The Creation of Pi Phi Ritual
In celebration of National Ritual Celebration Week, we are honoring our Fraternity heritage and recognizing the history of our Ritual. This week serves as a reminder of what it means to live our Ritual each and every day. To fully understand and respect Pi Phi Ritual, we must go back to its creation by D.C. Alpha Anna S. Hazelton.
Anna, along with Lillie Hazelton and Emma Harper Turner, were charter members of the D.C. Alpha Chapter when it was founded at Columbian University (now George Washington University) on April 27, 1888. She was quite familiar with chapter business–serving as the Chapter President–and was a leader for the Fraternity. In 1890, Anna drafted the first Pi Phi Ritual at the request of her friend, Emma Harper Turner. She was just a collegian when she wrote the meaningful words that open and close our chapter meetings.
The Initiation Ceremony and Ritual were first issued in printed form in September 1890 after being presented at the Galesburg Convention. In Galesburg, the carnation was also chosen as the Fraternity flower. Chapters began using the new Ritual in 1890, but Pi Beta Phi Ritual was not officially adopted by the Fraternity until the 1893 Convention. It was then that Ritual began being used for alumnae clubs alongside the formation of the Alumnae Association.
The values, which are reflected in our Ritual, are guideposts for a fulfilling, contented and meaningful life. To live those values on a day-to-day basis should be our fervent goal. To know that we are a part of an organization more than 150 years old, whose values have remained constant for all those years and whose members have taken a pledge to live those values, is both comforting and motivating. Our values bring with them a responsibility to live each and every day to the very best of our abilities.
While our Founders did not write Ritual, their work defined the underlying meanings:
The arrow ever pointing upward.
The beauty of a deep wine carnation.
The upstairs bedroom in Major Holt’s home.
The 12 links on our badge honoring our Founders.
The wine and silver blue threads woven through the fabric of sisterhood.
In honor of National Ritual Celebration Week, we encourage you to spend time reflecting on how you #LiveYourRitual each and every day. Whether it be proudly wearing your badge or singing the Pi Phi Symphony, share your story by using #LiveYourRitual and #NRCW.
Published March 4, 2020
