Wood
 

Anyone on here ever get any wood while they were pledging? I know I did. How much did you get? In my frat we call it "getting in the cut". What are you opinions?

I hope everyone took wood in their process. It should be a big part of journey. I truely believe that my frat is hardest pledging org out there. That sense of pledging hard draws you closer to brotherhood because you know that you do have something in common with this man besides just being in the same frat as them.

Frat I can see things quite the same. wood was very much apart of my process. I agree we do pledge pretty got damm hard! I recently posted a new topic entitled "ZPBS paper shoutout" on the zeta board, so that respective frat and soror from all over who still get down could post whose paper and whose not, so that if you come across these individuals you know not to fuk with them. The Zetas was swole at me boy cuz not only did i get a mass hate mail as a result, I also got the post taken down in a matter of days by whoever runs this shyt. It's good to know that someone still appreciates a good process out there. GOMAB the right way!

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Let me jump in here and defend our Sorors. The Soror who moderates the board can give you the exact reson your post was taken down but I'm willing to bet she did because it was offensive and it was indiscreet. The members who frequent the Zeta board on this website would like it to be positive so that ALL Sorors, Frat, and Friends who want to post do so and feel welcome.

GOMAB the right way is BROTHERHOOD, SCHOLARSHIP, AND SERVICE. NOT a 'process'!

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Strivin' for Z-Phi-B!

Well, first of all I couldn't tell you what "wood" is, but I would assume it means paddling. No, we don't. My chapter has the big sisters decorate a paddle for their little sisters to hang on their walls, but it is in no way used for beatings or paddlings. If is for decoration. Besides, who would want to stoop to that level to paddle someone? OR who would want to be the paddler? Is this grade school? Adults don't get paddled, only children.

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Mikki Gates
Delta Zeta Alum
Kappa Mu Chapter
Sigma Alpha Iota Alum
Eta Tau Chapter

"I would rather have thirty minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special."

--Julia Roberts
(Steel Magnolias)

Visit me at:
http://homepages.go.com/~dzkm433/index.html
and
http://www.calypso.com/dzkm433/welcomtomyworld.chtml

It's a matter of taste, I suppose...each candidate class at my chapter chooses a signature item (usually wooden), but no one has ever chosen the paddle.

Soror, I understand where you are coming from but, you gotta keep it real skaters are hated. Some girl the other day wanted to know some chants. She wanted to know if some one would e-mail her them or post them on the board. You think she pledged? I worked way to hard for my letters and to see other people walk around with the same respect as me, and he/she didnt even pledge. It goes all the way back to 1914. You Should unterstand it best all 5 of your founders pledged. G.O.M.A.B. frat

Do the sororities take wood also? I heard that they dont.

I really don't know where the tradition of a paddle came from, but when I was in school I had one. It was painted and had little turtles (our mascot) all over it and it had my name and my sister's name and my pledge year on it. It was really pretty. My sister did a good job on it. I loved it!

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Mikki Gates
Delta Zeta Alum
Kappa Mu Chapter
Sigma Alpha Iota Alum
Eta Tau Chapter

"I would rather have thirty minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special."

--Julia Roberts
(Steel Magnolias)

Visit me at:
http://homepages.go.com/~dzkm433/index.html
and
http://www.calypso.com/dzkm433/welcomtomyworld.chtml

Even though i hated my time "in the cut" now i can see where it created adversity so that the pledges would be forced to bond together (or the line would break up). It was a time of "testing" so that you knew that your line brothers/sisters would "bump" for you in a time of need and it taught the individual line members to carry their share of the task. Even though your heartwarming gifts ( paddles with turtles on them..lol) sounds "hunky dori" i am secure with the knowledge that my "sands" with be there for me in the most dire time of need (Because we were tested with adversity when online (taking wood was just one of the obstacles)). Every rite of passage has ( or should have) some type of "stress" test, to see how strong the bond is. Marriages/relationships have stress tests. Families have stress tests. Lifelong Fraternal organizations should have stress test also. If someone is to be my lifelong Fraternal brother then i need to know that that person can handle extreme pressures and adverse conditions (wood is just one of the techniques). I personally dont want fair weathered (or untested) friends sharing a Fraternal bond with me.

Charle:

In response to your comment:"Even though your heartwarming gifts ( paddles with turtles on them..lol) sounds "hunky dori"

I doubt that your big brothers taught you to mock the traditions of other organizations while you were on line. How would you feel if someone mocked the traditions of your organization? I'm sure you would be pissed and would rather they not speak about something they know nothing about. I am a member of Zeta Phi Beta (obviously) and I don't know anything about Delta Zeta's traditions, but I'm willing to bet that the gifts given to them by their sister's mean as much as the gifts given to you by your prophytes.

It is also unfair to question their bond because they didn't 'get in the cut'.

Zeta Ace

[This message has been edited by ZetaAce (edited April 13, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by ZetaAce (edited April 13, 2000).]

Dang it Yoda, you took the words right out of my mouth - absolutely, if you feel confident enough in a person to give them a bid, by all means that should mean you will take the responsibility to stand by them as a brother. Otherwise, the bid goes out on false pretenses, NOT a brotherly thing to do.

