Pledging . . . or not?

sigmaSocko · #1 05-06-2006, 02:21 PM

First off I would like to note that in no way am I "dissing" the fraternity's chapter, but fall semester last year TKE came back onto my schools campus. Their slogan was "no pledging, your automatically a brother" To me this just defeats the purpose of joining a fraternity. It almost seems more of a club than a fraternity. Like I said, I have nothing against TKE, I've met some of their brothers at different chapters and they are really cool, not to mention they are enormous nationally. Any thoughts to this bizarre recruitment?

in_the_zone · #2 05-06-2006, 02:29 PM

Yes there is a certain sense of accomplishment when you receive your invitation to join a glo. However...maintaining good status and climbing the status ladder (i.e. getting positions on the executive council) is not an automatic thing. It takes a lot of work and effort to get there. I'd say, take the automatic in...if you think the guys are a good match for you. From there,work to make a difference in the group and challenge yourself to grow as a person (get leadership experience).

Let us know what happens.

in_the_zone

P.S. I wrote this thinking you were considering going for TKE. I then realized you may already be affiliated. Consider my post for what its worth in any case

Tom Earp · #3 05-06-2006, 05:22 PM

Some Greek Fraternities have a No Pledge system now, one being LXA.

We have New Associates, I think being the first to enact this.

N A do attend all meetings, but do not vote.

Because of Risk Management, this has become more previlent than ever.

TKE like many GLOs have changed in the last few Years.

ilikehazing · #4 05-06-2006, 09:06 PM

This has led to the mediocrity of all "GLO's".

I got my pin a month ago. I got it, thought it was neat. Then I thought about it. I remembered the hours I spent working for it. I remember doing the house cleans every morning for three months. I remember the fun hazing sessions. I remember everything that I put up with. That pin means much more than just some piece of metal. It means I put a helluva lot of work into everything I did to become a member. I'm glad I put up with hell for alot longer than a week to earn that pin. To just get a bid, isn't worth a damn. Any dumbass can get a bid, to earn the pin makes it worth it.

bows&toes · #5 05-06-2006, 10:34 PM

They may be doing that if they are a startup colony and that will be their "refounding fathers".

If they are doing it this way every semester, thats pathetic and a discrace to me as a greek. I would still consider them GDIs, whats the point of a fraternity if anybody can just walk in and be a brother? How do they form this brotherhood? Does it magically happen when they wear the same letters?

Oh and Tom Earp, dont mean to bust your bubble by any means, but any good chapter of LXA DOES have a pledging period, you just dont know about it.

macallan25 · #6 05-06-2006, 11:04 PM

Yes they do...and I know of atleast a few different chapters that definitely have a good pledging period.

Erik P Conard · #7 05-07-2006, 02:16 AM

I am not sure that this was conveyed completely. TKE returns to
U of Mo after a long, long absence. This is a colony and they are
not initiated 'til chartering, if I understand our new rules.
But, they might indeed become a "brother" as there is no program
for pledging, per se.
But, he was correct in that each new inductee is a "brother" tho
not as we would call a fully initiated one.
At any rate, MU is a fine school, has a good greek system, plenty
of available men. TKE has a dozen or so chapters in MO and the
return to Missouri will help us all. So, I am not so sure we ought
to dwell on the colonization nomenclature. I don't think Beta is
too concerned with TKE's policies at MU (LOL!). But, we need all
the help we can get....cheers!

Tom Earp · #8 05-07-2006, 10:15 AM

bows&toes:"Oh and Tom Earp, dont mean to bust your bubble by any means, but any good chapter of LXA DOES have a pledging period, you just dont know about it."

I guess this is where we differ.

I have been a Brother of LXA for 40 Years as of today.

Pledging as is commonly know is disallowed in LXA. I will not say that some Chapters do not follow what is dictated by Our IHQ.

If it is serious, I know that IHQ will step in and work with that chapter. If they fail to heed warnings, they can and will be dis chartered.

I also think that there may be a difference in what you call a pledgeship and I do.

DeltAlum · #9 05-07-2006, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bows&toes
Oh and Tom Earp, dont mean to bust your bubble by any means, but any good chapter of LXA DOES have a pledging period, you just dont know about it.

And you are an expert on all LXA chapters how?

I'm not an expert on all Delt chapters and I've been around for a long time.

bows&toes · #10 05-07-2006, 11:48 PM

no expert, just have old friends from highschool that are in various chapters around the country.

what do you define as "pledging"?

33girl · #11 05-08-2006, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sigmaSocko
First off I would like to note that in no way am I "dissing" the fraternity's chapter, but fall semester last year TKE came back onto my schools campus. Their slogan was "no pledging, your automatically a brother" To me this just defeats the purpose of joining a fraternity. It almost seems more of a club than a fraternity. Like I said, I have nothing against TKE, I've met some of their brothers at different chapters and they are really cool, not to mention they are enormous nationally. Any thoughts to this bizarre recruitment?

Either it will work for them, or it won't. If the rest of the campus looks on them as a bunch of lame-os and no one wants to join, they'll close again...if there are enough guys that go for it, they'll keep open.

As Erik said though, this might have been put across incorrectly to the campus.

AlphaFrog · #12 05-08-2006, 09:27 AM

I wonder if this campus has had some major hazing issues and possibly TKE are aiming for the guys who really want to Go Greek, but don't want to get the $hit beat out of them???? I don't know the campus at all, but that was my first thought.

shinerbock · #13 05-08-2006, 09:38 AM

When are people gonna realize that hazing doesnt usually mean getting the shit beat out of you...On the Lambda Chi subject, all my friends have gone through pledging, as I would call it. I mean, they may have some national things they have to get around (our fraternity has to use certain terms with nationals, in addition to "following" the pledgship length requirements), but I think most chapters generally follow suit on campus. While some people claim that hazing or obstacle type pledgeship is detrimental to brotherhood, I personally feel it strengthens it, and is much more valuable than "automatic brother" type systems. How do you know if you can depend on your fraternity brothers if you've never really gotten to know them/been in a tough situation together, etc...

AlphaFrog · #14 05-08-2006, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by shinerbock
When are people gonna realize that hazing doesnt usually mean getting the shit beat out of you...

Ok, I could have phrased it better, but let's face it, when hazing rumors start going around campus, this is the first thing that comes to GDI's minds, whether it's true or not.

MysticCat · #15 05-08-2006, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tom Earp
I have been a Brother of LXA for 40 Years as of today.

Congratulations!

Quote:

Pledging as is commonly know is disallowed in LXA. I will not say that some Chapters do not follow what is dictated by Our IHQ.
. . .
I also think that there may be a difference in what you call a pledgeship and I do.

I wonder if it's terminology that's causing some misunderstanding. As I understand it, Tom, LXA does not have "pledges." Those men who have accepted a bid to join LXA but have not yet been fully initiated are called "Associate Members," right? But there would still be a period between becoming an Associate Member and a fully-initiated brother, during which the AM would learn about LXA and the chapter, get to know the brothers, etc. Leaving aside the question of whether any hazing (however one defines that) is going on, while LXA would not call the period "pledgeship," it doesn't seem surprising that some in other fraternities might call it that, since it would match up to what they would call "pledgeship" in their own fraternities.

In other words, if "pledgeship" or "pledge period," simply means the period of time between first becoming officially connected to a fraternity and formal initiation, then doesn't LXA had a "pledge period," just without using that name for it?