Quote:
Originally Posted by SWTXBelle
RutgersPIKE - many GLOs allow pledges to wear letters. The idea of "earning" your letters is now seen as an invitation to haze. Wearing letters indicates you are a member (even if a pledge) of that GLO.
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My observations may be limited, but it has been my obervation that this is one of those men-and-women-are-different things. My observation has been that many if not most men's GLOs (but certainly not all) do
not consider pledges, or whatever other term is used, to be "members," at least not full members.
One of the ways that this is expressed is by reserving the right to wear letters until after initiation. As has been pointed out many times before here at GC, many if not most men's GLOs have a second vote prior to initiation -- meaning that a "pledge' must not only be voted on to get a bid but that he must be voted on a second time at the end of the pledge period for initiation. This is part of the practice underlying the idea of "earning" one's letters.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl
It just has a lot to do with campus culture.
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It also has to do with the culture or rules of the specific GLO.
Our National Constitution was amended at our last National Assembly to address this very issue. Our Constitution now specifically states that only brothers in good standing are permitted to wear or display our letters or our coat-of-arms. It also states that probationary members (pledges) "may not wear or otherwise display these symbols at any time prior to initiation," and that brothers "may not authorize or encourage" anyone who is not an initiated brother to wear or display our letters or coat-of-arms. (Which means that chapters are having to come up with lavelier-alternatives for sweethearts and fiancees. Perhaps a national alternative will be provided.)
ETA: It has been a regulation for years that probationary members could not wear the letters. (Like TSteven describes with Sigma Chi, they can wear clothing with the words "Phi Mu Alpha.") The recent constitutional amendment was simply a strengthening of the rule in that regard.
Men and Women are different. Vive la difference.