very curious
 

ok just wondering what your opinions are on sororities that do surprise initiations... and have pledge periods longer than 8 weeks... ?

I will comment on the pledging period but I went alum in 94 and we still had full semester pledging at that time-so keep that in mind. I see the benefits of having a full semester of pledging b/c that way you do not initiate those who do not make their grades. If you initiate in 8 weeks and then in January you find out that so and so made below the needed grade point average then there is no opportunity for a probationary period.

I also see an advantage to initiating in 8 weeks. This really helped out and lowered the amount of depledging among the sororities. It was much easier to depledge or leave the sorority if you were not initiated. Once initiated, more thought was given-it was more of a commentment and more concrete once you were initiated.

two in mind
 

I know of two sororities (cultural in nature) who have "surprise" initiations. The length of the process is however long it takes the ladies to learn the required information and fulfill other requirements.

I think my friends involved appreciated the surprise initiation because just when they thought it would never end. . .it did. Also, if coordinated properly, the women's mothers and sisters can be contacted to participate in the ceremony (if they are members).

Just wanted to comment on the length of pledging. I just got initiated last Sunday and our pledge period was 8 weeks long. I think that this is a nice amount of time because it gives you just enough time to learn the history that you need to know. And the they check our grades by looking at our midterm grades. We had to have a 2.6 to get initiated. I think if you have this at midterm time that you have a good chance of making grades at the end of the semester.

Anne Marie

P.S. I love being a Delta Zee!!!!:D

I wouldn't want to do a surprise initiation solely cause people are so busy, how would you know you would be able to find them?

My pledge period was 6 weeks and that was fine...but I think this all depends on the group and the amount of info you have to learn. I would never say so and so many weeks is too long, cause I'm not learning that info.

how do your particular national organizations feel about these two subjects? are you allowed to practice them?

I was initiated into a local. We had a surprise initiation. It wasn't fun at all because we had NO idea how long we would be pledging - we were also the first pledge class so that made it even more interesting. I think actually that all the groups on campus has surprise initiation (or at least didn't let anyone outside the groups know when initiations were going to be!) Keep in mind this was the early 90s and there were no NPC groups and only 1 national sorority.

We also only went 6 weeks, but as the first pledge class there really wasn't too much history to learn and we were also meeting EVERY day for probably a total of 50 hours per week (seriously!) Mind you, about 15 of that was mandatory study hours. I also think that we were initiated after 6 weeks only because other fraternities and sororities were initiating at that time as well (and we were almost hte last bunch to initiate). We definitely bonded as a pledge class, though! :)


Sarah
Delta Kappa Phi '94
Alpha Omcron Pi '00

I agree with 33; everyone is so busy that surprise anything is difficult.

The 6-8 week new member period is great with me. I enjoyed it and think it is enough time to get the basics covered and reviewed.

At my school, Chi O was the only "long" new member period and although the new members were not the happiest when they were still new members when others in their Rho Chi groups were sisters, Chi O was the one who got the most out of it. While other groups had to deal with GPA issues,after the fact, Chi O had new member grades before initiation and it wasn't an issue that way.

Both work, but the shorter, I think, is easier for the chapter and new member.

I have a feeling this is frowned upon by International Organizations. It smells a little like hazing...

I had a friend in a Nat. GLO who had to be down at the house for an entire week between certain times because they knew they would be initiatied sometime that week, but didn't know exactly when. That's definitely hazing.

I'd play it safe if I were you.

I think she is right, I might have read that in an NPC worksheet that not disclosing initiation day is a type of hazing...anyone read that as well?

I know we have a week devoted to our new members and the end is initiation....we are very upfront about that. I assume if it wasn't made clear, it would be like holding that over them until they were good enough...not so sisterly.

One of the sororities on my campus used to do a surprise initiation but can't anymore due to hazing. They would have the girls spend the week at the house and then randomly in the middle of the night, they would wake up a few girls and initiate them...I guess they did it they way because it was meant to "come to them in a dream." I think it's a shame that they can't continue their tradition.

I think you should know in advance. That way you get a good nights sleep and can pay attention. Also, it ensures your dressed properly.

the old days :)
 

When I was initiated in 1993, we had surprise initiation. We knew that we couldn't pledge longer than 8 weeks, and that we would "get in" in that time. But we didn't know when the night would be. I LOVED IT!! It was so exciting not to know, but to at least know that an end would come in 8 weeks. I know that NPC thinks that's hazing, so I would check with your HQs to see what they have to say. I wouldn't give up that experience for anything though...but that was a long time ago.

Our initiation is not secret but there are 2 sororities on my campus for women of color, both of these organizations have a type of surprise initiation. They call it 'crossing over' and it is a HUGE deal (as initiation should be) but apparently it's such a big deal that they don't want anyone in the other organization to know exactly when they crossed over. For this reason they all spend the weekend together somewhere and initiation is conducted sometime that weekend but no one other than the sorors knows exactly when it happened. I think that initiation like that is really cool and probably that much more meaningful . . . it would never work for us though, the sheet logistics of trying to get everyone together for an entire weekend . . . woah!

Emmi

I was pledging a local that had a "surpise" initiation. For them it was definitely a form of hazing from them becuase they said you wouldn't "cross over" until the class was close enough and had acheived "unity (the three things this org. strives for) but it def. hazing because it was like.. we can make you do anything or whatever because we decide when this initiation date happens for you.
My NPC org told us when initiation would be, and it happens over a weekend, we try not to let anyone in other orgs know where we're going until after it happens though.. and it's ALWAYS away from campus. We always have every sister present because it is important for everyone to be there. I guess I can see the coolness in having a surpise initiation... esp like the one described whe're it's supposed to come to you in a dream or whatever. that seemed kinda neat... =) but if it's just another thing to hold over you as a pledge.. I don't think it's necessary and it def. is a form of hazing.