I found something interesting and I thought that it seemed relevant to this thread. I apologize in advace for its length.
To be honest there are many who fall prey to at least one of these
situations. There is no easy way to say this, but there is one thing that
must be considered. If you fall victim to the previously stated situations
then it is possible that you were hazed and not pledged. If
you don't know why wood was used, yet you are someone who thinks
WOOD=PLEDGING; then I am sorry to say that you have a lot to learn about
pledging. If you think that being forced to stay up all night for someone
else's amusement is pledging; then you have got a lot to learn about
pledging. If you disrepect or look down on other organizations; I am sorry
to say you were not pledged. If you think that because you didn't take wood
that you didn't pledge; you might be surprised to find out it is possible
that you did pledge.
Pledging is supposed to teach three things. Loyalty to the principles of
the organization, loyalty to brotherhood/sisterhood amongst "ALL"
men/women,
and loyalty to the community from which you came. If you learned all of
these things, no matter what your process was
like, my brother...my sister you were pledged. If you did not...I am sorry
to say you were hazed. To all my Greek, Non-Greek, etc. brothers & sisters,
I charge you with two questions only you can answer. Were you pledged or
were you hazed? Do you pledge or do you haze?
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