The Hazing Tradition

[Little32]

Are you proud to be an American (assuming that you are American--though it seems that I have read something that you wrote which suggests otherwise, at least I think that was you); or are you proud to be insert your state here. Would being a insert the name of your state here even mean the same thing outside of the context of an American nation.

Similiarly, would your chapter be what it is without the national organization? My chapter would not. We would not exist without the initiative of the national body to expand, and the national body would not have existed without the vision of our founders.

Everything our chapter does contributes to the national legacy along with the efforts of every other chapter; conversely, the national body shapes in many ways the goals of the chapter. We are all different, but we are all so much more the same, which is why every woman who pledges AKA is my soror, not just the ones who come into the organization via my chapter.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by Little32

Are you proud to be an American (assuming that you are American--though it seems that I have read something that you wrote which suggests otherwise, at least I think that was you); or are you proud to be insert your state here. Would being a insert the name of your state here even mean the same thing outside of the context of an American nation.

Similiarly, would your chapter be what it is without the national organization? My chapter would not. We would not exist without the initiative of the national body to expand, and the national body would not have existed without the vision of our founders.

Everything our chapter does contributes to the national legacy along with the efforts of every other chapter; conversely, the national body shapes in many ways the goals of the chapter. We are all different, but we are all so much more the same, which is why every woman who pledges AKA is my soror, not just the ones who come into the organization via my chapter.

Say that!

Our sororities supercede all chapters and individuals but yet they are "ours."

[bowsandtoes]

Originally Posted by Little32

Everything our chapter does contributes to the national legacy along with the efforts of every other chapter; conversely, the national body shapes in many ways the goals of the chapter. We are all different, but we are all so much more the same, which is why every woman who pledges AKA is my soror, not just the ones who come into the organization via my chapter.

You make good points, but imagine a different scenario from one of our prospectives. You love your chapter and are proud of your national organization. But one year at a national meeting the big brass reveal that the organization is taking a new direction, one of which you might now approve. Your protests are not enough to overrule the decision and nationals continues down a path of which you do not approve. What do you do?

The only real choices you have are to a) secede and go local or b) continue on with nationals, but ignore them for the most part and distance yourselves. We're seeing chapters take option b more and more frequently as various fraternities such as Sig Ep, Lambda Chi, and SAE implement programs to reform chapters. Its happening slowly but I think in the next 20 years you will see a majority of chapters either go local or more likely, be shut down. That, or the nationals will bend to alumni pressure and stop forcing these programs on chapters.

[jon1856]

Originally Posted by bowsandtoes

You make good points, but imagine a different scenario from one of our prospectives. You love your chapter and are proud of your national organization. But one year at a national meeting the big brass reveal that the organization is taking a new direction, one of which you might now approve. Your protests are not enough to overrule the decision and nationals continues down a path of which you do not approve. What do you do?

The only real choices you have are to a) secede and go local or b) continue on with nationals, but ignore them for the most part and distance yourselves. We're seeing chapters take option b more and more frequently as various fraternities such as Sig Ep, Lambda Chi, and SAE implement programs to reform chapters. Its happening slowly but I think in the next 20 years you will see a majority of chapters either go local or more likely, be shut down. That, or the nationals will bend to alumni pressure and stop forcing these programs on chapters.

If that is what you really think-OK.

[Little32]

@ bows: I do understand that perspective to an extent (I am young in my organization), and I think that most organizations have this sort of internal conflict happening at any given moment.

I don't, however, think that any chapter in my sorority would withdraw rather than staying and continuing to advocate for change within the org. (Here, I am talking about any sort of change, not just change related to pledging/hazing/MIP.)

I think that there is a fundamental difference in terms of perception of chapter relationship to national (or in our case international is correct) body. There is no Theta Omega chapter without Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. At least that is my understanding.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by bowsandtoes

What do you do?

Undergraduate chapters get over it.

When I was an undergad, I would've never thought it appropriate for a chapter to attempt to override the national organization. One major reason why I joined Delta was because I have love for Delta as a national entity. It is through my chapter that I was able to reach Delta and initially bond with Sorors. However, to remove Delta just because we disagree with something is ridiculous as far as BGLOs in general are concerned. Attempting to become a local would definitely not be received well. LOL. Not at all.