[CarolinaCutie]

Originally posted by broomstick
I guess it's just tradition, and we've always had fun doing it, so it was never second guessed. I remember when I was going through initiation myself, and we were out there and a cop drove by, and those with beers (a couple members, we don't allow pledges to drink during initiation) raised them to the cop and the cop just kind of smiled and waved. So I guess at best it completely depends on your perception... and each person's will be different.

But now, of course, we have to change things around. Even though we're not in IFC anymore, we're still following all their rules...

I'm not sure why I keep coming back to this thread and arguing with you. (And I think maybe I'm spending too much time on GreekChat because I always seem to be around when you post...)

OK so let's go back and review the facts. Your original statement:

my chapter got in trouble because we woke up early during our initiation week and exercised on our lawn. it wasn't even hardcore exercising, it was like push ups and sit ups and there was at least one active member per pledge exercising too.

Now you add in:

I guess it's just tradition, and we've always had fun doing it, so it was never second guessed. I remember when I was going through initiation myself, and we were out there and a cop drove by, and those with beers (a couple members, we don't allow pledges to drink during initiation) raised them to the cop and the cop just kind of smiled and waved.

So if it's tradition, then it's not like the PLEDGES all of the sudden decided to get up early in the AM and exercise. This fantastic idea was obviously brought to the group by an older member who had done it in the past. What if the pledges had said, "No, actually, I don't really feel like getting up early and doing pushups in the yard in front of God and everybody?" Don't make it out to be some wonderful kind of voluntary activity when it becomes clear that this was an expected part of Initiation Week.

And you've also got guys drinking beer on the front lawn (but NOT the pledges, because heaven forbid they HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS AS BROTHERS). That sends a really nice message, don't you think? Particularly if this was early in the morning, as your "tradition" suggests. The fact that a cop didn't seem to be bothered by it doesn't really matter. To be honest, although a lot of states are dealing with hazing laws right now, it's not a matter that the police are going to deal with unless people are dying. What if someone's mom was driving by? Would you raise your beer up to wave hey to her? Like, "Oh hey, Mom, we're just sitting out in our front yard getting drunk and doing some sit-ups!"

You are hardly convincing anyone here that what you were doing was an innocent unity-building activity. Here's a shovel. Keep digging that hole, homey.