Re: Re: Re: I don't like wearing mine for fear of losing it.
 

It's a teeny tiny "bulbous' looking bead like thing that you slide onto the sharp part of the pin, just before you do up the clasp. That way, if the pin pops open, the badge will not be lost. The "bubble guard" keeps it from sliding out of the fabric (it basically anchors it to the fabric, even if the clasp should open).

Not sure if I explained it that well, but I tried! :o

I just bought one of our old, pearl pins on eBay a couple of months ago, and I'm looking forward to an occasion to wear it!

That makes sense. Thanks, CutiePie! :)

That is why each badge should have a guard. Why do you think they call it a "guard"? I have found my badge hanging by the chain to the guard several times. If it hadn't been for the guard, I would have lost a very expensive jeweled badge!

Re: Re: Re: Re: I don't like wearing mine for fear of losing it.
 

Oh! I believe our newer badges come standard with these, they are really nice. The badge I borrowed most of last semester had a bubble guard on it and I'm glad it did - otherwise I would have lost it in Indianapolis. :) I think it looks sort of like a small earring back, if CP2k's description didn't work for you.

Exactly, GeekyPenguin. Those of us who don't want actual chapter guards on chains make sure to wear them. And I know lots of alumnae who actually do use earring backs. I tend to lose the bubble guard-- drop it on the floor and it's almost impossible to find-- so I keep a whole stash of them in my jewelry box so that I'll always have one.

I dropped my roomies bubble guard on the hardwood floor in our room once - it took me hours to find. :( They really are great if you don't want a chapter guard though - we get enough questions about having a badge that we don't even want to try and explain a guard too.

Our badges come with "bubble guards"... if they didn't I would have probably lost about a week after Initiation!

It really does depend on the fraternity, on whether they wear thierpin or not. In Beta Theta Pi, there are strict rules about the wearing of the Pin, and for this reason we are only allowed to wear it on certain occassions or when wearing specific attire. I am sure this rule is the same amoung many other fraternities.



BETA THETA PI

It is standard practice for my chapter to wear a shirt, tie, and badge every Wednesday. In fact, we now refer to this as STB attire. Some wear it more than that.

Many members also upgrade their badges to the jeweled version, so that's a big incentive to wear it more often.

As an alum, I really only wear it on Founders Day and to appropriate Pike events.

Sinfonians and badges
 

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I agree with DeltAlum and HPU Pike. Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia also has rules/traditions about wearing the badge, and those rules "rule out" wearing the badge with everyday class attire.

Our General Regulations state that the badge "is not intended for overt display, but rather is to be worn 'nearest the heart,'" that it "is worn on dress shirts, vests, or pullover sweaters," and "should not be worn on coat lapels, collars, ties, the watch pockets of vests, coat sweaters, or T-shirts." Aside from the usual dress occasions when the badge might be worn, each chapter will usually dress in "badge attire" on Founder's Day (and yes, it is supposed to be a singular Founder's for us) and Chapter Day (the anniversary of the chapter's chartering). They may choose to do this on other days as well.

Whether or not the badge (or letters) can be worn while drinking alcohol is not specified nationally; practice will vary with chapters.

It is possible that, even with these rules, sairose sees Sinfonians with badges on more often than members of other fraternities. I’ll hazard a guess as to why: for obvious reasons, Sinfonia chapters tend to have a lot of music majors/musicians/members of music ensembles in them. Men in music ensembles tend to have to dress in coat and tie (or tux) much more frequently than the average guy on campus. And many Sinfonians will wear their badges when dressed for a performance, if the director of the ensemble allows it. So, this gives Sinfonians a lot of opportunities to wear badges when they would be seen by the general public. Just a guess, as I said.

Wear it every chance I get
 

For Alpha Chi Rho, we don't get our badges until paying our initiation fee to National (now over $325 :eek: ). We're not supposed to wear them unless in button-down, collared shirt and tie. Furthermore, we're only supposed to wear them on our shirts, never on a jacket or lapel, with the intentions of the keeping the badge close to your heart. So if we're ever in business attire, the jacket can sometimes cover the badge. Also, a lot of the people in my Chapter are a bit... ::ahem:: bad with money. So there's a good 9 or so guys that don't even have badges yet. And the ones that do don't seem to wear them much outside of Ritual or other "Brother's Badge Events."

Personally, for what I payed for it, I want to wear it as often as possible, and I do. I like the questions I get from people, because to me, our badge is very meaningful and full of symbols and such, instead of just having our letters spelled out in jewels or something (no offense meant to the other greeks out there and their beautiful badges!). In fact, our letters really aren't on the badge at all, it's too full of "other things."