;)

That's how most of us view it. I don't recall anyone saying they were staging a sit-in or giving up their life's possessions over this.

It bothers me when a male non-member is wearing anything Sigma Nu related, such as a party t-shirt, etc.

It's not something I would really care enough to confront someone over. They probably got it at a thrift shop, garage sale, etc.

This thread is a spin off. In the other thread, the GCers who aren't protective over their letters were being extremely judgmental and tried to make it seem as though the rest of us were silly and petty.

In the end this is just highlighting differences across GLOs and types of GLOs, as you have stated. :)

True, although I could figure out pretty quickly if someone was or wasn't a member of my org.

I was just saying that while there are obviously bigger issues that concern all of us, that doesn't mean I'm going to like it if a non-member is wearing my letters.

That's why some people wrote: Different strokes for different folks. I don't think that this was neither judgmental nor meant to tag you as silly or petty.

I totally understand what y'all mean about wearing the letters, but what do you all think about touching your letters?

Like if you were wearing a shirt with your letters and someone (a friend, family member) touched them (accidentally or purposefully). Would it be a big deal, or would it not matter?

I'm saying this because a couple friends of mine were at this girl's house (who is a member of a LGLO) and she was holding her 5 month old nephew. Well, as infants are, he was curious and started to touch the letters of her hoodie. Well the girl freaked out, smacked the kid's hand, and yelled to her sister "get your child out of here. He just touched my letters, and I WILL NOT be talking care of him anymore. He just disrespected me and my sorority."

I thought this was a little outlandish, especially seeing how the kid was 5 months old, but to each their own, right?

Uh...what?

I'm talking about the thread from which this topic originated.

I don't care if someone simply touches my symbols, depending on why they are doing so. A child touching my symbols or someone touching something that has symbols on it doesn't bother me. However, I can tell when someone is getting too comfortable and becoming disrespectful.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by epchick
I totally understand what y'all mean about wearing the letters, but what do you all think about touching your letters?

Like if you were wearing a shirt with your letters and someone (a friend, family member) touched them (accidentally or purposefully). Would it be a big deal, or would it not matter?

I'm saying this because a couple friends of mine were at this girl's house (who is a member of a LGLO) and she was holding her 5 month old nephew. Well, as infants are, he was curious and started to touch the letters of her hoodie. Well the girl freaked out, smacked the kid's hand, and yelled to her sister "get your child out of here. He just touched my letters, and I WILL NOT be talking care of him anymore. He just disrespected me and my sorority."

I thought this was a little outlandish, especially seeing how the kid was 5 months old, but to each their own, right? /QUOTE]
WTF?!?! If I was the girl's sister, I just wouldn't bring my kid around to her house anymore.

For me, touching the letters isn't a big deal. I'll admit, it would be a little weird if someone randomly walked up to me on the street and started feeling my chest...

Oh you know you'd love that.

That would be strange and maybe even sexual harassment. :)

Well, I'm talking about this thread. And from what I've gathered, nobody is picking on you in this thread. Just because someone expresses a different opinion doesn't mean it's a personal attack.

epchick, I totally thought you were kidding when you wrote that...that girl needs some help.

I don't know if I'm OVERprotective of my letters, but I haven't really experienced any incidents. My husband and i were at a pharmacy a few months ago, and there was a guy with his letters on. So, my hubby goes up and asks him where he pledged, and the guy just gave him a blank stare. He said his sister had given him the shirt. We both just thought it was weird. Like why?

Then my cousin and her fiance were staying with us a few weeks ago. Her fiance comes downstairs wearing some fraternity shirt, and we were both like "We didn't know you were greek!" He said he wasn't, and again his sister (who was) gave him the shirt. He seemed a little embarrassed by it. I just don't know why you would want to wear it! You know? Especially if you're not going to perp them.

Haha, before I was a married man, maybe...

I'm not sure what would make someone want to touch my letters, especially if I'm wearing them...

JHawkalum - some people have implied that it's petty to care so much about someone else wearing their letters. At least that's the way I've read it.

I am not.

To understand some of the comments in this thread, it is helpful to read the other thread. If not, let it go.

Well that all depends. :)

If I rock sorority party shirts to the gym will that freak some girls out or be weird?

