Fourteen Pearls and "Hazing"
 

Just letting everyone know that they should not be worried by the title of this thread. Its just a question I have.

In the greek life forum, James started a thread about PNM's questions about Sorority Life. In it, KittyKatKappa said that she believed that NPC considers anything that you have to do to earn Initiation is considered hazing.
At first, I was thinking well Alpha Gam doesnt have anything like this so it wouldnt be a concern. Then, I thought about our 14 Pearls requirement. Where you have to do something under each of the 9(?) headings, with 5 being done again to equal 14. You have to do this along, along with other things in order to fulfill Initation requirements. In a way this a form of a point system. Than, AXOAlum went on to talk about how one of their chapters got got in trouble for doing something like this.
I know my chapter and many others also do this same thing, except to show that they are/have been completing the Pearls. For our littles we had to make a pearl board and for each one that they did, they got a pearl or whatever you wanted to put on it. I did hard starbusrt for my lil.

I know that Alpha Gamma Delta, [size=5.0]ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT[/size] tolerate hazing by its chapters or members in any form. But given what KittyKatKappa and AXO Alum said, would the Fourteen Pearls be technically considered "hazing" under those definitions?

and if not.......

Would it be because of the NPC policy that...
Meaning that because the Fourteen Pearls was instituted into our fraternity BEFORE we joined NPC and it does not do anything to put a PNM ar risk, emotionally physically, etc., then it does not fall within the "hazing" technicality?


*side note* I did try to change the name of this thread, however It did not work. If it didnt my apologies if I scared or offended anyone by its title. :)

**completed after going to Marchall's, Walmart, putting together a bookcase, and cleaning and reorganizing a room. Oh yeah and losing (but still looking for) my 5th lavaliere. I know I know :rolleyes: :p :D

Here is some information that may or may not answer your question. It is from the website StopHazing.org.

Hazing Defined

Hazing is defined by the FIPG (Fraternity Insurance Purchasing Group) as:

"Any action taken or situation created, intentionally, whether on or off fraternity premises, to produce mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule. Such activities may include but are not limited to the following: use of alcohol; paddling in any form; creation of excessive fatigue; physical and psychological shocks; quests, treasure hunts, scavenger hunts, road trips or any other such activities carried on outside or inside of the confines of the chapter house; wearing of public apparel which is conspicuous and not normally in good taste; engaging in public stunts and buffoonery; morally degrading or humiliating games and activities; and any other activities which are not consistent with fraternal law, ritual or policy or the regulations and policies of the educational institution."

"1. If you have to ask if it's hazing, it is. 2. If in doubt, call your advisor/coach/national office. If you won't pick up the phone, you have your answer. Don't B.S. yourself.' 3. If you haze, you have low self-esteem. 4. If you allow hazing to occur, you are a 'hazing enabler.' 5. Failure to stop hazing will result in death..."

Will Keim, Ph.D., "The Power of Caring"

EXAMPLES OF HAZING

The following are examples of hazing by category. It is impossible to list all hazing activities, so this list is not intended to be all inclusive. Each pledge activity can be measured against the definition for each category.

A. SUBTLE HAZING: Actions that are against accepted sorority or fraternity standards of conduct, behavior and good tastes. An activity or attitude directed toward a pledge or an act which ridicules, humiliates or embarrasses.

EXAMPLES:

1. Never doing anything with the pledge(s)

2. Calling pledge "pledgie" or any other demeaning name

3. Silence periods for pledges

4. Any form of demerits

5. Initiates writing progress reports on pledges

6. Requiring pledges to call members Mr., Miss etc.

7. Scavenger hunts for meaningless objects

8. Phone duty or house duties, if only assigned to pledges

9. Requiring pledges to carry Pledge Handbook or paddles everywhere to get signatures

10. Scaring pledges with what may happen at initiation

11. Deprivation of privileges

B. HARASSMENT HAZING: Anything that causes mental anguish or physical discomfort to the pledge. Any activity or activity directed toward a pledge or activity which confuses, frustrates or causes undue stress.

EXAMPLES:

1. Verbal abuse

2. Any form of questioning under pressure or in an uncomfortable position

3. Requiring pledges to wear ridiculous costumes or perform ridiculous activities

4. Requiring only pledges to enter by back door or go up back staircase

5. Stunt or skit nights/events with demeaning and/or crude skits and/or poems

6. Requiring pledges to perform personal service to actives such as carrying books, running errands, performing maid duties, etc.

