What do you call your Pledges?
 

I know some of my chapters call thier pledges associates, because they are not members but are friends of members..just wondering if any other GLO had any interesting names.

Officially, they are "New Members" or "Associate Members" or "Canidates".

In day to day use however, they're pledges in my chapter.

I'm an Alpha Phi. Our sorority's policy is to call pledges "new members."

Not too interesting, I know. We often lapse into the old non-PC term of "pledge," however. :)

Jen

AEPhi calls them new members. When I joined, AEPhi was just switching over from "pledge" to "new member", so throughout my new member manual, the word "pledge" is used... other sororities on campus had been using "new member" for years. Oh well.

At Phi Mu, we call our pledges "Phi's".

Pink27: I like that, calling them "Phis." It's cute!

Artimis: It is tough. It is really hard to stick to the "PC" terms. When I am speaking of pledging, I usually try to say "joined" or some variation thereof.

For example, "Hallie joined Alpha Phi during recruitment this year."

Sometimes we'll say "She became a new member last month." Or "She became an Alpha Phi last month."

Or: "Hallie is a new member who joined last month."

It is tough! The old terms (pledge, rush, pledging) were so much shorter and easier.

Jen

At UofM-D we call our new girls "Phi's", as all Phi Mu chapters are supposed to. Calling them pledges is not only non-PC, but it's also "hazing" in our book. Mmm...ok but in conversation with other people I just call them pledges sometimes becuz sometimes it's hard to explain what a Phi is. ;)

Well, here at Beta, we are pledges, we have a pledge education program, we are referred to as "the pledges" etc., etc.

I really don't see what the big deal is about using these terms:confused: I dont feel degraded b/c I'm a pledge as opposed to a new member or associate, but I guess it could depend on the house/chapter as to how those words are connotated.

Geoff, has it right :) For us Its usually Pledge or The Pledges(plural)

I was honored to pledge Beta Theta Pi. Definitely some fun times when everything was new :) I can understand why we lapse into the whole word of "new member". Of course I've never heard of my fraternity using it. I think it really sugar coats things and really is unnecessary. But then I guess old school is totally different than the way things are now.

Kevin
Beta Theta Pi Alumnus
Epsilon Mu
George Mason

pearls
 

Hey!
Well in Tri Delta they are officially called new members, but since our symbol for a new member is a pearl, this year they will be called pearls!

ZTA uses 'new members'.

I think ADPi uses 'Alphas'.

Officially we use "new members" but I just call them "newbies"

We just call them Bitches, scum, and other degrating names. I am JUST KIDDING! I have to agree with my Beta Bros that pledges is the word that should be used. The thing that bothers me is how everyone has changed the name of everything. (Time for me to get on my soapbox) What used to be pledges is now "New Members", what used to be called rush is now called "Recruitment" what used to be called hell week is now "Initiation week" or "Principles week". We do not haze our pledges but hell week still works for me because no matter what type of chapter you are (Hazing or non) that last week before you get initiated is a long tiring week. You used to RUSH and then you became a PLEDGE then the last week of PLEDGESHIP you went through HELL WEEK where you learned brotherhood and had to cross that final threshold into the fraternity. Now you are RECRUITED, and you JOIN and become a NEW MEMBER. Right before you are initiated you go through PRINCIPLES WEEK. Whatever happend to the good old greek terms our founders started for us. I think you can mix the old school with the new school. I am very new school when it comes to hazing, I don't find it something necessary, but why do we have to be so $&#@ PC about everything.

It's our National Policy to call our 'pledges' New Members.

Wooglin,

I agree with you 100 percent.

Kevin

Since they are pledging our fraternity, we call them "pledges." Everyone seems fine with it and there haven't been any complaints. Hell, I loved being called pledge when I was a newb.
Wish I could relive my pledge semester again, before all the politics hit, but I can remember my pledge days when I watch our new members in action.

damasa

We still call them pledges. Wooglin4Ever is correct when he comments on things PC. Its easier to change the label than change the behavior. However, Pledging has become synonomous(sp?) with hazing in the minds of many people. So the questions are whether the PNM believe that the changed label means a changed process, which I doubt, and whether the changed label means hazing chapters no longer haze.

In our chapter they are still called pledges, and nothing else.

All 26 groups in the NPC are to call pledges "new members"....
 

This was a unanimous decision adopted and agreed to by all 26 women's fraternities (i.e. "sororities"") in the National Panhellenic Conference.

Some might have their own special names,
i.e. Alpha Delta Pi calls their new members "Alphas",
Phi Mus calls them "Phis", but the term pledge is now a no-no.

