Calling new members "baby"

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

And this kind of thread almost always becomes one of THOSE threads.

Yep.

[katydidKD]

Originally Posted by Jen

I've always really liked Alpha Delta Pi having titles for the various stages of membership - Alpha for new members, Delta for initiated members and Pi for alumna members. It sets apart the different stages, but it still relates to the sorority in a really respectful way.

I've always been a fan of that too

[DeltaBetaBaby]

I propose that we henceforth refer to our new members as "dwarves".

[NutBrnHair]

I hear "Baby Owls" far too often. I do not like the term and as far as I know, the HQ still discourages it.

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.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

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.

That reminded me. We used to use "provisional member" (quotes included). A sister said it at a rush party one year and there was a group cringe. I don't think it was ever actually used in day to day life though.

The jettisoning of "pledge" is just so silly. There are lots of words that get twisted around by certain groups of people or their actions - "Christian" leaps to mind - but that doesn't mean the people who know what it really means stop using it.

[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

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

I hear "Baby Owls" far too often. I do not like the term and as far as I know, the HQ still discourages it.

Better than "hooters".

I actually attended formal meeting as an advisor yesterday and I was asked to remind the chapter to not say babies/baby doves/etc.

[joliebelle]

Originally Posted by thetalady

I think the term "baby" may be more prevalent in organizations that have an animal as a mascot...

Sigh...that doesn't stop some girls in my chapter from calling our NM's 'baby Gammas.' I was called a new member in 2005...this "baby" crap didn't start until my senior year.

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.

This was always my gripe (post-Initiation, of course ). There was a problem with retention in my chapter, so I definitely had a problem with calling these girls new members when chances were they were going to drop out of their pledge period.

[ASTalumna06]

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, just this semester, started using "baby".. it's all over Facebook. Even tonight, a picture was posted of the new members after their pinning ceremony, and it was labeled "Baby Taus!" ... it makes me cringe. And you definitely don't need an animal to make it work. Unfortunately.

Originally Posted by AGD1111

When I was pledging all the initiated sisters called me "baby Squirrel" and I loved it. I didn't know who most of them were, but they'd see me on campus in letters and just shout "Baby!" and it just made me smile. I can understand why some wouldn't like it though. And if any of the other pledges didn't, all they had to do was say so and it stopped.

I would definitely be mortified if anyone yelled "baby" at me across campus. Unless of course it was a totally hot guy. Kidding, of course. But I think that for a lot of girls, this is the kind of little stuff that can completely turn them off from sorority life.

Originally Posted by 33girl

Oh and what about our chapter that goes by Apples. They could call their pledges Li'l Seeds, their alumnae Cores and the sisters who drink too much Baked Apples.

And would the girls who act up and are sent to Standards be called Bad Apples?

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

My chapter, just this semester, started using "baby".. it's all over Facebook. Even tonight, a picture was posted of the new members after their pinning ceremony, and it was labeled "Baby Taus!" ... it makes me cringe. And you definitely don't need an animal to make it work. Unfortunately.



I would definitely be mortified if anyone yelled "baby" at me across campus. Unless of course it was a totally hot guy. Kidding, of course. But I think that for a lot of girls, this is the kind of little stuff that can completely turn them off from sorority life.



And would the girls who act up and are sent to Standards be called Bad Apples?

Better than Tiny Taus, right? I guess y'all could go with Little Fuzzies?

Any women with excessive alcohol issues sent to standards, Rusty Anchors? Oh noes, that is Blanche Deveraux's favorite bar! Those who stop showing up, Dead Weights? If a woman is often shacked up, she Dropped Anchor? Oh, the chapter facility or meeting place, the Anchorage.

With Alpha Gamma Delta's new programming I could see a move towards a system similar to ADPi. New members are Alphas, initiated members Gammas, alumnae are Deltas, or Rosebuds, except that already has a usage for use. Hmmm petals, sisters sent to sorority court thorns?

[aephi alum]

When I joined my local, I was a pledge until I was initiated.

When we went AEPhi, I was a new member until I was initiated.

For AEPhi, most things that would imply that new members are "inferior" to sisters are discouraged. There are certain privileges (like wearing letters and participating in membership selection and ritual) that are not extended to new members. Aside from that, terms like "big sister" and "little sister" or "baby _____" are discouraged, and new members are considered "almost but not quite" on a par with initiated sisters.

Besides, I might have belted anyone who called me a baby giraffe...

ETA: "Thetartots" had me LMAO. I might have belted anyone who called me that, too, had I joined Theta.

[WCsweet<3]

Originally Posted by DaffyKD

Which term, "baby" or "pledge"?

DaffyKD

Babies, I edited my post. Sorry!

[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.

[thetaj]

Originally Posted by AzTheta

No.

Just, no. Read this, below, and then tell me that Bettie Locke Hamilton would approve of Thetartots (wince), or Theta babies (ugh), or kittens (really?), or anything else.

http://books.google.com/books?id=JJ3...page&q&f=false



Sorry the link is funky, I'm too annoyed to make it pretty.

We don't in seriousness call them babies. It's meant to be endearing, it really is. We aren't schemingly oppressive, we love our new women.

As for Thetartots, it's just something silly. It makes me giggle, but I wouldn't want to be called that lol.

Idk *sigh* I feel like there are much greater offenses to our founders out there, but that's a whole 'nother can of worms. This doesn't really bother me. But really, I think this might only bother the generation or so older than us, because it's so widely-used in colleges without hardly anyone in the sorority, other than HQ, fussing about it. This is just an observation, though.