Quote:
Originally posted by msn4med1975
Branding isn't FORCED upon members either implicitly or explicitly. While someone mentioned a chapter that did their branding shortly after they crossed, MOST of the NPHC members I know with them got them months if not years later and had to request that someone do them. There wasn't a lineup and folks just HAD to do them. With the exception of the Alpha brand (and this just may have been in TN) they got ONE LETTER branded into their arm and if that's what they want to do so be it. It wasn't something they couldn't hide much in the same way you hide a tattoo. As most people that don't get brands don't get infections (anymore thanthose that get tattoos and get infections), a jury would be hard pressed to hold a chapter or organization responsible for something that in NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM is connected to the pledging process for MOST chapters. They aren't viewed as associate members till they get branded, they are members flat out and if they choose to adorn their bodies after they are done more power to them. Again, not being truly familiar with the culture of branding in NPHC groups please just comment on NIC groups and what it would mean for them.
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That you know people and that is beside the point is one thing. This Sigma Chi branding appears to have been part of their organization's program. In some cases, I suppose it's just like a tatoo and the organization has no real involvement. In other cases (we don't know a whole lot about it at this point) the organization IS involved. In those cases, whether we're talking initiate or non-initiate, if a group of brothers or pre-initiates decides to have this done, and something goes wrong, it's a lot like what would happen if a group of brothers had a party at someone's house and one of them died of alcohol poisoning.
While we don't know everything that happened here, I don't believe my reasoning is much of a stretch at all.
And as I said before, I sure as hell wouldn't want to call my executive director and let him know our pledges were out branding eachother.