How can I make it through pledging
 

I'm pledging this spring and just wanted to get some ideals from people who already pledged so my process want be a hard one. How to deal with taking wood

Don't.

Good advice, 33.

Wood is hazing. Against the law AND against NPHC regulations. If you are in an NPHC affiliated group and they are using wood, they are breaking the rules not only in the national fraternity but the rules of the oversight/governing organization.

It's great to wear letters and enjoy lifelong sister-/brotherhood. But it's not so great that you should have to be beaten to prove you are 'worthy'.

You want to make you pledge experience a hard one? Here's what you do: remain an ACTIVE member in your organization AFTER you cross, and I'm not talking about showing up for step practive either. JOIN A GRADUATE CHAPTER AS SOON AS YOU GRADUATE and become ACTIVE in it. The REAL pledging, the REAL WORK comes AFTER you've crossed the sands, not before.

Well said!

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Always
Seek
Knowledge

Alpha Sigma Kappa - Women in Technical Studies

I'll second (or third, wherever we are at) - DON'T take wood. Don't even consider it is as one of those things you "have" to go through to fit in. Don't trade your pride in yourself for membership - make your selection on who to pledge wisely - be it BGLO/GLO whatever. Don't make a lifetime commitment in a few moments - take your time.
When people (I won't use the term brother in this example) give wood to prospective members, I wish somehow I could force a mental image that they are giving wood to their founding fathers...how would they react to wood, or to any of the stupid hazing incidents we unfortunately hear all to often?

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Don't be your brother's keeper; rather, be your brother's Brother.

[This message has been edited by LXAAlum (edited January 24, 2001).]

I'm just interested to know if any of you who advised zero to not taken wood themselves or if they've engaged in a pledge process of any kind.

Nu Iota chapter Kappa Alpha Psi
Spr. 97

I engaged in a pledge process where I got to know the sisters, learned the local and national history of the sorority, and became familiar with other members of the Greek community.

It was a lot of work, but at no time was I physically or mentally abused and I cannot see why that would ever have to be part of the pledge program.

Yes I did "really pledge"...but I wasn't stupid enough to join an organization that would crack me over the ass with a paddle for no reason.

Yes. I pledged. I went through a pledge process which resulted in the priveleges of membership in my sorority. NO, I was not hit with anything, and there is NO WAY in HELL I would have allowed that to happen to me. No letters, no loyalty, nothing is worth getting beaten. Who cares if it's tradition? There are a lot of other "traditions" which are wrong and need to be phased out, and this ludicrous one of "taking wood" is another one.

I have to agree with the others. DON'T take wood. This is not part of ANY pledge process. You will never be able to find ANYWHERE in ANY national fraternity/sorority books, headquarters, whatever--that states that this is a tradition. It is not only NOT part of any pledge process, but it is illegal and against all rules by Nationals. Anyone who says it's 'real pledging' to take wood is full of themselves, if you're REALLY pledging, you're doing the work that the founders MEANT for you to do--learning the history of the organization, working with the philanthropy in place, helping better the community, learn leadership skills by working with a type of governing system inside the organization. THAT is REAL pledging.

I pledged a national sorority (DZ) AND a national professional fraternity for women (SAI). Neither organziation hazed me in any way--that includes wood. I wouldn't stand for it when I pledged, and neither should anyone else.

Pledged? Yes.
Taken wood? No. NEVER.

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Always
Seek
Knowledge

Alpha Sigma Kappa - Women in Technical Studies

[This message has been edited by equeen (edited January 26, 2001).]

take wood....its not that bad, silly

I can't believe that even occurs anymore. When we pledged, the paddles were gifts for the brothers, symbolic of the time and effort involved in pledging. I can't believe anyone would be stupid enough to get whacked on the ass with one. I would of kicked the crap out of anyone that touched me with one. Grow up.

RUgreek

i'm reading this over and i'm thinking that this person DOES NOT want his pledge process to be a hard one. maybe "want" is supposed to be "won't." In light of that, sorry kid, there's nothing you can do to get around that. pledging is like adding another 2 classes to your course load. you have organization & chapter history to learn, organization and chapter rules & regulations to become familiar with. not to mention bonding with your those you're pledging with and those who are pledging you, in addition to maintaining a respectable GPA so you don't become inactive right after you become a member. I wish i had something different to tell you, but anything in this life worth having is worth working for.

The wood just like most other things in life is 90% mental. You need to focus your energies more on making line in the first place than dealing with wood.

Kappa Alpha Psi
Nu Iota Chapter
spr. 97

cracking the f*** up!!!

never WWF Smackdown during set! LOL

Someone said they don't think that paddling takes place anymore. I can tell you it does. I had a boyfriend in a fraternity and at their formal, they paddle their littles. Now I thought this would be a little tap on the butt, because the woman that the big brother brought also gets to paddle the little. So when I had to do it, I really wound up, and then just touched him with the paddle. The brothers booed me http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif Then, his big brother took the paddle and WHAM! I was like what the heck is this?!?! It does still happen.

Another story...a sister of mine was dating a pledge from another fraternity. One night he and one of his pledge brother snuck to our house at 11 pm and away from the house. Apparently, his pledge brother had been paddled so hard, they broke the skin on his butt and he was bleeding. We ended up taking him to the hospital, but the guys refused to report the incident.

