Graduate Chapter vs. Undergrad
 

I wsa wondering if someone out there coudl help me. For the past four years I have been workign in NYC as a Stockkbroker, however, as a result of 9/11 my firm decded to relocate to Rhode Island. That was not an option for me so I have decided to finish my degree so that I may matriculate to Law School. My question is this, I have always wanted to become a member of Omega Psi Phi. However should I just wait and go graduate chapter, or should I try undergrad. If I were to go grad chapter woudl I be shown the sam amount of love that a memeber who went undergrad would be shown, or woudl I just be considerd to be paper. Please any advice woudl be gratefully appreciated. Thank you.?

You won't have to worry about that in NY.

In south
 

Yes but the school I will be retruning to is in the south.

It won't be a problem in that case either. Forget the rumors.

Well good luck in whatever you decide to do!!!!! ;)

Ronnie :D

You need to take the opportunity when it presents itself. Nothing is a given. Whether you pledge grad or undergrad, in Omega, you earn your respect by being a good brother and living up to her precepts. The real always supercedes the superficial.

grad vs undergrad.
 

Thanks for the advice. I must also add that I am 30. Will that weigh negatively against me in undergrad? I mean I just would love an opportunity to make line, will my age old me back?

Re: grad vs undergrad.
 

No, it happens more frequently than one might think. I know of at least 3 brothers who have pledged undergrad past age 28.

Doggystyle82,

I am trying to figure out where you stand on the issues. I read some of your posts and you seem to be level headed and others you seem to advocate the very things that your fraternity "leadership" hate.

I am entering through grad chap. I researched the two frats that I wanted to join and made a decision. I am new to reading the boards, but "Where has the black greek respectability and honor gone?" The post by one of masonic brothers made me rethink some of my rationale concerning these issues.

I had a discussion with some kappas,omegas,deltas at work. I asked them if what they did was so "right", as in their process, why not disclose all the details in writing to the heads of their frats for consideration as an alternate process. All you get is, "uuhhh..cool out, man!"

If a 30 year old man, that is in Law School, feels he needs to get respect by allowing grown men to beat and demean him, then truly something is wrong, mentally. I wonder what the Bar Association would think of that because he is a participant, and a hazer, in the years to come if he doesn't wise up.

BGLOs are losing quality leaders in the community over childish rants that I have read on this and other forums. Look at what Dick Gregory said.

Please Respond all!!! ( I love a debate)

I cannot make you understand. If you haven't seen it, lived it, or loved it, I cannot GIVE you an understanding. I pledged old school. Long before intake which is what you have seen as an outsider. I don't delineate between my brothers, Grad or Undergrad, as long as you measure up to and live up to Omega's principles.

I do respect those more who have chosen the undergrad path when they have had the opportunity. That does not mean that I DISRESPECT those that didn't.

If you are entering your chosen org through a grad chapter more power to you, but you are under a few misconceptions. Who told you that you needed to be beaten, disrespected, or humiliated to get respect? Who told you that that was the undergrad process. What "man" would choose such a path. What fool would choose such an org that condones foolishness?

My friend, you are confusing my belief in a tried and true pledge process with something from a rumor mill. Don't ever confuse something that I live daily with something that you "heard" may be true in some (not all or most) chapters. Do you really think Greeks that you work with are gonna tell you everything? Do you divulge Masonic practices with your co-workers. Both of my grandfathers and 8 of my uncles are Masons and I don't know one thing about it beneath the surface.

As far as the law student, let me tell you this. I know plenty of cops, sheriffs, lawyers, judges, and even a Chief Justice of a State Supreme Court who have chosen to pledge and pledge others (not haze, demean, or injure others)

Dick Gregory? Who the hell leads their life by what he says? I still think that you will find Black Greeks in more than 50% of leadership positions on most campus'. I'll ass the 30 yr old Alpha man that is the Mayor of Detroit if he "pledged" or maybe the 40 yr old DeKalb County Commisioner and Kappa Man if he pledged or pledged others (I know personally that he did) or the 35 yr old Omega Man that is the Mayor of Atlantic City if he pledged or pledged others (I know personally that he did). Are these men not leaders? Did they demean themselves and others to join or help others join their illustrious brotherhoods?

