How should a pledge address senior brothers during the pledge process?

[Woof]

Originally Posted by Psi U MC Vito

In a word, yes.

Double yes.

If a chapter is doing Interviews,
it's just a sign that they are being very selective and want to see where your head is at from minute 1.
This fraternity is obviously about quality over quantity or else they wouldn't hold an interview.

Of course there's also another scenario that if true I won't ruin for you.

[rupert85]

Originally Posted by TSteven

Others should be able to explain it better, but generally speaking, what is often referred to as an "intake process" (different fraternities may call it different things) is similar to what you have described as what you are going though.

After consideration, a potential new member (PNM) is invited to an interview by the fraternity. If the PNM "passes" (my words) the interview, he may then be extended a bid. At that point, he begins his pledgeship or new member period. After that, there may be another vote by the fraternity to extend membership.

"IFC bidding" (again, for lack of a better way of putting it) is the process where after consideration, a bid is extended to the PNM - most likely without any official interview. If he accepts, then his pledging begins. Before initiation, some fraternities or chapters might have some sort of an interview. Also, some fraternities may require a membership vote at this time.

The "intake process" is most often associated with fraternities that are members of the National Asian Pacific Islander American Panhellenic Association (NAPA), the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO), the National Multicultural Greek Council (NMGC) and the National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc. (NPHC).

While the "IFC bidding" (again, my words), is most often associated with fraternities that are members of the campus Interfraternity Council (IFC) and/or the North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC).

Note, a fraternity may belong to more than one conference, association and/or council.

And the way each fraternity "brings in" members may be different. So again, these are just generalizations.

Best of luck.

Thanks very much for this explanation. While I am looking forward to what lies ahead, I am quite anxious and nervous, and getting more so as the day approaches. I have been provided with so little information about the six week pledge period that I simply have no clue what to expect. I am used to being in control and seeing several steps ahead, so this is very new to me.

[rupert85]

Originally Posted by Woof

Double yes.

If a chapter is doing Interviews,
it's just a sign that they are being very selective and want to see where your head is at from minute 1.
This fraternity is obviously about quality over quantity or else they wouldn't hold an interview.

Of course there's also another scenario that if true I won't ruin for you.

Thanks, but is the somewhat cryptic second scenario what I am thinking--that the fraternity is maybe not so selective and even a little desperate for new members? I mean, they are holding the interviews, bidding ceremony and first day of pledging all on the same day. It seems to me that they want to get pledges started as soon as possible in order to integrate them quickly and decrease the chance that they will reject the bid or drop out at the start. Just an idea... but I'm basically clueless as to what they are thinking...and I find it frustrating.

[Woof]

No,
I wasn't quite thinking along that exact wave length,
but after this interview is done come back and let us know how it went down.

Also,
Am I right in assuming you are trying to pledge an IFC fraternity, and not the BGLO ones (pre-dominantly black)?

[rupert85]

Originally Posted by Woof

No,
I wasn't quite thinking along that exact wave length,
but after this interview is done come back and let us know how it went down.

Also,
Am I right in assuming you are trying to pledge an IFC fraternity, and not the BGLO ones (pre-dominantly black)?

This is not a predominantly black fraternity. It is a local frat that was established 9 years ago, and as such is not part of a larger international organization.

[Elephant Walk]

Originally Posted by rupert85

I was wondering if it is common to have pledges address senior brothers in a fraternity as "sir" during the pledge process. I am pledging this semester and the pledge period begins next week. My initial assumption is to automatically address the frat's president and members of the rush committee as "sir." Is this a good idea, and should I address all brothers in this way?

I prefer the pledges to bow like Obama before they address.

When they do address me, it should be a long drawn out laudatory address which includes "greatest" about five times and some sort of insult regarding the other fraternities and then bow when he's done.