Is hazing the best way?

[EE-BO]

Originally Posted by djpsk21

I want them to have required study hours, weekly quizzes on history and fraternity information, etc. I want to build them up instead of them being torn down.

This is where we are disconnecting. You are talking in idealistic terms, and I am asking you to think about the practical aspects of the program you want to put in place. Rules you set now will only work if they are honored by the chapter in practice as well as in principle.

Required study hours are considered hazing by many definitions- and I personally do not think they are a good idea. Where will study hours take place? If you have a pledge who is doing fine on grades and gets most of his work done in labs, do you want to force him to come to study hours in addition to what is already working for/expected of him? If he comes- will the environment be conducive to the one in which he personally works best? You are talking about putting structure and rules into place- and you have to consider EVERY scenario that could come up since rules have to be enforced equally and making exceptions for certain people in practice as exceptions come up will not work.

And on the quizzes, what are the consequences if someone is failing quizzes and not learning the lore? It is one thing to say pledges need to "learn the lore", but how do you make sure it happens? How much is learning the lore an absolute requirement versus the attempt being a symbol of someone's serious interest? What if you have an A+ pledge who just does not have the time to be a whiz at the lore due to his school schedule?

You are speaking to ideals- the question now is what are the practical standards you which to enforce, and how will they be enforced? This is not an easy question, but the answer is there if you can slow down and really think through the mechanics of what you are trying to achieve.

What are you trying to achieve? What about your chapter gives you concern about how pledgeship is conducted? What did you personally feel about your own pledgeship? How did that differ from what your pledge brothers feel about it? Where do you want to go with this initiative?