As you grow older your fraternity is not your priority. That's just the way it is. In college, my senior year I spent most of my time looking for jobs and dealing with a brutal recruiting season. Post college, I'm more concerned with figuring out what I want to do for the rest of my life and how to make lots of money so I can retire young because this working world is brutal. There is no way that I would make eliminating Greek stereotypes as a priority for myself. I think when I was most involved, I still didn't care anyway and I sure as heck don't now.

I don't walk around with political tshirts and pins from countries I've visited, so I don't see how this is different.

We are not the NPHC. There is a heavy emphasis on our college years when it comes to greek life. It's not good or bad, but just different.

-Rudey

The way it was explained to me is that the badge is not for everyday wear regardless of whether it is a ring/badge/etc. You just don't wear it daily, I guess they feel like it might take the "specialness" out of it.

KR, This should bring back memories for your hubby.

"What a crass mass of brass and glass!
What a bold mold of rolled gold! See how it sparkles and shines! It must have cost you a fortune! May I touch it please, Sir?"

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I wear my badge and A Pin for any military, sorority, collegiate and other women's group function. Many times it's been an icebreaker for meeting new people to our organizations.

Re: badge attire
 

Everyday would be a bit much. I'd suggest a more "everyday" piece of AOII-related jewelry (ring, necklace, bracelet, etc). I have a Tiffany-style bracelet engraved with my letters that I wear in more professional settings.

Everyday would be hardcore overkill. I'll probably wear mine when I go to court or maybe some professional function but just because I'm going to be wearing pin attire every day for the rest of my life (:() doesn't mean I'll wear my pin.

I know most of the male attorneys where I'll be practicing are fraternity alums who only break out their pins for special occasions or a Greek function.

My sorority is still a priority. :) Not THE priority or THE ONLY priority but A priority. It will always be A priority as long as God blesses me with funds to be financial and the time and resources to be active. Maybe that's about the NPHC culture that stresses not only lifetime membership but VISIBLE lifetime membership. However, there are also IFC and NPC members who feel the same as I do.

Either case, we should have all learned how to multitask when we were college students. People can't occasionally wear 'nalia and be an XYZ while focusing on (God/their spirituality and) family and career? I didn't think this thread was about an either/or scenario. :)

In his last paragraph, Rudey says it isn't good or bad, just different. But he begins his post with "as you grow older your fraternity is not your priority. That's just the way it is." That reads like a value judgment to me.

I'm a critical care nurse where we focus on cardiac issues. I wear our philanthropy pin which is a heart with a stick figure person on it. Everyone thinks it's so cute. I wear a red dress pin also for women's heart disease so it goes with what I do. When people ask what the heart is and where I got it so they can get one then I tell them about our philanthropy "Choose Children" and what kind of things we do/have done. I know it's not my quill, but I thought I'd throw my story in.

I'll have to disagree also. From my own grad chapter experience, I've seen my sorors go through stages.

The first stage (transition into grad from undergrad, and still single): the sorority is still very important. You are still very active in chapter events.

Stage 2: the married / mom soror: At this stage, the soror may or may not be as active. If she is active her activity is not as much as the first stage.

Stage 3: the kids are out of school stage: This soror has returned to become active in the chapter again beacuse now she has more time on her hands.

I don't wear my badge very often, and as you get out of college, chances are you won't wear yours as often. I'd like to wear mine more, but I would probably lose it at the 2-3 construction sites I visit during a week.

LOL, I looked at this and thought it said NOSE ring - all I could think was "gee, KD, is getting very progressive!" hahahahaha

And I would advise against it. I've lived in the South all my life, I grew up in a Greek family, and I work with plenty of Greeks everyday and I can confidently say that I have never seen a man wear his badge after graduation unless he was participating in a fraternity/alumnus function. Same for women.

I see (and wear) lapel pins/recognition pins all the time -- that's the purpose of them. I see class rings with Greek letters engraved on them all the time. I see women wearing Greek-related rings and necklaces all the time. But I really have never seen someone wear their badge to work after graduation. To say that someone who did would be viewed as weird -- by Greeks as well as non-Greeks -- is an understatement.

It depends.

I currently wear my ID badge in a hard plastic hold on a neck lanyard.

I see many of my co-workers wear various pins on their badge holder &/or lanyard.

Most are work-related pins. They are usually pins given out by our company, or pins that are in some ways work related.

For instance, on mine I have my company 75th anniversary pin, my 10 year service pin, my Toastmaster CTM pin (member of the club that mets here at work), and my ITIL Foundation Pin (work-related certification).

Now, on occasion, I will wear my fraternity pin, but this is because I am an alumni volunteer with my fraternity. I would not be surprised to see people wear a scouting related pin on occasion, or a masonic pin.

Does APO have regulations or guidelines about how the badge is to be worn? Our regulations would preclude placing it on a badge holder or lanyard.

I think maybe he's saying that wearing pins of any kind are common and accepted in his workplace, normally on the lanyard, not necessarily that HE wears his badge on his lanyard. (although that thought crossed my mind as he was I reading his post)