babyface-
You asked, so here are my thoughts:
This has been a pretty hot topic in the past, as you may know. In fact, I'm guessing that's part of why you posted it; to prove you're not paper + get some folks riled up. Pledging "hard" must be pretty important to you + your chapter for you to come and boldly announce it,
along with your fraternity's name (it's a well respected GLO, and i'm sure that nationals and others don't appreciate that, by the way).
I went through pledging; I'm sure by your standards this wasn't pledging + I'm paper. 1st, I'm an alumnae of a coed arts fraternity. 2cnd, we didn't take wood, weren't kept up until/woken up at all hours of the night w/ class the next day, and didn't even get beaten once! (I can only assume that this is the type of thing you are referring to).
I can tell you I know my fraternity's history, creed, principles, etc. backwards + forwards. I work, even today, to further its ideals. I'm close with my pledgeclass (we don't have 'lines')
and the people who were actives before + after me. Not only that, I've gotten to know some alumnae quite well.
My senior year with
my chapter I served as VP + 'New Member Educator' (formerly 'Pledge Trainer'). My pledges knew their sh*t as good, if not better, than me. They went through pledging alright--> the important part where you form bonds with your pledge class
+ the actives, where you learn about fraternity history, where you gain a passion that continues to grow even after you leaave school.
So, maybe pledging
isn't what it used to be, or at least not in all organizations. I think we pledged "harder" than some others, though: anyone can take a beating (or they can't, and they end up dead or in the hospital). It takes a different kind of dedication to go through the stuff I, and the pledges I brought in, did.
I'm sure you, and many,
many others will disagree. And I have heard many of these arguments before. Most of them I can at least understand the rationale behind, whether I agree with them or not.
Hey, I
just read this (brief) article tonight. If nothing else, it should be of interest to Greeks, but especially members of BGLO's.
check it out here:
Hazing in Black Fraternities
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Phi Beta Fraternity
[This message has been edited by SilverTurtle (edited April 03, 2000).]