The Legacy Ritual in Houston City Council was instigated in March, 1977 at the request of Vice President

Ann Ball.  Ann requested that International write a ritual for Legacies.  Every year since, Houston has

sponsored a spring Legacy Tea & Ritual.

Instructions:

The ritual table is set w/ a white cloth and yellow candles, one for each legacy.  (The yellow candle stands for vision – the vision of these girls becoming Beta Sigma Phis, and the dream of each sponsor for her legacy to share her love of Beta Sigma Phi.)  A yellow rose for each recipient is placed at the front of the table. There are one officiant and two assistants behind the table.  The two assistants  white candles to provide light for the officiant to read the ritual.  The room is darkened and the candles are lighted before the legacies enter.  Members attending form a circle beginning at one end of the table and ending at the other end.  They may be seated or standing.  Attendants escort each legacy to the center of the circle as her name is called.

OFFICIANT:  Will _________________________________please come forward?

Sisters in Beta Sigma Phi:  The fellowship of Beta Sigma Phi and the first great lesson of its sisterhood is love.  With this ritual, we share our love of Beta Sigma Phi with our leaicies; and by the light of that love, all things are beautiful.  May we as sponsors and sisters in our great circle of friendship instill within these legacies the desire to follow the good, the true, and the beautiful.

One assistant at the front of the table lights a candle and places it in the sponsor’s right hand.  The candles on the table are lighted by both assistants.

A rosebud necklace is the symbol of the Beta Sigma Phi legacy.  We hope each of our legacies will wear it with loving pride.  By doing so, members and their legacies join hands in sisterhood.  May the light of our torch burn twice as brightly as before, to light the way for those who follow us.

(One assistant places a necklace in the sponsor’s left hand, takes the candle from the sponsor’s right hand and holds it while the sponsor places the necklace around the legacy’s neck.  The other assistant reads each

legacy’s name.  Sponsor then takes back her candle and assistant helps next sponsor)

We give to you now the yellow rose, the flower of Beta Sigma Phi

(Assistant pins yellow rose corsage or hands a yellow rose to each legacy while officiant continues to address legacies.

Treasure these emblems clearly, as your share in the sisterhood of Beta Sigma Phi.  Remember this day always, that it may remind you of the happiness we wish for you.  Together we say the Mizpah:

“May the Lord Watch between me and thee, while we are absent, one from the other.

INSTRUCTIONS:  The setting for this ritual should be the same as for installation of officers as described in the Book of Rituals.

OFFICIANT:  We are assembled now to pay special honor to one among us for whom the violet ray of Service shines with its greatest intensity.  Though she was our chosen leader and in that capacity exhibited all the virtues representative of Beta Sigma Phi the essence of leadership is service.  It is Service, free from self to and for those who are led.

In the performance of her duties, she has displayed Courage, meeting every challenge with Vision.  She has shown Humility, denying for herself the whole credit for fine accomplishments and grand experiences, while being confident of our own contributions.  She has accepted the responsibility and the privilege of expanding her horizons beyond her own close fraternal group, enabling her to represent and care for each of us as individuals and each chapter whose efforts this City Council is meant to coordinate.  Rising above her own special desires and the interests of her own Chapter, she has recognized the fellowship which draws us all together and makes possible cooperation and the unified effort which are required to discharge our join purposes and goals.

Exhibiting all these virtues and in all these ways she has served us well, it is now our pleasure to confer upon her this special honor, recognizing her always as a jewel – one special gem which like the diamond combines the light of all the gems into clear, white light in which all things may be seen clearly and the way ahead is made plain.

Do you,  ___________________________________ now accept this special honor and this further opportunity to service your sisters in Beta Sigma Phi?  If so, answer “I do”.

OFFICIANT:  You are now and hereforth will always be known as a Jewel of the Houston City Council of Beta Sigma Phi.  Congratulations.

First ritual was conferred April, 1976 to seventeen past presidents of Houston City Council at Founder’s Day 1977

Virginia Lee, President Elect