You're welcome to come into this lane, and I appreciate a good debate. However...
The Pledge Trainer handbook is not an authoritative document, while the national bylaws are. The content of any of the Leadership Series manuals are not voted on by national convention, and are at best a guideline. I'll look at my ritual book when I get home, but I'm 95% confident it does not say induction, it says Pledge Ceremony. The
national pledging standards refer to the Pledge Ritual, not Induction. Since National Bylaws, Pledge Standards, Rituals, etc. are voted on by convention, they carry much more weight than a guide put together by alumni volunteers.
FWIW, the Leadership Series has been for all intents and purposes replaced by the
APO IMPACT guides and manuals,