Rrrrrrritual

Thoughts on Ritual

It is always difficult to know where to begin explaining Fraternity Ritual and its significance to someone who is not in a Fraternity or Sorority. My explanation is that Ritual is a meaningful tradition that we have, which is ceremonial in practice, embodies everything that we are and strive to be as individuals and Fraternity members, and is like the centerpiece of our existence.

Fraternities are meant to be meaningful environments, and Ritual is something that all members share with one another, reflect upon during its observance, and live out in our lives. Most organizations are secretive about their exact Ritual, but the principles outlined in someone's Ritual should be obvious in how they go about their lives; it should be obvious what he or she stands for.

Why is it secret at all then?

I like to think that this part is mainly in tradition. There is no real outside danger anymore to just be a member of a Fraternity that keeps secrets. There was a time, however, when members faced very real danger because of the way that secret societies were looks upon. The ability of our secrets to remain secret even through those tumultuous times is, for me, something that should be honored by continuing that tradition. Secrecy of Ritual I think also creates a sense of inclusion to those who are aware of it, and is like a reward for those who have devoted their lives to an organization. This is a pretty shallow way of looking at it, but I definitely see it as a factor.

Here is a pretty cool article from Lambda Chi about secrecy and Rituals in Fraternities. A quote from the article:

If the teachings of our Ritual were made available to anyone, then both members and outsiders would attach only a modest value to them. Instead, we have spent decades of effort keeping the truths of our Fraternity secret, and passing them down to those who come after us. This should convince us that what we have labored so hard to possess is indeed valuable.

So to bring it all together, Fraternity Ritual is an embodiment of our purpose, a guide to how to be the best Fraternity man you can be, and how Ritual is practiced is a nod to tradition--something that is also important for a sense of inclusion and meaning.

A Perfect World? Might as well dream...

My Perfect World is based on a very simple rule that everyone knows:

Treat others how you wish to be treated.

And you're thinking: "Duhhh." I don't know how more to elaborate on this, so let's think of how this could change things.

Would you like the ability to express yourself freely? If you do, then you shouldn't limit the expression of others.
Do you value the material possessions that you work hard to afford? If you do, then you shouldn't take others' from them.

Consideration for others is the underlying principle. A considerate world would be my perfect world.

I ran across this video from 1950 that explains The Golden Rule in another time... It's pretty funny how they approach this, and I think it's ironic how it's also from an era that many people see as a more "perfect" time (straight out of Leave It To Beaver), despite the many societal problems and injustices that existed at the time. Interesting how this rule was still preached during those times by the same people who would have failed to see the problems with what was socially acceptable then!

OpporFratunity

Sorry for the "fratty" title.

Describe in your own words the dilemma -- and the opportunity -- facing the Fraternal movement.

Given this as a prompt, I have had trouble thinking of some particular dilemma that we currently face as a movement. We are faced by difficult choices every day that affect our future as a whole. I can see where there have been great dilemmas in the past that have changed the way things work in Greek life at Ohio State, such as the choices made during the era when the Standards of Excellence were put into place. As I understand it, this requirement came from the top down to improve the quality and reputation of our organizations after a period that was, well, not something that I would have been proud to tell my mom about. It is a shame that we need to have things like the Standards in place, since by the nature of our organizations we should be setting good examples already. I guess sometimes we need that extra motivation of having "requirements" to meet in order to do what we already know we should do.

Anyway, in discussing that, I now have an idea of a dilemma that we face. Some people think that the Standards that we now fulfill should be updated. I have heard arguments either way, but the case for updating them centers around the fact that they were established in the earlier part of this decade, are somewhat low, and do not reflect the community that has grown up in the past few years.

I could support this.

The current Standards were probably a balance of what the enactors wanted to see and what they felt like people would actually do. This might have resulted in less rigorous requirements than originally intended. We could make this era's Standards a stepping stone toward an even more productive and active community. Many chapters are going above and beyond the requirements already and would have no problem with raising the bar. Those who are struggling now would either sink or swim: they would benefit from what would be involved in getting themselves on track to complete everything and consequently become a stronger chapter, or they would fail to meet demands and suffer whatever consequences that might entail.

Is this harsh? Maybe to some. Is it necessary? Not completely. But it is a logical step in the right direction if our aim is to expand our community's reach and reputation. We wouldn't need to make drastic changes but just raise our expectations evenly, more or less, emphasizing certain areas to reflect where we need to improve. If it were handled right, there probably would not be much opposition to these changes. Everyone should be able to see the intentions, and how this would play into our longer-term goals as a Fraternal movement.

Oath

What does Oath mean to me?

An oath is a binding contract between you and yourself.

Sure, you take an oath aloud, in the presence of others, with the assumption of pure honesty. You are subscribing to some requirements, so that the others who are present will know that when you are not fulfilling those requirements, it is your personal choice. For if you stood there and told them, with your right hand raised and maybe your left on something meaningful (or however you demonstrated your solemnity) that you would do something, and then later you do something inconsistent with that oath, you can be held accountable.

Why I think this contract is really something within an individual is because every individual is aware of when they are approaching the breach of their oath. An oath is more than an agreement because if you fail to adhere to it, you are letting down more than just the person or people at the other end of the agreement. Traditionally, oaths make an appeal to a higher power, making the breach of that oath something more serious, because then, not only are your peers upset with you, but also now is that higher power. Oaths require personal integrity, in the sense of the cliche that integrity is how you act with others are not watching you. They must be upheld even when--especially when--not around those with whom the oath is shared.

Anyway, the success of a Fraternity is based around the lifelong oath that all of its members take. It is what separates our organizations from others that just end with the college experience. We have a responsibility to ourselves and to one another to uphold certain things that which are spelled out in our Rituals will help us grow as individuals and encourage us to lead fulfilling, productive, and responsible lives.

Below is a painting, called "The Oath of the Horatii," by Jacques-Louis David, that I think says a lot about oaths in general.

My interpretation: The three soldiers on the left are taking an oath together. They have surrendered their swords and stand close, even embracing one another while taking this oath. Their stances show their determination and passion about their cause. They are in it together. The older man in the red robe is appealing to God to hear these men and witness their promise to what they will uphold. The women and children on the right are the reason for this promise. I assume they are the loved ones of these soldiers because, well firstly, there are obviously the same amount of young women as men. But also, their posture and expressions show their worry and fear for the men who are vowing to protect them. The left-most woman is comforting two small children, as to reassure them that everything will be alright now, but they are also in her shadow, meaning to me that she is hoping to shield them overall from whatever tragic experience she expects.

This painting says a great deal about taking oaths to bring people together. How similar is it to how you have experienced your oath in your Fraternity or Sorority?