Pledges or New Members?

[Senusret I]

Originally posted by PrettyKittieJ
Im not "educationing" anyone....Im just offering my opinion from a side of a fence that most of you have left a long time ago. Also I speak from experience with other organizations. I grew up Greek - my whole household is Greek. So if anything if I WASNT a pledge, I would still have a valid veiwpoint and opinion on this matter.

Then you should be well aware of the concepts of HUMILITY and DEFERENCE.

[emb021]

Originally posted by daffodils
Aren't pledges some of the most important peeps in a chapter? I mean, without new blood, won't a chapter die?

You were all pledges once - remember that the next generation of APO is all based on the pledges now.

btw - I think the post was intelligent, pledge, neo, Brother, whatever.

Actually, not all of us were pledges once. Pledging is only one of FOUR (4) ways one may join APO.

I could have joined APO by one of the other 2 methods, but didn't know and wound up pledging as a grad student. But I think I benefited from understanding the process by doing so.

(btw- the other 3 ways are petitioning, becoming an advisor, being made an honorary)

[SexySuperstar]

Originally posted by Senusret I
Then you should be well aware of the concepts of HUMILITY and DEFERENCE.

And let the church once again say...AMEN!!!

[GoldnBlue2004]

What's up fam! Haven't posted on here in a while but I would like to reply to the question that was posted. I do not agree with calling a pledge a new member. My main reason is because they are a pledge striving to accomplish something and earn my letters. As far as the colors of the letters on paraphanelia. I wear blue and gold faithfully when I wear my nalia because those are our colors, but if you choose to wear the letters made with another color then so be it. Whatever floats your boat do you. I can only be me and do me. Last but not least, who is the PLEDGE giving us advice on what to call our pledges? That is just my $19.25 worth.

[Virtuous Woman]

Pledges should be called just that, pledges. Being called a pledge never took anything away from me it just reinforced my relationship to the fraternity to myself and others. Pledges are not brothers and calling pledges new members would confuse that relationship in their minds and in the minds of others. Pledges are not brothers, the distinction is necessary and semantics play a very important role in how people function within the organization.

To the PLEDGE: You don't have $19.25 to give.

[GoldnBlue2004]

Originally posted by Virtuous Woman
Pledges should be called just that, pledges. Being called a pledge never took anything away from me it just reinforced my relationship to the fraternity to myself and others. Pledges are not brothers and calling pledges new members would confuse that relationship in their minds and in the minds of others. Pledges are not brothers, the distinction is necessary and semantics play a very important role in how people function within the organization.

To the PLEDGE: You don't have $19.25 to give.

I know that the pledge did not say that they gave $19.25. LMAOOL!

[emb021]

Originally posted by Virtuous Woman


To the PLEDGE: You don't have $19.25 to give.

Uh, I re-read the note you (and others) are refering to.

Nothing in it indicated that the writer is a pledge. They said they were a student, and indicated their familiarity with the pledging process in general.

Frankly, some of the recent comments toward this person (pledge or no) seem a little out of line.

[emb021]

Originally posted by BetaRose
The post did originally state that the poster was a pledge, but she went back and edited that statement out after catching heat for her comments....

well, that explains it. I thought the note said that, but when I went to re-read it, it didn't.

regardless, some of the attitude shown was inappropriate.

While a pledge is not a Brother, nor have all the rights within APO, a pledge IS a member class in APO. Pledges can do a lot in the fraternity during their pledge period.

[Senusret I]

[DramaQueen42401]

Buffalo Soldier, my bros, yall are crackin me up, lol. I didn't see the original post, but now that I hear the real story........ .......rotfl. Although I didn't come in through a HBCU, a predominantly Black chapter, a hazing chapter, WHATEVA, fact remains that as a pledge, I couldn't give a true quarter let alone $19.25, hee hee. And then you say she went back and edited it; meaning there was no gall/nerve to stand behind "the point" of the post.....
Somebody stop me, please.

[sweete81]

Originally posted by DramaQueen42401
Although I didn't come in through a HBCU, a predominantly Black chapter, a hazing chapter, WHATEVA,

Now I haven't posted in here for a while, and it may be just a misunderstanding, but I am quite OFFENDED by your statement. I am not sure what you were trying to say, but I do not like the fact that you have equated an HBCU chapter or a predominately black chapter with a hazing chapter. THAT IS STEREOTYPING! Many HBCU chapters and predominately black chapters may have stricter standards and we may do things differently, but we DO NOT HAZE!, and many majority chapters do haze! I know that you probably didn't mean any harm by it, but I just felt a need to tell you that I as a brother from an HBCU (the MIGHTY ZETA PHI) found the comment highly offensive.

Now that is just me adding $19.48 to my $19.25.

News @ 9
9-ZP-03 A
24 ... APOcalypse

P.S. In response to the attitudes from others, although it may have been harsh, it was merited. Pledges should know their place and it was not her place to reply to be disrespectful to brothers. Like my mom always said to me when I wanted to get out of pocket KNOW YOUR ROLE!!!

[Senusret I]

Edwina, that's not what she meant....she was using commas to distinguish the different types of chapters that might be associated with her train of thought. She does not come from one of those types of chapters, yet she still feels the same way that you and I do on the matter.

Trust me, I know her, you took it in a way she didn't intend it.

