What do you call your Pledges?

[Demon Knight]

I know some of my chapters call thier pledges associates, because they are not members but are friends of members..just wondering if any other GLO had any interesting names.

[GmuTeke]

Officially, they are "New Members" or "Associate Members" or "Canidates".

In day to day use however, they're pledges in my chapter.

[TechAPhi]

I'm an Alpha Phi. Our sorority's policy is to call pledges "new members."

Not too interesting, I know. We often lapse into the old non-PC term of "pledge," however.

Jen

[aephi alum]

AEPhi calls them new members. When I joined, AEPhi was just switching over from "pledge" to "new member", so throughout my new member manual, the word "pledge" is used... other sororities on campus had been using "new member" for years. Oh well.

[pink27]

At Phi Mu, we call our pledges "Phi's".

Alpha Sigma Kappa uses the term candidate.

Sometimes it gets interesting when legislation on officer elections is discussed. We occasional want to use the word candidate of an office.

While we are discussing the noun replacement chapters use for pledge, what do chapters use in replacement for the verb pledge (As in She pledged XYZ.) "Becoming a candidate" can be such a mouthful at times.

[TechAPhi]

Pink27: I like that, calling them "Phis." It's cute!

Artimis: It is tough. It is really hard to stick to the "PC" terms. When I am speaking of pledging, I usually try to say "joined" or some variation thereof.

For example, "Hallie joined Alpha Phi during recruitment this year."

Sometimes we'll say "She became a new member last month." Or "She became an Alpha Phi last month."

Or: "Hallie is a new member who joined last month."

It is tough! The old terms (pledge, rush, pledging) were so much shorter and easier.

Jen

[PM_Mama00]

At UofM-D we call our new girls "Phi's", as all Phi Mu chapters are supposed to. Calling them pledges is not only non-PC, but it's also "hazing" in our book. Mmm...ok but in conversation with other people I just call them pledges sometimes becuz sometimes it's hard to explain what a Phi is.

[Betarulz!]

Well, here at Beta, we are pledges, we have a pledge education program, we are referred to as "the pledges" etc., etc.

I really don't see what the big deal is about using these terms I dont feel degraded b/c I'm a pledge as opposed to a new member or associate, but I guess it could depend on the house/chapter as to how those words are connotated.

[Miami1839]

Geoff, has it right For us Its usually Pledge or The Pledges(plural)

I was honored to pledge Beta Theta Pi. Definitely some fun times when everything was new I can understand why we lapse into the whole word of "new member". Of course I've never heard of my fraternity using it. I think it really sugar coats things and really is unnecessary. But then I guess old school is totally different than the way things are now.

Kevin
Beta Theta Pi Alumnus
Epsilon Mu
George Mason

[caddd365]

Hey!
Well in Tri Delta they are officially called new members, but since our symbol for a new member is a pearl, this year they will be called pearls!

[PenguinTrax]

ZTA uses 'new members'.

I think ADPi uses 'Alphas'.

[LeslieAGD]

Officially we use "new members" but I just call them "newbies"

[Wooglin4Ever]

We just call them Bitches, scum, and other degrating names. I am JUST KIDDING! I have to agree with my Beta Bros that pledges is the word that should be used. The thing that bothers me is how everyone has changed the name of everything. (Time for me to get on my soapbox) What used to be pledges is now "New Members", what used to be called rush is now called "Recruitment" what used to be called hell week is now "Initiation week" or "Principles week". We do not haze our pledges but hell week still works for me because no matter what type of chapter you are (Hazing or non) that last week before you get initiated is a long tiring week. You used to RUSH and then you became a PLEDGE then the last week of PLEDGESHIP you went through HELL WEEK where you learned brotherhood and had to cross that final threshold into the fraternity. Now you are RECRUITED, and you JOIN and become a NEW MEMBER. Right before you are initiated you go through PRINCIPLES WEEK. Whatever happend to the good old greek terms our founders started for us. I think you can mix the old school with the new school. I am very new school when it comes to hazing, I don't find it something necessary, but why do we have to be so $&#@ PC about everything.

[SLOTheta]

It's our National Policy to call our 'pledges' New Members.