Hazing and Pledge Pins

[AOX81]

WHEN I PLEDGED I WAS PROUD TO WEAR MY PLEDGE PIN!!!! I WANTED EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT I WAS JOINING AN AWESOME ORGANIZATION!!

[Tom Earp]

If you don't want show who you are proud to be with then do not join. Simple as that!! It is not hazing!!

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Tom Earp LX Z#1
Pittsburg State U. (Kansas)

[kdgirlie]

Having to wear your pin is considered hazing by my sorority. But we all liked wearing them, so we did when in pin attire. But I know most of my sisters were afraid of losing it.

[KSig RC]

Well, for us the pledge pin is the only set of letters pledges can wear, so it's pretty much the way to rock letters around campus. Definitely a pride thing.

Rob

[Hootie]

My question for you all is this:
If you do not consider "making a pledge wear his/her pledge pin hazing" then what happens if they are caught NOT wearing it?
Obviously something must happen or else they wouldn't wear it all the time.
Now lets remember something. We don't HAZE. PERIOD! Granted, I agree... someone should be thrilled to wear their pledge pins. However some pledges are still not sure if ABC organization is for them. Personally I don't take well to being told that I "HAVE TO DO SOMETHING". I'd drop an organization like that in a heartbeat!
So, while it sounds stupid remember that it isn't. Wearing pledge pins all the way to the shower, in earholes, on bra straps at parties... these are all things that could cause a person to feel embarassed or threatend (what are the consequences if I don't wear my pledge pin?).
And another question I have is if you all are supposed to wear your pledge pins all the time (even under your shirts at parties) then how do you feel about drinking with letters on?!?! Just something to think about!
Greek Love,
Hootie

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What do you get when you cross and Alpha Omicron Pi and a Sigma Phi Epsilon? A beautiful Chi Omega!!!

[12dn94dst]

Originally posted by Hootie:
Personally I don't take well to being told that I "HAVE TO DO SOMETHING". I'd drop an organization like that in a heartbeat!

No disrespect intended, but this makes me wonder how you bacame a member of a sorority at all. I'm sure every organization has requirements that a pledge must complete b4 s/he becomes a fully initiated member and in the light of "you want to be an abc," there are some things you HAVE to do, not because your big sisters just made it up for you to do 15 minutes ago, but because it's part of the organization's sanctioned & LEGAL pledge/intake process. For some organizations, it's wearing a pledge pin, dressing a certain way, being at certain functions at certain times, learning certain material. Who are we to say, as members of our individual organizations, that a small detail like wearing a pledge pin is hazing across the board?

Now, I agree that having a pledge have the pin on their person 24/7 is a bit much. That bit about holding it in your teeth while you're in the shower was REALLY doing too much. What if you swallow it or if you drop it & step on it? (ouch!) But under normal, fully clothed circumstances and as long as it's checked DISCRETELY (in the case of wearing it on your bra strap), I don't see the issue with requiring a pledge to wear a pin.

[KSig RC]

Originally posted by Hootie:
then how do you feel about drinking with letters on?!?! Just something to think about!

Personally, i don't know that the actual act of drinking while wearing letters is the problem - it's how one acts while wearing letters. So if a pledge wants to drink with his pin on, well he has the responsibility of representing his fraternity at the same time. We trust them to make the right decisions in every scenario while wearing their pin, including ones like this.

[UNFSigmaChi]

I don't think drinking with your letters on is a problem at all. I do it from time to time. Usually when a bunch of us go out we just hang out and chill at a bar or whatever. We get wild and crazy at our parties. I also drink in my badge sometimes when we go out after chapter to watch football or whatever at a sports bar. The reason why i and several others drink in our badge is because there are pictures of our founders drinking in their badges as well. So thats why no one has a problem with it. Pledges wear their pins if they can drink as well.

[KappaGirl2]

At my school all the sorority pledges (not sure about the fraternities) had to wear their pledge pins, but it was an HONOR! It was a wonderful feeling standing out from those who weren't greek, or even those in different GLO's. I never considered it hazing, although some people definitely thought it was. I was proud to stand out.

Erin

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Rise and shine and become a Kappa Gamma!

[AlphaChiGirl]

Originally posted by Hootie:

And another question I have is if you all are supposed to wear your pledge pins all the time (even under your shirts at parties) then how do you feel about drinking with letters on?!?! Just something to think about!
Greek Love,
Hootie

Hmmm, I don't see anything wrong with drinking in a dignified manner. But, we all know that not all college drinking goes on in a dignified manner. I've been known to take off my lavalier before going into a bar. If someone sees you drinking with your letters, it just emphasizes the notion that Greeks are nothing but a bunch of lushes. We're not, but especially at my school, I don't want to give the anti-Greeks any more ammunition against us.

[matthewg]

Originally posted by KSig RC:
Personally, i don't know that the actual act of drinking while wearing letters is the problem - it's how one acts while wearing letters. So if a pledge wants to drink with his pin on, well he has the responsibility of representing his fraternity at the same time. We trust them to make the right decisions in every scenario while wearing their pin, including ones like this.

Great point KSig RC - I aggree with you 100%!
Responsibility is the clou!