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Hazing
Hay Beggar,
I just found this thread, so sorry if I am joining this late in the game. Seems to me that Hazing doesn't make a lot of sense in that I sure don't want to beat hell out of a pledge one day and call him Brother the next. On the other hand, if I am going to call him Brother, and mean it, then he has to earn that privelege as we all did. My experience was that I never felt degraded, rather I felt challenged. Afterwards, I felt proud that I had met the challenge. Nothing happened to me that I would be ashamed to tell anyone, although I consider the actual events as family business. I think the key thing here is to understand that the issue is too sensitive and polarized to approach on the basis of reasonable discussion. Those who are opposed to anything that might challenge an aspirant will call whatever task that might be set "Hazing". Those who see pledge training as an opportunity to have the aspirant rise to the challenge and grow in strength and dedication to the bonds of brotherhood will defend "sweating pledges" even in questionable situations. There are no easy answers when the issue is skewed by highly charged emotions. I suppose the answer is to obey the law, set pledge tasks that are well thought through, and do the best you can to pass on to the new guys the values that mean the most to you. I think it is essential that pledges must be challenged and must find the strength to meet the challenge by pulling together as a group and by reaching down into their very character individually. I also think that active brothers have an absolute responsibility to be brothers and see that all that happens is fair and by the rules.
These pledges are to be my brothers forever. They must be worthy. But the other side of the coin is that to be their brother I must be worthy as well.
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