OATHING Around....

In previous blogs I have mentioned that values are only words until they are put into action and carried out into everyday life. One of the first steps to carrying out these values is stating what the values are and becoming well aware of them and making an OATH or promise to uphold them throughout life. An OATH is not only a formal promise to others, but it is more importantly a promise to YOURSELF. When you dont live what you have committed to live in your OATH you are tarnishing your character. A lot can be said about a person who is able to WALK THE TALK. I believe that integrity is one of the most admirable qualities for a person to have. It is easy for anyone to say that they will live by certain rules and do certain things but it takes a mature adult to actually do so.
I remind my sorors of the concept of an OATH quite often. There were many oaths and promises we made when we became members. Our OATH was a verbal version of us signing our organizations contract. It is part of our OATH to live out our values and to hold each other accountable for doing so.
I have been making OATHs for most of my life. As a chlid I was a member of Girl Scouts. We had what was called the "Girl Scout Promise". It went as so: "On my honor I will try to serve God and my country, to help people at all times and to live by the Girl Scout Law(see clip below)". (AWWWW I still remember it. Ha I sometimes find myself saying it. Man this really brings back many great memories. I think it says a lot that I can still recite that and not only that but that I recite it often.). Though I have not been an active member in Girl Scouts since the end of my junior year in high school, I find it very important to still live by this promise that I have made (and would recite at our weekly meetings that I miss dearly) on my honor.
There are some things that I will always be : Evelyn Ward, a Zeta and a Girl Scout. Every OATH that I have made through these associations should be upheld throughout the remainder of my life.





*Side note: I am now in a state of nostalgia. Girl Scouts was a huge part of my life. It was and will always be what Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. is for me today. I feel that the values that I uphold now were instilled in me early through my membershp in this wonderful organization. I still have friends today that I met through Girl Scouts and memories that will last forever. One of my most favorite parts of Girl Scouts were the songs that we would sing. I will close out with one of my favorite songs "Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other's gold...." (see clip below).....

my SECRET thoughts on ritual...

I would first like to make the disclaimer that if I have any thoughts that I feel are so sacred that I need to keep them SECRET they will remain as so. I have no problem speaking my mind but what ever I feel should be private will stay that way. So with that said I would like to reword the question of this blog to "What are your thoughts on SECRET ritual?" rather than " What are your SECRET thoughts on ritual?"

Now, I will start by expressing what I feel a SECRET ritual is. A SECRET ritual is one that you share only with your organization. Only members of your organization should know and take part in these things. It is a way to bond with one another and it is something that you all know makes your organization different from others. They are practices that you all not only memorize but LIVE, LEARN and UNDERSTAND. These SECRET rituals do become a way of life. You and members of your organization know what they are and should hold you accountable for upholding these rituals.
There are rituals that organizations have that are not SECRET. These things include upholding your personal and organizations values. As a member of the NPHC I feel that we do a great job of educating the public on what our values are. Now whether or not we do a good job of upholding these values is a whole other topic. We should all hold ourselves and each other accountable for upholding these values set up by our founders.

Our SECRET rituals only become a problem when they go against our values and public rituals. I hold my SECRET rituals near and dear to my heart but if they were to ever go against Scholarship, Service, Sisterly Love and Finer Womanhood, they are no longer sacred and just SECRET. It is very important to me to carry out the goals of my founders and to carry out my personal goals while never letting go of my values.

Another problem arises when a non-member tells me or someone else that our SECRET rituals are inteferring or going against our values and all our rituals should be laid out for everyone to see (and yes this has been said to me). I would first like to say that if my SECRET rituals are truly SECRET then a non-member does not know what they truely are and cannot judge whether or not they go against my values or not. I strongly feel that everything about your organization should NOT be laid out for everyone to see. There are always incentives to joining an organization and learning our secrets is one of them.

Having secrets does NOT mean that you are being SECRETIVE. There is a huge difference. SECRETIVE, implies that you are keeping something away from people in a sneaky manner to hide something. I can speak on my chapters behalf by saying Xi Gamma has nothing to hide. There are always the fun a friendly secrets like who may be the newest members of your organization or even if you will be having new members any time soon. This just adds to the thrill and excitement of revealing the new memebers. Its like when you go to get your hair done you dont want anyone to see you until you are fully polished and complete. That is how joining NPHC organizations are. You dont want anyone to know that you are joining an organization and not be able to tell them anything about it. Joining these organizations is a lifelong committment and therefore you should devote the time needed to learn about them because you cannot live out rituals and values that you do not know.

*As another dislaimer I would like to say that I am not making any excuses for Hazing because well Hazing is Hazing and Rituals are Rituals. They are cut from a different cloth and there are different intentions behind them.

So in a nut shell I feel that there is nothing wrong with SECRET rituals. I love mine and I live mine everyday.