http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2..._8287204_n.jpg

My bid card is not in the same state as I am right now, otherwise I'd totes have a picture of the inside as well :)

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...Rush-KDbid.jpg

The inside was hand-written.

You all made me look. If I ever had a physical bid card, it disappeared. We got picked up at our dorms and whisked away to our celebration party. I don't remember ever giving out bid cards at all - our rush chairs might.

OleMissGlitter, is that a pref picture with the girls in white dresses with cardinal sashes? It's gorgeous!

It sure is! Those were their dresses for the past couple of years. They are switching to new ones this year. They were really pretty though with pockets, and are bridesmaids dresses!

Here's my bid card! It is 15 years old this August! Oh and I am from New Orleans but since my parents have always had a summer home on the MS Gulf Coast, that was my residency for in-state status! I did confuse a few sororities with that!
http://i440.photobucket.com/albums/q...0954_00123.jpg
Not very pretty like the new ones today but still one of the best things I ever read!!!

Here is my bid card. It's the same size as an index card.

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...47/bidcard.jpg

Bid cards have been different at each school I have worked at or attended...

1. Undergrad at Valpo - As a relic from the days of the local, the bids were identical for each sorority. An piece of printed on card stock with the bid actually being extended from the Panhellenic on behalf of the chapter. It was great for the reveal because there were no external differences. KDMafia knows what they look like today.

2. Regional State School in OH - No idea! I cannot remember what anyone ever told me.

3. Small Private School in OH - Designed by the chapters, but we had to watch what they added or else it would be totally obvious about the chapter. We put them in bigger envelopes to help. I think we had to ask for a fake flower to be removed from an envelope one year. Someone were beautiful and others were cute and crafty.

4. Large Public in the SE - Each chapter has their own. Most are the embossed, formal ones with crests, etc. Funny thing at the KD house...no one knew where the bid cards were on Pref Night. Oops! Because their was a spring class, we (the alums) thought the chapter had them. The chapter just printed them out on card stock last spring and did not know to order the fancy ones. It was a pretty comical hour as we figured this out. Everyone had bids the next day, and the nice ones are now ordered!

Mine looked formal and beautiful but I couldn't help but be disappointed when someone with absolute chicken scratch for handwriting had written in the chapter name. It ruined the flow of it. I couldn't even guess what the chapter said. My roommate had thrown it out in a fit of cleaning.

My new DZ got a standard notecard very similar to Waterchilds bid. All bids were identical and in same size envelopes. My daughter did say she could sorta tell the crest through the envelope and was totally thrilled!

I do, however, love my Phi Mu daughters bid. It is beautiful with the ribbon and all.

finally found my bid card :)

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/3166/bidcard.jpg

Never did get a paper like that, guess it is all part of that "if, not when" idea.

What does this mean?

Oh, I never got a bid card is what I am trying to get at.

"If and not when" refers to how a pledge should not get overzealous about being in the fraternity. Giving a bid card can cause such feelings.