Event T-shirts with Letters on Pledges?

[33girl]

Originally Posted by SydneyK

The red tape I was referring to was that involved in learning the founders names, completing the proper forms at the proper time, going through the proper ceremonies and the proper times, etc. I understand that during that time you also discover what commitment level you have to the group as well as whether or not Greek life is right for you. But, in my opinion, that's not what the pledge period is designed to do. That's just a happy side effect. An important one, certainly, but still just a side effect. Maybe my pledge period was not conducted properly. I still enjoyed it and learned a lot about myself and my sorority. But, I think officially, the purpose was to educate me about (and introduce me to) the red tape that is often involved in sorority life.

The founders' names are red tape?

If during your pledging you don't: learn national and local history, get a good idea of what each officer does, feel you are becoming a part of the campus Greek community, get to know your sisters/brothers beyond their first names, and figure out whether Greek life is for you, then yeah, your pledging wasn't conducted properly.

Pledging should be more than 6 weeks of gifts and quizzes that it doesn't matter if you pass or not.

[SydneyK]

Ok, perhaps I should've just said that the pledge period is about learning facts that are important to the sorority both locally and nationally, and not about earning something. It's also about learning about the people in the chapter and campus, as well as your relationship with them. But, again, I don't think that's earning anything.

Of course I think the information is important - I never said it didn't matter whether or not you pass the quizzes. It's those quizzes (well, more appropriately, the information on them) that are the red tape. I don't mean to suggest that red tape = unimportant. But, knowing such facts doesn't mean you've EARNED anything, it just means you've LEARNED something. I think there's a big difference. I may have learned what the quadratic formula is for, but that doesn't mean I earned a degree in math, or even an A in the class.

[33girl]

Learning is not earning, I guess I agree. But the point is you're taking that time that no one is forcing you to take to get to know these things because 1) you want to know about the sorority you're joining 2) you know it'll make the current sisters of the sorority happy. I mean, if someone takes a test and doesn't know any of our 5 founders' names (but she does know the phone number of every fraternity house on campus) and I know she's a reasonably bright girl, yes, I'm going to question where her priorities lie.

It all reminds me of how some of my history teachers said they weren't going to make us memorize dates because you didn't learn what it was ABOUT. I understand their theory, but I think it's gone too far - when people don't know that the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were written in two different years, maybe we need to get back to some of the memorization. It's the same with the current pledge programs. They've introduced a lot of new things that I think are beneficial, but when it's gotten to the point where brand new initiates who should have this stuff fresh in their mind don't know basic things like founding dates, maybe we need to get back to more of the old school. The "learn at your own pace" doesn't work for everyone.

[Tom Earp]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Learning is not earning, I guess I agree. But the point is you're taking that time that no one is forcing you to take to get to know these things because 1) you want to know about the sorority you're joining 2) you know it'll make the current sisters of the sorority happy. I mean, if someone takes a test and doesn't know any of our 5 founders' names (but she does know the phone number of every fraternity house on campus) and I know she's a reasonably bright girl, yes, I'm going to question where her priorities lie.

It all reminds me of how some of my history teachers said they weren't going to make us memorize dates because you didn't learn what it was ABOUT. I understand their theory, but I think it's gone too far - when people don't know that the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were written in two different years, maybe we need to get back to some of the memorization. It's the same with the current pledge programs. They've introduced a lot of new things that I think are beneficial, but when it's gotten to the point where brand new initiates who should have this stuff fresh in their mind don't know basic things like founding dates, maybe we need to get back to more of the old school. The "learn at your own pace" doesn't work for everyone.

A very interesting and true thought.

It always upset Me when Newbies didnt know squat about Not only Local but National History.

To this day, I disagree about New Member meetings to learn history and study hours being hazing.

So just wearing a Badge and Coat of Arms makes one a member?

History is a foundation of what We as GLOs base ourselves on.

[blkwebman1919]

It appears that a certain post (from around 11:25am yesterday) was deleted from this thread. Unfortunately, the deletion was unable to prevent the email notification I received concerning its being created. However, I have to give big up's to the moderator for removing the post because I did see the text of the post and it was, at best, unnecessary.

[Cube TX]

I understand the pride in one's letters as far as not wanting pledges/associates/MCs to wear the actual letters. I was actually referring to the party T-Shirt types of letters myself.

I think our organizations, ALL OF THEM, stand for more than a few letters though. I can't imagine a prospective member wearing letters, but an associate (I'm a Lambda Chi, so that's what we called them) has already taken a pledge of membership of sorts. This is just one guy's opinion, of course.

[MaryAmanda]

I think it's up to the GLOs as far as their policies on letters, because we all function differently. I don't really have an opinion on if it's okay or not, because really, it depends on the GLO.

OPhiA is a service sorority. As such, we hand out bids to anyone who asks for one (males included). Because we're not primarily a social Greek, we can't discriminate. Likewise, any pledge who meets all pledging requirements is voted in to join, no exceptions.

For us, rush is more like a one-night info session, and I missed it (but I'd still done my research on OPA and knew I wanted to join). I was pinned without ever having met any of the sisters in the chapter.

Our pledge process requires pledges to plan their own service projects (4) and a fundraiser, in addition to quizzes, learning our history, and local requirements. All pledges must make at least an 80 to pass the national history exam (and, thus, to be initiated).

So for us, as a cross between a service organization and a Greek sisterhood, it works for us to require as an organization to only allow initiated sisters to wear letters.

[shinerbock]

The way we do it is that associates are pledges, and can be eliminated from potential brotherhood at any time. Therefore, they cannot wear letters unless they are playing a pledge football game. It is pretty much all or nothing down here, you're really not any sort of member until you're a brother. I mean we'll take care of our pledges and what not, but until initiated they are merely pledges in MY fraternity.

[Tom Earp]

How do people on campus know this?

[Soul D-Psi-ple]

Originally Posted by Tom Earp

How do people on campus know this?

Know what?