Only initiated members of Alpha Sigma Phi may wear or display items with the coat-of-arms, shield and stylized 'Phoenix Mark' with Greek letters. A pledge may wear clothing with the three Greek letters. As for our badge, the only non-member who can wear it is the wife or the fiancee of a member, though we encourage them to wear the Sister Pin.

Our chapter wasn't a big stickler on being protective over our letters, but at the time when I was an undergrad, we were pretty small. Most fraternities at the University of Oklahoma usually collect chapter-issued items when a pledge depledges or a member is suspended or expelled, usualy accompanied by a warning to not wear any clothing or display any items from the fraternity.

I've only let one other person wear my letters once. I went on a short car trip with a friend of mine who got car sick & the only extra shirt I happened to have was one with my letters on it. He wore it to our destination & the rest of the day, but washed & returned it immediately.

Completely understandable - I agree with you, it really doesn't matter to me how XYZ fraternity or ABC sorority treat their letters or shirts, as it's not going to change how I feel about mine.

It also seems like, from personal experience as well as posts in this thread, that there's a difference between how NPC and fraternities treat the issue. I think it's interesting, to say the least; not one of those issues you think about, but when it's brought up there's a whole number of opinions.

Tom - I don't see anyone "pissing and moaning" in this thread. Overall it's been a good discussion, and disagreement isn't a bad thing. I don't see how we need to "move on" from this thread.

This post made me chuckle. I feel ya though!

Could someone please explain to me why a woman would want to wear her boyfriend's letters, either as clothing or a badge? Also, could someone please explain why any woman in the year 2005 would want to be the "sweetheart" of a fraternity?

Because it's nice and "old fashioned"...some people are like that...not every woman wants to be "independent" in a so called "modern" way.

ETA: besides, it seems so sweet/nice...

I would NEVER wear a boy's badge. The reason I have my boyfriend's letters is that one day I was freezing and asked to borrow a sweatshirt and the only ones he has all have letters on them. After that he just told me to keep it, and seeing as I like to sleep with the AC on way high, I usually just sleep in it.

Only initiated Alpha Phi Omega Brothers are allowed to wear letters or things with the crest, etc. Pledges wear a pledge pin with the letters on them, but that's about it as far as non-initiated members wearing letters.

I'm pretty protective of my letters in that sense. I certainly wouldn't freak at someone touching them, though. And if lending someone my APO sweatshirt meant the difference between life and death, I'd do it.

The same reason a man would want to be a sorority's sweetheart. Because it shows that a group of people that you like think that you're more special than the average man/woman. It doesn't mean your earthly purpose is to serve that fraternity.

If someone deactivates, why would they WANT to keep letters? I certainly wouldn't. As I stated, if the girl had any items that were superduper expensive, compensation was offered. Most terminated people just passed their stuff on to their little if they had one. Like I've said before, I don't understand why there has to be a tshirt for every event. Maybe if there were fewer letters floating around it wouldn't be such a problem. I mean, I had maybe 3-4 letter sweatshirts and a jacket the whole time I was in college.

All I can say is, you're quite lucky if all the terminations in your chapter have been so smooth that this isn't an issue to you.

I love you 33, just thought you should now that :p


Heh, as you can tell, I agree. I remember when my FI pinned me, it was a HUGE deal, of course I wore his letters and pin like CRAZY after that but a week letter I was back being normal :)

I normally wear his letters in conjunction w/mine, like if I'm wearing my lettershirt, I'll wear his hat or lavalier, something like that. And it's not really the fraternity aspect that's important, it's because they are HIS and the meaning behind the practice.

I don't wear my boyfriend's letters out in public. They're strictly for in the house. He also has a tendency to bring random fraternity stuff into my house and then just forget it there, so I pretty much have a collection of random Lambda Chi memorabilia lol. Up here, lavaliering isn't big at all. I hadn't ever heard of it until GC. I'm sure if I wanted him to, he'd just get me one or tell me to get it for him. Thing is, I don't. I know that he likes me, I don't need his letters carved in silver to prove that.

I agree. I enjoyed being a fraternity sweetheart greatly and I wouldn't trade that experience for the world. I also want to add that I still wear my husband's badge and I am 38. He gave it to me along with my engagement ring. I have since bought him a VERY nice jewelled badge. As for AOII things, he has a "IIOA" shirt.

Why wear his letters when lounging around? Could you not wear his nonlettered tshirts and achieve the same effect?

What's the meaning behind the practice?

:)

Because they're a size XL, I'm a small, and it the softest and most comfortable sweatshirt I have seen in my life. 'Nuff said.

So he just needs to give you a soft, XL nonlettered sweatshirt to lounge it. Gotcha. 'Nuff said.

Well until he does that, I'll just wear his.

Congrats. :)

On our campus, it was very common for girls to wear fraternity t-shirts and for guys to wear sorority t-shirts. Especially things from date parties and such. for crush parties, we always went around to all the fraternity meetings and handed out invitations and t's to the men who were crushed.

I always liked seeing a guy in our letters (no crest or anything- I'm talking like party t-shirts). And I have quite a collection of fraternity shirts that I collected from ex-boyfriends fraternity parties and crush parties while I was in college.

I guess it just shows again the difference between orgs and campuses.

I also don't think it's necessary to question WHY ON EARTH someone would want to wear her boyfriend's letters. Why not? :p

Good answer

American citizen: "Why did we invade Iraq?"

Whitehouse spokesperson: "Why not? :p "

Why do you care so much if people wear letters that aren't your own? Clearly the people that gave letters to them didn't have a problem with it, why should you then?

My Thoughts exactly!

Wearing letters might be a big difference that wearing the Coat of Arms. A NO No correct!

Combo T-Shirts, why not? They were party favors that were given to dates for the party.

I am not sure, but Pinning I think in most cases went out a long time ago.

Pinning was in the Days of old, showing that whoever wore the Pin of a Fraternity, said Lady was under the protection of that Fraternity. They were in the first process of becoming almost engaged to be married. Days of Yore so to speak.:)

Good job taking something simple and pointless and comparing it to the war in Iraq. Let's not try to pretend that there is a real comparison there. :rolleyes:

Why not?

Why are you bothered that others are asking questions? Happy hour awaits you.

I'll take a dirty martini, three olives.

I'll take an apple martini, no olives.

To use what seems to be your favorite phrase on GC: Shut up. ;)

Get your own gig.

http://oregonstate.edu/~davisda/bin/oh_snap.jpg

What a waste.

This thread should be locked or deleted. I'm bored, let's talk about something else!

Why should a thread be deleted or locked because you're bored? Other people may want to answer the original topic. You should go to another thread and talk about something else.

Why are you so bothered that other people have different attitudes about who gets to wear their letters?

Trust me, it's not just this thread. :)

Because you are posting to me.