Tattoos of your organization
 

Hey everyone. Stole this idea from the ZTA board.

Do any of you have a tattoo from your organization? Post pictures if you do!

I don't have one (yet). My little has a pansy (our flower), one of my sisters has our motto in greek on her foot (its BEAUTIFUL) and another girl from our chapter has a pine tree on her foot.

Discuss.

I just recently got my first tattoo, but eventually I'll get my fraternity's coat of arms or our symbol, the Knight Errant

I would normally not comment on this, but if you use the Search feature, you'll see two pages of threads on tattoos - including how to get them removed.

LOL

I think face tattoos are super classy.

Hmm, my big has an anchor tattoo on her hip that I love, but I don't have any tattoos. And the older I get, the less likely it's looking that I'll ever get one.

I wonder if I got a secret word tattooed on me, if that would be a big no-no? As long as I didn't tell anybody what it was, I wonder if it would matter. Because I'm picturing it in my head right now, and it would be really, really pretty.

I don't think getting a secret word/ritual would be a good idea. I know in my chapter we're not allowed to copy/write ritual from our ritual book.

That anchor sounds really cute though!

I wouldn't, but that's just me.

I mean, our secrets are things that we aren't supposed to write down, I would also take that to mean it's not to be um, tatted either.

Lots of stars?

The idea of a tattoo never appealed to me - but a couple of guys in my chapter had the badge tattooed on their shoulder.

I'm sure that that's an international rule, not a chapter rule

It's forbidden to tattoo Gamma Phi Beta (letters/words) on you and our crest.I'm sure our closed motto and signature are out too; I'm not too sure on all the details though.

One of my friends that is a Sigma Chi has a really nice (and large)tattoo of their badge on his chest, minus certain things

Personally, I don't have any tattoos but I don't think that I would ink myself with anything Gamma Phi related

One of the faculty that we initiated a while back has a SigEp tattoo on his arm. He basically took our letters and the skull and crossbones and made them more 'rocker' style. It looks pretty cool.

my little bro has a 'Dikaia' written in greek on his forearm. its the first half of our motto dikaia upotheke "justice our foundation" it was interesting that he only wanted the first half

I have my letters on the nape of my neck.

I know some people have controversial feelings about having actual letters on their body and what that means for their conduct, but I feel like I am always representing my sorority, and thus I should always act accordingly (not that it's always easy).

It's sounds corny, but especially when I was going through rough periods with my chapter, my tattoo reminded me of the values of my organization and inspired me to live my ritual every day.

Don't forget that Dikaia is used alone as a greeting by many of our Brothers.

Tattoos are trashy, especially on women, unless they do something really cool (I like how sleeves look but I would never get one).

Sorority tattoos are trashier. They always end up looking dirty.

LOL. I don't have any tattoos and I doubt I'll ever get one, but I'm curious...what do you mean they always end up looking dirty?

When I pledged there was another sorority's pledge class on my campus that decided to get matching tattoos. The tattoo was of their organization's symbol and it was placed on their ankle. Of the 42 in the pledge class there were only 3 who opted not to do this. One of those 3 was a very good friend of mine (and friend to this day).

By the time that class reached their senior year virtually all of the tattooed girls were rethinking their decision and commenting how smart the 3 who did not participate were. Now 15 years later they are openly jealous of those three. My friend loves to tease her pledge sisters about how silly they were.

Many members of that class are still active in alumnae chapters, still have a strong bond with their organization, and of course love that symbol. However, most of them seriously regret the tattoo. Concepts like the color fading, having to cover it up for professional reasons, and explaining it to their young children just did not enter their minds when they were 18 years old! Now this is their reality every day.

With age has come the realization that they can love an organization without having to permanently alter their body.

I have never known anyone who said "I really regret NOT getting a tattoo".

Ditto.

Idk I think it's because the ink gets faded or the skin around it looks yellowish? I don't mean dirty like "that girl is a dirty hooker" I mean dirty like "Hey you've got some schmutz on your skin."

Hahaha ok I get what you're talking about...at first I read it more like "that girl is a dirty hooker." But yes, unfortunately I've seen tattoos that look exactly like what you're talking about.

Sorry, but that sounds gross. :o

I have a flowered bracelet that symbolizes my org. Noone would know that it represents a sorority unless I say so. Once I point out the aspects of the tattoo, my sorors know exactly what it represents; this information is not for the general public, of course :cool:

Like - a bracelet tattoo? Did that hurt like the dickens times 800?

If your tattoo is on the nape of your neck, how did it remind you of your organization's values if you couldn't see it? Not being sarcastic--just curious.

Sometimes I think tattoos are unique, and then I see them in someone's wedding pictures. The tattoo just really ruins the picture for me, like going from classy to trashy instantly. But it still is a personal preference, and I think it's a little nicer when the tattoo is an area that can be easily covered.

Only on the part directly over my ulna (?)!

me and my some of my pledge class sisters may get tattoos our senior year.. i may get a diamond, we live for eachother, or a violet.. idk what to get... i may not even do it.. but i think it would be cool

I completely understand :)
I have a tattoo of my sorority's motto in greek. It is secret. I enjoy that aspect because no one but my sisters knows what it means. People have commented to me that that is silly, but the fact proves even more that the tattoo is for me and no one else.

Again, corny, but I also feel like it is also a physical representation of my other family, my sisters (I come from a very small local sorority, we are very close knit).

Isn't this a big no no? Most mottoes are never to be written I thought.

Some mottoes are open. ASA has an open motto.

She then said it was secret though.

It is alright to write mine. We just can't say it in English to anyone who is not a sister. However, it is in actual Greek so anyone who reads Greek could understand it, we just can't tell them.

Ah ok.

Ugh absolutely. Mine is easily hidden in classy situations and from my grandmother lol.

No worries. I saw it in the mirror, and could feel it (the skin is actually a little smoother on the tattooed part). I also get asked about it when I wear my hair up, and I like to talk about my GLO.

I guess you're right though. It wasn't always seeing it, sometimes it was just knowing it was there and that I felt connected to my GLO because of it.

Hubby is a Zeta Psi and has a very small fraternity tattoo on his forearm just past the inside of his elbow. Thats the smallest tattoo he has LOL! He has between two pieces (back and 1/2 sleeve) over 20 hours of work in. I think they are amazing pieces of art, but I made him PROMISE that any tattoos he gets be in places that wont be seen when he is wearing professional attire, as there is still SUCH a stigma about tattoos. I personally dont get it. And re: the fading. bleeding lines thing-if the artist you go to is good, you wont ever have that problem. You also have to take care of them. Whenever his are exposed to the sun, DH puts like SPF 45 sunscreen on them and they still look as good as the day he got them-his back piece was done about 7 years ago.
I dont have any and likely will not get any-not because I dont like them, but because I am TERRIFIED of needles.

Using the best tattoo artist in the world isn't going to do you a bit of good when aging or an extra 20 or 30 pounds hit you.

I personally don't get why anyone would permanently mark up their bodies with something that seems like a cool idea right now, especially since the result, in my eyes, rarely enhances their appearance. Chacun à son goût.