I think it stems from the fact that in the eyes of NPC groups, you are considered a New Member as you have received an invitation to membership, and accepted it. You just haven't gone through the process of learning all the history, etc.

Also, an AOII friend explained it to me that pledge is a verb, (i.e. you "pledge" to be loyal to your GLO), rather than a noun..something like that....

CP2000 is right. The new NPC term is NEW MEMBER and nothing else.

Still, I find myself calling our AGD NMs "Baby Squirrels".

What in tha world?
 

:confused:

I know I'm about to celebrate a birthday and all, and I'm in my last year of my 20's.

I could have sworn I posted to this thread?

Maybe I was dreaming....naaaaaaaaaa, couldn't have! ;)

I trust your motive(s) John. ;) :D

New associates
 

I know it seems like calling the new people who associate with your organizations pledges as demeaning, but if you think about it anything you call them is hazing because you are avoiding using there names. I think thats very interesting to say to call someone a pledge as being hazing but calling them new members, pearls, or associates is any better. For my organization we use new associates, is that better than pledge, or the same thing?

In 1972 Lambda Chi Alpha became the first inter/national fraternity to adopt the term "Associate Member" and abolish the then used system of pledgeship. Our Inter/national HQ is really serious about it too. If we are even caught using the p-word, its grounds for serious probation status. Cool thing tho is that we use it as a marketing technique. We are the only fraternity on my campus that allowes its "Associates" to attend chapter meetings, vote on chapter business, even hold officer positions. (They are not however allowed to vote on anything having to do with their own association, or be present for their initiation vote.) Works great for us. I mean, they're paying dues, we believe that they should have a right in saying where their money goes. We also believe that the best way to teach someone to be a good brother is to treat them like a good brother. On-the-Job-training if you will.

my lil' dash of chopper pride:)

Re: New associates
 

IMO it's not what you call someone but how you treat them that makes all the difference. If you call someone a "new member" but treat them like crap, you really haven't done anything positive now have you? I still prefer "pledge", just because it sums up what you are doing - pledging your love and loyalty to the organization.

In Sigma Alpha all of the new members are called "membership candidates" or "MCs" for short.

Allison

Officially, we have to call ours "New Members" but on a daily basis we call them pledges, plebes, new guys or funi's (f'ed up new initiates)

Balanced Man Chapters of SigEp don't have pledges, or any kind of trial membership. SO they're all new members. The name of the stage (or "challenge") they are in depends on their knowledge and devotion. So all members are equal with the exception of knowledge of the ritual.

we call them associate maembers. but I'm old school, so I rather say "pledge".

We call our pledges, pledges.

officially we call our girls "new members" but around the house we usually refer to them as "baby squirrels" <---the squirrel is our mascot.

What organization are you in squirrely girl?

Baby Squirrels
 

"Baby Squirrels" are New Members of Alpha Gamma Delta!! Although not an "official" title, it's cute!:D

At Elon, AZD calls their new members "Lil' Xis", AOTT (i think!!!!) calls them "Rosebuds", Sigma Kappa calls/called them "Angels", ZTA calls them "ZTA Babies"...i don't know about anyone else.

Re: pearls
 

We used to call our new members "Pearls" also -- then we had to change since AXO is totally serious about the PC thing. I am so glad that when I pledged, I was a P-L-E-D-G-E!!

And I have heard that too about "pledge" is a verb, not a noun -- so I guess that its okay to say "Jane pledged XYZ" but not "Jane is an XYZ pledge" -- ughh! PC sucks!!

Well, in Alpha Phi, our new member pins are in the shape of ivy leaves, so sometimes they are referred to as "Ivys". I joined right as NPC was making the transition from "pledge" to "new member". I prefer pledge. I keep slipping up and calling them pledges.

~Jessica

SFSU
 

We have a chapter there at SFSU, I know a couple of my guys there date Alpha Phi's good to hear from you, and tell my boys from Epsilon Theta, I said GO RED!!

Fraternally,
Ricky

Sorry to be dragging out old topics, but I'm hopping around on different pages b/c I just joined GC and I thought this was an interesting topic.
My house calls pledges (new members, whatever) "Betas." If you're an initiate of Pi Beta Phi you're a Pi Phi, if you're pledging you're a Beta. I thought that was cute, but it was easily confused with Beta Theta Pi, who we refer to as Betas, also.

In SN we have "pledges" or "new members" or whatever for about 2 weeks. After they've had a little instruction on ÓN and have a good grasp of what we're all about they go through a ceremony and from there on out are known as "Candidates".

Candidates of SN are called 3 things that I've heard in other chapters -- while the official designation is still Candidate they are called pledge, squire or candidate.


LHT
Kevin

We call them either Pledges or New Members. I prefer Pledges myself.