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I honestly see a day when, and this is not intended as a joke, southern chapters start seceding from their national fraternities. What works for some doesn't work for others. General fraternities across the nation are trying to turn themselves into "one size fits all" organizations. Should we all do the same initiation? Of course, it's been passed down from generation to generation. However, mandating what you should do in pledge education has not been mandated before. It is up to individual chapters to determine what is best for them, what works for them.
Beta at Kansas State is not Beta at Georgia Tech, which isn't Beta at Truman State, which isn't Beta at Florida. I don't think that anyone would dispute that these are great chapters, but they are great in different ways. We all have certain things which unite us, but each chapter has its own identity. Some chapters were forged from local fraternities and still practice parts of their locals' ritual. Under the newly proposed system, that can't happen.
What I meant by "Let Beta Be Beta" is actually quite simple. We have a fraternity history in our organization unlike any other, better than any other. More members of Congress, Supreme Court, all of that. You know it as well as I do I'm sure. These men came from varying chapters. Some of them were partiers, some of them were studiers, some of them were singers, some of them were combinations. We should be proud of our individuality as well as our national identity. Quit trying to screw with systems that are already working so that they fit into your convenient little compartments. Some of what I went through as a pledge was hazing, and guess what I'd go through it again. It is the sacrifices you make during pledging which make you appreciate brotherhood even more. If all we do is teach history, lore and songs, we're just a club. It's a club with secrets, but still just a club. That sucks in my opinion.
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