As for the use of the hand sign, I had a fun experience while a bunch of my non-greek friends and I were driving down to Florida. Someone pointed out an ADPi bumper sticker, so I told the driver to get even with the car. When we were even, I put my two fingers in the half-diamond onto the car window facing them, and they all excitedly made the other half of the diamond! Unfortunately, we didn't get a picture of it, but it truly was fun!

I think one difference may be (and please someone correct me if I'm wrong!!!!) is that I don't believe any of the NPC 'hand signs' are official with their respective HQs. So it's not like they are sharing some that is official/secretive with a non-initiated members. From my understand (again, correct me if I'm wrong), there ARE organization that recognizes hand signs as something official--and in those situations I can see why it's problematic.

I think you're on the right track. It's also, in my experience, a relatively new phenomenon for most if not all NPC groups. I was initiated in the 90s, and hands signs were unheard of for us.

There are probably some organizations that have made hand signs "official" (perhaps in their constitutions or by-laws), but from my understanding, many of these hand signs are "unofficial" and have just been passed down through the years. Either way, for many culturally-based GLO members, allowing a non-member to throw up your hand sign in front of you (and worse, to take a photo) is just something you would never want to do, no matter how famous or cool that non-member is.

And Gamma Xi Phi....I'm not sure who Wocka-Flocka is, but those pics could not have gone over too well (especially posted together)!

SigEp has a whistle which is used pretty rarely. A fair amount of guys that I did my 4 years with know it, but I think the current undergrads probably don't know it. I always like doing it, though, if I'm walking through the store because it's call and response. Just fishing for someone to answer. :P

SigEp doesn't have a widespread hand sign, either. Whenever I've seen them they're just by chapter.

What I've seen, though, is:
- one that looks like the Kappas' sign, but with the three fingers open,
- one that looks like the Sigma hand sign but with the thumb out,
- & one making a heart with index fingers and thumbs with other fingers in the air, making a crown.

I like them all and use them on occasion in photos.

I know that we've been doing the Phi Sig one since at least 2004, thats when I learned it from some of our Cali sisters.

We have had the TBS one at least since I joined in 2001, and probably way before!

we've had ours since 93' and I had the pleasure of having one of the founding mothers teach me at a retreat the exact way to do it, and why :))