Calling new members "baby"

[33girl]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

As far as I know, ASA pledges have been Pearls loooooooooong before the 90's, whether they were commonly referred to as such or not.

There was no usage of Pearl until after at least the 1994 convention, or it might have been 1996. It definitely wasn't used when I was an active.

Oh and what about our chapter that goes by Apples. They could call their pledges Li'l Seeds, their alumnae Cores and the sisters who drink too much Baked Apples.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by 33girl

There was no usage of Pearl until after at least the 1994 convention, or it might have been 1996. It definitely wasn't used when I was an active.

This is definitely misleading in Advantage, then, because it makes it seem like one of those things that has always been.

And I hadn't heard anything about not calling them just Pearls - that's what we were called.

[goldendelta]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

As far as I know, ASA pledges have been Pearls loooooooooong before the 90's, whether they were commonly referred to as such or not.

This is actually Tri Delta. New Members are Pearls, Collegiates are Pines and Alumnae are Pansies. However, I have seen "Baby Delta" here and there and I cringe every time I see it.

[Gusteau]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

This is definitely misleading in Advantage, then, because it makes it seem like one of those things that has always been.

And I hadn't heard anything about not calling them just Pearls - that's what we were called.

Well you know if you do something once in a GLO it's "tradition" and if you do it twice it's "the way we've always done it."

Originally Posted by goldendelta

This is actually Tri Delta. New Members are Pearls, Collegiates are Pines and Alumnae are Pansies..

Remember unthread when we talked about not making assumptions about other organizations? New Members can be pearls in Delta Delta Delta and Alpha Sigma Alpha.

[Shellfish]

Originally Posted by Gusteau

Well you know if you do something once in a GLO it's "tradition" and if you do it twice it's "the way we've always done it."

That sounds like students at my alma mater. They call traditions things that didn't even exist a few years ago. It's usually amusing, but a few years back in the school newspaper, the Panhel president attributed rules about parties (i.e., that they have to be held outside the house) not to risk-management policies but to a sort of brothel law. Argh.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by goldendelta

This is actually Tri Delta. New Members are Pearls, Collegiates are Pines and Alumnae are Pansies. However, I have seen "Baby Delta" here and there and I cringe every time I see it.

Ours are Pearl, Ruby, Crown...but apparently that's -newer - than I had first thought.

I wonder if yours are Pearls for the same reason ours are.

[NutBrnHair]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

I wonder if yours are Pearls for the same reason ours are.

Only Ida Shaw Martin knows?!

[KillarneyRose]

We call our new members "Little Green Sprouts" because they will eventually bloom to be the Killarney Roses of Delta Zeta.

















Nah, I'm just kidding

[Shellfish]

There are commenters on the blog post that Jen linked to in her initial post who defend the use of "baby," but the issue's kind of clouded by the blogger's calling it hazing. I think it's meant as an endearment, but as Jen says, it's infantilizing. Why would organizations that value intelligence and ability want to call their members children? And you'd never see fraternities call their new members something like "Baby Kappa Sigs."

[psusue]

Our national headquarters discourages the use of 'baby violets', 'baby sailboats', etc. I personally think it's ridiculous for our organization, because we don't have an animal mascot, we have a sailboat and a skull and crossbones. Neither of which has been or will ever be a baby. I don't mind the idea in theory, as all new members are 'babies' in their new organization, but I also know that it sounds demeaning and infantilizing to others.

I kind of wish we could do something like ADPi or Phi Mu and call our new members 'alphas' or 'phis', however that is the unfortunate downside of only having one letter.

Also, a pledge is a promise, not a person. What I learned from my new member period.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by psusue

Our national headquarters discourages the use of 'baby violets', 'baby sailboats', etc. I personally think it's ridiculous for our organization, because we don't have an animal mascot, we have a sailboat and a skull and crossbones. Neither of which has been or will ever be a baby. I don't mind the idea in theory, as all new members are 'babies' in their new organization, but I also know that it sounds demeaning and infantilizing to others.

I kind of wish we could do something like ADPi or Phi Mu and call our new members 'alphas' or 'phis', however that is the unfortunate downside of only having one letter.

Also, a pledge is a promise, not a person. What I learned from my new member period.

I think just "violets" would work, though, wouldn't it? Or do you have a jewel? I think the jewel always works.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

I think just "violets" would work, though, wouldn't it? Or do you have a jewel? I think the jewel always works.

I've heard them called "new violets" or "new pearls" because chapters are starting to see that "baby violet" is frowned upon.

I really don't have a problem with new pearl/violet. Much better than being called a baby.

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by psusue

Our national headquarters discourages the use of 'baby violets', 'baby sailboats', etc. I personally think it's ridiculous for our organization, because we don't have an animal mascot, we have a sailboat and a skull and crossbones. Neither of which has been or will ever be a baby. I don't mind the idea in theory, as all new members are 'babies' in their new organization, but I also know that it sounds demeaning and infantilizing to others.

I kind of wish we could do something like ADPi or Phi Mu and call our new members 'alphas' or 'phis', however that is the unfortunate downside of only having one letter.

Also, a pledge is a promise, not a person. What I learned from my new member period.

I think I've pretty much established my anti-babyness, but when I started thinking about Sigma's mascots as you noted them, "Baby Skulls" went through my mind. I mean no disrespect, but I did giggle a little.

[LouisaMay]

The baby thing was big when I was in college. Chapters often gave their new pledges big toy baby bottles filled with candy in their sororities' colors.

("Thetartots" cracked me up!)

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by Jen

It's like when I saw "baby hooter" in a thread here.

Oh, me too on that one, especially when it's written in the plural.