Nobody needs to deal with "taking wood" to be a member of a fraternity.

All this talk about paddling...this could get kinky http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/eek.gif

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Once in every lifetime, you'll know what life is. Oh I need you, you need me, oh my darling, don't you see? The Young Ones. Darling we're The Young Ones. The Young Ones. Shouldn't be afraid! To live. To love. There's a song to be sung. 'Cause we may not be The Young Ones for very long!!!

LOL I'm mad at Billy for taking it there!! LOL

http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/confused.gif AT A FORMAL?? interesting...

Bobby...You know. Like S&M...spanking http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif

Well, that lowered the level...

Seriously though, there's nothing funny about this hazing stuff.

Spanking, etc. (any hitting) is probably assault and battery, and is against the law. So, we're potentially talking about arrest, fines, losing charters, etc.

Offending chapters had better wake the hell up and join this century. Just because it happened to some of us in the past doesn't make it OK today.

DeltAlum

grrr It was joke. I know it was weak...but still. I was just trying to lighten things up. Trying to keep people calm...guess it didn't work.

Yeah we are laughing at the same thing. It just seems to me, that on a lot topics, people say pretty much the same thing, but get mad at each other cuz they don't say the exact same thing.

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Once in every lifetime, you'll know what life is. Oh I need you, you need me, oh my darling, don't you see? The Young Ones. Darling we're The Young Ones. The Young Ones. Shouldn't be afraid! To live. To love. There's a song to be sung. 'Cause we may not be The Young Ones for very long!!!

Well, I'm glad we all got that cleared up.

I like that idea of paddling at the formal. Hey, let's get everyone who's not bout it out of the way in a hurry.

Kappa Alpha Psi
Nu Iota Spr 97

Nothing wrong with taking a little paddling on Friday afternoons while the Bros (or sisters) sit around and drink some beer. It builds a better member

Many Are Kalled,
Few Are Chosen!!!

Life Itself is harder than a piece of wood,
you deal with life everyday. If you are chosen, whatever they plan to do to you kan't
be as hard as life!!!

If it komes to the wood, remember your mother or father probably put that leather on that ass several times. So suck it up and worry about the hardset tribulation, LIFE!!!!!

Kappa Alpha Psi
Xi Upsilon
Spr.'93

Since when does hitting someone make them a better member? What sort of warped logic is that?

I don't appreciate the comparison of this form of hazing to parentally-administered corporal punishment. There's a big difference. You all are (hopefully) mature enough to know the difference.

Hey Nole,

I've read a number of your posts recently.

Are you just trying to be provocative in some misguided way, or do you really believe the junk you write?

If you do, then God help your chapter and Nationals. This is the kind of stuff that perpetuates stereotypes. It is what all of the GLO's I'm aware of are trying to overcome.

Nobody should be subjected to any kind of hazing in this day and age. They don't have to put up with it.

Those times are past. Thankfully. We don't need to go back there.

DeltAlum

DeltAlum has a very good point. Sounds suspect to me...too many people like to come here and start fires and then run before they get burned.

I think this guy often believes what he posts. I know this because he actually comes back and tries to defend the stupidity of his posts.

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"Talk doesn't cook rice."--Someone smart

Visit Alpha Gamma Delta-Delta Sigma chapter!

Although I consider myself to be of fair maturity, I don't see a gigantic difference - for the same reasons given above, neither should be the most effective, correct?

If you want tomake your process better, bond with your lb's/ls's(if this is concerning a BGLO), know your history, and be productive if you cross. The real work starts afterwards...
As far as wood is concerned...suck it up 'cause pain is more mental than physical.

Only a few cross those burning sands...

Your brain can tolerate more than you ever thought possible. So just suck it up and deal with whatever, then when you finish do the same thing when that community service project is interfereing with some personal plans suck it up and deal with it. Good luck.

I think the wussy fraternities started this whole anti-pledge program BS to make themselves feel tough. Some of the people on this board complain about the most trivial things. At my school Sigma Chi is probably the weakest fraternity, but even they get to feel hardcore because they "haze" pledges by making them interview the actives and memorize a stupid book. It's insulting that weak houses with no traditions get to think they're breaking the rules. Save your arguments for the real hazers, the guys who OWN their pledges. Now THEY'RE hardcore.

They are not hard-core.
They are weak people who have a pathetic need to feel superior to other people.
They are lacking in self-esteem or common sense or both.
They are people who have forgotten that it is not possible to "own" any other person and it is wrong to try. (I believe our country has fought a war or two over ideas like those).
They are a disgrace to the modern Greek system.

Oh so that's who started the anti-hazing program. I was wondering about that (please hear my sarcasm). It couldn't have been the large number of deaths and the countless number of court cases, could it? I truly hope that you guys don't really believe what you post. I personally know a gentleman who is having his wages garnished for the next 20 years because he was involved in a little "harmless" hazing. But at lease he "owned" his "pledges".

Or am I complaining about "trivial" things again?

DopeNick,

If you really believe what you said, then your name really fits.

Hazing is ILLEGAL.

DeltAlum