Hi Crystal,
It can definitely be intimidating, and costly. If it helps at all, what you are feeling is perfectly normal for a new troupe director. :) In most troupes, the only fee that the school covers is the annual troupe dues. All other fees are usually paid by the students. However, the school/director does act as the intermediary.
Just like setting up an order for show shirts, or anything like that, the school/director collects the $35 (which covers all of the items mentioned) from the inductees and then places the order for them. After you process new inductions via EdTA, the induction certificates, membership cards, induction pins, and nifty bumper stickers are all mailed to the school/director, who then distributes them to the students.
Graduation honors are a much more individualized thing. Every troupe does it differently and tends to have their own traditions about which honor items they use (stoles vs. cords vs. collars vs. medallions, etc.) - which is why you will not find a definitive guide on what the prerequisites are for any given honor item in the online store. They signify different things in different troupes.
Some troupes don't do graduation honors at all, particularly because they are expensive, but in most that do the students also pay for them. Again, the money would be collected by the school/director, who places/receives the order, and distributes the items prior to graduation. This is similar to what NHS does for their collars and most other organizations do for their cords etc. Achieving a certain rank affords the student the privilege of wearing the corresponding honor item at graduation, but if they would like to, they have to buy it.
Unfortunately, not all students who are eligible to purchase graduation honors can afford to do that. This is true for NHS and other honor societies, too. Many of us have different ways to help in those cases, when we can, but there is no universal solution that I know of. Several years ago, our troupe officers organized a fundraiser to help pay for the graduation items, so that our seniors didn't have to, but I believe it is far more common to have students/parents order/pay for their own graduation regalia.
Hope that helps! All the best!
~Guy
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Guy Barbato
Theatre Teacher/Director
Leonardtown High School
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-07-2021 10:46
From: Crystal Hill
Subject: Graduation cords and honor cord criteria
Guy,
Just for me to gain clarification... A student has to earn 10 points to be a Thespian. They then pay $35 to gain membership and call themselves a Thespian. On this form it states they receive a membership card, certificate and pin is awarded. How do they receive these three items? Is this something that the Troupe Director covers the cost for on top of the yearly fees going to EdTa?
This form indicates "Honors maybe signified by..." How exactly does a group afford these honors?
To be a troupe you pay a yearly fee of $129 I believe, pay $35 per membership, and now we are asked to purchase each of these items to honor them. I am curious how troupe afford this?
In addition, I am not seeing how the graduation cords are given out? I see they sell all types of stuff for graduates however, I am not seeing how you know what to give each graduate. This is intimidating, overwhelming, and very costly. I appreciate any insight you are able to provide.
Crystal
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Crystal Hill
Drama Club Adviser
Clyde Senior High School
Original Message:
Sent: 04-03-2021 13:44
From: Guy Barbato
Subject: Graduation cords and honor cord criteria
Hi Crystal,
I've used this document as a guide for years, although there is also now an excel spreadsheet that you may have seen: https://www.schooltheatre.org/viewdocument/thespian-induction-point-system-ti-1
Remember that, as the troupe director, you have final discretion in how many points to award and can adjust the point values up or down as appropriate. However, the guide gives me a good starting point for roughly how many points a student normally earns when serving a particular role/position. We also have our own, additional guidelines, which we have created over the years, and which are unique to our troupe for earning certain awards or completing certain tasks etc.
Cheers,
Guy
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Guy Barbato
Theatre Teacher/Director
Leonardtown High School
Original Message:
Sent: 03-31-2021 07:40
From: Crystal Hill
Subject: Graduation cords and honor cord criteria
Do you by-chance have a point system established that I can view? Meaning, how they earn these points.
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Crystal Hill
Drama Club Adviser
Clyde Senior High School
Original Message:
Sent: 01-27-2017 15:16
From: Shira Schwartz
Subject: Graduation cords and honor cord criteria
We have graduation honors for the kids who earn them throughout their high school career. Here is how we break them down:
10 points = invitation to be inducted (they must pay a one-time $25 membership fee as well)
40 points = honor chords
80 points = honor stole
120 points = National Thespian recognition
180 points = International Thespian recognition
The honors layer on top of each other and we present the graduation honors at an evening event when we announce the season for next year and present the ITS awards for the year.
The kids earn points for performing, teching and seeing performances. After completing the performance/tech/attending they request the points be updated through an online system that goes to my officers. The appropriate officer then sits down with me and I approve any requested points. I have to have proof of the performance in order for them to receive the points.
We also have the scholar chords and recognition for the kids who have maintained a high GPA.
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Shira Schwartz
Chandler Unified School District
Chandler AZ
Original Message:
Sent: 01-26-2017 13:52
From: Debbie MacKinney
Subject: Graduation cords and honor cord criteria
We would like to incorporate cords for graduation, but per our admin we need to develop a criteria/rubric for who is eligible.
I know we can use thespian points, GPAs, etc, but before we sit down and try to develop something brand new, I was wondering if anyone has something they already do that is working well that they are willing to share. I teach both acting and tech theatre.
Thanks!
Debbie