New names for "pledge"

pbear19 · #1 03-16-2001, 01:01 AM

Since so many organizations are becoming PC nowadays, especially on my campus, my sorority has been tossing around some of the possibilties of what to call our pledges. Nothing seems to sound quite right, so I was wondering what some of you use.

Also, one of our girls has taken to calling the pledges cubs. This is because our mascot is the panda bear. I think it's really cute, but is it too cheesy to be used as an alternative to pledge?

..sigh.. My only problem with all of these alternatives is that you can't use them as verbs. You can rush a sorority, but you can't recruitment a sorority. You can also pledge a sorority, but you can't associate member it. Oh well.

#2 03-16-2001, 01:09 AM

I know what you mean about not using it as verbs. We call our "pledges" "new members". I think "pledge cubs" is so cute! I wonder if "little squirrels" would work for my sorority???

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dzrose93 · #3 03-16-2001, 01:17 AM

Hi pbear19!

I understand how you feel! Personally, I think being so PC about what you call a pledge is really kind of stupid. I still don't quite understand how calling someone what they are can be considered hazing! A pledge is a pledge is a pledge. You can stick whatever name on them you want to, but it doesn't change the fact that they are, in fact, pledges! And Rush is Rush... Calling it Recruitment makes it sound like you're joining the Army. Whatever! Enough ranting, though... I could go on about this subject all day if someone let me!

Here's an idea for you: I always thought it would be cool for our pledges to be called "Deltas". Since Delta is the first part of Delta Zeta and pledging is the first part of becoming a member of the organization, I think it kind of fits.

If I'm not mistaken, I believe the ADPi's on our campus used to call their pledges "Alphas" for the same reason. Anyway, just a thought!

Let me know what you come up with! (Actually, I think "Cubs" is kind of cute.)

Good luck!
Carrie

James · #4 03-16-2001, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by OohTeenyWahine:
I think "pledge cubs" is so cute! I wonder if "little squirrels" would work for my sorority???

ROFL . . . oh please OTW, you have to call them that just to see what everyone's reaction will be . . .

BrianMUDU · #5 03-16-2001, 01:54 AM

I think the reason people want to change the name "rush" is basically because of what it used to mean. At our Greek Convocation, the keynote speaker actually talked about this specifically. To sum up what he said, Rush was when chapters would get guys to come over, get them drunk, and give them a bid. I don't want to generalize because this wasn't what everyone did, but he said we don't want to rush people, we want to recruit. We're already making the transition to recruitment instead of rush. I even changed our website so it no longer says rush, but (you guessed it) recruitment. The brochure that Miami University gives to all those that go through Open House was called "Greek Recruitment 2001".

I'm sure it will take a while for everyone to use the new word, but that's probably where it is heading.

Corbin Dallas · #6 03-15-2001, 02:20 PM

Calling them pledges isn't hazing. Many orgs just changed the name because of its negative connotations. You can Associate with a chapter, thus associate member. you can join, and become a new member. pledge, AM, NM, it doesn't really matter. even if we called our AM's pledges, our pledge program would still be different than many others, but instead its our AM program.

Corbin Dallas · #7 03-15-2001, 02:20 PM

Calling them pledges isn't hazing. Many orgs just changed the name because of its negative connotations. You can Associate with a chapter, thus associate member. you can join, and become a new member. pledge, AM, NM, it doesn't really matter. even if we called our AM's pledges, our pledge program would still be different than many others, but instead its our AM program.

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Steve Corbin
Lambda Chi Alpha
Theta Kappa Chapter
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech.

shadokat · #8 03-15-2001, 02:56 PM

On my undergrad campus, they used to call pledges "bags". It was a pretty negative connotation. And I remember anyone that dropped out of their new member program was called a "debag". Personally, I think pledge is ok, but we call them new members now anyways. Just the stigma that goes along with the term sometimes I guess.

dzrose93 · #9 03-15-2001, 03:26 PM

Maybe it's not considered hazing in your organization. But in ours, in my chapter, using the term "pledge" was considered to be a form of hazing, and we were not allowed to do it. In fact, my pledge class in 1993 was the last group to be called "pledges". Afterwards, the girls were called new members.

