Good Lordy, I love you all! There is no more problem. The pin is with my GM. I have also contacted DG's headquarters about this and they are aware of the entire situation and there is not a problem. For what it is worth, NO ONE in my family did anything unethical and had/have the most honorable of intentions. NOR did I attempt to excuse any wrongful behavior by discussing his MS. I am utterly stunned at the accusations implied in some of these posts. I will not do the same. Thanks everyone who was helpful in my initial request to help me identify what the purpose of this DG crest pin that belongs TO MY FAMILY.

Why did you contact DG's headquarters? Did you call them up and say, 'Hey, my brother has been wearing a pin with DG's crest on it. He's buried it with our DG grandmother now. We're cool, right?' I really can't imagine why you felt the need to call them (and further, to share the fact that you called with GC). Very interesting. Very odd.

And regarding your comment about not excusing any wrongful behavior by mentioning his MS... well, that's debatable. You may not have intended for your posts to come across as excusing poor judgment, but that's kinda what they did. Especially when considering what's underlined below.

Delta Gamma Headquarters
 

I do not want a non-DG leading others to think that the policy at DG is anything other than the official one. According to Alison at HQ, quoting from the Policy manual - Offical Policy - Fraternity Crest on Gifts - "Any initiated member may give novelties, favors and decorations bearing the fraternity crest to other initiated members." n.b. NOT to non-initiated members.

IBTL!

I can't tell you what this innocent error or whatever has hatched in some of you. I have planned to keep all my family pins together on my stole, forever. I would never wear one but my own, and I think I can understand the spirit of this discussion, but some of you people have said some truly ugly and hideous things. I tried to locate a moderator to just pull off the post, but the mods for this forum have been off GreekChat for some time. I tried to delete it, but the msgs where people quoted still remain. I also have been in contact with DG headquarters by email, FB, and just now by phone. I have been informed thus far that it is not imperative to return a deceased member's pin/crest jewelry, but now that I have been called a LIAR, I want to talk to someone willing to have me post their name and to have a firm knowledge of what DG desires of the pieces. People calling me a liar, people accusing me of bringing up my brother's disability as an excuse, holy cow. GET A LIFE people! I mean, I am a Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse. People have babies that die, that have horrible problems, babies that need emergency surgery sometimes when they are as tiny as baby birds, moms that die in childbirth, babies hospitalized for months-years sometimes. Is this pin issue really worth all this energy... all this negative, nasty energy? I mean, go feed some orphans or something people!
I am utterly flabbergasted at what began as a request for help identifying what exactly this crest pin was has turned into this. My brother wore the pin as a gesture of love toward a woman who met a great deal to him. He is not Greek, so he has no knowledge of any rules about this. I knew nothing of his even having anything of the sort in his possession until he visited me last week and we were sharing old photos and mementos/memories.
Honestly, a Greek cherishing loved ones mementos of their Greek common histories is something that has made my commitment and love for my own sorority even stronger. It has led to me sharing that same feeling with my two growing girls, hopeful future Greek geeks like I was. But this has shown me the balance of the sad fact that there is kind of a dark, exclusivity, mean side to some people who are also attracted to Greek organizations. Was there not a kinder, better way to have communicated any of this?
I had just started to enjoy this forum, posted old photos that I took time to find just to share the enjoyment with others. Actually got excited about some old memories and looked forward to sharing love of all things Greek on here. Crap...ran into some people who seem to be quite a piece of work. From what I have been able to ascertain thus far, I have made no errors or mistakes in my holding on, handling of the ones that I have from four separate GLO's. I leave this post in good conscience that nothing was done wrongly. Not everyone who participated in this lively discussion can say the same.
Now back off...cease & desist. NOTHING more can be gained from this discussion, so move on.

I suggest you contact the Delta Gamma Fraternity Vice President:Alumnae, Mary Anne Lachenmaier, at vpalumnae@deltagamma.org for any questions you have about what to do with badges, pins, crest items, etc. I am certain she can give you definitive answers.

You can find her information and all Fraternity officers on our web site. See the tab "About Us" and click on Our Council. You're welcome.

Was that a flounce?

Please tell me you didn't call on account of the OP.

I never flounce!

Not you, Shwarmina.

To the best of my knowledge and review of the thread no one had a problem with keeping the pin on display (certainly I didn't - I suggested a shadow box) in memory of the grandmother. The issue was the brother wearing it. Had the op said simply "Oh, I didn't know that was the policy" there would have been no problem. As far as I am concerned the problem is that she played the handicapped card and stated that she had permission from headquarters. The defensiveness was triggered the wrecking of the thread.

I called because there was nothing on the public DG site, and I wanted to verify the official policy. I have no patience with those who don't do research before posting about an org's policies. (FYI - the policies are apparently on the myDG section of the website for any DGs who want to do any checking).

I do apologize for calling the op a liar. I will delete those posts. PiKA, would you please edit your quoting so that the offending posts are lost to the winds of time.

Wow. Drama. Dying babies, feeding starving children? Really?

Quoted for ridiculousness

Wow I love how holier then thou the OP got when we told her she should respect the policies of the sorority.

You just attacked all of us you do realize right? In other words, shut up.

Says the person who gleefully snatches historically significant badges of other organizations so he can sit alone in a darkened room, stroking them like some badge obsessed Gollum.

Why didn't you post this with one of your other IDs? Oh wait. Never mind. Those have been banned for abusing other members.

Love the Gollum image!

Checking to see if I care about Gollum's opinion - nope.

Grammatical errors - yes. But where are the smilies? :) :confused: :eek: :rolleyes: :cool: ;)