Ceremony Guide: Description and Planning Template

(Modified version of Dan Moons MBA Oath Ceremony Guide

for Harvard Business School)
Purposes for the Oath Ceremony
Public & Personal Dedication
While individuals may sin the Oath online (htt!"##$$$%theoath!ro&ect%or#oath#sin%html)' the Oath
Ceremony reinforces one(s commitment in a !ersonal and direct manner% )he solemnity and
sinificance of !u*licly s$earin an oath is $idely reconi+ed% Whether s$earin to tell nothin *ut the
truth' !romisin to love and cherish' or vo$in to treat all !atients selflessly' the s!o,en oath is
!articularly im*ued $ith meanin for the one $ho ta,es it and for those $ho o*serve%
At the Oath Ceremony' *oth future and !racticin !rofessionals dedicate themselves to a*idin *y the
ideals of the *usiness oath in a settin that !romotes intros!ection and as!iration% -ecitin the $ords
aloud dee!ens one(s conviction and sense of res!onsi*ility to u!hold the Oath in the future%
Celebration
.t is a ood thin to dedicate oneself to e/cellence' interity' and !rofessionalism' and so the Oath
Ceremony should *e a ha!!y moment to cele*rate this decision to a*ide *y the Oaths !rinci!les% As
$ith raduation' family and friends should have an o!!ortunity to share in the event% While cele*ratin
this milestone and havin fun' ,ee! in mind that the most difficult $or, lies ahead in actually !racticin
our ideals in the $or,!lace%
Support and Accountability
)a,in a stand is easer $ith friends fihtin at your side' and accounta*ility is one of the most !o$erful
and efficient tools availa*le to !romote the *usiness Oath% )he Oath Ceremony *rins us side *y side
$ith !eers $ho share our vision of raisin *usiness standards and *ein true !rofessionals% Classmates
and friends dedicate themselves toether and sense their im!ortance in this movement% Many students(
school friendshi!s *ecome lifelon !rofessional relationshi!s' !rovidin an oranic accounta*ility and
su!!ort net$or,% )he shared Oath Ceremony e/!erience strenthens those lin,s%
Organization
)he Oath Ceremony hel!s ro$ the Oath Community' addin to the movement(s momentum and to the
Oaths influence% Moreover' the ceremony can *e an o!!ortunity to ather alumni and !rofessionals at
all staes of their career to share in the ne$ class(s dedication *y reaffirmin their o$n commitment to
THE OATH PROJECT
the Oath% As a fledlin event' the Oath Ceremony still holds many !ossi*ilities $ith res!ect to ho$ it
can *e used to further the Oath Community%
Origin and Parallels
)he Oath is !artially modeled after the Hi!!ocratic Oath of the medical !rofession% )oday' over 012 of
medical students ta,e the Hi!!ocratic Oath or a similar oath in ceremonies across the nation% Many a
!hysician *elieves that the Hi!!ocratic Oaths tenets as $ell as the ma/im 3Do no harm4 are their
!rofessional and !ersonal o*liation%
.n contrast' 561 years ao ones 7doctor could as easily *e a $ell8educated !hysician or an untrained
charlatan9 it $as caveat em!tor for !atients% .ncreasinly' conscientious !ractitioners called for hiher
standards of care and ethics' eventually transformin medicine into the !rofession as $e ,no$
it today%
)he notion of Medicine as a !rofession overned *y ethical o*liations seems o*vious to us today% :et'
much of todays criticism of a *usiness oath mirrors the aruments leveled aainst the early attem!ts to
!rofessionali+e Medicine% .n 50th century ;nland' attem!ts to esta*lish a $ritten set of standards for
!hysicians $ere critici+ed as only *ein necessary for the morally *ereft" $hat doctor of ood character
needed a $ritten code of ethics< )$o centuries later' the value of settin an e/!licit' hih *ar for
medical !rofessionals is $idely reconi+ed% Who amon us today $ould $ant to see a doctor $ho
refused to ascri*e to the tenets of the Hi!!ocratic Oath<
)he Oath has the !otential to transform the $orld of *usiness manaement for the *etter' &ust li,e the
medical field has risen to !rofessional standards% :et the Oaths !otential is !ossi*ly reater" hos!itals
minister to a small !ercentae of us $ho are ill' *ut *usinesses im!act nearly everyones lives everyday%
)he Oath is in its infancy and is fihtin to ain acce!tance% .t $ill ta,e more $or, and demonstrated
value *efore it *ecomes the assumed modus o!erandi for Manaement as the Hi!!ocratic Oath is for
Medicine% )he Oath Ceremony hel!s unloc, this !otential and $e ho!e to see the ceremony s!read to
MBAs $orld$ide%
ecommended Oath Ceremony Agenda
!ntroduction " # min$
An Oath =ro&ect leader#am*assador $elcomes the rou! and *riefly e/!lains the Oath' its oriin' and its
mission% )hey $ill introduce the follo$in s!ea,er%
Opening Spea%er&s' " () min$
)his is an o!!ortunity to have an ins!irational s!ea,er or s!ea,ers motivate the students and hel!
