In today's day and age 'practically' EVERYTHING is considered hazing.

What do you expect? They are written by our insurance companies. Of course they're going to be overbroad.

That said, failing to adhere to these definitions can cost you your charter. A good rule of thumb is that if you can't tell your HQ what you're doing, don't do it.

Yup, they seem to have made the list that's posted:

http://fraternity.utk.edu/hazing.html

See the paragraph(s) at the top of the page.

Three of these are particularly surprising given that I've seen them done at other schools with no one batting an eyelash...

#6 "Pledges versus members in athletic contests or other competitions, except for balanced teams composed from both groups." Are pledge vs. active football games banned on many campuses?

#21 "Line-ups of pledge class". Just how broad is this? If pledges are assigned in order by height (ace to tail) and they are arranged in that order at some point, does that equal charter bye-bye?

#35 "Physical mutilation of the body via "branding" or tattooing - pledges or actives." So if a Junior who has been a brother for two years gets the fraternity letters tattoo'ed on his ankle, hazing charges are brought?

They probably mean that the brothers shouldn't do that to each other or to pledges.

I feel that hazing rules have gotten out of line. We have to sing for RA training, but that's not considered hazing, but I'm sure if we had to do it could be considered hazing.

Actually, it is hazing, but RAs aren't under the microscope the way Greeks are. Many campus groups participate in hazing (sports teams are a common non-Greek example), but most don't have to "answer" to headquarters or insurance companies the way Greek organizations do.

Still doesn't mean Greeks should whine "everyone else gets to do it, though..." Not saying this is what you're implying, but none the less, I'm fine with GLOs holding ourselves to a higher standard- I have no problem with it.

Played college sports hazing happens constantly...not complaining ...just saying.

You mean during a ritual? I don't think they mean if you're standing in line waiting to get your sequined hose after you light a unicorn head with your celery-scented soy candle that your charter is going to get pulled. I believe "line-ups" in this context means making the pledges line up and then throwing questions at them.

I guess this goes back to the original topic, but I don't think that asking pledges to sing is hazing. During my pledge period when we went serenading, our new member mom told me we didn't have to sing if we weren't comfortable doing so.

Now, our Greek Life office "strongly discourages" serenading, because it can be construed as hazing. It makes me really sad, because serenading was one of the best memories I have from my pledge period. Oh well, what can you do. Like Kevin said, better safe than sorry.

Depending on how hazing is defined and whether you're looking at a legal definition (of which there are many) or a policy definition (of which there are many), maybe so, maybe not. Given that RAs are not a club or organization, I don't think it would fit under most definitions of hazing with which I'm familiar.

Blanket statements about what is or isn't hazing can rarely be made with accuracy, except with the obvious examples of physical hazing.

LOL :D