Back in Time - Initiation
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| (click to enlarge) Freshman Initiation Dress Requirements Pavillion High School Pavillion, WY Fall 1965 |
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Initiations were usually held in the Fall during Homecoming Week, so I don't know why the informational sheet had a December date on it. As shown above, I crossed out the December date and wrote in October 25.
Here's the crazy speech we had to memorize and recite whenever we encountered a senior:
Almight and glorious seniors of ’66 we the lowest scum that have ever walked the face of the earth fall prostrate at they feet and beg for they gracious, glorified, and wise indulgence.
We comprehend that we, who are so wanton, grotesque, insulate, and lugubrious in our unscrupulous and invalid acts, are unwarrantable of they great and valuable insight.
But we in our infinitesimal insignificance ask that you overlook our suodilaepxecitsiligarficalrepus and allow us to lie prone in the light of thy insight and power.
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| Karen H., Cathy R., Leslie D., and Janice R. October 1965 Pavillion High School Pavillion, WY |
This is the only photo I have of that crazy day: it was taken in Study Hall.
In addition to the crazy dress day and the speech, the seniors held a Kangaroo Court in the evening. It was a fun activity: no one got carried away, and no one was hurt.
Did your school allow Freshman Initiation?
I was a freshman in 1974--no initiations at my high school. I probably would have been a nervous wreck if we had--afraid I would mess up on the speech and have to face the Kangaroo Court.
ReplyDeleteI think it was all in fun and certainly no hazing. Fun to see yours!
ReplyDeleteYes I did...people bought you and you had to dress weird and do things for them like clean their lockers and etc.
ReplyDeleteNo I was a Freshman in 1966 and it wouldn't have been allowed...too many Scandinavians in this area:)
ReplyDeleteThat's quite a long speech to memorize! I don't recall having to memorize much of a speech, but we had something or other to say to the seniors when meeting them in the hall. My class's crazy outfits for initiation included wearing an onion around our neck on a piece of string. That was so stinky!!
ReplyDeleteOh yes - I was a freshman in HS in 1968-69 and there was a very similar inititation. Then when I went to college at SDSU in the fall of 1972 we had initiation too. The freshmen at SDSU wore green beanies and had all kinds of odd facts to memorize and songs to sing, etc when meeting up with anyone on the Hobo Day committee. MOST of it all was in fun both in HS and college.
ReplyDeleteHum, I don't remember any "initiation" per say, but why do I have a freshman beanie?? I graduated hs in 69 but we lived in Northern VA, a suburb of DC -- they might have thought we were too sophisticated for this. Plus it was a new school -- we were the first class to go there all 4 years. Except, I moved my senior year.
ReplyDeleteBoo!
I enjoyed this post so much Nancy! It is hilarious. Suodilaepxecitsiligarficalrepus really? We didn't have an initiation day but we had big brother and sister day when seniors were assigned as guides for freshmen. Mine was a 6' 5" football player who left a rose on my locker on my birthday and holidays and came to every band concert and play that I was in. These are the things that make high school bearable.
ReplyDeleteYes, in 1964 we had Freshman initiation. For the first week of school we had to wear green beanies. I think, too, that we weren't allowed to initiate a conversation with a upper classman. Speak only when spoken to. I don't remember much of anything else.
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