My chapter of Gamma Phi Beta has made paddles since our charter class...they hang on the wall of our living room, and they aren't used for actual paddling at all, which would be hard to do anyways, as most of them are shaped as a Gammie Bug, crescent moon, pink carnation, etc... One paddle hangs in the house, and each member of the class gets her own paddle as well - the night we present them to the house, all of the current actives sign them.

In my chapter of Phi Sigma Sigma, paddles are taboo. I think only one big/little exchanged paddles and that was back in early-mid nineties....

i think it's be nice to exchange a plaque of some sort....we don't do "pledge projects" either. my new member class was told that we could and that it's been done in the past, but we never got together to do anything...but that's ok cuz we've given back to the chapter so much in other respects.

We don't have gifts for our new member educator either....that would've been nice since I was MOC for 3 semesters....

I made a small paddle for my big sister. My pledge class made two big paddles, one with all of the names of my pladge class sisters and the second with the names of our chapter's founders. These paddles were very big. We presented these after initiation.

During I-Week littles present their bigs with a paddle (usually a traditional paddle) and the bigs in turn give them their family tree (usually on wood but not a paddle) and give them their nickname. Bigs also give their littles a pillow on another night of I-Week.

My chapter does paddle/pillow exchanges, as well (of course, they aren't used!). I loved the paddle I made for my big. I painted a tree on it, with a squirrel in the tree looking down at a squirrel on the ground, and the squirrel on the ground was holding a red and a buff rose. It was so cute! My big made me a pillow with two little Precious Moments girls cross-stitched on it. One has brown hair for her and one has blonde hair for me. :) I still have it sitting on my bed. I have two littles, and I made my first little's pillow pink (her favorite color---she told me she wouldn't accept a pillow that was red, buff, and green! :p) with a squirrel wearing a pink bow on it. My second little's pillow was green with red and buff roses surrounding our names and Alpha Gamma Delta written out with red and buff roses intertwined in the letters. I also made a pillow for one of my sisters who was a year younger than me and didn't get along with her big, and all of the members of my class signed it for her. What can I say, I like to do crafts! :D

I love the pillow idea! How cute!!

We have our new members make their bigs a "wood good," which usually ends up being a paddle. We don't say paddle just because of the connotation behind it. Also, if the girl doesn't have enough money to make a paddle (they can get EXPENSIVE), they can make their big a frame or a box or something.

The week before Initiation was Friendship Week (it's now Diamond Days, I think), and we had a secret sis during that time. We received a different gift each day: a lion (our mascot), a pin pillow (around 4" each side), violets (flower), our Creed, and a paddle.

Paddles are now forbidden, and while I know that they were never used in sororities, they do give "an appearance of evil", especially to non-Greeks. I would rather a non-Greek sees and reads our Creed rather than get an image of that paddle being used!

Our big sisters make a pillow (regular size) for their littles. These incorporate a "family" theme, and have their names & date on it.

honeychile

In my chapter, we don't have anything definite... not all families give paddles. But in my specific family, the big's give the lil's a paddle for Christmas. And it's about a foot (ok im not good at measurements.. lol), and has the stick on wooden letters, and our crest, lyre, and then our family symbol... a butterfly :D

My pledge mom (big sis) and the rest of the pledge mom's for my new member class gave their daughters a decorated paddle and a letter shirt on revealing night. We gave our pledge mom's pretty decorated candles.

I have my paddle hanging on the wall. I think it's sooo cute!

We used to give our little's daggers, pin pillows, garters, and on the last night, paddles. They also made one for us. One of my paddles is very traditional looking, but not very big. My other paddle is actually a shelf.

What my chapter started this semester was the bigs give have to make the littles paddles. (Although we have to call everybody Twins instead of Bigs and littles b/c we are an associate chapter and only two guys are initiated). This is a tradition we entend on keeping after chatering. That everyone in the chapter will have a paddle (except the old guys that were here first).
Fun anicdote: Instead of a normal paddle one of the guys gave his twin an oar that was decorated. ;)

At my chapter, the little sisters give their big sisters paddles the night before Initiation. They also make scrapbooks for themselves and pass them around with the paddles so that everyone can take a look. We give out awards for the best paddle and the best scrapbook.

In return, the big sisters give their lil' sisters a lavalier/disk after their Initiation.

Our Bigs and lils exchange pillows and paddles. It used to be tradition that the Bigs give the lils pillows and the lils give paddles to the bigs, but in the past couple of years, everyone seems to be making and giving paddle only. Since I've been a member, I've noticed that girls are getting much more creative with the paddles, painting the letters, adding ribbons and glitter, and some of the paddles are absolutely beautiful!