I remember looking enviously at pledges of other chapters on my campus who were allowed to wear their letters. I hope my chapter is now aware that pledges are allowed to wear/use items with our letters on them. I think it's great PR, and it makes you feel like you're a part of the organization.

PiPhiGirl2005, welcome to GC! What's your chapter?

Does your HQ say its okay for your chapter (and others) to make this distinction? Do they know that you don't allow them to wear letters?

See, AXO would have a big huge problem with this -- if I saw a post on here from an AXO chapter saying "AXO as a whole allows them to wear letters, but my chapter doesn't" then I'm here to say that they would be getting an email about it.

Don't get me wrong SSS1365 -- I am not trying to call you out on this, as you say that it is tradition for the campus -- I am simply saying that as an Alpha Chi, I would be greatly disturbed seeing this from another one of my chapters. I just believe that for Alpha Chi, the rules that HQ passes down are not negotiable...period. Even when they seem to be petty and out-dated. I guess that being a CA though reminds me that I am responsible for the actions of my chapter -- and I don't want to have to explain myself to National Council about hazing or any other questionable situations.

PM Mama -- you put the perfect example out that I was referring to -- chapter members should be told what is/is not allowed by HQ. That way people aren't out saying the wrong things where others (such as PNM's) will hear them and possibly misinterpret the policies of a particular chapter.

Peachy -- I have heard from others in orgs that the actual name of the sorority has a secret representation...not just the letters themselves. That's all I was basing that question on. I understand your reply, but I was thinking more about the groups that have a secret representation to their name (spelled out).

I was always told that we can't wear our crest as a shirt EVER. We were always told that we cant display it in a novelty sort of way? Is that wrong???? SOMEONE HELP!!!

That might have been my post. In my chapter, we do not wear the greek letters (only letters spelled out) until we initiate - for the sole reason that our members do not know what "Pi Beta Phi" means until they are initated - and when I put my letters on for the first time and finally knew what the meaning behind them was, it was such a great feeling!!!

I see what you're saying, but I think my chapter's tradition has more to do with the campus tradition. Honestly I don't know if our national knows, but I can say that visiting consultants never questioned why the new members weren't wearing stitched letters.

Personally, like so many others on this thread have said, I wouldn't have wanted to wear the letters as a new member. It would make receiving your first letters from your big less meaningful. And I'm pretty sure everyone in my chapter feels/felt the same way. I mean, it was pretty exciting to look forward to getting letters. If I had been wearing them the whole time it would have been like "So what? Big deal." Just my personal opinion. :) Also, I don't think wearing letters that you don't know the meaning of makes much sense. And we are NOT supposed to reveal the meaning until initiation. Like I said, our new members had screen-printed letters that from a distance looked EXACTLY like the stitched letters.

Then what's the difference between the stitched letters and the ones that look like stitched letters? :confused:

I agree with that, I don't see the difference... but I think we were trying to not be saying that they couldn't wear letters at all, without being the only group on campus that was allowing them to wear stitched letters. And it still means something when they do get the stitched letters after initiation :)

No you're right... No crest on shirts :)

Funny thing -- we are not allowed to drink an alcoholic beverage out of anything that has our crest on it.....so WHY for formal each year, would the chair order wine glasses engraved with our crest?! :confused: I have a matching set....water anyone? LOL!

The only shirt I have is from my big and it is a long sleeve white tee (nice and heavy weight) with a crest patch sewn on the upper left front (like where a pocket would be I guess). Its a great shirt and I love it for those chilly spring to summer or fall to winter evenings where its still warm out, but just a chill in the air.

In the china/silver cabinet at our chapter house, we have a bunch of mugs and glasses with the crest - it's more like, anyone want to dust these? I also own a GPhiB wine flute (no crest or letters) but it seems weird to drink out of it, and a SigEp glass complete with crest. My game plan is to fill them with those cute little marbles.

We are allowed to wear our crest, and some of my sisters and I own knee-length tan raincoats that we're thinking of getting it embroidered on. We were also considering getting it put on pink or white polo shirts. The colors of our crest are kind of hard to match with things!