I think this is key - keeping it simple. One color for the shirt, and another for the coat-of-arms.

When things get complicated, that's usually when it gets fugly.

Comparison of names to old NPHC.
 

For a comparison of what some other groups have done (and showing that "Ferns" (as one person suggested) isn't *that* strange)...

Back in the 1970s, for the NPHC, their pledge classes were actually separate clubs (not that sure of why). Because of this, there were fairly standard terms for the pledges. For example, for Alpha Phi Alpha, the pledge club was the Sphinx Club, so pledges were sometimes referred to as Sphinxes.
For the other 8
Alpha Kappa Alpha - Ivy Leaf Club
Phi Beta Sigma - Crescent Club
Zeta Phi Beta - Archonian Club
Omega Psi Phi - Lampados Club
Delta Sigma Theta - Pyramid Club
Kappa Alpha Psi - Scrollers Club
Sigma Gamma Rho - Aurora Club
Iota Phi Theta - Centaur Club

(Other smaller Historically black fraternities, another other fraternities adopting terminology on HBCUs also had clubs.

My pledge class has these cardigans:
http://www.getsomegreek.com/assets/p..._abigail_2.jpg

I like that our Armorial Bearings aren't too in your face, but still retain the colour. However, I think a full size colour rendition might be too much

That looks really nice.

I'm so happy AST is taking a stance against this "baby" thing. This was just posted on the national Facebook page/group, along with a link to the article above:

Our Panhellenic sisters at Sigma Sigma Sigma National Sorority recently posted a wonderful blog entry about the current trend of referring to new members as “babies.” Just a reminder that our new members are also not babies, baby Taus or baby anchors. They are active, self-reliant and trustworthy women who joined our sisterhood; you have the privilege of empowering them to be such!

I guess that I am one of the very few who remains neutral on the subject of calling new pledges "babies". In a way, I think that it is a term of endearment, meaning you are a "just born" ADPi, Theta, Tri Delt, Alpha Phi, etc.... I have never read it as being degrading or a reference to someone being less than, or immature. I dunno, seems everything has to be so "PC" these days. No matter what you say, someone will be offended.

Personally, I think that the mascots in general are kinda dorky! Teddy Bears, Pandas, Dolphins, etc... But, I do LOVE the symbols: key, ivy leaf, arrow, crescent, pearl, etc.

All IMO, so don't get on me :)

I had to chuckle when I saw the first post re: wearing NPC crests and how ugly they are. When I was in graduate school, I was in my mid-to-late 20s and my favorite sweatshirt was a white cotton one with a large, full-color Chi Omega crest on the front. There was not a collegiate chapter at my college -- I was a young, proud alumna and loved wearing the crest and felt more comfortable doing so than I would have wearing letters on a jersey. I often got compliments. I still think it was a sharp look and oh how I wish I could still wear a size medium sweatshirt!

http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/z...colorcrest.jpg

Just last year our chapter ordered yellow sweatshirts with the colorful Chi O crest on the back and we absolutely LOVED them. It was the best way to flaunt being a Chi Omega on campus, too!

Alpha Gam just posted this on the blog, too.

No More Baby Talk!

I have to agree about the "baby" terminology. For crying out loud, you have to be a full-time student at a 4-year university to join an NPC sorority, and last I heard, 4-year universities didn't admit infants. :p

A quote from AEPhi National's Facebook page:

Alpha Phi Alpha pledges were called Sphinxmen, not Sphinxes.

http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...ad.php?t=90506 <---- this was awesome

We were called New Members AND Baby Hooties. The reason they still used Baby Hooties was because my new member class thought it was cute and all wanted to be called it.
I do agree with many of the previous comments about the word Pledge. I kind of wish we were still pledges, not new members. New members is a mouthful. Being called a pledge reminds you of what you are doing - you are pledging your life to an organization. I see nothing wrong with it.

I stand corrected.

I maintain that, if you want to get rid of "baby", you have to come up with a term that is better than "new member". I think "baby" is a hilarious side effect of them banning "pledge". Murphy's Law, my friends.