Contents of your Pledge Manual

[SilverTurtle]

OK, before anyone starts freaking out- I'm not interested in your GLOs secrets, etc. What I'm looking for are the basic contents of your pledge/new member manuals. If there was a Table of Contents, what would the headings be?

We're looking at reworking ours and improving it, and I'm just sort of outlining it at the time being.

I know there's the usual stuff like history and songs and insignia, but was/is there anything you wouldn't have thought to include yourself-but was useful, important or just plain interesting?

Again, if any of this info is priveleged, I don't want to know about it. So be as general or specific as you're allowed and you're comfortable with. You can also PM me if you don't want to post here.

Thanks for the input!

[DeltAlum]

The Delt Pladge Manual is published on www.delts.org. Feel free to take a look.

[WhiteDaisy128]

Out new member manual is, of course, given to each of our new members, but it's also published online...there are no secrets or anything in it...but you can look at it youself to see what kinds of things are included!
http://www.deltagamma.org/new_member_pursuit.html

[KappaTarzan]

all of our secrets including meaning of letters, national athem, motto, and so forth are included along with history of sorority, national exec board, and active/dormant chapters.

[adduncan]

My husband's KA Order pledge manual is called "The Varlet". He showed it to me recently. Not sure if it's online, I haven't looked.

In addition to details about the history of the fraternity, there is extensive discussions of what is hazing and why it is inconsistent with their standards, and education about alcohol use.

Now get this--this is what I love. There is a *huge* chapter on traditional masculine social etiquette--right down to how to hold a teacup, set a table for formal dinner, and how to hold a chair for a lady being seated at the table.

Then there are sections of what everyone's group seems to have: the listing of chapters, the poem defining the KA (I think sororities call it a symphony, not too sure), and the traditional songs, etc.

It came in handy, too. I could prove he was setting the table wrong for Christmas dinner.

Adrienne

[DeltAlum]

Originally posted by adduncan
Now get this--this is what I love. There is a *huge* chapter on traditional masculine social etiquette--right down to how to hold a teacup, set a table for formal dinner, and how to hold a chair for a lady being seated at the table.

And which fork to use.

I know this will digress from the thread early, but this is the kind of stuff I loved about the Fraternity in the 60's, and is missing from many, if not most, chapters today.

The other half of the learning of eitquette, etc. was the House Mother. None of the chapters I've advised have one, but I was very pleased when I was invited to dinner at one of our very large chapters while visiting their area that they still remain standing at dinner until "Mom" is seated by the President, and that the pledges are still seated at her table so she can help them with certain social graces. I was seated next to her, and we had a wonderful conversation.

Our House Mother way back when was a great lady.

Sorry, back to the topic.

[sugar and spice]

Originally posted by adduncan

Now get this--this is what I love. There is a *huge* chapter on traditional masculine social etiquette--right down to how to hold a teacup, set a table for formal dinner, and how to hold a chair for a lady being seated at the table.

My friend let me look through his Delta Upsilon pledge manual recently, and I remember it had a big chapter on proper manners and social ettiquette too -- I remember sections on how to introduce people correctly and what to wear to formal events, at least. I'm not sure it went so far into depth as to how to set a table, but either way I think it's cool that they're teaching the boys manners.

[gphiangel624]

Something you might consider including is a sort of picture book of all the actives in the chapter, including who lives together (if you dont have a chapter house), standing, officer positions, hometown, etc. A lot of those things are easily lost after recruitment ends and can be an easy way for a new member to feel "connected" to someone older in the chapter. For example, my chapter recently had a girl from my hometown, and just having something like that can make all the difference in your new member period. Just a thought.

[Glitter650]

Our New member book has a section on academics (life long learning) Inclusiveness, and, each section has questions. In the academic section it asks you to find out the chapter GPA and questions like if your GPA is helping or bringing down the chapter GPA there is also a section on the history of Phi Sig, and the history of NPC as well as pictures of each orgs badges and their symbols/colors.

[Kevin]

We completely redid the pledge manual in 1999. I recieved mine the last semester that it was used. Since IHQ has made the switch completely over to LEAD and is strongly encouraging chapters to do the same the old book has gone out of print. The new one they send us free. The name says it all, Leadership, Ethics, Achievement and Development or LEAD -- that's what it's all about. It's *really* a great program.