Mr. Traveller, the Masons did not let you choose your process and a Fraternity won't either. Its o.k. Pledging doesn't take a strong heart, but rather a strong mind. You are letting rumors and innuendo impede your actions. Good luck, whatever your course.

Doggystyle82,

Truthfully, we all know what pledging entails TODAY. To assume otherwise, would be foolish. I am not reading from "what I heard!", but from first hand experience and knowledge. I went to a college where the greek bros, a lot of them, came into masonry before and some after pledging. Let's not be naive. I have been in a fraternal brotherhood for years also, you learn of others process and pitfalls, it is a common bond that alot of brothers have.

Do you agree with pledging as it is TODAY?

You are right I had no choice over my process into masonry, but I KNOW my process didn't demean me or my CTs. GPAs remained tight! That can not be said for pledging. It was also the official way to come into Prince Hall masonry. As intake is for BGLOs, but I guess lawsuits are the best way to advertise our BGLOs

You say the names of those prominent individuals as if pledging needs to be defended, which it does. They, no matter how high they sit, are then breaking the oaths that so many "say" they hold sacred. You can't have it two ways. I am referring to those individuals that continue pledging as we know it.

Look at your quote about not worrying about that in NY. He won't have to worry about going through intake, and being called a skater, cat, etc.... right? Forgive me if I misinterpet.

CDM
P.S.
I am just presenting Conversation...not conflict.

Proud as a Peacock!
 

Geez, Doggy! I love me sum YOU! Your response was extremely intelligent, eloquent, and thorough! What an Omega Man you are!

Okay, let me stop before my post gets deleted! ;)

I just have one thing to add...

PHAtraveller:
As a member of both Delta Sigma Theta and P.H.O.E.S. I have to state the obvious--that pledging is not solely characteristic of black greek frats and sororities. It even happens in marching bands, for goodness sake. (But of course, you never really hear about that because the media is always on OUR backs!)! And believe ME, becoming a PRINCE HALL Mason/Star is no easy feat. If I were to believe all I've heard/seen, I'd have to pose the same questions to you about the Masonry that you posed to DoggyStyle82...

Just an observation!

And I'm Out! :D

the411 (my sister in light),

True about the process to becoming a mason, but we have not killed or maimed any individuals during our process. Our Grand Lodges have not put forward edicts that say basically, "Do this sh%t like this and only like this" and have PHA borthers and sisters disregard the constitution. For that fact, individuals that go through the masonic ALMOST always have more respect for Masonry.

Again with the 1%. I prefer to be defined by the 99%, not the 1%. So stop with the maimed and killed stuff. If that were the inevitable result of being a Black Greek, there would be none.

Another fallacious argument is that our respective orgs did away with pledging as a result of numerous hazing injuries. FALSE!!! They did so because the state laws changed with respect to our pledging traditions as a result of white greeks dying of alcohol overdoses. Our orgs value the traditional pledge process. Its lawsuits that they fear due to laws as they are currently structured.

I know plenty of Masons that have been hazed. Masonry is protected from the type of lawsuits that Fraternities are subject to or else what you do could be dragged into court also.

doggystyle82,

but truthfully, are you telling me that "making someone dress alike and shave their heads" lead to the lasuits that presently threaten BGLOs? No, its the numerous hazing activities that have lead to them.

1% is a very large number. If 1% of individuals were hurt during the pledge process in a class of say 1000, thats 10 people. Isn't that too many?

Were some Masons hazed?, yes. Was I hazed?, you could put it that way. That doesn't mean it was right nor that I was "made" correctly. One thing that I never heard of, or will, is a "paper" mason or OES. Why is that? Because it not what you do to get in the ORg but what you do after that. BGLO are spending too much time about how you get in rather than "What have you done for me lately"

I was wondering where all the brothers that pledged hard are? Are all financial? I want to know where I can find a chapter, in the 99%, that are legit! I have yet to find one.

I would love to talk in private. Hit me at: phatraveller@excite.com