[PrettyKittieJ]

OKay here - its seems that some things have gotten out of hand and the reason why this topic was posted in the first place has been lost and forgotten.

Now for those of you who seem to think I wont and cant stand behind my post I do and will. I am a woman of my word. I changed the post b/c some where not taking what I said SERIOUSLY for the fact that it said "pledge" therefore I changed it to "student" and note the sarcastic rolling of the eyes right beside it - which means i knew i was changing it and didnt care who else knew - i mean c'mon it says "edited" with the date and time at the bottom of the post!?!?!

I honestly dont know how you can read the post and think it was disrespectful in anyway and I thought I cleared that up in the second post. Just in case some of you arent getting it - I AGREED WITH ALL OF YOU. And the reason why I put PLEDGE/STUDENT in the post is so that you could realize that there has been a foundation and there are things that the STUDENT expects and sees - and that is one of them. I know my place - I just thought it would help for the person who originally posted this question to see what someone from the other side of the fence thought. That helps - sometimes its nice to have an outside perspective on things - something else that I had stated in the second post.

I added in the second post about my experience with Greek organizations so that those who were skeptical of my post would see that I knew what I was talking about.

Like I said before, Im not educating anyone or giving advice. I was answering the question to the post from a PLEDGE/STUDENT perspective and if that offended anyone - fine so be it - I apologize if it offended you but I WILL NOT apologize or change my opinion.

[APhiOKUGrl]

I am shocked to see that a person, student/pledge whatever can't even AGREE to something a BROTHER says without getting some crap about it. I AM a brother and I agree with what was said by the student/pledge. There was no tone of disrespect in the post and it seems to me alot of the "old school" brothers (the one's so far away from the whole initiation process) are the ones that are taking the most offense to it. Don't forget that before "pledge" this person is human and if this person is interested in Alpha Phi Omega and happens to share your view point on pledging vs new member don't bite her head off. How big of you (I say this sarcastically) to tear someone's VALID thoughts on this subject down to nothing. It is not a crime to state an opinion, don't treat her like she's a criminal because she "dares" to post on a subject she is obviously qualified to speak on, even if she IS A PLEDGE or whatnot. And stop trying to misconstrue the girl's words...that makes you look silly. What makes it ok for a brother to say what this girl said and then it's wrong for her to say the same thing? If there's gonna be a problem with what someone says, let it be someone of the OPPOSITE opinion than you,please?!


Jen
ALPHA PHI OMEGA
KAPPA UPSILON CHAPTER, ECU
KBA-SPRING '03

[Senusret I]

PrettyKittieJ and APhiOKUgirl:

It's not about agreeing or disagreeing with what a "Pledge" says.....it's about someone who is not a Brother commenting on something that they do not have a full understanding of because they have not seen it from both sides yet. Sure, you can agree all you want, but in essence, you are still an outsider. That might be how your chapter rolls, but that's not how I roll, and I can and will comment about it.

I am not one of these Brothers who believes in putting pledges BELOW Brothers, but no, you're not my equal when it comes to the knowledge, history, traditions, and even sociology of this Brotherhood. Certain things come with experience -- trial and error. Hell, that's the point of being a PLEDGE before you are a Brother. You make mistakes and you learn from them. You remain humble in the face of so-called "old school" Brothers -- and if we are ACTIVE, we are not "far away" from the initiation process, KUgirl. Almost all of the people who have replied to this thread have seen at least one pledgeclass cross at their home chapter and participated in some way. You defer to brothers who are more experienced than you.

And I wouldn't be harping on humility and deference if PrettyKittieJ hadn't expressed her intimate understanding of Greek Life and BGLOs.

The experience that the Brothers on this board are trying to impart, in various ways, is trying to show you that the so-called "$19.25" is not something WE feel you should be using.....that's like using one of the fraternity calls before you are initiated, wearing letters, etc....it's not something that's a national policy, but it is something that is, to us, a mark of irreverence.

To further identify the difference between this particular pledge and these particular brothers, NO, you have NOT begun a new identity simply because you become an APO Brother. My life was enhanced, I had increased responsibilities, and I had a slew of new obligations.....my life was different, but I had the same identity. I feel bad for anyone who feels they have a brand-new life simply because they are in APO. Those kind of people usually don't last long in the organization.

ANOTHER thing every Brothers know is that YES pledges have rights! For a pledge to say "As a pledge you are not granted any rights" shows me that SOMETHING is going wrong in the process.

And finally.....those chapters that are considering the move from "pledge" to "new member" are clearly being influenced by their local NPC. NPCs call their probationary members "new members" for a reason.....that reason is altogether different from why we call our probationary members "pledges"......they do things differently, but clearly they are affecting the climate of that particular campus. I don't particularly like it, but if "pledge" is becoming a dirty word on their campus, then they have two options....keep it or lose it. They have to make the decision that is best for their campus climate. I might not like it, but chapters make those sort of decisions every day.

VERY SIMILAR to how APO at HBCUs in the olden days used "Pledge Club" terminology. It was the norm among all GLOs on those campuses. APO tends to give chapters leeway in these types of matters, and backs the chapter in their decisions as long as they don't violate rules.

PrettyKittie, for real, I don't know you, so I can't possibly have any personal problems with you. But as a pledge, I wish you would PM me or any of the other Brothers who seemed to have a problem with your post, so you can learn where we are coming from without being on the defensive and having your girl back you up instead of helping you see where we're coming from.