Not all campuses will be like your campus.

A better question is ... Do you think more campuses utilize dry pledging or not? At one point, I thought we were the only dry pledge (an ATO pledge friend I have bragging), then I saw several others telling me they were dry too. I asked this one ATO pledge about risk management, he looked at me with a face, like he didn't know what I meant. So, what do you think? More are dry or more don't care?

Is anyone else's mind in the gutter? No? Just mine? Oh, ok...

I really don't know to be honest, how far chapters take risk management.

No, not just yours. :o

And an even better question is: As a pledge, is it possible that you have a lot to learn about the Greek system generally, and should refrain from making general statements that you don't know from your own experience about your own campus or your own fraternity, and should also refrain from giving too much advice to people about how fraternities operate?

This is the time for you to learn, not teach. ;)

Dry pledging is hazing. If you are told that you are not allowed to drink during your pledge period JUST BECAUSE you are a pledge, regardless of what age you are, you need to contact your national headquarters or the Greek Life office.

Now if your pledge class consists of all 19 year olds, the pledge class should not be drinking. Neither should the underage, initiated members of the fraternity.

This has been classified as hazing since the 1970s. Pledges should not be prevented from doing things that are LEGAL FOR THEIR AGE GROUP.

We are all under age 21 (except the 24 year old) ... so it isn't that. If the 24 year old says something, I'll just tell him to contact the national hq about it.

Thanks for letting me know.

DUDE, read and re-read what 33 has posted. You are giving me the RM Twitches. I am off to seek medical help.

You don't have to drink if you join a fraternity. You probably will feel uncomfortable in a fraternity where heavy drinking is the norm - and you'll see indications during rush if a chapter does drink heavily. If you are required to drink as a pledge - that's hazing. If you are forbidden to drink if you are a pledge of legal drinking age - that could be construed as hazing also.

When I was in college *ahem* years ago, when open parties with free-flowing alcohol were the norm, and they would card but then cheerfully ignore the big black X on the back of your hand ... there was a fraternity chapter where one of the actives was a recovering alcoholic. The chapter had at least one party each semester that was dry. I have a lot of respect for that chapter - they knew the party would be poorly attended but they had it anyway.

I'm sorry, I missed that? How many years ago? :p /snark

I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. ;)