danz 0 Posted December 21, 2003 Share Posted December 21, 2003 guess Ill chime in... I was in a fraternity...actually, a Co-ed frat...sounds wierd, but it is actually the only nationally affiliated co-ed greek organization...but enough about me, here is the process.... 1) Rush - everything starts with Rush. This is a chance for unaffiliated students (usually freshman, but in many schools sophmores) to get to know members of the various frats, learn about the frats themselves...it is also a chance for the fraternities themselves to get a good look at new potentials...and decide who they think would be a best fit 2) Bids - Towards the end of rush, a fraternity will extend a "bid" to a student that they would like to have join their frat. 3) Pledging - After a student receives a bid, he can decide to pledge to the frat. You can only pledge to one frat, so if you are serious about this stuff, it is a big decision (assuming you get more than 1 bid). Once he pledges, he is then considered a Pledge of the Fraternity. He is not a member yet. 4) Initiation - This is the process of becoming a full member of the frat. The length varies from frat to frat...some last as short as 1 day, others as long as a full year. During this time all sorts of crazy stuff happens. Hazing can very from playful pranks to very severe (and stupid) activites. If there is a private house, the pledges usually have various house duties,etc. There are also usally activities for the pledges to promote friendship and "brotherhood". This may include pledge retreats, or other group activities. Usually, during the pledging process you become very close to your pledge brothers (and sisters). At any point during this process, a pledge can "depledge" if he/she wants out. Also, a frat has the right to kick a pledge out if they feel the pledge isnt "fitting in". This process culminates in a final initiation ceremony/party where the pledges become full members. ------ Frats have a long history, and many with Masonic origins. That means lots of frats have crazy secret rituals and handshakes and stuff like that...most frats have very private and secret meetings... Are they good or bad??? well...depends on each individual, the frat, and the school...for me it was a great experience. My house was about 50/50 male-female, international-us students...I had an opportunity to live with people from all over the world in an environment that I cant imagine possible in any other situation. Sure, there are lots of negatives to these organizations, but there is also lots to be gained... hope that gives some more insight sorry for the long post... danz Link to post Share on other sites
enderzero 0 Posted December 21, 2003 Share Posted December 21, 2003 Now only if we could get you to tell us if db liked Aomori... Link to post Share on other sites
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