We don't just repeat the same rituals by rote. A tradition that does not change will die. While we do add information, ritual, spellwork, etc., we don't remove older info. This allows future members to know what we have built upon and have a sense of history of where we have been. Dedication is usually the first step in joining a group and usually occurs when the group and the student feel that there is a connection.
Dedication is a serious event.
A student will have studied for at least a year and a day with a teacher before being considered for initiation. Some groups have a list of requirements that must be met before a student may ask for initiation. The Gardnerian Tradition is a Mystery Tradition. This means that we have information that is passed only to other members of the Tradition. In the Gardnerian Tradition, there are 3 degrees, or levels of accomplishment.