Calling new members "baby"

[TriDeltaSallie]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

I stand with others who never had a problem with the term pledge. It is/was a perfectly good word -- both the noun and the verb.

I do not like the term "new member," but I use it to be correct. Technically, I see the new members as probationary members until their initiation, which for us is the next semester.

Agreed! Can we please just cut the PC stuff and go back to pledge and rush? I've tried to be PC here and use PNM and recruitment, but half the time just use pledge and rush. If someone if offended, they don't have to read it. I think the whole terminology thing is over the top.

Tri Delta pledges have always been called pearls.

Baby Deltas? Baby Dolphins? Puh-leeze.

[WCsweet<3]

Forgive me if this has been said. I glanced through the thread and didn't see it, but could have missed it.

My chapter used babies until last year. We were then told that it could be construed as hazing. Our chapter advisor told us that so I am unsure if it came from HQ, however judging by the other responses from KD sisters it doesn't appear so. The advisor wasn't new so I'm not sure why the change if it didn't come from nationals.

[DaffyKD]

Originally Posted by WCsweet<3

Forgive me if this has been said. I glanced through the thread and didn't see it, but could have missed it.

My chapter used it until last year. We were then told that it could be construed as hazing. Our chapter advisor told us that so I am unsure if it came from HQ, however judging by the other responses from KD sisters it doesn't appear so. The advisor wasn't new so I'm not sure why the change if it didn't come from nationals.

Which term, "baby" or "pledge"?

DaffyKD

[WCsweet<3]

Originally Posted by DaffyKD

Which term, "baby" or "pledge"?

DaffyKD

Babies, I edited my post. Sorry!

[scrapcat]

I'm amused with this thread. I have two daughters, two different sororities. My Phi Mu daughter says she was a "Phi" during her "new member" phase but , here's the kicker.. when showing bid day photos she says "here I am with my pledge class!"

I know my Delta Zeta has called herself a "turtle" but nothing with baby attached. She had a "turtle time" last night. Whatever that is! LOL

[33girl]

Originally Posted by scrapcat

I'm amused with this thread. I have two daughters, two different sororities. My Phi Mu daughter says she was a "Phi" during her "new member" phase but , here's the kicker.. when showing bid day photos she says "here I am with my pledge class!"

And there you have it.

The men have never changed their terminology and are still using rush and pledge. The women hear it and realize it's far less lame than the PC ridiculousness we are supposed to use. The women use the old terminology despite all their "education."

(....waiting for a national officer to jump in here and say that in that case, we shouldn't socialize or hang out with fraternities.)

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by 33girl

(....waiting for a national officer to jump in here and say that in that case, we shouldn't socialize or hang out with fraternities.)

And wouldn't that do wonders for our membership numbers?

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by 33girl

The men have never changed their terminology and are still using rush and pledge. The women hear it and realize it's far less lame than the PC ridiculousness we are supposed to use. The women use the old terminology despite all their "education."

For the record, the NPHC fraternities also officially changed certain "pledge terminology" to match the NPHC ban on hazing and pledging.

Unofficially, NPHC sorority and fraternity chapters/members still use the terminology.

(I don't know whether you are only talking about NPC and NIC when you say sororities/fraternities and women/men.)

[33girl]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

For the record, the NPHC fraternities also officially changed certain "pledge terminology" to match the NPHC ban on hazing and pledging.

Unofficially, NPHC sorority and fraternity chapters/members still use the terminology.

(I don't know whether you are only talking about NPC and NIC when you say sororities/fraternities and women/men.)

Yeah, I meant the NIC boys.

There have always been NIC fraternities who called their pledges something else officially, but as for whether they did it in daily life - that's another story.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Yeah, I meant the NIC boys.

There have always been NIC fraternities who called their pledges something else officially, but as for whether they did it in daily life - that's another story.

Gotcha.

Do you know which NIC fraternities still officially use "pledge terms?"

[CutiePie2000]

Originally Posted by Jen

I KNOW there is a thread for this, but 20 minutes of searching has infuriated me and turned up nothing. .....Does anyone else's group have rules relating to the terms used for new members? Does your group encourage you not to use baby? Do you even like it?

I *KNOW* the thread that you're referring to, because I have been on these boards since the dinosaurs.

I vaguely remember it being about "baby squirrells" and then the discussion went from there.

DG refers to its new members as "Pi Alphas" as that's what it says on the new member pin (i.e. pledge pin) . I think it's commonly accepted as a term and is considered respectful, etc.


I wouldn't be surprised if any new members were called "baby Hannahs" or whatever...I'm not a fan of the whole calling young women by the diminuitive of "babies", but maybe if you had asked me when I was my 18 year-old-self and rushing, I might not have minded as much -- it's hard to say....

Trying to find that thread for you now....

[AOII Angel]

We're just New Members, Collegians and Alumnae. I've seen some chapters use Pandas or occasionally Baby Pandas for new members. We have one chapter that calls themselves Angels, so I know they use Baby Angels. Back in the day, my Great to the 5th Grand Big Sis called all of her family members "Baby Pi". We called her Granny Pi. That's as far as Baby went, and it was a localized term of endearment.

[AOIIalum]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

We're just New Members, Collegians and Alumnae. I've seen some chapters use Pandas or occasionally Baby Pandas for new members. We have one chapter that calls themselves Angels, so I know they use Baby Angels. Back in the day, my Great to the 5th Grand Big Sis called all of her family members "Baby Pi". We called her Granny Pi. That's as far as Baby went, and it was a localized term of endearment.

Sadly, and maybe it's just my area of the country, I see way too many "Baby Pandas" to count, let alone "Baby Whatevers" for the other chapters at a particular school. It drives me crazy, because college women are not babies in any way.

Personally, I'd rather be a Pledge than a Baby any day of the week.

[ElieM]

Do the groups that have 'pearls' then end up with 'baby pearls'?

[BraveMaroon]

Originally Posted by ElieM

Do the groups that have 'pearls' then end up with 'baby pearls'?

Wouldn't a baby pearl technically be a grain of sand?