Candle Lighting Ceremonies - Tri Delta

Founders’ Day Celebration
Candlelighting Ceremony
SETTING
Three candles in a setting of pansies or pine, one silver candle, one blue candle and one
gold candle.
SCRIPT
____ years have passed since that Thanksgiving Eve, 1888, when in a spontaneous but
dramatic little ceremony, Sarah Ida Shaw and Eleanor Dorcas Pond proclaimed, each to
the other, “Tri Delta is founded!” Tri Deltas like to remember our Founders, Sarah Ida
and Eleanor, as they were then bright, talented young college women, excited over the
creation of a society which would become a powerful influence in the lives of college
women. So vivid were their personalities that Tri Deltas today know them well: Sarah
Ida, the inspired leader; Eleanor, the loving, enthusiastic contributor. In tribute to their
memory and to the memory of their first initiates Florence Stewart and Isabel Breed we
now light this silver candle.
Light the silver candle.
May it represent the sincerity of the youthful efforts of these four young Founders and
their dedication to a way of life which they were offering future generations of Tri Deltas.
On that first Thanksgiving Eve, 1888, there may have seemed to be only the tiniest spark
of life in Delta Delta Delta. Yet, strangely enough, even then Sarah and Eleanor had
given it meaning and beauty through the Ritual and the symbolism we love today. They
brought to Tri Delta a spiritual quality which they themselves possessed. And they
offered Tri Deltas through the years the joy of friendship based upon mutual
understandings. Today, after ____ years, our members continue to rejoice in their Tri
Delta friendships. Now, in gratitude for this gift, we light a blue candle.
Light the blue candle.
May we ever strive toward those virtues which our Founders considered essential to
lasting friendships.
On Thanksgiving Eve, 1888, our young Founders looked with satisfaction upon their
work of the past several weeks. The foundation for the new society was laid, and all was
in readiness for the first initiation service. It is interesting that, along with the thrill and
the reality of those early exciting days, Sarah and Eleanor were already looking
ahead. They foresaw the Tri Delta of the future and with wisdom beyond their years
made plans for that future. They had faith in the fundamental truths upon which they
were building and believed that growth and development were inevitable in Delta Delta
Delta. Inspired by such faith, our Fraternity has from time to time altered its external

features to keep pace with a complex and changing society. Only its basic structure, the
Rituals, have remain unchanged. Its progress, step by step, has been safe and assured
since it has remained ever loyal to its fundamentals. With confidence and pride we light
this third candle to the Tri Delta of the future.
Light the gold candle.
May this golden flame symbolize our hopes.
All of us here come to this gathering with love and appreciation in our hearts for Tri
Delta. We are aware that Delta Delta Delta is just as strong as are our chapters and our
individual members. As your name (or your chapter) is called, will you light your small
candle, rise and make a silent pledge of your loyalty to your chapter and to your
Fraternity?
Read Chapter Roll Call.
Note: Each name is called if the group is a comparatively small one. If many chapters
are represented, chapter names are called and members rise by chapter.
May the glow of these candles suggest the unity of our Purpose and the earnestness of our
endeavors for Tri Delta.
Sing Alpha Theta Phi.

Founders’ Day Celebration
Candlelighting Ceremony
(Shortened Version)
SETTING
Three tall candles (two white and agreen between them) are placed on one table. The
reader stands at one side and just a little in front of the candles. The person who lights
the candles, using a long white taper, stands at the other side of the unlighted
candles. The Biblical selections may be presented as a choral chant or read. Soft music
may be used as a background accompaniment for other portions of the ceremony.
SCRIPT
Light the first white candle.
This Thanksgiving Eve we light a white candle to the memory of Sarah Ida Shaw Martin,
whose vivid personality lives in the heart of every Tri Delta. It was she who dreamed of
founding a society that shall “... be kind alike to all, and think more of a girl’s inner self
and character than of her appearance.” It was she who accomplished the fulfillment of
that dream on another Thanksgiving Eve long ago.
Drawing upon her broad knowledge of ancient mythologies, astronomy, Greek language
and Christian symbolism, she composed the beautiful Rituals and designed the emblems
of Delta Delta Delta.
This first white candle also glows in memory of Eleanor Dorcas Pond Mann, the co-
Founder of Tri Delta. Her good taste, her cheerfulness and her practical, clear insight
were a perfect complement to the scholarly reserve of Sarah Ida Shaw Martin. Her long
record of service to humanity in the field of medicine is indicative of the influence of
Delta Delta Delta ideals upon her life.
Light the second white candle.
We light the second white candle to honor Isabel Morgan Breed and Florence Isabelle
Stewart - the first initiates to know the beauties of our Tri Delta Ritual.
These four Tri Deltas we honor as Founders.
The following quotation, Corinthians XIII, is said by the reader or chanted by a chorus.
"If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become as
sounding brass and a clanging cymbal."
Light the green candle.

We light the green candle to Delta Delta Delta because we believe this color symbolizes
the strength and growth of our Fraternity since that Thanksgiving Eve in 1888. Today
our chapter roll islong, and our membership numbers thousands. We know that the warm
fellowship and high ideals of Delta Delta Delta have given us opportunity to develop a
finer quality of womanhood than might not otherwise have been possible. All of us have
come to this gathering with love and appreciation in our hearts for Tri Delta.
Biblical quotation, read or chanted, follows.
"And now abideth faith, hope and love, these three; and the greatest of these is love."
In memory of our Founders and in high gratitude for everything Tri Delta has meant to us,
will you light your candle, rise and make a silent pledge of your loyalty to your chapter
and to your Fraternity as your chapter name is called?
Read Chapter Roll Call.
Note: Each name is called if the group is a comparatively small one. If many chapters
are represented, chapter names are called and members rise by chapter.
Sing Alpha Theta Phi.