Calling them pledges isn't hazing. Many orgs just changed the name because of its negative connotations. You can Associate with a chapter, thus associate member. you can join, and become a new member. pledge, AM, NM, it doesn't really matter. even if we called our AM's pledges, our pledge program would still be different than many others, but instead its our AM program.

Calling them pledges isn't hazing. Many orgs just changed the name because of its negative connotations. You can Associate with a chapter, thus associate member. you can join, and become a new member. pledge, AM, NM, it doesn't really matter. even if we called our AM's pledges, our pledge program would still be different than many others, but instead its our AM program.

------------------
Steve Corbin
Lambda Chi Alpha
Theta Kappa Chapter
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech.

On my undergrad campus, they used to call pledges "bags". It was a pretty negative connotation. And I remember anyone that dropped out of their new member program was called a "debag". Personally, I think pledge is ok, but we call them new members now anyways. Just the stigma that goes along with the term sometimes I guess. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/rolleyes.gif

Maybe it's not considered hazing in your organization. But in ours, in my chapter, using the term "pledge" was considered to be a form of hazing, and we were not allowed to do it. In fact, my pledge class in 1993 was the last group to be called "pledges". Afterwards, the girls were called new members.

At the University of Georgia, this past fall was the first time the word "Recruitment" was used instead of "Rush" by Panhellenic Council. I guess I'm just old school, but I think it sounds ridiculous. I'm big on tradition, so I like the old terms. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

NPC Ladies: Changing the Recruitment Terminology has been unanimously embraced by all 26 members of the National Panhellenic Conference.

"The National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) changed most of the terminology for recruitment in the last year. This change reflects the language of today's society, and the actual process. We do not want women to feel "rushed" to make life long and life changing decisions, but rather informed choices. The potential member of the new millennium appreciates a more accurate representation of the process.

New Word
Old Word

Membership Recruitment
Rush

Membership Adviser
Rush Adviser

New Member
Pledge

Event
Rush Party

Recruitment Preparation Workshop
Rush Workshop

Intentional Single Preference
Suicide

Potential Member
Rushee

Resign
De-pledge

Formal Membership Report
Formal Rush Report

Vice-President: Membership
Vice-President: Rush

Alumnae Recruitment Consultant (ARC) Alumnae Rush Consultant

Regional Membership Consultant (RMC) Regional Membership Coordinator

Formal Membership Recruitment Acceptance
Preference Card

Continuous Open Recruiting(COR) Continuous Open Bidding (COB)

COR Acceptance
COB Card




[This message has been edited by CutiePie2000 (edited March 15, 2001).]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by BrianMUDU:
[To sum up what he said, Rush was when chapters would get guys to come over, get them drunk, and give them a bid.

In the south, and for girls especially, I've always been told RUSH is what it means....RUSHing Around!

I've heard at least a few alternatives to the word pledge, including new member, associate member, little sister, and candidate member. My sorority terms them "candidates."


------------------

@-->---
Pure as Silver, and True Blue!
Alpha Sigma Kappa - Women in Technical Studies

I think this is actually a really cute idea! However, the first letter of my org is Tau. I think our pledges would feel like they were being called towels! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

We've talked about new member, but don't like it because that's what we tend to call a freshly initiated pledge class for the rest of their first semester. I guess my favorites are either Associate Member or equeen's Candidate. They just all sound so stuffy! I think it would be fun to call them cubs, but we'll see.

And BTW, a lot of you know me by now, but just so there's no confusion about me ingnoring NPC stipulations, I'm in a service sorority. We do use the word Recruitment, because on our campus the social sororities switched to it about three years ago. We just haven't given up calling the newbies pledges!

A coworker is an ADPi and she told me that the "pledges" are called Alphas, the actives are Deltas, and the alumnae are Pi's. Kinda neat, huh?

Well, I suppose 'pledge' may be considered hazing by your HQ, and maybe even mine. I'll have to check on that. We don't use that word anyway, since they've been AM's for 30 years now. I've heard of chapters that still call them pledges though. Anyway, that in itself is not hazing, not even according to state law AFAIK, don't know how it could be, unless you used it in a demeaning manner, but in that case, any word/name can be hazing.

------------------
Steve Corbin
Lambda Chi Alpha
Theta Kappa Chapter
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech.

I didn't mean to say that calling someone a pledge was considered hazing. The point I meant to get across was that "pledge" and "rush" have a negative connotation. I personally would rather be able to use pledge and rush, but I guess nowadays they aren't the best words to use.

I totally agree as far as the reasons for getting rid of pledge and rush. i'd rather use the word rush, pledge or AM doesn't matter to me, but that's the way i was taught, and technically, we can get in trouble for calling them pledges. I know the name is different to stress that they are members, with all rights and privelages, except when it comes to ritual. they can't be ritualist or vote on someones initiation until they are fully initiated brothers. dzrose said it was considered hazing to call them pledges, in her org.

------------------
Steve Corbin
Lambda Chi Alpha
Theta Kappa Chapter
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech.

dzrose, I totally agree with you about "recruitment" sounding like the Army. I can also think of an even more negative connotation it has - cults. I think "membership selection" would have been a better choice if they were hell bent on changing it.

The Crows offically call their pledges "postulants" - I think that is kind of cool. Unoffically, they called them bags (yes shadokat, I see a pattern! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif) Some sororities use the name of their flower or their jewel.

As I've said before though, even the nicest name can sound nasty if you want it to. It is not WHAT you say it is HOW you say it.

New names for "pledge"
 

Since so many organizations are becoming PC nowadays, especially on my campus, my sorority has been tossing around some of the possibilties of what to call our pledges. Nothing seems to sound quite right, so I was wondering what some of you use.

Also, one of our girls has taken to calling the pledges cubs. This is because our mascot is the panda bear. I think it's really cute, but is it too cheesy to be used as an alternative to pledge?

..sigh.. My only problem with all of these alternatives is that you can't use them as verbs. You can rush a sorority, but you can't recruitment a sorority. You can also pledge a sorority, but you can't associate member it. Oh well.

I know what you mean about not using it as verbs. We call our "pledges" "new members". I think "pledge cubs" is so cute! I wonder if "little squirrels" would work for my sorority??? http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/confused.gif

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

Visit Alpha Gamma Delta-Delta Sigma chapter!