Dartmouth Fraternities To Abolish Pledge Term

[LillyPhi]

Fraternities at Dartmouth must abolish pledge terms for new members, members of the Interfraternity Council decided unanimously on Sunday night. The vote does not come with any new enforcement measures, IFC president Wil Chockley ’15 said, noting that College and government policies already ban hazing. Its student-driven nature, combined with a fear of system-wide retribution if a fraternity violates the policy, will contribute to its enforcement, fraternity presidents interviewed said.

http://thedartmouth.com/2014/09/22/n...sh-pledge-term

[AOII Angel]

Things are a changing.

[amIblue?]

I get how the locals can make this happen, but how can the nationals just change this?

[AOII Angel]

That's a very good question. I guess it all depends on how much these groups want to keep a chapter at Dartmouth. (Not that I think elimination of pledging will change anything about the Dartmouth Greek life atmosphere.)

[SoCalGirl]

What will this mean for the sororities on campus? Seems like it's a matter of time before a similar move is made.

[knight_shadow]

So, they're keeping the new member periods but making everyone equals? I'm assuming they're trying to go for a BMP-type situation, but are they expecting undergrads to come up with these programs?

Because "undergrads, please abandon your national policies and make something up" will end well

[33girl]

And the recently-initiated members will end up doing pledge activities -only with less people believing them if they say they were hazed since they're already members. Stupid.

[Kevin]

I would rather see my fraternity withdraw from campuses which seek to control us to that extent than to cope. This is a massive overreaction to basically a few bad apples and will change nothing about these chapters' behavior. If college fraternities end up only existing at state schools where they can't stop our freedom to associate, so be it. Let schools like Dartmouth trash the sort of alumni loyalty, campus life experience, etc. that only Greek Life can offer. Let's make sure these kids coming on campus live in some administration-controlled bubble where they are only exposed to that which the administration deems appropriate.

I am particularly disappointed that this is happening at Dartmouth. Our chapter at Dartmouth was, back in the 60s, a huge force for change and served a great role within our brotherhood when they chose to dissociate from Sigma Nu after we failed at our Grand Chapter to vote anti-discriminatory language into our governing documents. They only returned when this language was finally accepted at the next convention.

I'd hate to lose that history and that chapter, but I'd rather see that happen than to bow down to some administrative dictators who feel the need to control every aspect of their campus.

[Low D Flat]

What will this mean for the sororities on campus? Seems like it's a matter of time before a similar move is made.

It might, but not necessarily. The administration doesn't perceive the same risks in the sororities as in the fraternities. Frankly, knowing this campus well, they are right. The sororities don't mistreat/endanger their new members the way some of the fraternities do.

[thetalady]

Misunderstood that discussion, didn't I??

[aephi alum]

I'm confused as to what exactly this means. Would new fraternity members be initiated the minute they sign? Would there still be a pledge / new member period where the new members are afforded all rights of brothers except for participating in ritual and wearing the badge or coat of arms? Where is the line drawn?

IMO, there has to be *some* new member / pledge period. Each NM takes the time to get to know the GLO and its members, its history, its culture, etc. and then decides whether to become a full initiate or to depledge. That's not a decision you can really make during a few days of rush.

[sinfonia_H-O]

Funny, but two hundred years ago the same thing was happening as well.....many colleges tried desperately to get rid of the fraternities and "secret societies" for the admins feared they would overrun the schools and become more powerful than they could control. Eventually as history will tell, things worked out well for many organizations and many of them survived, albeit many were "sub-rosa" but they survived, became strong organizations with lots of $$ from alumni filtering back into the schools and organizations......

The way things are going on campuses, it may be coming back full circle and many organza ions will continue to exist, but just become super secretive......which will enrage society even more as we know, outsiders don't like secrets.....

The biggest thing that will end any schools attack on the organizations and their "rights to associate" will be the alumni and their $$$.

[AZTheta]

Originally Posted by sinfonia_H-O

Funny, but two hundred years ago the same thing was happening as well.....many colleges tried desperately to get rid of the fraternities and "secret societies" for the admins feared they would overrun the schools and become more powerful than they could control. Eventually as history will tell, things worked out well for many organizations and many of them survived, albeit many were "sub-rosa" but they survived, became strong organizations with lots of $$ from alumni filtering back into the schools and organizations......

The way things are going on campuses, it may be coming back full circle and many organza ions will continue to exist, but just become super secretive......which will enrage society even more as we know, outsiders don't like secrets.....

The biggest thing that will end any schools attack on the organizations and their "rights to associate" will be the alumni and their $$$.

QFP