Quote:
Originally Posted by Benson7824
Sack,
I agree that it does depend on the chapter and the campus...from what I know, most BMP chapters are NOT the "laughing stock of their respective Greek system" except in the south. Also, I've seen both BMP and Traditional chapters be very selective...it really depends on that particular chapter.
I think that the BMP was developed because HQ saw what was coming...a society around most of the US that will not and does not tolerate a hazing culture. Look around somewhere other than the "old south," chapters are closing because of their "real pledgeship."
One thing I do have to say in regard to what our founders would want: read the history. Read why we were founded. Read the values they founded us on. I think the only thing that they wouldn't like is how divided the fraternity is over the BMP vs. Traditional debate.
We were founded on being innovative, holding true to our beliefs yet being able to evolve to live on.
Let's take a good look at when some of our "traditions" started...many did not exist in the time of our founders...most of the pledging activities many of our chapters hold dearly were developed after the war...many years after our founding. Our chapters evolved then to fit into society. At many campuses, the BMP is how we are evolving again to fit society and be successful. At campuses where traditional still works, we are still doing it (on or off the record) in order to fit society and be successful.
I've asked this before and I will again, why are we arguing about this? If traditional works in some places, leave it alone. If BMP works in some places, leave it alone. Ultimately, don't we all want SigEp to be as strong as possible?
Just my thoughts on our never-ending-argument,
Benson
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It is a matter of principle, not a question of whether it works or not. If we held our beliefs so dearly, why is nationals on a campaign to ram its new and unorthodox ideology down everyone's throat - oh yeah, for money. 88 years of practice was abolished for nothing but money, not because society was turning against hazing or the idea of a having pledgeship.
Hazing is such a grey word anyway; having a sober pledge every night of the week, having pledges clean the house, and kicking pledges in the face are all considered hazing by nationals but are completely different things and jeopardizing the safety and health of a pledge is something most rational people would object to anyway. Administering calisthenics (bows & tows, bear crawls, mountain climbs, etc) as a penalty for misbehavor and the like is condemned by nationals but every single person did these things when they played sports in high school. Rookie players had certan responsibilities (shagging balls, moving goals, etc). Now everyone's an equal as soon as you write a check and haven't proven a single thing. If you're trying to tell me that there aren't any similarities between pledging and something as trivial and accepted as high school athletics practices (or athletics on any level, for that matter), you have no idea what you are talking about when you say:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Benson7824
I think that the BMP was developed because HQ saw what was coming...a society around most of the US that will not and does not tolerate a hazing culture"
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. Instead of being coached to play a kid's game, pledges are being coached on how to better themselves, be responsible to ther fellow man, honor commitments, face and overcome adversity, how be a gentleman, and I could go on forever. If the BMP is an indictment against fraternity life in general, then it is an indictment on American life in general also. Since when was it American to buy respect, status, identity, freindship and the like instead of earning it?
BMP is merely a product nationals manufactured so that it would appeal to more people and simultaneously reduce insuance costs/likelihood of a lawsuit - a brilliant business decision. But last I heard, we were a brotherhood, not a corporation. Nationals objects to making a "new member"
earn his membership and will crucify anyone who does otherwise because they feel that it is "bad" for business. It is this betrayal of tradition that has devalued the name of the largest fraternty in the world in the eyes of the campuses it inhabits.
It has been my experience, here in the south where tradition and principle are sacred on so many levels, that because SigEp has deviated so far from the norm in terms of its policies and beliefs (nationally), we have ostricized ourselves from rest the greek community. Before my chapter was made BMP, we were THE top chapter on campus. After being rechartered, no respectable house would throw a party with us, it killed us in recruitment (in terms of the quality and number of guys we wanted), and it hurt us with the sororities. In my 3 years in the house, the more we have deviated from BMP, the more successful we have become. We have doubled in size to nearly 100 members, throw parties with reputable houses, rebult sorority relations (mixers, date parties, etc), and aquired a better quality of overall membership. We have challenged our pledges beyond the boundaries of the LROB and they are better and prouder for it. I wish I could say I was as proud of going through and bonding with my pledge class as our newer initiates can. As we continue to revive tradition in my chapter, we continue to advance our name on campus and will be over 100 men next fall (and a force to be reckoned with). We are shedding the stigma of "Sigma Phi Everyone" and "BMP - Balanced Man Pussies" with great success.
Hybrid Mode
