Since the practice of pledging and all second-class status practices were abolished in ZBT decades ago, all men are initiated as full equals with full rights and respect within 72 hours of being invited to join the fraternity. Tiered membership statues are indicative of a culture of hazing that we do not support. All brothers take part in a brotherhood enrichment program that includes education and relationship building called THE JOURNEY.
What is THE JOURNEY?
THE JOURNEY is ZBT’s brotherhood development program. It guides brothers through a series of bonding, education, and personal development experiences that help them fulfill the goals of the fraternity and gain the most from their experience.
While pledging is not a part of ZBT, brothers still desire a process for personal development and brotherhood building. THE JOURNEY serves that need by providing an appropriate way for brothers to learn and grow together throughout their undergraduate life.
Concepts in THE JOURNEY
Ongoing development
Brothers develop continuously throughout their life, not just during the first few weeks of brotherhood.
Learning through all experiences
Brothers learn and grow naturally through all of their experiences together, whether formal or informal, whether focused on brotherhood, learning, fun, or chapter business, and regardless of which chapter officer runs them. THE JOURNEY is not one program — it is a collection of activities involving brotherhood, ritual, learning, personal development, service, and other experiences that brothers complete throughout their time in the chapter.
Self-guided, brotherhood-supported
While each brother follows his own unique path in personal development, brothers walk the path together. Activities throughout THE JOURNEY are infused with mentoring, coaching, teaching, and sharing activities to help brothers support and learn from one another
Living the Precepts
There are a few core experiences every brother should complete during college because they have such a profound impact on anyone who participates. There are also many experiences that brothers find helpful and should explore as well. THE JOURNEY guides brothers in living out the Precepts every day by encouraging them to pursue core and elective experiences grounded in ZBT’s Ritual.
Resources for students and advisors
- THE JOURNEY Manual (Download PDF)
- THE JOURNEY Audit (Download Fillable PDF)
Non-Pledging FAQs
Zeta Beta Tau is proud to be the first fraternity that abolished pledging. Click here to read more on what it means to be a fraternity without pledging.
Why does ZBT prohibit pledging? Pledging is an inequitable system, based upon organized mistreatment of brothers. Hazing inevitably results from the dominant-subservient structure.