balanced man vs traditional

[sfebop]

Hey Bros,
I want to start off by saying I'm from a traditional chapter. I went to conclave last summer and CLA's this fall (Pittsburgh). A lot of the guys at my chapter HATE and I mean HATE the Balanced Man Program, and I'll admit before conclave I was in full agreement. But the truth is every chapter is going to be different regardless. I met BM guys at both Conclave and CLA's that could hang longer then I could, and had great personalities. The problem seems to be that there are a lot of chapters that don't really care who they let in, which can be both a good and bad thing. If a irresponsible chapter lets in irresponsible brothers, well, they loose their charter. However, if BM chapters let in guys that are only doing it for their resume and "Fuck It, I didn't have to pledge" (it's in quotations because some at Conclave actually said that to me); they get rewarded for having high numbers.

From a personal standpoint though, I really like being a pledging chapter; here’s why. Over the 8 weeks that I pledged I got really close with my pledge brothers, we got to know each other and constantly had to depend on one another. There wasn't a moment that we weren't together, not by force, but because after 2 weeks, we genuinely really liked each other. Now that we're in we are always functioning as "one" unit. To me, that is truly amazing, especially considering none of us knew each other beforehand. I can't see how this type of bonding can be re-created through the BMP. Really "hazing" is such a harsh word. I never once felt like I was "hazed", everything I did was done not because I liked the brothers, but rather because I loved my pledge brothers, and once we all shared a common trust, we realized how the guys already in felt. I don’t know, sounds a bit gay, whatever, that’s my only gripe with the BMP.

Fraternally.
Tom

[SigEpBrother2K8]

Originally Posted by sfebop

Hey Bros,
I want to start off by saying I'm from a traditional chapter. I went to conclave last summer and CLA's this fall (Pittsburgh). A lot of the guys at my chapter HATE and I mean HATE the Balanced Man Program, and I'll admit before conclave I was in full agreement. But the truth is every chapter is going to be different regardless. I met BM guys at both Conclave and CLA's that could hang longer then I could, and had great personalities. The problem seems to be that there are a lot of chapters that don't really care who they let in, which can be both a good and bad thing. If a irresponsible chapter lets in irresponsible brothers, well, they loose their charter. However, if BM chapters let in guys that are only doing it for their resume and "Fuck It, I didn't have to pledge" (it's in quotations because some at Conclave actually said that to me); they get rewarded for having high numbers.

From a personal standpoint though, I really like being a pledging chapter; here’s why. Over the 8 weeks that I pledged I got really close with my pledge brothers, we got to know each other and constantly had to depend on one another. There wasn't a moment that we weren't together, not by force, but because after 2 weeks, we genuinely really liked each other. Now that we're in we are always functioning as "one" unit. To me, that is truly amazing, especially considering none of us knew each other beforehand. I can't see how this type of bonding can be re-created through the BMP. Really "hazing" is such a harsh word. I never once felt like I was "hazed", everything I did was done not because I liked the brothers, but rather because I loved my pledge brothers, and once we all shared a common trust, we realized how the guys already in felt. I don’t know, sounds a bit gay, whatever, that’s my only gripe with the BMP.

Fraternally.
Tom

Hey Brother Tom,

I'm from NV Alpha and we're a BM chapter. I have to disagree with you on both points you just made, reason being that the BMP is kind of like an ongoing pledging program. When done correctly it provides all the positives of pledging without the negatives such as hazing, etc. (You might have been OK with it, as I probably would have been as well, but hazing is hazing and the public/law doesn't look at it kindly. Neither does nationals.)
Also, instead of pledging for 8 weeks and your 100% in, you have to earn your way through the rites or passage (alongside the brothers from your class and under the guidance of the older brothers, which is extremely bonding, no homo.). This is a very long process, sometimes lasting years. Over this time the BMP has you do personally beneficial things to prove yourself, e.g. community service, written tests on chapter and national history, etc. Not sure if traditional chapters are that way but isn't proving yourself to the fraternity the definition of pledging?
As far as letting in guys that only want in for something to put on a resume, you will find that the BMP will weed out those guys just as well as pledging because the BMP requires constant input of time and energy to remain in the chapter, again I feel I must add, when done correctly.
A lot of guys have problems with the BMP because of the way that some chapters run the program. However, these chapters probably weren't doing it correctly. When ran well and as it was meant to be, the program is a great way to educate new members, bond brothers, weed out non-SigEps and is one of the biggest reasons SigEp is the leader among fraternities nationwide. It's what sets us apart from other fraternities and looks great to the public. Other fraternities are beginning to model themselves on our example with the BMP and copying is the greatest compliment. Plus nationals will love your chapter for it .
Case and point, when done correctly the BMP offers all the benefits of pledging without the negatives that might or might not be present but are associated with a pledge-based fraternity. Thanks Animal House .

In Brotherly Love,
Brother Nate Janning, NV Alpha