At the University of Georgia, this past fall was the first time the word "Recruitment" was used instead of "Rush" by Panhellenic Council. I guess I'm just old school, but I think it sounds ridiculous. I'm big on tradition, so I like the old terms.

CutiePie2000 · #10 03-15-2001, 03:37 PM

NPC Ladies: Changing the Recruitment Terminology has been unanimously embraced by all 26 members of the National Panhellenic Conference.

"The National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) changed most of the terminology for recruitment in the last year. This change reflects the language of today's society, and the actual process. We do not want women to feel "rushed" to make life long and life changing decisions, but rather informed choices. The potential member of the new millennium appreciates a more accurate representation of the process.

New Word
Old Word

Membership Recruitment
Rush

Membership Adviser
Rush Adviser

New Member
Pledge

Event
Rush Party

Recruitment Preparation Workshop
Rush Workshop

Intentional Single Preference
Suicide

Potential Member
Rushee

Resign
De-pledge

Formal Membership Report
Formal Rush Report

Vice-President: Membership
Vice-President: Rush

Alumnae Recruitment Consultant (ARC) Alumnae Rush Consultant

Regional Membership Consultant (RMC) Regional Membership Coordinator

Formal Membership Recruitment Acceptance
Preference Card

Continuous Open Recruiting(COR) Continuous Open Bidding (COB)

COR Acceptance
COB Card

[This message has been edited by CutiePie2000 (edited March 15, 2001).]

SusanL5000 · #11 03-15-2001, 03:48 PM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by BrianMUDU:
[To sum up what he said, Rush was when chapters would get guys to come over, get them drunk, and give them a bid.

In the south, and for girls especially, I've always been told RUSH is what it means....RUSHing Around!

equeen · #12 03-15-2001, 05:02 PM

I've heard at least a few alternatives to the word pledge, including new member, associate member, little sister, and candidate member. My sorority terms them "candidates."

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pbear19 · #13 03-15-2001, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dzrose93:

I always thought it would be cool for our pledges to be called "Deltas". Since Delta is the first part of Delta Zeta and pledging is the first part of becoming a member of the organization, I think it kind of fits.

If I'm not mistaken, I believe the ADPi's on our campus used to call their pledges "Alphas" for the same reason. Anyway, just a thought!

I think this is actually a really cute idea! However, the first letter of my org is Tau. I think our pledges would feel like they were being called towels!

We've talked about new member, but don't like it because that's what we tend to call a freshly initiated pledge class for the rest of their first semester. I guess my favorites are either Associate Member or equeen's Candidate. They just all sound so stuffy! I think it would be fun to call them cubs, but we'll see.

And BTW, a lot of you know me by now, but just so there's no confusion about me ingnoring NPC stipulations, I'm in a service sorority. We do use the word Recruitment, because on our campus the social sororities switched to it about three years ago. We just haven't given up calling the newbies pledges!

tcsparky · #14 03-15-2001, 06:41 PM

A coworker is an ADPi and she told me that the "pledges" are called Alphas, the actives are Deltas, and the alumnae are Pi's. Kinda neat, huh?

Corbin Dallas · #15 03-15-2001, 08:23 PM

Well, I suppose 'pledge' may be considered hazing by your HQ, and maybe even mine. I'll have to check on that. We don't use that word anyway, since they've been AM's for 30 years now. I've heard of chapters that still call them pledges though. Anyway, that in itself is not hazing, not even according to state law AFAIK, don't know how it could be, unless you used it in a demeaning manner, but in that case, any word/name can be hazing.

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Steve Corbin
Lambda Chi Alpha
Theta Kappa Chapter
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech.