professional/meaningful manner Take your time, DON’T rush! Speak at a comfortable pace Enunciate words Be clear and understood Take a deep breath, it’s not a race!

22. Professional/meaningful manner Use proper pronunciations! When in doubt … look it up! Consult the Master Ritual book, page 93 for Pronunciation Guide

23. Professional/meaningful manner Speak the words with feeling Speak the words with the emotion in which our founders wrote them

24. Final thoughts … Perform each ceremony as if it were your own … done with love, feeling and emotion! We each experience only ONE pledge ceremony, ONE Initiation, etc. Ensure that each ceremony creates memories that will last a lifetime!