New California Law

[Tom Earp]

Sorry to get so upset about this type of thing, but the reasons that States are enacting laws is because of the many deaths or bodily harm that has happened to "Pledges" of GLOs.

While I may call it a knee jerk reaction, it is and has been a fact of life for a period of time and it affects all of us.

Whether it is a State Law for felony prosecution, the suspension of a chapter, the cost of dues to Risk Management, the death or bodily harm, It will and can harm all of us!

Simple thing, do not do it and then there is not going to be a problem

[jon1856]

Originally Posted by Tom Earp

Sorry to get so upset about this type of thing, but the reasons that States are enacting laws is because of the many deaths or bodily harm that has happened to "Pledges" of GLOs.

While I may call it a knee jerk reaction, it is and has been a fact of life for a period of time and it affects all of us.

Whether it is a State Law for felony prosecution, the suspension of a chapter, the cost of dues to Risk Management, the death or bodily harm, It will and can harm all of us!

Simple thing, do not do it and then there is not going to be a problem

Tom, I for the most part agree with you as well as the other posters in this thread as well as the many others.

However even those of us (99.9% give or take) with a level, clear head and a fair amount of common sense can get tripped up by the laws, regulations, rules and policies of the state, city, school or even the GLO itself.

Why? Because of the way they are written. Having been in or having read most of the prior threads I wonder if what we did back in the day was hazing. Some times I think yes and other times no. I know other GLO's at my school crossed way over the line and that was long ago.

Yes there are plenty of black and white points that just about everyone can agree on. However there are also all too many shades of grays. And those are the issues that hurt us all; figuratively as well as literally.

And what cause train wrecks here.

Off soap box I go...

[Goldenphoenix]

Please check out this "Trust Fall" video - the first young woman, especially. She's terrified and winds up weeping afterward. Had this been a GLO, the "hazing story" would have been splashed all over front pages of newspapers across the country. But since it's just a religious youth group, nothing happens. Talk about a double standard with respect to hazing and GLOs....
http://youtube.com/watch?v=wH_iySii-E0

- goldenphoenix

[AnatraAmore]

I don't think I get the whole point of that activity... they're supposed to fall?

[jon1856]

Originally Posted by Goldenphoenix

Please check out this "Trust Fall" video - the first young woman, especially. She's terrified and winds up weeping afterward. Had this been a GLO, the "hazing story" would have been splashed all over front pages of newspapers across the country. But since it's just a religious youth group, nothing happens. Talk about a double standard with respect to hazing and GLOs....
http://youtube.com/watch?v=wH_iySii-E0

- goldenphoenix

What kind of "trust" is this??????
I thought it was all about catching a person, not causing them to fall AND not catching them.

"Trust" G-D that they will not get hurt????

And you are very correct in your thoughts.

GLO's can be very easy targets for anyone looking to make one. We are International/National groups.

If Williams' Dorm has a fire that injuries and/or kills students it will make at least regional news. Any other problem may not even make local news.

A GLO chapter has National coverage.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by jon1856

What kind of "trust" is this??????
I thought it was all about catching a person, not causing them to fall AND not catching them.

And you are very correct in your thoughts.

GLO's can be very easy targets for anyone looking to make one. We are International/National groups.

If Williams' Dorm has a fire that injuries and/or kills students it will make at least regional news. Any other problem may not even make local news.

A GLO chapter has National coverage.

I didn't watch it with audio, so maybe more is explained, but maybe they are told they are falling from a great height?

Anybody know the deal?

[PsychTau2]

In the explanation for the video, it says that the members of the youth group were told they were five feet off the ground when they were only three inches off the ground. And I have no idea why the let her fall like that...looks like she came close to whacking her head on the ground.

Regarding the California law,

(3) "School organization" means any club, society, fraternity, sorority, or a group living together which has students as its principal members.

That sounds like it could exclude athletic teams, no? Teams don't always live together, and they possibly could argue that they aren't a "club" or "society" because they don't have a constitution/bylaws/etc.

I'm no lawyer, so I could be wrong. That just kind of stuck out at me.

PsychTau

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by PsychTau2

In the explanation for the video, it says that the members of the youth group were told they were five feet off the ground when they were only three inches off the ground. And I have no idea why the let her fall like that...looks like she came close to whacking her head on the ground.

Regarding the California law,


That sounds like it could exclude athletic teams, no? Teams don't always live together, and they possibly could argue that they aren't a "club" or "society" because they don't have a constitution/bylaws/etc.

I'm no lawyer, so I could be wrong. That just kind of stuck out at me.

PsychTau

Some of the worst cases of high school hazing I've read about were sports teams, but you're right: it does leave them out.

Maybe they were afraid that it would set up hazing suits in instances that people were hurt at practice, especially try outs.