Still using Pledge and Pledgemaster?

[naraht]

Alpha Phi Omega (co-ed service fraternity) still uses the term Pledge and Pledgemaster in its official documentation, but with the understanding that should a chapter choose to use another set of terms like new member and new member educator that the chapter is fine.

I know the NPHC greeks don't use the term officially anymore and I've seen more and more from the NPC that don't anymore as well.

Which GLOs still use those terms? (I consider a sorority using pledge & pledgemistress to count).

[adpiucf]

I don't know of any sorority still using those terms. ADPi switched over in 1990, I believe. New members are called "alphas" and they are supervised by the "new member coordinator."

[Kevin]

I'm not sure we ever used those terms.

But I've only been an alumnus for a little over 10 years.

[amIblue?]

Pledgemaster and pledgemistress just sound so dirty!

[pshsx1]

All three of the local orgs at LTU use pledge and pledgemaster.

[sigmagirl10]

My organization (Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi--small national sorority) still uses the terms pledge and pledgemaster officially, though some chapters do choose to use "new member" instead--I think this tends to have to do with campus culture. We have specific [positive] reasons as to why we still use this terminology.

[PhiAlpha05]

Our local uses "pledges" and "pledge education chair"...don't think we ever used pledgemaster, though a couple of the NPC orgs on campus did.

[sigmagirl10]

Also, pretty much every single fraternity on my campus used the term pledges, and at least some of them used pledgemaster (I graduated last spring, so not too long ago...going to assumed they're still doing it). This was casually, I have no idea what their official language was supposed to be. Many of the sororities referred to their new members as pledges casually as well.

I know a campus, not mine, where the college Panhellenic actually formally still uses the term Rush rather than Recruitment (in PR materials, on their website, etc.) and I thought that was really interesting, since my understanding is that NPC discourages the use of "Rush"...right?

[aephi alum]

Back in the day (early 1990s), my local used the terms "pledge" and "pledge mom". When my local became part of AEPhi in 1995, AEPhi was just switching over to the "new member" terminology. We got printings of the pledge manual from 1993, and the word "pledge" is used throughout. The TEC placed with my colony repeatedly reminded us, "'Pledge' is old terminology. You are new members in your new member education period."

The APO chapter at my school used the term "pledge" for pledges, and "pledge mom" for the pledge educator (regardless of the pledge educator's gender). (Note: I never pursued membership in APO, but one of my AEPhi sisters is a brother. I thought it strange that a man could be a "pledge mom", but that is the chapter's custom.)

[MysticCat]

In Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, "pledge" as a noun and "pledgemaster" are called "probationary member" (often shortened to "PM," "probate" or the like) and "Fraternity Education Office" ("FEO").

But "pledge" is still used as a verb -- one becomes a probationary member by pledging the Fraternity at a ceremony for pledging.

[OPhiAGinger]

OPA still uses the term "pledge" both as a verb (as in 'all her friends pledged OPA'), as a noun (as in 'I'm a pledge of OPA') and as an adjective (as in 'my pledge class'). But I've seen a sharp shift in the title for the leader who works with those pledges. Back in the day, she was called a pledge master but that 'master' part of the title seemed a little dominatrix. (My opinion only.) Then she became a pledge educator, but that seemed a little dry and clinical. Now that role is referred to either as a Membership Director or a VP of Membership.

Even though this one leadership title has evolved several times, we don't normally get too hung up on terminology. We even still have "rush", although if a local chapter wants to call it "recruitment" to fit in better with their campus culture that's okay, too. I recognize that the old terms may have a stigma associated with them because of bad choices made by a few other organizations. I guess OPA's image is so far removed from those organizations that it just hasn't been an issue for us.

[DubaiSis]

I think the change from pledge and rushee is ridiculous and I refuse to use their replacements. These words are not insulting, and they are clear and concise. And they minimize the use of baby anything which really drives me up a tree. I'm also on board with believing there should be terms of acceptance into full membership - ie tests. Even if the terms of these tests or accomplishments are easily achievable, there still should be SOME demonstration of commitment.

/climbs off high horse

[aephi alum]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

I'm also on board with believing there should be terms of acceptance into full membership - ie tests. Even if the terms of these tests or accomplishments are easily achievable, there still should be SOME demonstration of commitment.

This, I have to agree with.

Back in the day, we had to pass a test before we could be initiated. Passing score was 100%. We had to know our colors and what they stood for (the meaning of the colors is revealed to NMs), flower, mascot, gem, open motto, philanthropy, where and when AEPhi was founded, the names of our seven founders (maiden names were acceptable), and the names of our then-current national officers. You could take the test as often as necessary until you passed.

For heaven's sake, how can you go through initiation and become a full-fledged member if you don't even know basic info about your own GLO?

</vent>

[naraht]

Originally Posted by aephi alum

This, I have to agree with.

Back in the day, we had to pass a test before we could be initiated. Passing score was 100%. We had to know our colors and what they stood for (the meaning of the colors is revealed to NMs), flower, mascot, gem, open motto, philanthropy, where and when AEPhi was founded, the names of our seven founders (maiden names were acceptable), and the names of our then-current national officers. You could take the test as often as necessary until you passed.

For heaven's sake, how can you go through initiation and become a full-fledged member if you don't even know basic info about your own GLO?

</vent>

And not including some sort of testing strikes me as rather odd. My chapter of APO actually had something like 6 quizzes and a final. We didn't require a 100% though. One of our chapters said straight out during rush that the expected amount of time for pledging between pledge meetings, brother meeting, service projects etc. was more or less equal to that of an additional class.

[AOII Angel]

We still expect our NMs to pass a test before initiation. Shrug.