We at Lambda Omega (SUNY Oneonta) actually have active pledges to go through the process.  I am APM (Assistant Pledge Mistress) for Pledge Class Daylight.  I hope to run for PM (Pledge Mistress) next semester as our current PM is graduating this semester.  Hope this helps.

All the Best! Now and Forever!!  

My cast actually had the pledges go through a process. They had to earn their membership just like any other Greek organization whether it be social, honor, or what have you. The process is to not only have them learn, but to weed out the ones who may become potential bad apples to the group. However, in my experience, this didn't always work. But we still had them pledge, learn their history, have a social for the members and faculty and do a community service project. I think it is the best thing to do. We had retreats and did things together. It is what separated the "brothers" from the people who did it to fill up space on a resume.
Hope that helps.

Our pledge process is awesome, I loved it.  There are team building activities, sleepovers (we played jeopardy to learn our info ), secret events, and the whole Big/Little brother thing.  The best activity is coming up on the 19th!  I can't wait...

I don't want to reveal too much that pledges might stumble upon, but if anyone wants to talk about pledge activities or anything else Alpha Psi related feel free to email me:  srhiannonz(at)hotmail.com

we have a week worth of activites that our pledges have to go through.

The original national standard was for a pledge period of at least two weeks - national's never specified exactly what that should include, other than preparing for the national exam.  However it is policy that everything we ask of pledges has to be explained to them in full detail before they pledge in:  no unpleasant surprises and, of course, no hazing in the common sense and legal definitions of the term.

The basic idea is to use the pledge period to make your group stronger, more unified, more capable:  everything you do should have a positive purpose  - and the result should be an experience so empowering that nobody would want to miss out on it.

We're arn't making our pledges prove their worthiness for membership:  we make that decision when we bid them.  Their pledge period is a completion of membership - picking up the unity and program skills they need to help make their chapter
strong, capable and useful.

When you design your program, think about what sorts of things you want your chapter to be able to do:  perhaps each pledge class can plan and carry out activities like the ones the chapter needs to be able to do.  That gets you built-in programs, and a regular supply of members who know how to do them well.

And look for positive ways to build group trust and cohesion:
APOs should be able to share their hopes and dreams with each other and know for a certainty that they'll be listened to with respect and that their confidences  will be kept.

The pledge program shoud reflect what the chapter intends to be in everything it does:  if you've figured out where you want to go, the trip is easy to plan.