THE MICHIGAN DAILY
honorariesS erve
l o'."' . . . . .-f
University
MICHAEL MESTCHERT t
re are two new words that
eshman will soon-add to his
ulary after one spring at
niversity - "tapping" and.
dust".
concerned with the annual
g ritual, they apply to the
ion'proceedings of the men's'
is honoraries. "Brickdust" is
by most men's groups (when
with water) as a symbolic,f
ncoxfortable, mark of dis-
on for initiates. DifferentI
are used by different
A neophyte is "tapped" for the
organization by the old members
in a nighttime visit. The lucky
individual generally finds him-
self taken unwittingly from bed,
immersed. with water and brick-
dust or oil, and told of his selec-
tion. Public initiation ordeals fol-
low on the Diag, in_ which the
chosen undergo other tests to
prove t/heir worthiness and self-
dedication to the group.
Women's Groups
Women's honoraries do not tap
in as colorful a manner, but they
too have their traditional cere-
monies in; which they show the
public that a new class of women
has been honored for service.
Every men's honorary and the
majority of women's organizations,
are strictly local in origin and
present status.
Michigamua . .
The Tribe of Michigamua is an
all-campus senior men's honorary
for excellence In activities and
athletics. Members dress for
"Rope Day" (initiation day) in
Indian costume and turn theI
chosen palefaces into young bravesI
through an ordeal that takes the
selected ones on a duckwalk
Journey "seven flights up and
seven fl ghts down" the Michigan
Union. nitiates are aoused with
brickdust and water and are given
secret Indian names, revealed only
at the end of the year at the next
Rope Day. Founded in 1901 to
serve the University, Michigamua
is the oldest extant campus hon-
01rary.
Druiss .. .
Outstanding senior men in
every school but engineering are
eligible for Druids, which chooses
its initiates for achievement in
athletics and activities. "Saplings"
(those tapped) become mighty
trees through plenty of water and
green brickdust. Duckwalking
around the Diag and the reciting
of Joyce Kilmer's "Trees" also is
a traditional part of the ceremony.
New members are given tree
names which are announced pub-
licly at the initiation. Druids,
named after the forest priests of
old England, was founded in 1909.
Vulcans..
The only mortal acceptable in
the eyes of the god Vulcan is a
senior engineer who has served
the University yin activities or
athletics. Neophytes are abducted
in the night and taken out of
town to find their way back to
campus. Then they undergo a
public initiation by blacking'them-
selves with oil, chaining them-
selves to each other and carrying
torches through the underground
steam tunnels. Each member is
given a mythological name of a
god and the society, formed in
1904, works to serve the engineer-
ing college and the University as
a whole.
Sphinx . .
A junior men's honorary es-
tablished in 1905, Sphinx:chooses
neophytes for its courts by the
same standards as the senior
groups. Men may be tapped from
all schools except the engineering
college. Red brick dust and water
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BASEMENT SAB
SWIMMING THE NILE-A neophyte is about to reach his desired goal, the River Nile as he is about
to be placed in the League fountain by the court, while the Pharoah looks on. The Spinx initia-
tion is one of the men's honoraries which initiates members in a colorful ceremony.
transform the neophytes into
Egyptians and then the initiates
must crawl on their stomachs
looking for the River Nile. When
they reach the Nile (usually
known as the League fountain)
they must prove their worth by
a final dip in that body of water.
Members are given secret Egyp-
tian names.m
Triangles ,.
Triangles, for junior engineers,
is also designed, to recognize
achievement and to serve the.
campus. Initiates are abducted in
the night and must find their way.
back to campus from an isolated
part of the county.. Then the
public initiation features such
stunts as a human pyramid and
scrubbing the Engineering Arch
with a toothbrush. Triangles was
formed in 1907.
Hectorians . .
Hectorians,."founded in 1953.
recognizes and honors outstanding
fraternity men and meets to dis-
cuss fraternity problems.
Members are chosen from the
fraternity presidents, Interfrater-
nity Council officers, and Frater-
nity Buyer's Association.
Scabbard and Blade ...
Participants in either of the
three ROTC programs are selected
on thi basis of leadership, patrio-
tism, efficiency, loyalty and honor
for Scabbard and Blade.
Initiates are tapped in the star-
light with sabers, and during the
trial period must guard the lions
and defend the scabbard and blade
in front of the flagpole.
The group's purpose is to raise
the standards of military educa-
tion and spread information on
military service careers.
Circle .. .
Circle, formed in 1957, strives to
recognize leadership, service and
citizenship in the residence halls,
and promote interest in these
areas.
Last year the group, sponsored
by Assembly Association, put on
an art show to display the works
of independent women. It suc-
ceeded so well it is to become an
annual event.
They have also established a
chapter at Michigan State.
Wyvern .*
Wyvern also a local group,
honors girls who are active, on
campus and have high scholastic
averages.
The sophomores are tapped
during dinner by a line of girls
singing, "Damn, damn, damn to
Michigamua, to hell with Sphinx
and Vulcans, too, to the Druids
and the rest, for we know we are
the best, we are Wyvern's daugh-
ters tried and true."
The following day, the new
members wear yellow slickers, hair
ribbons and roses.
Wyvern is not a service society
because it believes that these girls
are too busy for an added activity.
Mortarboard . .
The national senior women's
honor society, Mortarboard, is the
first of the senior women's groups
to tap in the spring.
Members, chosen for service,
leadership, and scholarship, must
have a 3.2 average. The girls tap
at midnight cladhin caps and
gowns singing their song, "Thy
Ideals." New members wear motar
boards the next day.
The Michigan chapter, Pi Sigma
Alpha, was one of four founding
chapters in 1918. There are now
95.
Senior Society .. .
Senior Society recognizes inde-
pendent women with high scholas-
tic averages who have actively
served their dormitories.
Girls recommended by their
house directors and presidents are
tapped by members singing, "In
and out the halls we wander
singing as we go of the girls we're
going to favor with our pin of
black and gold."
During the initiation ceremony,
each member's name is added to a
long yellow ribbon with the names
of all members since the organiza-
tion's founding.
Another local organization,
Scroll, honors senior affiliated
women for leadership, character,
and loyalty.
Members are tapped after hours
by the group singing "Out of the
night comes a. sound of voices.
Scroll is now tapping its loyal
crew."
It purpose Cis to promote cooper-
ation between alumnae and stu-
dents and further interest in cam-
pus activities. It also grants a
$100 scholarship to a junior affili-
ated woman on the basis of leader.,
ship and need.
6
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FIGT'UM LIKE HELL-The braves of Michigamua tear the
quivering young bucks from the historic Tappan Oak to tie
them to the rope which the young bucks must carry with them
"seven flights up and seven flights down" the Michigan
Unions.
DRUID PRIEST
- with water, a new tree
---
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