ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

Good Afternoon Jamie,
The best initiation ceremony that I ever was involved in -- as an
initiate -- still in my teens (so the timeframe would be just before the
Bronze Age).....I won't say the name of the organization -- but it
was/is a "legit" organization...... Here it is.....
Out in the woods at a "secret location"; the initiates in a circle,
surrounding a large campfire; it took place at midnight; the initiates
standing in a circle around the campfire (providing the only light for
the ceremony); the ceremony leader has a very large, shiny knife, which
was highly polished and reflected the light of the campfire; initiates
remain silent (unable to talk for 24 hours prior and during the
ceremony); 24 hour fasting the day of the ceremony; the ceremony leader
begins, one-by-one, "cutting" the outstretched palms of the initiates
with the knife (when you get "cut" -- and only at that moment -- you
find out that the shiny knife is very dull), while pig blood, or beef
blood was dripped, via a small blood-soaked hidden sponge, secretly
hidden in the knife-holder's hand; after the hands were "cut" (it looked
real); in fact it looked so real, that I thought I was actually going to
get my hands cut open; the initiates held hands, creating a chain of
blood-brother, intermingling their blood with each other; as your hands
were being "cut"......other ceremony leaders whispered the translation
of "secret/magic" words, that we had heard earlier, but prior to this
moment, we didn't know their meaning....... I could go on, but you get
the idea.......
I will never forget that moment.
Best Wishes for Success!
Wesley
Wesley S. Creel
Administrator of Programs
Pink Palace Family of Museums
3050 Central Avenue
Memphis, TN 38111
www.memphismuseums.org
Office 901.636.2370  new telephone number
FAX 901.636.2391  new FAX number

Please consider including the Pink Palace Family of Museums in your
charitable giving plans
along with your other charitable interests.
Please visit all our great facilities as well as our website:
www.memphismuseums.org Our mission: The Pink Palace Family of Museums
inspires people to learn how history.science, technology and nature
shape the mid-South. Through rich collections, thought-provoking
exhibitions, and engaging programs, we encourage our diverse community
to reflect on the past, understand the present, and influence the future




-----Original Message-----
From: Informal Science Education Network
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Alonzo, Jamie
Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2011 12:33 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Youth "Initiation" Ceremonies...?

ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology
Centers Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
************************************************************************
*****

Hi all,

I run out-of-school programs for ~120 local teens at Yale's Peabody
Museum of Natural History in New Haven, CT.  We recruit new 9th and 10th
graders at the beginning of each academic year.  This year our senior
class will be developing an "initiation ceremony" event to welcome these
new students to our community.  We're looking for some gross/[slightly]
creepy experiences we can run them through. Given that we have vast
collections, I'm already looking into something involving jars of ooky
things but thought I'd run this up the ISEN flagpole to see if anyone
out there might have done something similar.  Any and all ideas welcome
-  thanks in advance!

Everything best,

Jamie Alonzo

-- 

________________________________________
   
           Coordinator, Education Special Projects
            Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History

            203 432 6577   v
            203 432 2026   f
            [log in to unmask]

            http://peabody.yale.edu/education/evolutions

________________________________________

***********************************************************************
For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and
the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.

Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at
www.exhibitfiles.org.

The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft.
To learn more, visit http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html.

To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]

***********************************************************************
For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.

Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.

The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To learn more, visit
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html.

To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]