-Rudey

If I see a girl wearing AXiD letters or a shirt w/ AXiD on it, I'm going to assume she's a sister. If I approach her and talk to her, sure, I could figure out if she wasn't a sister. But I'm not going to approach her for the sole purpose of checking to see if she's a perp.

I've seen girls out with AXiD stuff on, and it's usually when I'm out doing something for work, in which case I don't have time to go up and talk to her. If I see someone w/ an AXiD shirt on and I'm just running errands, or shopping or whatever, and if she doesn't look busy, then I might approach her. Otherwise, I generally leave them be. I'm not going to hunt some girl down I passed by in the mall just to say, "Hi! I'm an Alpha Xi too!!!!" or approach her in a restaurant and interrupt her dinner. If she's standing in line with me, or just browsing through the same section I am, sure, I'll strike up a conversation (especially if she looks like someone who should join our alumnae association!). Otherwise, just by a first glance, I can't tell if she is or isn't a member.

It depends if you have a cute butt.

I saw a guy at the gym last week with a DG shirt on...I definitely had to do a double-take on that one.

Correct me if I'm wrong -- in the post-college world, I've always understood that NPHC sororities have a much more prominent role than NPC sororities have traditionally had. It seems that there is a TON of prestige (I'm not sure if that's the exact word I want, but I'm too lazy to pick up the thesaurus that is about five inches away) that comes from being a member of an NPHC organization, whether someone is in college or has graduated. As a result, I think adults have more incentive to, in one way or another, try to associate themselves with organizations of which they are not members. As far as I know, that sort of thing is VERY rare with NPC organizations, and I think it helps explain why we often have differing opinions on the issue of non-members wearing letters.

The "lifetime membership" component, what we are taught about our symbols, organizational protocol, and the control we generally maintain over our symbols and many of our members are explanations.

So, what explains when NPC members have different opinions? Is that about the specific sorority cultures or maybe differences in personalities?

I wish I was kidding. This girl had previously told us that the letters are sacred (which is understandable...to a point) and that we shouldn't disrepect the letters if we were ever to join. But just seeing how she treated her nephew really shocked me. I understand that letters are something to be proud of, but to go to that extreme is a little ridiculous.

It really is.

I know this probably wasn't directed at me, but I just want to make sure everyone knows that I don't think it's petty to care about someone else wearing your letters, and I hope that my statements haven't implied that.

ETA: I will, however, admit it's a bit freaky that someone gets that bent out of shape over a baby touching their letters. I've seen people get mad over other people touching their paddle, but not their shirt. It's a shirt -- it's going to get touched, especially in crowds! If your letters mean that much to you, why put them on an article of clothing in the first place?

I don't agree with your first statement, aside from perhaps the part about the control maintained over symbols, because I don't feel that I know enough about how NPC organizations maintain control over symbols to comment on it.

I think that in my post, I attributed the differering opinions to what you call "specific sorority cultures."

Well, it isn't about agreeing or disagreeing. You were asking about possible explanations so my contention is that what you highlighted is a partial explanation. There are overall structural differences and differences in tradition that are possible explanations.

I am very protective of my letters. I don't let anyone that is not a member wear anything that has AXiD on it. The only exceptions are our Parents Weekend, Homecoming, or other shirts that we allow other people to wear. As for guys wearing our letters, only if we give them the shirt as a chapter for philanthropy or other stuff, not because they are some ones boyfriend

I was more commenting on people's tones, not criticizing.

It's interesting that there's such a difference of opinion on this topic; I for one assumed that most Greeks felt the same way I did about the issue. Obviously, I've been proven wrong in this thread.

You have Great Taste!!!!:cool:

Normaly, if I saw someone with My Letters on, I would ask what Chapter they were from. If they just say I just wear it, I would stomp their ass into a mud hole!:D ;)

I just figure they do not know any better and let it go.

Now, when everyone quites pissing and moaning maybe we can move on?:confused:


Letters are not sacred, the meaning behind them is.


The Meaning of Life Membership is basically in the eye of the beholder isnt it? They will be if They Want to Be. But the thought and Idealism is still there for all of us and Our Organizations.:cool:

Lead the horse to water but may not be able to make them drink.

Both, I think.

I don't consider a party shirt with 2 or more groups on it or a Greek week shirt to be "someone else wearing my letters." That's an expression of Greek unity, IMO. I also don't understand the compulsion to make new shirts every time you scratch your butt, but that's neither here nor there. :)

If someone was freezing to death and the only thing I had was a letter sweatshirt - hell yeah. Whatever. You can always turn it inside out.