commemorate the Oath Ceremony% )he s!ea,er should *e a stron su!!orter#sinee of the Oath%
>or e/am!le' they could *e an e/!erienced MBA alumnus $ith a re!utation for leadershi! interity in an
influential !osition or !erha!s an academic !rofessor $ho can s!ea, to the need for the Oath and
!rovide historical conte/t%
Signing the Oath " * min$
)a,e a moment and instruct the students to sin their Oath hard co!ies (!ens ouht to *e distri*uted
*eforehand)' $itness their neih*ors' and to !ass one of the co!ies to ushers $aitin in the aisles%
Declaring the Oath " + min$
)he collective declaration of the Oath is the ,ey moment of the Oath Ceremony% All those ta,in the
Oath should stand% )he Short >orm of the Oath is used%
Desinated readers should stand *y the !odium' ready to lead in the Declaration% A lead -eader $ill
e/!lain the Declaration !rocess"
)he =ream*le is read in unison *y the students and the lead -eader% ;ach of the (. Will( clauses (e%% 3.
$ill act $ith utmost interity and !ursue my $or, in an ethical manner4) is read *y an individual
-eader first' and then the students $ill re!eat it%
)he final $ords 3)his oath . ma,e freely' and u!on my honor4 is read se!arately from the final !romise
*ut is also led *y the final !romise -eader%
)hus' there $ill *e nine -eaders needed if the =ream*le and each !romise is led *y a distinct -eader%
Closing emar%s & Charge , - min$
An Oath =ro&ect leader conratulates the rou! (cheerin is a!!ro!riate?)' than,s the students' their
family @ friends' Oath alumni' and the s!ea,ers' concludin $ith a chare to the Oath Community to
su!!ort one another and ,ee! each other accounta*le as they re8enter the $or,in $orld%
.ree Choice
)he decision to ta,e the Oath should *e founded on !ersonal conviction% )he !lan for the Oath
Ceremony (includin venue' timin' and !romotion) should *e orani+ed such that is only ta,en *y
those $ho really $ant to' and that no*ody $ho disarees $ith ta,in the Oath is com!elled to do so'
either directly or indirectly (e%% uilt tactics' !eer#family !ressure)% Auality B Auantity%
>or e/am!le' the initial Oath Ceremony $as held in an area se!arate from official Class Day events
$hile remainin accessi*le in a central cam!us location% )he timin $as set to follo$ Class Day events
*ut $ith enouh delay such that there $ouldn(t *e !ressure to follo$ the cro$d to the Oath Ceremony%
Public /enue
)he Oath Ceremony should ta,e !lace in a settin that allo$s those ta,in the Oath to $itness each
other and to *e o*served *y other% As $ith raduate ceremonies' those ta,in the oath should *e
seated toether as a *ody close to the !odium#s!ea,er% .deally' there should se!arate s!ace for *oth
family and friends in the audience% .f s!ace is insufficient a live A#C live feed to other s!aces#room
$here family and friends can o*serve the ceremony is recommended%
Con0enient12fficient
Business school raduates and students are *usy' !articularly around raduation% )he schedule for the
Oath Ceremony should hihliht the recitation of the Oath itself% While a ,eynote or t$o is certainly
a!!ro!riate' the overall ceremony is not meant to *e cum*ersome%
3ust the 4eginning5
As Ditin Dohria commented in the first Oath Ceremony' the Oath Ceremony is &ust the *einnin of a
decision to *e a !rofessional manaer% Endou*tedly' there $ill *e challenes ahead in everyones
career% )a,e advantae of this atherin of similarly8dedicated !rofessionals to !lant seeds of su!!ort
and accounta*ility%
>or e/am!le' at the inauural Oath Ceremony' there $as an o!!ortunity to create !hysical reminders of
the decision to follo$ the Oath% )$o co!ies of the Oath on heavy !a!er $ere distri*uted to each
student' $ho sined and dated them9 the student ,e!t one co!y and the other $as collected *y the
cam!us Oath =ro&ect leaders% .n addition' $allet8si+e cards of the Oath $ere distri*uted for handy