Taking wood takes ideals out of your bond - in my opinion, it is a perverted form of abuse. A brotherhood not built on the true ideals of it's founders is a brotherhood that will in the end fail. I'm sure your national organization would find the fact you "took wood" is not congruent with what you were supposed to experience. You've been cheated out of true respect, dignity, integrity, and any of the other TRUE ideals of a fraternal organization.

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Don't be your brother's keeper; rather, be your brother's Brother.

Recieving "a bid" is a right and priveledge to be evaluated and be tested. Just because someone recieves "a bid" (i went to something called a "smoker")does not entitle him to skate into my Frat. If a brother invites someone to one of our "smokers" he does so with his reputation on the line. The "priveldge" to be tested (recieving a bid) to see if he is worthy. Recieving a bid is only the beginning, and it should remain that. I dont want a non tested individual in my midst. Thats why , in my Frat, we continue to test brothers (even after they have crossed the sands) to make sure that they dont drop below the standard. Shall I say brotherhood conditioning. And no brother is exempt. It refreshing to see even the famous bruhs (NFL, NBA, Movie stars)join in the festivities of brotherhood ( on my level). I am glad i didnt join any weak shit.

I'm sorry you feel that way about my oranization. My paddle was a gift to me on the night I was initiated. We all recieved our paddles the night we were initiated. Despite what you think, my bond with my sisters is very strong. Two of my sisters will be brides maids in my upcoming wedding. the other two are friends that I have had since grade school. I've been out of school now for 2 years, and I am still close to the two sisters that are to be in my wedding (and we are in different states), and I am sending invitations to all the sisters and to the members that came after I was gone. After 2 years, I still call and e-mail a lot of my sisters, and I visit every year. So, I don't think my bond is not strong or is lacking because I didn't take a beating when I pledged. But you can have whatever opinion you want. I wouldn't want to be the person responsible for physically or emotionally hurting someone just to find out if they would pass a "stress test." But hey, that's just me. Marriages and friendships do have "stress tests," but they certainly are not planned, and they don't involve beating each other or degrading each other. AND if they do, those people who commit such acts are not worth the pleather their shoes are made of. We put people behind bars who beat their spouses and beat their friends or strangers. We file lawsuits against people who degrade us. Marriages and friendships do take "stress tests," but they are not intentional. They also are formed on faith and trust. People don't trust someone who hurts them, both physically or mentally. Wife beaters aren't trusted by their spouses. . .hense restraining orders. That's why we have private shelters for the physically and mentally abused. Yeah, marriages and friendships do take "stress tests," but the minute my boyfriend lays a hand on me, he better watch out, cause he's gotta sleep sometime and my grandma gave me a cast iron skillet. If I wouldn't let someone I love hit me, I'll be damned it I'm gonna let some people in my sorority, just so I can prove myself worthy of their organization.

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Mikki Gates
Delta Zeta Alum
Kappa Mu Chapter
Sigma Alpha Iota Alum
Eta Tau Chapter

"I would rather have thirty minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special."

--Julia Roberts
(Steel Magnolias)

Visit me at: http://homepages.go.com/~dzkm433/index.html
and http://www.calypso.com/dzkm433/welcomtomyworld.chtml

[This message has been edited by mgdzkm433 (edited April 13, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by mgdzkm433 (edited April 13, 2000).]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Charle:
[B]"Recieving "a bid" is a right and priveledge to be evaluated and be tested."
http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/confused.gif
Isn't the whole purpose of rush/recruitment/intake to be to evaluate the worthiness/compatibility of an individual to see if he at first meets up to the standards of membership, and to be a desirable member of your bond? If not, why do such a disservice to someone who might fit in better with another organizations ideals?

"Thats why , in my Frat, we continue to test brothers (even after they have crossed the sands) to make sure that they dont drop below the standard. Shall I say brotherhood conditioning."
http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/eek.gif
Where does "getting the cut" fit into this? How does this tie into teaching about the fraternity ideals? Does this teach dignity? Respect (not to be confused with fear)? Integrity? What ideals does someone learn about being physically abused? There are far more positive bonding experiences avaiable than to cop out to beating respect out of people...

"It refreshing to see even the famous bruhs (NFL, NBA, Movie stars)join in the festivities of brotherhood ( on my level)."
http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/eek.gif
Just because someone enjoys celebrity status does not forgive them of the rights and RESPONSIBILITIES of a true brother (one that lives up to the ideals of your Ritual on a day-to-day basis). In fact, they should be held to a higher standard. We see in the media all to frequently the allegations of hazing in fraternities...imagine the feeding frenzy that would be created if a "celebrity" were found to be in attendance....is that the kind of publicity your organization wants and desires?

" I am glad i didnt join any weak shit"
http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/rolleyes.gif
I'm not doubting you joined anything weak - but don't confuse hazing with strength. Hazing is most often carried out by people with low self-esteem (why else would you physically BEAT on someone you are going to call a BROTHER for LIFE?).

I doubt you will agree with me, but, I see this as a lack of focus on the true ideals, traditions, and purposes of membership in your organization. It's one thing to be proud of what you stand for, but another to arrogantly defend practices that not only state laws find illegal, but fly in the face of the true ideals of your order.

http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/frown.gif


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Don't be your brother's keeper; rather, be your brother's Brother.

[This message has been edited by LXAAlum (edited April 13, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by LXAAlum (edited April 13, 2000).]