Lost Badge
 

I was just initiated a few months ago, and my badge has gone missing :( I brought it home with me, and somehow in the mess of things (its been very stressful in my household back home) my badge got lost. Is this something that a sorority can replace? If so, what is the general cost?

I'm ashamed and embarrassed :o

Yes and you need to ask somebody in the sorority the other question.

I was just hoping for a range in price. Wanted to know if they were around $50 or in the hundreds? Its one of the less ornate badges

Honey, you're asking the wrong crowd.

Sorry. I did PM a member of my sorority. I'm just new to everything, and like I said, I'm really upset about it all. I was in tears earlier

You are actually pinging people online?!

No - give someone in your sorority (probably Secretary, Membership Chair, Internal, etc.) a call and let them know what happened so you can get your badge replaced ASAP. Continue searching for it in the mean time.

Oh honey, i know exactly how you feel, I though i had lost my key recently.

Have you checked all your clothes, to make sure its not attached to anything (thats where mine was - doh), do you remember actually packing it to bring it home, could it still be at school?

It happens. Check your sorority website. There will possibly be a link to the vendor there and you should be able to get an idea. The good news is for most of the sororities (I think) there is a range from really cheap - gold plated - to really expensive. My guess is you can get the cheapest one for $50-75, but don't quote me on that.

Get yourself the cheapy to get by for now and maybe think about splurging later on when you're a little more settled. Your chapter may also have one you can borrow to get you by for awhile. You also may be able to buy one from one of the auction websites (I think they're another one we don't name by name on GC). However, I don't know that they'd be cheaper than the cheapy brand new one.

Take a deep breath, ask your membership chair what to do, and they'll take care of you.

I second checking all clothes. I constantly leave mine pinned to my last piece of formal wear.

The last time I wore it was a dress, and its not on there. I remember putting it in its little case, and then into a bag. I found the bag, but no badge :(

You might check here. Some of the groups list prices, but most of the time you will need to go through your HQ to reorder. Good luck.

http://www.hjgreek.com/

I know you are upset, but sweetie, this happens all the time. You aren't the first to lose your badge. Don't worry! It might not be quite as special to you as your original badge, but it can be replaced. Accidents happen, it is not the end of the world :o

When you do get your new badge, I recommend making a deliberate habit of never taking off your badge until you get home. Go directly to your dresser and put it in your jewelry box. After a few times, this habit becomes permanent. It is so easy to lose a badge and lots of people do it, so don't beat yourself up about it. I was lucky to live in our sorority dorm, one door down from our chapter room, so I could head straight for my room to put up my badge when ritual was over. I still do this 18 years later when I come home from work after wearing my badge. I have 12 of them and keep them all in the same place. Your new badge will come in much faster than your original one did, too (if you aren't in one of the groups that get them at initiation.) When they aren't ordered in bulk, they deliver much faster. Enjoy your new badge, and may you have it for many, many years!:D

Oy, I have my badge pinned on, WITH BUBBLE GUARD, and it still fell off somehow. I think putting on my seat belt in the car, maybe it got jarred or something. But it was gone forever and never could find it again!

I have now bought a replacement but still...what a waste of a beautiful badge!

It's a shame when those things happen, and those are the flukes you can't prevent. But you can prevent losing your badge box out of the bottom of a bag.

Added security: badge guard (chapter letter(s), crest, whatever) attached to the badge via a chain. It's just one more layer of security. The badge falls off, but the guard is still on your clothing and you'll notice it dangling (or someone else will).

With the bubble guard, I make sure that I really push it all the way up the pin shaft on the wrong side of my clothing before passing the shaft through to the front of my clothing to then close the pin. Some actives were not using their bubble guards correctly, and were surprised to learn how it actually works.

I just learned something new! I never do it this way but will from now on. It will also make it easier to use the bubble guard without puckering your clothes. I have always put it on after I put the pin through both sides of my shirt. Thanks for the tip!

I keep hoping to come here and find a post from you that you've found the wayward badge. Any luck?

Well when I put it in the bag, it was in my bedroom. Somehow I think when my mom or another family member were moving things it fell out

Not yet, I am going back to my apartment here tonight and plan to look all over hoping it shows up. I'm still sick to my stomach. :(
Also, I rarely sport any jewelry because this seems to happen, and Im allergic to pretty much even type of metal so I'm trying to find a good sport to store it since I don't have a jewelry box

You can go to Michael's or any type of craft store and buy a wooden box that you can decorate with your sorority colors/symbols. Most greek letters can also be purchased fairly cheaply, too. This is a great idea for storing all your sorority jewelry like your badge, drop letters, etc. Just a thought to help. :)

This just blew my mind. That makes SO much more sense!

I don't attach the bubble guard the way HJ Greek shows on their web site (they sell packages of bubble guards) because it makes my clothing pucker and the badge hangs oddly. My way is better. And it works.

You might have to leave a little room at the top of the stem to push the bubble guard all the way up after, so that you can still push the stem through to the right side of the clothing, but after you've done it a time or two, you'll get it worked out.

And, badge guard as a back up, always.

Unless you're an AOII, since we don't do badge guards.

Since you guys don't do badge guards, but I've seen a few AOII badges as necklace charms (which is beautiful, BTW)...how secure are those? If they're not permanently welded, but say just normally attached through the holes in the back? I'd be worried about bumping the gate on the back and it just going to the wind.

I KNEW that. *hangs head in shame* (Please excuse me, AOII friends, I'm temporarily OOC due to a wicked virus)

I'm wearing mine right now. It's pretty secure. You have to send your badge in to have the necklace made specifically to fit the badge. I put a bubble guard on with the badge, as well. My badge doesn't even shift in the holder.

ohhh what a wonderful insite .. I would never have thought about using
the bubble guard this way but will in the future.

So the necklaces with the badge charms aren't permanent? That's good to know. I never looked into it because I thought they were permanently attached! I love this forum! I have learned so much!

Exactly! You can take it out and wear it as a badge anytime you want. I don't since I have 11 more to choose from, but if I'd gotten it for my original badge I'd probably take it off. I do like the idea that I'm not injuring the badge, especially since it's vintage.