reference% >inally' half8sheet cards $ith the Oath $ere distri*uted for carryin into the raduation
ceremony the ne/t day%
)here are surely many more !ossi*ilities for ho$ the Oath Ceremony can *e used to mar, a
momentous occasion and also !re!are the Oath community for future trials and e/!loits% We encourae
student leaders to thin, creatively a*out ho$ to ma,e the most of this s!ecial event' and $e loo,
for$ard to learnin from each other%
Appendi6 A: Some !deas for .uture Oath Ceremonies
7idterm Ceremonies
While the inauural Oath Ceremony $as !ositioned around raduation from *usiness school' there may
also *e reasons to consider an Oath ceremony held durin the year to allo$ students (e%% students
after the 5
st
term or 5st year) the o!!ortunity to affirm their su!!ort of the Oath *efore they raduate%
)here is not necessarily an inconsistency in students re!eatin the Oath Ceremony% >or e/am!le' many
medical students $ill ta,e the Hi!!ocratic Oath several times durin their education9 at the *einnin of
their 5st year' !rior to their first clinical (in8hos!ital) rotations dealin $ith !atients' and at raduation%
)hese re!eated events reinforce the messae and im!ortance of the Hi!!ocratic Oath rather than
dilutin it%
Accountability Programs
A constant challene for the Oath community $ill *e demonstratin that the Oath im!acts !rofessionals
thin,in and decisions for the *etter% Accounta*ility !rorams and !ractices must continue to develo! to
facilitate this im!act' and the Oath Ceremony may *e a reat time to ,ic,8off some of these !rorams%
Alumni Participation
;very year' the Oath community ro$s larer' and the Oath Ceremony is an e/cellent time to invite
Oath Alumni to !artici!ate% =erha!s as s!ea,ers' s!ecial audience mem*ers' volunteers' etc% Often
Alumni reunions are coordinated $ith raduation' !rovidin an o!!ortunity to s!read the Oath to lare
num*ers of e/!erienced Alumni as $ell%
7ulti"school1egional Ceremonies
While the Oath ho!es to esta*lish ceremonies on many cam!uses' there may not *e o!!ortunities for
students at some schools to attend a ceremony on their o$n cam!us% Oath Ceremonies o!en to
multi!le schools raduates or s!ecifically desined reional Oath Ceremonies to include schools may
*e hel!ful to *uildin the Oath community%
Appendi6 4: 8ogistics 26ample , 94S
:or%ing elationship ;ith 94S
.n !lannin the Oath Ceremony' the MBA Oath Orani+in )eam $or,ed directly $ith different !arts of
the HBS administration% We received a!!roval for usin the venue from the Deans office (e%% Dean
Fiht' G% Badaracco' and W% Hester)% We $or,ed $ith the HBS Class Day contacts (-% =eracchio @ H%
Diamond)' >acilities (A% >al+one)' and Media Services (;% Moss) on the loistics%
While the Student Association =residents $ere su!!ortive' their a!!roval $as never an e/!licit condition
of the conductin the Oath Ceremony% -eardless of $hether a ma&ority of the class attended or not' $e
*elieved that the Oath Ceremony $as $orth$hile for its attendees and $ould also reflect !ositively on
the school%
4urden Auditorium
Burden Auditorium $as an ideal location for the Oath Ceremony *ecause it $as familiar to students'
central to cam!us $hile se!arate from the Class Day e/ercises (on Ba,er Fa$n)' A#C ready' and
!rovided fle/i*le seatin o!tions%
I Seatin Confiuration
Burden Auditorium has movea*le !artition $alls $hich can *e de!loyed in advance to accommodate
different si+e audiences% )he stae riht section holds J5K1' the center section holds JLM6' and
the stae left section holds JNM1% )hus' the !otential seatin com*inations are 5K1' LM6' NM1' ON6' ML6'
or K06% (Chairs must *e !laced in the front area for additional seatin' if the $hole class is
comin)
)he choice of !artitions $as im!ortant *ecause $e did not $ant the venue to a!!ear !oorly attended
