New names for "pledge"

[dzrose93]

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]

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]

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.

[josh8o]

hey if we are looking for new names for pledges, could we also look for a different name for maggots?!?!
lol
j/k

[N2]

New name for a "pledge"? This make me SICK. Those of you that want to make GLO's so PC, go join a club. There is nothing that should be PC about a fraternity. It is not your right to be a Brother. It is not your duty to be a Brother. It is not a privilege to be a Brother. In my chapter it is a life changing event that is earned every day. A fraternity in its self is discriminate. We, the Brothers, do not join the pledges. They are attempting to attain Brotherhood. Brotherhood in my chapter does not come easy. It is by far the most difficult challenge I have ever had in my life. It is also the defining event in my life. It rings true throughout my chapters Brothers, both active and alumni. Why? Because we pledged. We did not join a warm and fuzzy PC club. We paid for the letters that we wear. We earned them through blood, sweat and tears, TOGETHER! There is a difference.

[pbear19]

Originally posted by N2:
New name for a "pledge"? This make me SICK. Those of you that want to make GLO's so PC, go join a club. There is nothing that should be PC about a fraternity. It is not your right to be a Brother. It is not your duty to be a Brother. It is not a privilege to be a Brother. In my chapter it is a life changing event that is earned every day. A fraternity in its self is discriminate. We, the Brothers, do not join the pledges. They are attempting to attain Brotherhood. Brotherhood in my chapter does not come easy. It is by far the most difficult challenge I have ever had in my life. It is also the defining event in my life. It rings true throughout my chapters Brothers, both active and alumni. Why? Because we pledged. We did not join a warm and fuzzy PC club. We paid for the letters that we wear. We earned them through blood, sweat and tears, TOGETHER! There is a difference.

Well, just so you know, since I posted the thread, I am in a service sorority. Although we don't make it easy for people to get in, we're not out to make their lives miserable, either. We have a lot of girls in social sororities too, so our group is their second priority. (But we have a majority who consider it their first priority.) What we're about is serving the community while getting to know some cool other girls on our campus and having fun too. We are highly selective when it comes to choosing new members, because service orgs are HUGE on my campus and we try to keep our numbers low for quality's sake. So probably the toughest part of my sorority is getting a bid. Last fall we had 60 girls turn out and only took 20.
So do I want to make our girls suffer to become members? No, because that's not what we're about. I realize your post may have been a response to some of the replies on this thread, but since I posted it, I just wanted to let you know that not everyone who posts on here has the same type of organization. Would I do anything in the world for my sorority? YES! Does every member have the same level of committment as I do? No, but that can be said about any org. And even if they aren't called pledges, there will be many more girls who will come through and be just like me, thankful every day that they joined and active for the rest of their lives.

[shadokat]

Before this thread gets off on the tangent it's heading, the word "pledge", "new member", "bag", "associate", or whatever else you want to call them, does not indicate how "easy or hard" it is to get into an organization. It's so ridiculous to classify new member programs as easy or hard, so let's not even get into that!

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Delta Phi Epsilon, Celebrating nearly 84 years of Dedication, Pride and Excellence!

Ohteeny, I think Junior ALL God's Daughters would be better then little squirrels

[ULChiOCutie]

We call our plegdes "new members." We also have called them our "little hooties," because I am a chi o. Then when they initiate, that have graduated to Owls. It is just something a little cheesy that we do, but everyone seems fine with it!

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Loyaly in our bond,
ULChiOCutie
Check out UofLouisville's Chi Omega Website!
http://chio.webprovider.com

[PinkStar17]

We call our pledges "Phi's" I always loved being a Phi because it was neat to have a special name.. while all the other sororitys on campus called their pledges "new members" we were called Phis! It always sounded so much nicer.. Even as a sister I miss getting the attention I got when I was a "Phi"

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Love, Honor, Truth

[unforgettable]

hey pinkstar, what soror are you in? Locally we call are new girls lil phi's...kind of like what your newbies are called. Im an Alpha Phi...what are you?

[PinkStar17]

Hey Im a Phi Mu... From Miami, Florida

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Love, Honor, Truth

[PinkStar17]

Unforgettable,
I am a Phi Mu from Miami, Florida!
Theta Gamma chapter
pretty neat how more than one sorority uses the name "Phi's" its such a cute way to refer to new members!


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Love, Honor, Truth

[LeslieAGD]

I pledged Alpha Gam in the fall of 99 when the terminology was changing over at my university. Personally, I don't see what the big deal is about saying pledge/rush, etc but we do call our girls new members. Usually I just call them our "newbies" but I do wish there was something that sounded better.

[LexiKD]

I don't have a problem with the name change because many groups call their new members something different anyway! I think the word "pledge" carries such a bad connotation that it would be better to change.
I think the cub thing is cute and the ADPi thing awesome!