No, Alpha Gamma Delta is not hazing. The 14 pearl program, if done correctly, is education during Fraternity Education. In addition, we do not make our new members wear "pledge pins" as they are optional and the new members can chose to wear it.

Alpha Gamma Delta Fraternity is extremely dedicated to following all laws, etc regarding hazing.

Sorry if this sounds a little stupid, but what items would not be considered meaningless for a scavenger hunt?

Scavenger hunts is not an appropriate new memeber event, regardless what they're looking for.

There was a tradition in my chapter to do a scavenger hunt inside our house on bid day so that the new members could get their bid day buddies. The bid day buddy wrote notecards to have the new members locate things in the house or specific sisters (for example, "Which Greek Award did we win last year?" or "Find the VP Scholarship"), and eventually (we limited it to I think 6 clues and we would help them if they looked confused so that it didn't take too long) they would be led to their bid day buddy and their bid day basket of gifts. We never saw it as hazing, because everyone had fun and the new members were learning about the house and the sisters, but we had an LC on bid day one year, and she told us that we were absolutely not allowed to do a scavenger hunt, even if the new members weren't stealing things and weren't leaving the house and grounds. Anyway, we were all kind of upset about it because we didn't think of it as a real scavenger hunt. Do you guys think that should have been considered hazing?


BTW, there is an intramural scavenger hunt every year that is held by the Student Activities office. Maybe we should turn them in for hazing, too. :rolleyes: :p

IMHO, the event could cause undue mental discomfort as the woman is running around trying to figure things out as fast as she can while noticing others may be already done. Plus it goes against "fraternal law" as the hazing definition in an early post.

I still think it was just fun and not hazing, but I guess you never know...

What is not HAZING?
 

since I was the 33rd lady initated into my chapter, there were no set traditions or hazing. We would joke to our advisors that we wanted to be hazed because we didn't do anything. I am not advocating hazing, I am just asking what isn't hazing?

Okay I grant you that I might feel bad if I came in last but as a responsible sisterhood, you would try to follow the 14 Pearl program and have a varity of activities that allow for all different personalities and talents. That is what is different about our program then other programs I have seen, in that we give a varity of options to the NMs to obtain their 14 Pearls. Also in my chapter I don't believe that it is manditory that one finishes the program, but those that do are praised for their good work.

I think that it is truly stupid the state of what is and isn't hazing now of days. I think that as the next generation of Advisors and volunteers that we can work on just how much is too much. Though I don't know if this is possible or not without a lot of alumnea support.

alpha gam
 

my sister is pledging alpha gamma delta and has to take tests. I asked her, "what if you don't take it?"

she said, "we have to." and then she got mad and yelled at me.

I'm in a sorority where there is no hazing, and I mean NO HAZING. As a New Member, you have no responsibilities other than attending a weekly meeting in which you learn about the history and traditions of our sorority. In fact, every week each new member gets a gift from a "secret sister".

To me, forcing a new member to do anything they don't feel comfortable doing is hazing. Before we pin them, we tell them exactly what they are expected to do -- go to a meeting once a week and get presents. They aren't even required to go to our chapter meeting, though it is encouraged.

So any sorority that says they don't haze, and then makes their members carry binders, get signatures, take tests, do projects, etc. is full of crapola, in my opinion.

This thread is 6 years old.

Do you plan on joining an alumnae chapter after you graduate?

No offense intended, but it seems odd that New Members wouldn't have at least the same requirement as active initiates. It must be a rude awakening when the honeymoon is over.

They go to a pledge meeting once a week, so they have the same commitment. I personally think requiring or inviting the pledges to attend all the regular chapter meetings is a bad idea, but that's another thread.

I think cootie is exaggerating how little she had to do and how much her sister is doing.

Taking a test is not hazing. If you think it is, you are lame.

Our new members take a test that is standard among all of our chapters internationally. If a new member does not pass it the first time, they can review their test and take it as many times as necessary to receive a passing score. In all of my years working with chapters, I've never seen a woman not get initiated due to the test. The test covers very basic information about our organization, its structure and its history, knowledge that is necessary to function within one of our chapters. Our other requirement is meeting financial obligations. Our new members are not required to get signatures, carry a binder/book, etc. Any projects required are required of ALL members, including philanthropy, study hours and service hours. Since this thread was originally started, our 14 Pearl Program (reflecting the 14 pearls on our badge) has been revised and standardized to require fraternity education modules in our new member handbook (learning the history/structure) and financial obligations. New members are also expected to follow the same Code of Standards that members have to follow. That's it.