Thanks for the explanation. ;) Actually, I asked one of my sisters down the hall about pearling a couple weeks ago, and she told me what she knew about it as she had some friends who had been pearled. It's not widely done here, but hot damn, I'd like to be the first! :D I didn't know you could buy actual pearls to stick on the lavaliers, though--exactly what does that look like? I was just told that the guy gives the girl a piece of pearl jewelry.

Pearling is done at my campus as well. It is when a non-Greek buys the Greek woman a piece of pearl jewelry (i.e. a pearl pendant necklace or ring). We have a candle passing ceremony for her. My question to everyone was, what is considered a good age to be lavaliered or pearled? As a freshman, I know I'm considered to young, but is being a sophomre old enough, or should my boyfriend wait til our junior year?

Its his choice too. If he gives it to now you can accept it as a freshman. I wouldn't pressure him into getting it though if its a big deal at your campous.

Pinning Traditions
 

This topic came up in another thread.

Does your organization have any special pinning traditions?

In Phi Kappa Psi, no one but a brother in good standing may wear our badge. This means that if a Phi Psi wants to pin his lady, he can't use our badge. We have a sweetheart pin for this purpose. Anyone who wants to see 3 versions of our sweetheart pin, may do so here.

Can you lavalier with a soldier?
 

I'm the Mom of a ZTA whos' bf is in Iraq. He wants to know if he can lavalier her with a set of his dogtags for a candle lighting cermony. Being "tagged" is a military tradition with the same meaning as lavaliering. Thanks!

I would contact your daughter's ZTA big sister and speak with her about this.

Re: Can you lavalier with a soldier?
 

ZTA may do things differently, but in my chapter we did candle passes not only for lavaliering but engagements as well. I don't see any reason why your daughter couldn't have a candle pass if her boyfriend wanted to tag her, unless the chapter just doesn't do that. Contact the chapter advisor or even a member, they should be able to tell you. :)

I would imagine that her chapter would allow this.

When I was in school a member had a boyfriend who was an independent and didn't go to our school - he gave her a promise ring and she was allowed to have a candle passing as though it were a lavaliering.

At my school once a sister was lavaliered/pinne/engaged she contacted the ritual chair, who was responsible for organizing the candle pass. I would imagine that your daughter could talk to the person in charge for their chapter and explain the situation.

Congrats to your ZTA!! :)

~Allison

Re: Can you lavalier with a soldier?
 

I don't see why not (unless ZTA has some rule that it must be a fraternity lavalier). As I posted earlier in this thread, my husband (an independent) gave me a little charm on a pendant, and my chapter had a candle lighting for me. Why should we miss out on all the fun just because we fell in love with independents?? :D

Somehow I never saw this thread, but I have a few things to toss in here.

*I have friends that are pinned by SigEps from three different WI chapters. NONE of them have ever sat in on any rituals other than those open to the public (like Burning Heart). About half my active chapter is pinned or about to be to a SigEp, so I think I'm relatively knowledgeable on the situation. ;)

*ZTA-Mom, I think that tradition sounds really cute, and I'm sure her chapter would have a candlepass for a tagging, since it sounds just like lavaliering to me.

*I think it's amazing how much this varies from campus to campus - I know lots of girls from Platteville who were pinned, hardly any at Marquette who are, and my friend, who is outgoing president of his Phi Tau chapter, had never ever heard of pinning until I mentioned it.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, to all of you wonderful ladies!

The tags arrived as a surprise for a very patient Senior in love with a soldier. They don't have much time to shop in Baghdad and he wanted her to have something that showed his committment to her for hanging in there for almost the entire school year , especially her senior year as a chair in her sorority. So many activities she had to attend alone or with friends. :(

It's also a family tradition going back 3 generations so it has major significance in the family as well.

Her Christmas wish is a candle passing ceremony (they request them for major committment like pinning, etc.) and without spilling the beans knew you all could help me- it's still a secret until Christmas Eve! :D

It's a spare set, just so nobody worries he's without his tags in battle.:p

Happy Holidays!

UPDATE:

Well, I guess it was more wishfull thinking on the home front. Soldier Boy considers it just a "keep me on your mind" kinda thing than an actual comittment on his part. :(

He should be able to give your daughter his dog tags regardless if it's not a fraternity lavalier. ZTA doesn't have any national rules about lavaliering.
I think that sounds like an awesome idea!

As an International Officer of a NPC group, women NEVER give their pins to a BF no do they give their letters by giving a lavaliere either! Letters should stay within its members unless it is on a t-shirt associated with a function or philanthropy.

Fixed your post.

There are many national/international officers posting on here and if this was an NPC-wide rule, one of them would have piped up a long time ago.