Phase I is what I would guess you'd refer to as the Candidate (pledge manual). We also have Phases II, III and IV for each of your 4 years in school.

My personal favorite is II (I'm teaching it next semester and have in the past). It includes things like the 7 habits of highly effective people, Conflict with Civility and other *excellent* topics to help members deal better with themselves and with others.

I've actually heard of schools or maybe just one school.. who knows how many.. giving certain chapter's members 1 hour of credit for completing Phase I!

Edited to add this URL:

Click here to learn more about Sigma Nu's LEAD Program...

[jharb]

We recieved two pledge manuals from our pledge educator. One was a CD-ROM from nationals explaining all the national information and had stuff that would be on the national pledge test. It had stuff on founders and Pi Phi tradtions. The other had a page on each girl in our house and information on our individual chapter. Stuff like candelights, individual chapter founders, our house mom, our cook & housekeeper, etc. It also had all of our chapter's songs and stuff that related to our chapter. I thought it was neat to have the combination of the two because we got to learn history of our individual chapter and the national organization. The pages on each girl in the house helped for big sister selections too! We could look at each girls' collage and learn things we might not have known about them from meeting them.

Jess

[aephi alum]

My new member manual contains stuff that I think is pretty standard... symbols, history of AEPhi and of the greek system, national officers, a section on NPC, songs, etc.

AEPhi was just making the changeover from "pledge" to "new member" when I pledged, so I have one of the last of the "old" manuals where the word "pledge" was used throughout. I remember being told repeatedly "Remember, you're not a pledge, you're a new member, so just ignore that word!"

Chapters had the option of adding an insert with chapter history, chapter founders' names, and/or current sisters' names, but my chapter didn't use it. (Which is too bad... the idea of several decades' worth of AEPhis having to memorize my name has a certain appeal to it ) In all seriousness, I think an insert with chapter-specific information is a great idea - so many chapters of so many orgs have so much history behind them.

And I love the idea of an etiquette section

[MysticCat]

Originally posted by SilverTurtle (in part)
I know there's the usual stuff like history and songs and insignia, but was/is there anything you wouldn't have thought to include yourself-but was useful, important or just plain interesting?

Along with these topics, ours also has:

Sections on what Fraternity membership means, demands, and provides (as a probationary member, collegiate member and alumni member)

Structure and Governance of the Fraternity (from chapter structure to national)

"Sinfonians of Note" (including famous alums, national presidents, recipients of our highest national award)

Ideals -- aside from info on insignia, this has a section on preparation for initiation and "Myth, Initiation and the Importance of Ritual."

Resources -- including information on awards (chapter, province and national) and official Fraternity policies.

Hope this helps some. Good luck.

[SilverTurtle]

Thanks everyone! This is exactly what I'm looking for. Keep it coming!

[kateshort]

Most of what I've seen in pledge manuals seems pretty typical-- sections on privileges and responsibilities of membership as a new, active, and alumnae member, symbols & terms, creed, information on the international org's officers and international org history, and the like. Oh, and blank areas where you can put phone numbers, address lists, calendars, etc.

When we had restarted our local sorority while I was still an undergrad, we each had binders that included our phone tree, birthday list, creed, crest, and tons of paper for taking notes at meetings. Oh, and were covered with our self-chosen "pledge names." We had *squat*, really.

The things that the international org. does have that my local didn't have that really blew me away. This includes things like:

* a section on chapter practices (list of officers, chapter advisors, and how to run a business meeting with a quickie chart of Roberts' Rules of order)

* information on Greek Life including quickie blurbs about all of the NPC sororities and what their pins look like, and a listing of the then-members of the NIC

* all of the official policies on legacies, hazing, drugs, alcohol, out-of-town parties, etc.

* a small section on scholarship, including studying tips

* a section on life skills, including how to set realistic short-term/mid-term/long-term goals.

As an alumna initiate, I was very impressed with the new member manual! I still use it often to double-check history and to add items to my chapter web site.

Yeah, we don't have the guys' manners section, but the Roberts' Rules, goal-setting tips, and scholarship tips are a nice addition.