by Jennifer Siler, Epsilon Tau – Middle Tennessee State University, International Vice President of Communications
Recently, I attended a chapter retreat and had the opportunity to observe the Alpha members enjoying a workshop. They were sharing, laughing, and learning together. It was fun to watch the expressions on their faces and their eagerness to help each other. One of the last things in the session was to teach them the words and tune to “I Love the Pin.” A few of us sang it through once, and they were already picking up some of the words. As the last notes faded away one of the Alpha members enthusiastically said, “Sing it again.” The second time more of them joined in, and the third time even more. A few had googled the words and were able to sing more robustly the last time around.
Their faces as they learned this song that means so much to their Delta sisters were full of joy and WOW. The time as an Alpha member is about learning what makes our Alpha Delta Pi sisterhood special. Singing is just one thing we share with sisters no matter what chapter we all call home. Each day of the Alpha period is exciting and full of new things, but as initiation gets closer, the excitement grows for each new member. Initiation adds a very personal aspect to membership.
As your chapter prepares for initiation over the next few weeks, think about what your membership means to you. Take time to:
- Reflect on what you have learned as an Alpha member—about yourself, your chapter, your Alpha and Delta sisters, and about Alpha Delta Pi.
- Remember what brought you to Alpha Delta Pi in the first place and how that appreciation has grown.
- Think about what you can do in the future as a Delta, and one day, a Pi member, because your membership is for a lifetime.
- Build your ADPi story and start telling it.
- Live your ritual every day as you live and embrace your personal values. At the end of the day, it’s about who you are as a person, friend, mentor, teacher, sister, and leader.
- Practice living for each other and for Alpha Delta Pi every day.
Ritual is a legacy gift from our founders and upholds the values they held close and that still remain our values today, more than 167 years later. Whether initiation or the opening and closing of a formal chapter meeting, ritual teaches us the important things in life. So, listen to the words and hold them close in your heart. I’ve had the opportunity to participate in a number of initiations over the years, and I am always inspired by a different phrase, how a sister helps another sister, and the joy and pride on the face of a new Delta member the first time she wears our diamond badge and joins the singing of, “I love the pin you let me wear….”