Calling new members "baby"

[Jen]

.

Our campus panhellenic discourages the use of the term.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

We never used it. The official term for a Phi Mu provisional member is "phi", and I think it is short and snappy enough as-is.

Do other groups not have official terms for their new members? Or do they just have things that aren't as cutesy?

[Leslie Anne]

Good for Alpha Phi! I don't think KD has adopted any such rule but I'd be completely on board with that. Not into the "baby" thing at all.

We just use the term "new member" (although I'm personally still in the "pledge" camp).

[amIblue?]

I've seen several terms used to refer to new members that I think are pretty yucky - usually involving "baby" somehow for many NPC orgs.

I miss the days when it was called pledging. It was so much simpler. I, for one, never felt hazed by being called a pledge. I'm fairly confident in asserting that members of my pledge class and close friends in other orgs felt the same way I did. I felt super special and excited about being a pledge.

I definitely think "Baby whatever" is much worse as far as being degrading to new members.

[AlphaFrog]

It personally doesn't bother me, but I think I remember campus and National encouragement against it.

Our new members are Pearl Sisters, or just Pearls.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

It personally doesn't bother me, but I think I remember campus and National encouragement against it.

Our new members are Pearl Sisters, or just Pearls.

I thought we weren't allowed to say just Pearls anymore.

I also dislike "New Members" because it's a misnomer. They aren't members yet. They haven't been through the initiation ritual. New Members just kind of reinforces that NPC pledge periods are a cakewalk/present-fest and that once you have your bid, you're basically in. If that's the case, let's just initiated them on bid day and be done with it, without the pretense that there's a "maybe" about them becoming sisters.

I say ditto-infinity to everyone who says "baby insertmascothere" is waaaaay more degrading and setting-apart than "pledge." Then again, this generation likes a LOT of things that we would have not been caught dead doing or wearing because they were too babyish.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Shellfish

And you'd never see fraternities call their new members something like "Baby Kappa Sigs."

Well, you'd likely never see most fraternities referring to someone who hasn't been fully initiated yet as a "new member" either.

I never understood why calling someone a pledge could be considered demeaning. (Full disclosure -- we stopped calling them pledges in the 70s, instead using "probationary member," often shortened in practice to PM, probe, probate or the like.) Demeaning was when we used to call pledges "worms."

Originally Posted by psusue

Also, a pledge is a promise, not a person. What I learned from my new member period.

Except in the orgs that do call persons pledges. I understand the motivations behind statements like this, but IMO they come across as subtle criticisms of other orgs that do things differently.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Well, you'd likely never see most fraternities referring to someone who hasn't been fully initiated yet as a "new member" either.

I never understood why calling someone a pledge could be considered demeaning. (Full disclosure -- we stopped calling them pledges in the 70s, instead using "probationary member," often shortened in practice to PM, probe, probate or the like.) Demeaning was when we used to call pledges "worms."

Except in the orgs that do call persons pledges. I understand the motivations behind statements like this, but IMO they come across as subtle criticisms of other orgs that do things differently.

Ugh, I remember that "a pledge is a promise not a person" statement. I want to respond with "you may have members, but I have sisters."

If that's the reasoning they're going to use, call them "pledge sisters." "New members" gets shortened to "NMs" and WTH is that?

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I never understood why calling someone a pledge could be considered demeaning. (Full disclosure -- we stopped calling them pledges in the 70s, instead using "probationary member," often shortened in practice to PM, probe, probate or the like.) Demeaning was when we used to call pledges "worms."

The title of Pledge was most often attached to the treatment of pledges--a pledge process which was linked to hazing for many chapters.

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Except in the orgs that do call persons pledges. I understand the motivations behind statements like this, but IMO they come across as subtle criticisms of other orgs that do things differently.

Exactly.

A pledge is a person and a process and a promise.

(How did this thread turn into another one of THOSE threads. LOL.)

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I also dislike "New Members" because it's a misnomer. They aren't members yet. They haven't been through the initiation ritual. New Members just kind of reinforces that NPC pledge periods are a cakewalk/present-fest and that once you have your bid, you're basically in. If that's the case, let's just initiated them on bid day and be done with it, without the pretense that there's a "maybe" about them becoming sisters.

lane swerve/

I think this is a good point because aren't they still PNMs but just PNMs who have accepted a bid? That's where the "Pledge" title came from. They are undergoing a "pledge process" in hopes of making a "pledge" (which doesn't have to include hazing but tends to for many chapters of many GLOs) even if NHQs do not like "pledge" being used.

/lane swerve

[AOEforme]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I also dislike "New Members" because it's a misnomer. They aren't members yet. They haven't been through the initiation ritual. New Members just kind of reinforces that NPC pledge periods are a cakewalk/present-fest and that once you have your bid, you're basically in. If that's the case, let's just initiated them on bid day and be done with it, without the pretense that there's a "maybe" about them becoming sisters.

Concur. That's why I really like Alpha Omega Epsilon's term of "candidate". I think it is fully respectful without the insinuation that you are already in.

However, I don't honestly see anything wrong with "pledge" or "rushie". I feel like changing those words is like Netflix changing to Qwickster. It creates the illusion of addressing the problem, without actually doing much of anything.

[33girl]

Netflix changed to Qwickster?

I'm so glad I never bothered getting a subscription there. It sounds like it's getting worse day by day.

[thetalady]

I totally agree! I personally dislike the use of the term. As far as I know, Theta does not have any "baby kites". I think the term "baby" may be more prevalent in organizations that have an animal as a mascot...

[thetaj]

Originally Posted by thetalady

I totally agree! I personally dislike the use of the term. As far as I know, Theta does not have any "baby kites". I think the term "baby" may be more prevalent in organizations that have an animal as a mascot...

My chapter does say "Theta babies." I'm trying to get them to call them Thetartots but it's kind of hit or miss Someone suggested "kittens" once but that's just creepy.