I'm going to take it a step further. When I was an chapter advisor, I was informed under no uncertain terms that I was dealing with women, not girls. I explained that, when they behaved like women, I would use that term. If they acted like ladies, I would call them ladies.

At the first meeting I attended, members who had done their dishes got a lion to color, ones who had hung up their coats that week got a violet to color, etc. That's when I had to use every bit of tact I had to explain that "women" don't color "awards" that are for something they should know to do anyhow!

Calling new members "babies" encourages baby-like behavior; there are a lot of other names which encourage responsible, sorority women behavior.

Junior League new members are called "provisional members" or "provisionals" for the first year, when they go on to "active" membership. I think sororities could use that term, as the new members of a sorority have provisional membership until initiation.

I think all these cutesy names for new members are dumb.

Total lane swerve, but I think that in Tri Delta, the pearl specifically symbolizes the new member, while the pine tree symbolizes the collegiate member and the pansy the alumna member. More here.

/lane swerve

I think I recall that Phi Mu was the first to drop the word "pledge", and I think the reasoning was that it was heavily associated with hazing. I have heard Phi Mu officers use a soundbite to the effect of "pledge is a verb, not a noun".

Obviously changing the word does not change a hazing culture, but I'm okay with using "phi" instead.

Actually, I believe that AJLI has gone to "New Members" as well. That's what my city was told to do. I believe it's for some of the same reasoning of pledges. We were told not to call them Provisionals any longer.

AGD IHQ also addressed this via social media. We are encouraged to call them New Members, not Baby anything.

Baby Squirrels just creep me out.

Yes, Tri Delta pledges have always been called Pearls. It is part of our ritual and symbolism.

I agree the baby stuff has to go. And I sincerely hope Theta also gets on top of the finger on the mouth thing because it is just gross looking.

I agree completely with you. I was just appalled the first time I saw my sister (bio) doing it. Not ladylike at all. Just do the kite symbol, girls!

But isn't there an issue with the kite handsign and its sign language meaning?

I don't like the term recruitment
I don't like the term new member
I don't like hand signs
I don't like the baby trend
I still call my friends "girls" and I graduated from college a long time ago. The term "woman/women" isn't my style - it's uptight and old-fashioned and reminds me of large clothing.
I loved being a pledge.

No big deal to me.... I know that it is also the ASL sign for vagina. Doesn't bother me.

Pledge is what she does. I want her to remember she took a pledge to our organization, and that the pledge means something. In my mind, a member has been initiated, so "new member" doesn't convey the precise meaning.

Only out of curiosity, why did the NPC change the terms? (Rush to recruitment, Rushee to PNM, etc)?

YES to all of the above.

I don't know the process of picking new terms when deciding to replace the existing ones, but much more thought needs to go into how "catchy" they are, for lack of a better word. It really doesn't matter what the official term is, if these groups want everyone to actually adopt the terms, they need to be "catchy".