So I'm not sure if the second I/HQ needs to be informed, but the first is definitely involved per the NIC bylaws.

Weeping in support here.

I still use the old terms. They make SENSE. I think by dumbing down and PCing the lexicon, you've got a lot of people who really don't get the responsibility anymore. My biggest pet peeve is all the PC language that often takes 5 words to say what 1 did.

George Carlin did a bit about how shell shock became post traumatic stress disorder and how it has diminished the intensity of what it is by adding syllables.

And I still use the old terms as my little way of fighting the stupitude. When we can't let anyone's feelings get hurt or reward people for being better at something, it makes everyone worse. Why CAN'T we distinguish the pledges as being less than the initiated members? Why can't it be seen as an accomplishment to make it through? Why can't the process be seen as something wholly different from a job interview or college entrance? I don't like the baby this or baby that thing either, but I think it's better than the concept that the pledges have the same member status as the woman who has been a member for 50 years. And on that tangent, I wish we'd go back to the pledges having to actually pass a test to gain full membership. Maybe then we could ask the question, can you join another sorority ever ever in your whole life even if you move to another school? It still wouldn't solve some of the girls who refuse to not be stupid, but it would solve some of it.

I am thinking of a couple of situations in particular where Big U was closer to home. (i.e. - Linda Lost needed to move back in with mom and dad to save money, so transferred back in state to save money, but still wants to be in the sorority, so you HAVE to take her, but she says you can't make her live in house? :confused:)

Or going from out of state or private school to in-state Big U. to save money.

And... transferring to try recruitment again or "because I just don't fit in here" still happens --> in state to out of state, out of state to in state, Big U to small U, small U. to Big U., left half of state to right half of state.... :(

well, going from my experience, Big Flagship U is anything but cheap, even if you do live at home. I know that varies widely from state to state though.

One of the sororities (sorry I don't remember who) had a blog post going off about "babies" but I think it kind of fell flat. I mean she complained about it more as differentiating new members rather than it being juvenile. The fact is...pledges AREN'T members. If they were, someone couldn't depledge and join another group a year later. It would violate NPC rules. Until you take that initiation oath, you are part of the chapter - just as I would say non-member advisors and sweethearts are part of the chapter - but you are not an actual member.

^^ I don't often hear NPC women sharing that mindset, but I completely agree.

AMEN!!

Delta Zeta had a blog post about this same thing, but it's more about demoralizing the new members. Though it might be the one you read, too.

See Blog Here

Yeah, I know I'm out of my lane, but if I recall correctly, NIC rules say that a guy who was already initiated into Fraternity ABC can only be initiated into Fraternity DEF if ABC HQ informs DEF HQ in writing that the guy is no longer a member of ABC.

I know it happened pretty frequently in the South, probably more frequently in Mississippi and Texas. Times have changed a lot, and for the VAST majority of women transferring from one school to another in this country, it is done for reasons other than to sneak into the back door of the "it" chapter.

Actually, I don't mind the "babies" thing that much. In some contexts, I use/understand the term baby to refer to anything petite or particularly adorable. I mean, think about the slang that small groups of women create when they spend time around one another... there's always a word du jour or random abbreviation du jour (awk, obvies, presh).

I do like this point a lot. We refer to them as "new members" and the "new member period", but you're right -they're not really members yet. They're more like probationary members or aspiring members.

Then we bend over backward to not do anything that treats them differently than any other member, sometimes the point of absurdity. We can educate them in a little meeting, but we can't really put any responsibility on them to learn about the organization or sisters. We ask sisters to do more during the two weeks around recruitment than we ask new members to do in their entire new member period.

I think that, even if women aren't doing transferring FOR THAT REASON, the problem doesn't go away, though. I know several people who didn't get into UT, so went to a branch UT campus and then reapplied sophomore year. None of them went greek, but if they wanted to be greek, they have two choices: try to rush at UT as a sophomore, or rush now and try to affiliate. The latter is a much more sure thing, especially seeing that they may not be able to transfer at all.

Calling new members baby whatevers is subtle hazing? It's the PC crap that prohibits members from using terms like pledge that created the environment where women now feel the need to come up with stupid cutesy names.