new member programs preparing you for life as an active

[KyleMcGuire1983]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

I totally disagree with this line of thinking. I don't think you have to do chores to "earn" the right to be initiated. Hazing does not make a stronger brotherhood or sisterhood. Women and men are very different and so are the members of the NPC and the IFC. Comparing drop out rates for women and men is like comparing apples to oranges. Men join fraternities for a very different reason than women join sororities. My older sister was in the last "pledge" class at my chapter, and I was in the first "new member" class. She had to wait an entire semester for initiation while I had to wait six weeks. She said the only difference in the equation was time. She went to a lot more meetings than I did, but she felt she was no more "prepared" than I to become an initiated member. Her pledge education included things like memorizing the letters of the greek alphabet (sorry...how important is that really?!) My new member education was pared down to the basics of what sisterhood meant. My sisters and I were smart enough and worthy enough to get "it" within the six week period. Change is hard, but it's not good enough to justify not changing because "Well...I had to do it that way!" or "I had to be hazed to be a real brother (or sister.)" That's a cop out!
By the way, I just saw the Tri Sigma program on the internet. It really is a nice system. That may be what the other NPC groups should model their own member education programs after.

1) Well the "chores" we "force" our boys to do are just house duties that EVERYBODY has to do. I'm the Vice President and I'm mopping the kitchen floor while a pledge is cleaning the sink. So I think that's more just having house rules than putting pledges on some kind of lower level.

2) As stated in our LEAD Manual (pledge book) knowing the Greek Alphabet and being familiar with it is out of respect to other organizations. At least that's the Sigma Nu philosophy and I couldn't agree more....I'm embarassed when some guys don't know what a Rho looks like or a Xi! It's basic diplomacy.

3) Men join fraternities for brotherhood do women not join for the same reason? I don't mean to turn all of NPC on me here it just seems that the retention rates are completely out of whack. I know I know, glass houses.....the NIC system is pretty rough as well with hazing and what not...

[Buttonz]

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

I don't want to haze. I don't think we should be doing bad things to them, but 80% of the stuff that is considered hazing is ridiculous. You should make them want it, not just give them a cake walk.

I agree. For us, we have six things that a new member must do to become a sister. I don't think there is wrong with making them want it and they having to do certain things. Making a girl attend NM meetings and stuff is not hazing

[AlexMack]

I've said this to other people, but I do think the no-hazing rule is getting out of hand. The one example I have from my own NM period is that during I-week, it used to be traditional for the NM class to spend each night, sundown to sunup, at the house.
My class was the first not to be required to do that because it was considered hazing. We all wanted to do it, every single woman in my NM class wanted to spend each night at the house, but we weren't allowed. I think it was one of those things where we just wanted to follow in the chapter tradition-to us it wasn't hazing in any way, it was just more time to bond as a class.

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by KyleMcGuire1983

2) As stated in our LEAD Manual (pledge book) knowing the Greek Alphabet and being familiar with it is out of respect to other organizations. At least that's the Sigma Nu philosophy and I couldn't agree more....I'm embarassed when some guys don't know what a Rho looks like or a Xi! It's basic diplomacy.

Not to mention knowing the other chapters in your own organization!

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by KyleMcGuire1983

1) Well the "chores" we "force" our boys to do are just house duties that EVERYBODY has to do. I'm the Vice President and I'm mopping the kitchen floor while a pledge is cleaning the sink. So I think that's more just having house rules than putting pledges on some kind of lower level.

2) As stated in our LEAD Manual (pledge book) knowing the Greek Alphabet and being familiar with it is out of respect to other organizations. At least that's the Sigma Nu philosophy and I couldn't agree more....I'm embarassed when some guys don't know what a Rho looks like or a Xi! It's basic diplomacy.

3) Men join fraternities for brotherhood do women not join for the same reason? I don't mean to turn all of NPC on me here it just seems that the retention rates are completely out of whack. I know I know, glass houses.....the NIC system is pretty rough as well with hazing and what not...

I have nothing against doing work for the chapter. If all members have to do chores to make sure the house stays in good condition, there is nothing wrong with that, and I agree that NMs should not be excluded. BUT, to say that brotherhood/sisterhood is lessened by not being expected to do chores (even if initiated members have to but not NMs) is stupid. I've already addressed your second point in my above posting. As to your third point, I agree that men join fraternities for brotherhood, but I think I can argue successfully that what a man expects from brotherhood is very different from what a woman expects from sisterhood. It's the same with children. Boys are rough when they play...usually girls are not as rough. As a woman, I would not have put up with being hazed, and I certainly don't believe that it would help improve retention! Of course I do agree that what is considered hazing these days is ridiculous. As for why our NMs are treated well as NMs, it is to show them the love and support that is at the heart of membership in our organizations. If a woman is looking for a place to degrade, humiliate or injure her sisters, she needs to look somewhere other than an NPC group. If the price of excluding people looking for this type of "sisterhood" is low retention numbers, I say keep retention low...I'm happier with the women who are there for the right reasons!