If that's how they were made at that time, then that's OK. Many people have old badges that have been in their families. While DG's hasn't changed that much, it has changed some. I have a friend who has her great-grandmother's which is an old style and everyone loves it! You don't have to show your badge to get into Conventions - as for as I know, no one requires that. We sure don't. Some people just don't have one, for whatever reason. We're just saying that it's sort of a sacrilege to chnage your badge into something that wasn't approved when it was made. I would love to have some colored stones in my diamond badge but I would never, ever do that. It doesn't come that way now nor when I got it.

My grandmother graduated college in 1962. I am fairly sure that her sorority had made an official badge...I don't know why she wanted something else in it. She always told me she liked rubies so maybe she just had a special one made that went against the norm because maybe her sorority didn't stress the sameness yet?

I am not sure...I'll have to look into when her sorority decided on official jewels for their badges but I am fairly certain it would have been set in stone (no pun intended) by the time she was in college.

She in no way means any disrespect to her sorority. She said her founders had different badges so she wanted a different one too...

Well, most of our founders' badges were different from the ones we wear today as they have evolved over the decades...centuries, in some cases. I just think if you are an AAA you should wear the official badge as it was at your initiation...whatever that might be. If the official badge changes over the years, then buy a new one. Or, if oyu like the vintage ones better, buy one on eBay or wherever. But a badge should not be tampered with if it wasn't allowed at the time it was made. Very nice that your gradmother could afford to have a badge made. It's not cheap to do that...and perhaps it was the norm at the time.

We do...no badge, no entry. I always super double-check that I have my badge before I leave!

Gamma Phi is also quite strict that no jeweler other than H-J is allowed to work on badges, and anything special needs to be approved by IH. I have a vintage 1919 badge that was given to me after initiation by an elderly family friend who was a chapter sister. I had several conversations with IH about some restoration that needed to be done, and they were quite clear that the badge had to go through them to H-J.

I think only her sorority could answer these questions with any accuracy.

Interesting. Can't imagine having to check 800-1000 women for a badge. We have to wear our nametags and you don't get registered to get one unless you are a member or an official guest. That's easier to see.

There are "sentries" at the doors. Without saying too much, more than just the badge is required for entry to any business meetings or ritual. It can be time consuming.

Gotcha! But we don't require anything beyond the nametag for a strictly business meeting. Ritual is another issue though!

Sciencewoman is right - badge is required! Also, our business meetings are ritual. Though it does get a bit crowded, I have found that entering the convention hall for ritual or a business meeting wasn't especially time consuming.

Certain years have been worse than others, depending on the venue, number of doors, and line-up space outside the doors. Denver was great. Chicago in 2004 was bad.