LMAO - I can just see the signs up around campus and the discussions at info events!
I can promise you this won't be at our recruitment events http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif

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"Alpha Chi Omega - If you only had 2 wishes, what would your second one be?"

After looking at those pictures again, to me its hard to say if they are ALL real or not. The very first one looks the most authentic, but the last ones (b&w) do not.
The ones in between are a coin toss IMO.
I will say that in some of the pictures (that look real)the blond girl for example, is smiling. Like it's not a big deal or a dreadful experience. The same goes also for the few at the top(smiling or laughing).

Would I submit to the same as the first couple of pictures? In a fun setting, to be honest I probably would.
However, anyone who would submit to the same as the last sets of pics (with the marks) should seek professional help, and call the cops!

You only want to see things through your eyes. First off I already drew a parallel for everyone to read between fraternities and the military. There missions are different but the bonds trying to be created are the same. As Charle said, Dr. King was an Alpha he was pledged and he pledged people in return. You obviously know not what you think on that point. Another thing my parents always taught me that anything worth having you have to earn. Oh and just for your information, my parents did not pay for any of my college education, and yes they do know that what I went through I earned. I guess you are one of those types who wants everything in life given to you. Well if you don't like challenges, I'm glad you didn't try and come through my organization. Dr. King would have laughed you right out the door.

Wow, I looked at those pictures. I agree, some looked really fake. Yeah I doubt anyone would be smiling and laughing while getting their a** beat. But whatever.

I am totally against people taking wood to be in an organization. Any organization. I just think it's stupid and really serves no point. There are other things you can do to make someone prove they are going to work hard for your organization after they get in. As greeks, I think we've all been through certain trials and tribulations, good and bad, to prove our worthiness to our respective orgs. And I'm pretty sure that most everyone's experience did not involve some type of physical abuse. I'm just guessing though. I know my experience didn't involve anyone physically harming me. Man, all I gotta say is that if ANYONE laid their hand on me, whoa, I'd have to hit them right back!! They'd have to kick me outta the pledge class! I'd be a damn fool to let anyone try to hit on me just so I can be a member of an organization! What-EVER! I'm sorry but I LOVE my sorority w/ ALL my heart and I was ready to do what it took to get in. BUT I'm not about to let anyone hit me either or do anything that put my life in danger!

Anyway, just think about this. So if you have a pledge class/line and you paddle them or whatever. What happens when after they've proven that they can take wood, they get initiated and then most of them become inactive? So was it worth them getting wood? Was it worth you giving it? I mean, wouldn't you rather have a brother/sister that was "paper" or "skated" and they work hard to uphold the values and principles of the fraternity/sorority? Or would you rather have someone who took wood then became inactive? Hopefully people would want the first scenario. If not, then I think some peope have serious problems if all they care about is bringing in brothers/sisters the "right" way. That is ridiculous!
I would love to know the percentage of people initiated that stay active if they took wood. That would be interesting.
But that's my .04 cents

As far as Masons and goats (or any animals), there aren't any. I only know Blue Lodge (not Shrine, Scottish Rite or York Rite).

http://http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/anti-masonry/goat.html

Ha, if You are a Mason, I am Scotish Rite, there is no wood or I would have kicked the Sh*t out of them!:mad:

It is supposed to be a Brotherhood of Friends!

32 Degree!

Interesting Discussion
 

While we may all have our differences about pledging, we must focus on what is important. For organizations that paddle and those that don't, are your members just members or are they productive brothers and sisters? As long as they give back to the organization on a chapter level, national level and community level then the "process" was successful.

I was not paddled and wouldn't allow it to take place but I am a Chapter President, I am the VP of my Greek Senate, an Editor of my school paper, the university's Junior Class President last year on, have my own radio show and a million other things. I don't say it to brag; I say it to prove a point-brotherhood/sisterhood and wood have no direct correlation.

Any and all forms of new member intake can produce great brothers and sisters if done in good taste. The only way to judge if one way is better than the other is to look at the organization's productivity and each individual's productivity.

Well some might argue that whether the activity is legal or not would be another way to judge. Hazing is not legal in many parts of this country, and certainly not condoned by many national organizations, so my judgment would be that paddling is wrong.


Just sayin...

I don't condone or support paddling nor do I think it is necessary. But state laws consider making people study history or giving a pop-quiz as a hazing activity so most Organizations haze by law.

For some organizations, however, paddling has been connected to ancient rituals (though that is not how it was introduced to Greek life) and as long as it does not step outside of that tradition I will not tell someone that they cannot do that or should not. The issue is that it does often reach far outside of that tradition and becomes a sport.

:D

Wow, the term discretion wasn't known back in 2000, huh?

As has been seen, "using wood" can also do bodily harm to an individual, and that can be used as assault with a weapon.

I too have to agree with most of the posters here.
While "Pledge Paddles" have a great deal of tradition behind them (no pun meant here), some of those traditions can cause a great deal of trouble these days.

Besides the rather strong possibly/probability of breaking anti-hazing rules and laws, one is also looking at A&B with intent to commit bodily harm or some form of that.

We can cause our own problems and they only get worse when TPTB react to the stupid things we do.

wood and tradition is part of the, "Process", 1920 Howard Univercity. If this part of the process was not experienced then...:o