And I only WISH that this was one of the dumbest posts I have ever seen.
Why can't you understand that EVERY organization is different? Nobody goes around here talking about DUMB Lambda Chi Alpha and its practices are, so what gives you the right to talk to others the way you are?
Different organizations have different traditions! GET OVER IT!
When I became an APO pledge, we were given items that were ENTRUSTED to us. Nothing we were given belonged to us as pledges, specifically the pledge book and pledge pin. I don't think it made us work harder, but it made us APPRECIATE the solemnity of our initiation. Actually LEARNING what something meant and then being given the right to wear it.
Same with Alpha....I appreciate my letters because they were mysterious to me for so long.
And i RESPECT the fact that others do it differently! My school had NO NPC/IFC system, so a lot of what i know about it, I learned from greekchat and then later, when i went to grad school someplace where they had such a system. It's different, and if they are okay with it, i am okay with it!
I never would have though about having colors for my family tree....it's a tradition!
Cultural relativism man....it is a MUST that we adopt it in the Greek communities!