nor *e uncomforta*ly overflo$in% .n the end' $e selected a t$o8!artition confiuration% )he center
section $as seated first' and the side section $as ta!ed off and held in reserve%
I Access for Students Only
With hundreds of !otential student attendees' no non8students $ere allo$ed into Burden' and se!arate
vie$in rooms for family#friends $ere setu! and advertised% Assume each student had t$o
!arents#friends $ho $anted to attend' if even a minority of students (e%% N61 of the 011 in the class)
attended' the total seatin rePuired $ould &um! *y N/ (e%% 5161)' creatin a s!ace shortae%
We needed to avoid any scenario $here some !arents#friends could not fit into Burden des!ite *ein
told they could attend% A!!arently durin raduation times' frustrated !arents denied admission have
*ecome Puite irate and even mo*8li,e' accordin to facilities !ersonnel e/!erience%
Burdens outside doors $ere loc,ed such that they only o!ened from the inside% Only N8O doors $ere
,e!t o!en such that ushers could ensure a!!ro!riate access%
I =re!arin the s!ace
)here $ere t$o micro!hones" one on the !odium' and one $ireless micro!hone (handed off *et$een
-eaders durin the Declaration of the Oath)%
All ro$s e/ce!t the first four in the center section $ere ta!ed off at the ends ($ith mas,in ta!e) such
that students $ould fill the s!ace closest to the stae first% )his $as !refera*le to students !ic,in seats
at their leisure' $hich $ould ta,e sinificantly loner% Sim!le sins e/!licitly as,in students not to
cross#move ta!e on their o$n $ere !laced on the ta!e lines (yes' you need to s!ell it out?)%
A slide $ith *asic instructions for enterin students $as !ro&ected onto the screen *ehind the !odium%
Fiht#fun music $as !layed from an i=od hoo,ed into the A#C system $hile !eo!le $ere findin their
seats *efore the ceremony *ean% Choose your sons#!laylist a!!ro!riatelyQ (e%% not a death metal
moment)
A final chec, of the lihtin' sound' slide !ro&ection' simulcast' and doors $as !erformed $ith Media
Services and >acilities JO1 minutes in advance of the ceremony%
!nterest Poll
We used an online !oll to hel! !ro&ect the num*er of Oath Ceremony attendees% Ho$ever' the
utility#relia*ility of the !oll may de!end on ho$ early the !oll is distri*uted as many raduates are
travelin in the days#$ee,s !rior to raduation%
Class Day
While $e e/!licitly ,e!t the Oath Ceremony se!arate from the official Class Day !roram' $e carefully
!romoted the Oath Ceremony% We emailed the entire class the details of the Oath Ceremony event and
also handed out Oath cards at the Class Day event ($ith the !ermission of the HBS administration and
the Student Association)% Both the Class Day student and alumni (Gamie Dimon) s!ea,ers mentioned
the Oath in their s!eeches%
We received !ermission from the Class Day !lanners for a final announcement% At the conclusion of the
Class Day !roram' a student reminded the audience of the u!comin Oath Ceremony for those $ho
chose to !artici!ate9 the reminder $ordin $as deli*erately neutral' to avoid !ressurin students $ho
did not $ant to &oin%
>or e/am!le' 3>or those $ho have sined or $ould li,e to sin the *usiness Oath' there $ill *e a N18
minute ceremony at Burden Auditorium ta,in !lace in 56 minutes% =arents' family and friends are
invited to $atch the ceremony in Aldrich 55L%4
)he Oath Ceremony $as scheduled to *ein a!!ro/imately N1 minutes after the conclusion of the Class
Day events (lon enouh to allo$ for non!artici!ants to o home $ithout ettin !ressured' *ut soon
enouh for !eo!le to ma,e their $ay over and not $aste too much time%
<shers
Eshers $ere recruited for multi!le &o*s"
I ;ntry#;/it
Standin at the doors and ensurin only students (@ s!ecifically invited faculty' s!ea,ers' and
administration) entered the auditorium% )hey directed family#friends#o*servers#etc% to the vie$in rooms
