Calling new members "baby"

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Okay, I have a theory:

The word "pledge" was eliminated around the time I joined, like, late 90's - early 00's. It seems like some groups came up with official replacement words: phis, pearls, alphas, while others just expected "new member" to be sufficient. Nobody likes using "new member", so instead, chapters locally made up their own, usually as some version of "baby [insert mascot here].

So, my conclusion is that if orgs don't want their new members referred to as "baby X", they need to come up with something else to make part of the chapter lexicon.

ETA: This is easier for some groups than for others, but Alpha Phi could certainly use "lilies" to refer to their NM's. That's kinda cute.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

Okay, I have a theory:

The word "pledge" was eliminated around the time I joined, like, late 90's - early 00's. It seems like some groups came up with official replacement words: phis, pearls, alphas, while others just expected "new member" to be sufficient. Nobody likes using "new member", so instead, chapters locally made up their own, usually as some version of "baby [insert mascot here].

So, my conclusion is that if orgs don't want their new members referred to as "baby X", they need to come up with something else to make part of the chapter lexicon.

ETA: This is easier for some groups than for others, but Alpha Phi could certainly use "lilies" to refer to their NM's. That's kinda cute.

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.

[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?!