Initation

[GreekSupporter]

For the record I did not say it at all, but I'm not denying it.

[macallan25]

Yeah actually you said that you were a Triangle pledge from Iowa State. And being a college freshman is no excuse for not realizing the good groups from the bad ones. Furthermore, I assume you are in law because there have been some posts about you studying for the LSAT? Why would you choose to join a society of engineers, architects, and scientists? I though membership was limited to those majors. I am confused.

Originally posted by GreekSupporter
For the record I did not say it at all, but I'm not denying it.

[PhiRhoSister]

GreekSupporter,
If your story is true, then instead of quiting you should have reported the fraternity to its HQ.

As a member of a social sorority similar to Triangle, my sisters are very aware of the difficulties of engineering majors. We have test files that all sisters and associates can use. And we have an internal study-buddy/tutoring program, where one can ask for help in a particular subject. Most of our activities also are on the weekends, so that studing during the week is not interrupted. If you were pledging Triangle, their HQ would be very concerned with your pledging story.

[GreekSupporter]

Yeah I was thinking about that, but the guys at my house just said that the point of initation is to over extend yourseld and wear you out, and to work you beyond belief.

[MysticCat]

Originally posted by Rudey
Can someone explain to me what initiation you guys are all talking about that takes over a day? I assume it's not the ritual where the pledge becomes a brother because that would be one long ass ritual to remember.

Im guessing they mean something akin to what was called in ye olde days "Hell Week."

[Rudey]

Originally posted by MysticCat81
Im guessing they mean something akin to what was called in ye olde days "Hell Week."

Oh I thought everyone just called that pledging.

-Rudey

[SurfinDBeach]

If your story is true, then instead of quiting you should have reported the fraternity to its HQ.

Forgive me for my bluntness, and with all due respect, but I think that's a horrible thing for people to do if it is to be your FIRST STEP...

Those type of actions should be the last on your list after
1) talking to the officers in charge -president first, then the officer in charge of scholarship.
2) talking to the Alumni board

Telling nationals is the LAST resort, because in today's age of political correctness, chapters get busted for EVERYTHING...
There should be more respect for the chapter itself...

When all else fails, then go to nationals - but that should be the Last thing...

As for initiation, the word "initiation" that I know stands for the day and ritual ceremony that enters you into the fraternity (learning the ritual/secrets/etc)...

Perhaps because the guy was a pledge, he didn't know the difference - but all things before initiation is considered "pledging."

[ISUKappa]

Originally posted by macallan25
Yeah actually you said that you were a Triangle pledge from Iowa State. ...

Okay, I couldn't find where he said he was from Iowa State, but if he is, then he's dead on. Triangle at Iowa State is not one of the top houses academically. Nor are they known for their social prowess. The chapter house is too far away from Greekland to really have any social pull.

Dude, if other fraternities are interested, pledge another. From what I remember, most of them are not going to care that you had been a pledge at another fraternity as long as you're honest with them and you're not a total tool. (Though, each chapter needs its token tool.) You don't even need to wait until next fall; IIRC, fraternities at Iowa State can give bids throughout the year.

The Greek Life website has the Academics list up from fall 2005. Check there: www.greek.iastate.edu Looking at it, the chapters haven't changed much since I was in school.

[Kevin]

Originally posted by SurfinDBeach
Forgive me for my bluntness, and with all due respect, but I think that's a horrible thing for people to do if it is to be your FIRST STEP...

Those type of actions should be the last on your list after
1) talking to the officers in charge -president first, then the officer in charge of scholarship.
2) talking to the Alumni board

Telling nationals is the LAST resort, because in today's age of political correctness, chapters get busted for EVERYTHING...
There should be more respect for the chapter itself...

When all else fails, then go to nationals - but that should be the Last thing...

As for initiation, the word "initiation" that I know stands for the day and ritual ceremony that enters you into the fraternity (learning the ritual/secrets/etc)...

Perhaps because the guy was a pledge, he didn't know the difference - but all things before initiation is considered "pledging."

I respectfully disagree for several reasons.

You first talk about discussing this with the officers and the alumni board. As to the officers, he did confront them with it, they told him that this was the way they did things, they didn't see eye to eye, so he quit.

As to the alumni board, my guess is either the alumni board for this particular chapter is inactive, or they are so out of the loop that they're irrelevant. No self-respecting alumni board would let their chapter fall into such a state of disrepair.

That said -- part of the mission of HQ's is to make sure that one chapter of their organization doesn't hurt another. I'm assuming that Triangle probably has pretty low insurance rates compared to other national groups. If they want to keep it that way, their HQ's need to know about chapters that aren't pulling their weight. If the "I-Week" period is 3 weeks long, and if that period is meant to interfere with studies, you can guess that there are also some serious risk management issues that need to be looked into.

Alums are there to help with those things, but they have a duty to inquire and know what is happening in their chapter. If they don't do that, and if they don't know, they need to be replaced.

In this day and age, chapters are busted for "everything" because "everything" can pose a serious threat to the coffers of those individual chapters as well as the entire national organization, and if they're part of one of these nouveaux self-insuring groups, one lapse could sink several organizations.

Putting it that perspective, alerting HQ to some of these issues would be the responsible thing to do.

[GreekSupporter]

Plus I really don't think this is something the HQ really needs to know about, I think knowing that the chapter is low as hell on numbers is sufficent enough to say that the chapter is struggling.

[macallan25]

Why in the fuck did you want to pledge them in the first place. Did you not realize during rush that they had low numbers, their house smelled, and that they were a bunch of douchebags?

[GreekSupporter]

They told me that they had thirty to forty members, when most of them were moving out or leaving otherwise...and they said that they just "needed to clean" to explain the smell.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally posted by GreekSupporter
They told me that they had thirty to forty members, when most of them were moving out or leaving otherwise...and they said that they just "needed to clean" to explain the smell.

Even most dirty, smelly, nasty "frat boys" clean up the house for Rush parties.

[Optimist Prime]

Originally posted by AlphaFrog
Even most dirty, smelly, nasty "frat boys" clean up the house for Rush parties.

Yeah, true that.

To the Greek Suporter:

Try again or transfer and pledge a good chapter at a good/better college/Uni. (no offense to your Alma Mater) but seriously try again or if no chapter on your campus match what you think a chapter should be you could always start your own.

[frathole]

From all of these posts, I would imagine this guy is some sort of a gay or something?