An Interview of National Vice-President of Ritual Leslie Taylor
This article
first appeared in the March/April 1997 Beta Phi Chapter
Newsletter.
Biography
Leslie Taylor attended Butler University from 1968
to 1976, receiving
a B. Mus. and M. M. degree with concentration in piano. While
attending
the university she became a member of Sigma Alpha
Iota on April 19, 1969 through the Zeta Chapter. When asked why
did she join SAI, she responded “When I went to Butler, I knew
absolutely no one there. In fact, I was the only person from my
entire county there. At the first rush party, the SAIs made me feel so
welcomed and “at home.”
I immediately knew I wanted to be part of that
group.”
Leslie Taylor is a recipient of the Sword of Honor
from Zeta
Chapter and Rose of Honor from Indianapolis Alumnae Chapter.
Previous SAI
offices she held include Recording Secretary in Zeta Chapter,
President and
Treasurer for Indianapolis Alumnae Chapter, Province President
for Beta Province
1987-1990 and Beta A Province Officer 1990-1993. Currently, Ms. Taylor teaches general music at a
public middle
school in
Indianapolis and serves as treasurer of extra-
curricular accounts
for Harshman Middle School. She is also the pianist for
Children's Worship at
Second Presbyterian Church and an independent consultant for
Longaberger
Basketsand Pottery.
After serving as a Province Officer for six years
(the first
criteria for eligibility), she decided the time was right to
pursue her dream
of serving on the National Executive Board (NEB) in this
particular office. Ms.
Taylor was elected to her current office on August 8, 1993 at
the conclusion of
the national convention in Cincinnati.
About the Office
The major duties of the national vice-president of
ritual are:
·
overseeing all rituals at national conventions and
NEB meetings
·
receiving and acting upon Ritual Inventory Reports
from all SAI
chapters
·
serving as a “repository” of fraternity education
ideas
·
attending Province Days when
invited
Ms. Taylor also coordinates NEB assignments for
Celebration of
Membership, records Pan Pipes and Manual for Members for the
visually-impaired,
and compiles the Fraternity Education Resource Guide which will
be distributed
at the upcoming national convention. According to Ms. Taylor,
these duties are
currently carried out with the help of the U. S. Postal Services
and a lot of
time at a Macintosh computer.
One needs to possess various skills in order to be
efficient in
this office. An ability
to memorize ritual
easily, a love for fraternity, and a thorough knowledge of
ritual “do's” and
don'ts are a must for this office. Good
organizational skills are also needed, especially for keeping
track of all
ritual books.
Leslie Taylor has always loved ritual, especially
its symbolism.
The reasons why she believes ritual is an important aspect of
our fraternity
is printed below:
Ritual is the link that
binds us to our
founders and that will tie us to future generations of all SAIs.
Ritual is the
set of beliefs and ideals we should live by everyday. It is what
set us apart
from other music clubs. To me, it is a “mystical” experience –
knowing that
every Sigma Alpha Iota member I meet, no matter her age or her
geographical
location, has heard those same beautiful words found in our
ritual. It is my
favorite aspect of our fraternity -- always has been and always
will be!
The Washington D.C. Alumnae
Chapter
Iota A
Province
Sigma Alpha Iota
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