in the Aldrich *uildin% Once the ceremony started' the doors $ere closed#loc,ed' thouh an usher could
remain to let in stralers as a!!ro!riate%
I Greetin#Distri*ution
At ta*les in the foyer' handed out co!ies of the Oath' !ens' Oath $allet cards' and 3)he MBA Oath4
commencement cards to students as they entered%
I Seatin
.n every aisle of the auditorium' directed students to sit in ro$s *einnin $ith the front' to move all the
$ay to the center of their ro$s' and to ta,e theirs seats instead of millin around at the to! of the
auditorium and *loc,in entry (!eo!le really li,e to chat)% As the seatin filled' they $ould 7release ro$s
from front to *ac, *y removin ta!e#sins at the ends of ro$s%
)he center section $as seated first *efore any ro$s on the reserve section $ere o!ened% )his !roved
hel!ful for the !hotora!her' as shots of the audience sho$ed a full cro$d (he naturally focused on
the full section only)%
I Cie$in -ooms
Eshers $ere !ositioned in the !rimary Aldrich vie$in room to verify the simulcast' to $elcome
family#friends' to direct seatin' and to manae overflo$ *y directin !eo!le to ad&acent rooms and
notifyin Media Services to activate the simulcast in those rooms% Since many of the ushers $ere *usy
durin the ceremony' $e tried to find non8raduate ushers% >or e/am!le' many !artners $ere recruited
to hel!' $hich $as terrific since they $ere familiar $ith many of the students already% .n addition'
com*ined deree students and 5st8year students !artici!ation $as souht as an e/cellent $ay for non8
raduatin students to et involved and !re!are to lead ne/t year% Ho$ever' !rior vacation#$or, !lans
!revented many 5st years from hel!in' des!ite avid interest% )hus' $e recommend reachin out to
!otential ushers early%
/ideo & /ie;ing ooms
We coordinated $ith HBS Media Services to have a live video feed of the Burden ceremony (on stae)
sent to multi!le rooms in Aldrich as $ell as S!anler Auditorium% Sins had *een !osted throuhout
Aldrich $hich directed family to the vie$in rooms%
Wor,in $ith Media Services' the !lan $as for Aldrich 55L to *e the first room for simulcast' and all
family#friends directed there first% .f $e needed more rooms' additional Aldrich rooms $ould *e added
one *y one from Aldrich 555 and !roressively throuh the first floor% S!anler Auditorium $as !re!ared
and held in reserve *ut not mentioned to family#friends initially out of concern that too many locations
miht confuse ne$ visitors to cam!us%
We rePuested that the video feed *e recorded' and $e o*tained a co!y from HBS Media Services
after$ard%
Press
Both the MBA Oath Orani+in )eam and HBS $ere concerned a*out manain !ress coverae
a!!ro!riately% -e!orters $ere vetted $ith the HBS Communications Officer' and only a s!ecific fe$
re!orters $ere admitted to Burden itself% Only one !rofessional !hotora!her for a maa+ine $as
admitted%
A !ress release should *e !re!ared for release reardin the ceremony' and )he Oath =ro&ect leaders
should *e !re!ared $ith ,ey tal,in !oints to enae the !ress *efore and after the ceremony%
Photographer1/ideographer
HBS hired the !hotora!her' *ut it(s im!ortant for the Oath =ro&ect rou! to either 5) find their o$n
additional !hotora!her (there are li,ely lots of serious !hoto enthusiasts amon the student *ody)' or
L) convince HBS to add the Oath orani+ation to their license#rihts areement% .t may *e useful to have
a se!arate videora!her for the ceremony on *ehalf of the Oath =ro&ect leadershi! team%
Supplies
=a!er co!ies of the Oath for sinin' Oath $allet cards' 3)he MBA Oath4 cards for commencement
!rocession' =ens' Sins (e%%directions to the ceremony' directions to vie$in areas for family' 3do not
cross4 seatin sins' etc%)' Mas,in )a!e (for ushers)' Fists of invited uests and emerency contact Rs
(for ;ntry#;/it ushers)