[Oldest_Pledge]

This story was releated to me during my pledge education. And while I registered for RUSH my freshman year, I did not seek out the Beta colony. I was tracking Lambda Chi Alpha and Pi Kappa Alpha. It was OK that no bids came my way.

But in January a knock came on my dorm room door. I opened it to find three men in Beta blue asking me if I would consider joining thier ranks. I invited them in and they shared thier Beta experiences with me. No pretenses of how much $$ do you have for house dues, are you on a lot of financial aid, what is your major, etc.... No these guys felt that Beta Theta Pi, while small, was the best place to be.

I found this arguement compelling and said yes.

I understand the changes made to the process by which members are brought into the fraternity. But this connection I felt to the past really made my Beta experience worth the 21 years between pledging and initiation (see my first post as Oldest Pledge for the story).

In _kai_, Ed