Sigma Alpha Epsilon Announces Historic Change for membership experience

[SAEalumnus]

Originally Posted by badgeguy

History would seem to prove otherwise.....
SAE was founded in 1856, right? How many days did it take back then to initiate someone? How long did the founders take to "evaluate" potential members? And new chapters?

The first "bid" offered by our Founders was given to Newton Nash Clements (Alabama 1858), who was initiated a week after accepting it. The True Gentleman Experience is a bit more aggressive at a mandatory maximum of four days, but is otherwise historically consistent. The establishment of new chapters was similarly expedient, though I wonder whether the Supreme Council will likewise radically shorten the chartering process (I suspect a double standard will prevail).

[itb2a]

Originally Posted by SAEalumnus

The first "bid" offered by our Founders was given to Newton Nash Clements (Alabama 1858), who was initiated a week after accepting it. The True Gentleman Experience is a bit more aggressive at a mandatory maximum of four days, but is otherwise historically consistent. The establishment of new chapters was similarly expedient, though I wonder whether the Supreme Council will likewise radically shorten the chartering process (I suspect a double standard will prevail).

SAEalumnus:

Wasn't that because your Founders already knew him previously? Seems like I heard they were all former 'pledges' from the University of Alabama Phi Gamma Delta chapter...

[SAEalumnus]

Originally Posted by itb2a

SAEalumnus:

Wasn't that because your Founders already knew him previously? Seems like I heard they were all former 'pledges' from the University of Alabama Phi Gamma Delta chapter...

Not so, actually. Each of our eight Founders had received a bid from at least one of the fraternities on campus and our primary Founder was bidded by all of them, but they were all unaffiliated at the time SAE was founded. Clements was well known on campus and heavily sought after by all of the fraternities.

[badgeguy]

Originally Posted by SAEalumnus

The first "bid" offered by our Founders was given to Newton Nash Clements (Alabama 1858), who was initiated a week after accepting it. The True Gentleman Experience is a bit more aggressive at a mandatory maximum of four days, but is otherwise historically consistent. The establishment of new chapters was similarly expedient, though I wonder whether the Supreme Council will likewise radically shorten the chartering process (I suspect a double standard will prevail).

That's the point I was making.....the whole idea of a pledge process is historically a new concept that was non existent back in the 1800s. Most people entering societies where often times people one or two of the membership knew from their hometowns, or met in classes and really hit it off.

The idea of someone the chapter wants to be a fellow brother having to "prove" their worth or desire is definitely a more recent (post 1900s) development. Society changed, as did the stature of Greek Letter Societies in general.

Back in the 1800s according to numerous magazine articles, "hazing" if you will was primarily done between classes ( seniors to freshman) sort of thing and not really within specific members of fraternities.....

There was however the reports of "horseplay" at initiations to which alumni always frowned upon.....but that was different than a whole semester or quarter of hazing a pledge....(and seems to forget that these are people who one WANTS to be able to call BROTHER!)

[SAEalumnus]

Originally Posted by badgeguy

That's the point I was making.....the whole idea of a pledge process is historically a new concept that was non existent back in the 1800s. Most people entering societies where often times people one or two of the membership knew from their hometowns, or met in classes and really hit it off.

The idea of someone the chapter wants to be a fellow brother having to "prove" their worth or desire is definitely a more recent (post 1900s) development. Society changed, as did the stature of Greek Letter Societies in general.

Back in the 1800s according to numerous magazine articles, "hazing" if you will was primarily done between classes ( seniors to freshman) sort of thing and not really within specific members of fraternities.....

There was however the reports of "horseplay" at initiations to which alumni always frowned upon.....but that was different than a whole semester or quarter of hazing a pledge....(and seems to forget that these are people who one WANTS to be able to call BROTHER!)

Agreed. However, Clements was well known on campus already. The same could not be said for the typical first term freshman no one has met before. You'd almost have to run a background check on him before offering a bid.