When it crosses the line is when someone REPEATEDLY wears letters who is not a member and does it with the intent of making others think they are associated with that group. There was a guy who got a hold of one of our sweatshirts and wore it all the time. People thought he was a sweetheart or a little brother - he was most definitely not - and while he was a good guy, we really didn't want anyone to think he represented our sorority in any way. We asked him to stop wearing it, and he did.

I think even the people who have been pretty laissez-faire about nonmembers wearing their letters would agree with that point.

I don't understand the "touching" prohibition either, but I'm not going to tell someone else their feelings are wrong and mine are right. Different things are different. The usage of colors - i.e., an AKA would never wear a letter sweatshirt in anything but pink & green, but an ASA would have no prob with a black sweatshirt w/ leopard print lettters - is another difference I've seen people mention on here. As long as no one's telling me I have to wear red & white only, I don't care what they do.

why thank you :D

:rolleyes:

But it's gone both ways. I get the feeling that some posters in that thread were trying to say I was irresponsible or a bad Greek just because I don't really care all that much who's wearing my letters. I think it's simply a difference of opinion -- the way people feel is going to vary from type of organization (BGLO/LGLO/MGLO being, on the whole, more protective) to school environment to chapter to the individual. I don't really care how other people treat their letters -- I only worry about mine.

To me, lettered tee shirts are:
1) an article of clothing first and foremost
2) something that shows my ties to my sorority
3) a reminder of my sorority's values and ritual

in that order. It doesn't bother me that other people might have that order reversed -- although, as stated in the other thread, it does bother me that anyone thinks they have a right to take lettered clothes or objects away from someone who deactivated (without compensation!) simply because of points 2 & 3. To me, that's stealing, which is probably not in accordance with most of our rituals. However, I have no problem with people who just don't want non-members wearing their letters -- I just don't really care that much myself.

What came first, the chicken or the egg?

Oh well, this was a fun discussion nevertheless.

It's a personal issue. I think it is great PR for as many people as possible to wear our event t-shirts if they participated in our philanthropy, or for the guys to wear our homecoming and date function shirts.

Crest items and raised letter shirts I'd prefer to keep with members-- the exception to raised letters being if I lent a shivering friend my sweater!

My sorority, Sigma Psi, is a 108-year-old local sorority that takes a lot of pride in its letters. There are a lot of rules about when and where (on your person) you can wear your letters so as not to disrespect the sorority. No one but initiated members (active or inactive) can wear them, not even on a Greek Week shirt. We take a lot of pride in knowing that if we see a woman wearing a Sigma Psi letter shirt, she was not only in our sorority but went to our college as well.

However, we do allow everyone else to wear the spelled-out words "Sigma Psi" on clothing, if they do feel the need to recognize us. :)

I'm pretty protective towards my letters, but so is everyone else I know, so I never thought of it as a big deal. As far as the party favor thing goes, my boyfriend has LOTS of Pi Phi stuff from date parties and formals, and so do the dates everyone else brought to those things. Those favors kind of represent the event they were at, however, and not the group hosting the event.

Likewise, I have about six Sigma Chi date party shirts and several more Derby Days shirts that I wear all the time. They don't have letters on them (this particular chapter only allows members and lavaliered girlfriends, plus their sweetheart, to wear their letters). But, like our party favors, they represent the event, not the organization. Maybe that's weird logic, but that's just how it is in my mind.

When my roommate was named Sigma Chi Sweetheart, I went out and ordered her a Sigma Chi lettered sweatshirt that said "Sweetheart" on it. I remembered some older Pi Phis who had been Sigma Chi Sweethearts having sweatshirts like this. My dear roommie was rather hesitant to wear it, and even checked with a bunch of guys in the chapter to make sure it was okay. :) When they said absolutely, she began wearing it with pride practically nonstop. Now, in my mind, her wearing their letters was an okay thing because she had been selected to represent their organization as their sweetheart.

We had a guy who was dropped as a pledge a few semesters back wear a mixer shirt with our letters...I kindly informed him that such as a terrible idea and it would be best for his health if he changed sooner than later.
I had a girl once say she intended to wear my letters when I let my guard down. My guard is still up.