Becoming Greek Series: Step 4

Step 4: Pledging

Previously, we discussed the idea of being interviewed and how to get through it with the tips and tools of the trade I provided. So, you aced your interview and have been invited to pledge the organization you selected. What’s next? Well, duh. It’s time to pledge the organization. This is the effervescent stage that shall be treated as a trial and probationary period into their organization.

The objectives of pledging are quite simple actually: (1) to serve as an introduction to the organization; (2) to inform you about the organization – past and present; (3) to allow you to qualify in their ranks within their organization; and (4) to give you, as a pledge, and the organization a trial period during which the organization can decide if they want to invite you to become a member and you can decide if you want to accept such an invitation. In general, to be considered a pledge in an organization is an honor because it means that the members of such organization deemed you worthy to invite you into their heart, which is their organization. However, there are some standards for pledging, and yes I am going to tell you those standards, even though they can vary from organization to organization.

The purpose of pledging is to identify candidates who will embrace and make a commitment to the principles of an organization and to prepare them for active membership. There is to be no place for hazing, which includes, but is not limited to, the degradation of individuals, personal service demands, and any other practices inconsistent with the spirit and principles of the organization. The length of a pledging period can vary from a week to sometimes 4 weeks or more, however, it varies per organization. Either way, you are not permitted to receive the rights, benefits, and privileges of pledge membership until the requirements of pledging are satisfied. So if you are unable to purchase your pledge insignia or be committed, you are not permitted to the privileges of the pledge process of the organization, thus making your status drop within the organization no longer being a pledge. Speaking of pledge gear, you are required to wear pledge gear until you are no longer deemed a pledge and all requirements have been met and satisfied. Pledge gear varies from organization to organization and throughout the years. Nonetheless, those are just a few standards of pledging. Always remember who you are and don’t try to change or fit into any mold.

Never bite off more than you can chew as well. You committed to it. So, stay committed and don’t settle for an excuse of why you can’t stay committed. As a pledge, you are spending an ample amount of time learning about the different aspects of the organization you chose. The expectation is that by the end of the pledging process, you are to not only know about the organization’s mission and values but also about its current members. A final entrance exam on the organization and its members can and will be administered before final acceptance into the organization. In complete retrospect, along with the time pledges spend learning, they are mandated to attend study sessions, bonding events, meetings, and social activities.

Drama, however, will not be tolerated whatsoever. Always be polite to deans, members, and your fellow pledges that are “online” with you throughout your process. Go in being optimistic as you should expect the unexpected. Don’t stress yourself out because you will not get along with everyone. Yet you first must get to know your pledge classmates.

Pledge class is usually a class that meets at least 3 times a week in a classroom-type setting to learn the traditions, secrets, and rules of the organization. The size of the pledge class in reference to candidates, or pledges, may vary. Group activities and icebreakers are heavily enforced. At the end of the day, the pledge class, or your fellow pledges, is your support system. I mean let’s just be real for a moment; you are all in this together and you will most certainly create some type of bond over your pledge experience. Nonetheless, the main purpose of pledge class is new member education and to learn about the organization itself, it’s also vital to get to know your future brothers, or sisters. Just remember the fundamental virtue: patience is key.

At some point in the pledging process, your “big”, or big brother or big sister, will be revealed to you. However, the terminology for this is interchangeable as many organizations refer to these as your Deans, DPs, or DOPs. Your deans are your go-to when you have questions during pledging, They have either went through pledging or they have even written the manual from which your curriculum comes. This is the prime reason why they are there to support and act as your personal guide into the organization.

To recapitulate, pledging is the effervescent stage in the process of Becoming Greek simply because this identifies your future role as a member of the organization. This is the way you are taught and molded into the ideal member of the organization. This is also where you learn from the organization and the organization learns about you and from you as well. Without this step, you could not move on to even considering the unfathomable idea of a probate and beyond that.

Writer: Kaileighn

Photographer: Kongan