What Does Your Basic Badge Look Like?
 

I have badges on the brain lately! Must be because of Badge Day last week.

Anyhoo, I know we have that fantastic thread on Badge trends but I'd love to see what everyone's most basic badge looks like without all the bells and whistles (and diamonds, rubies and opals!)

Here's ours:
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...ps47ac1603.jpg
We only have one kind of badge (well, you could choose a bezel setting for the diamond instead of the tiffany setting if you want) and there's no option to bling it out. Although, it is pretty decently blingy as is :)

Anyone else care to share? Guys too! I'm not too familiar with a lot of fraternity Badges.

Well here is our most basic of basic badges:

http://und.edu/orgs/delta-gamma/anchor-badge.jpg

but we also have the "chased" basic badge option as well:

http://cdn1.bigcommerce.com/server17....1280.1280.jpg

I have the basic basic one. I just love the clean lines and everything about it. It's going to be so weird not wearing it the rest of the semester while my little wears it until she gets her own. I'll miss it :(

Edit:// Eek huge images! Trying to make them smaller...

We have two options available in white or yellow gold (or silver). This is the plain one:

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n...ps85745dc9.jpg

And this is the chased one:

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n...ps374f0700.jpg

Then we also have a plain two tone option and a chased two toned option:

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n...ps06a17383.jpg http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n...psc3ff79d9.jpg

We have several options for "plain" badges--
Rose Chased
https://www.hjgreek.com/assets/image...large/9928.jpg

Historic Chased
https://www.hjgreek.com/assets/image...arge/56662.jpg

Plain Polished
https://www.hjgreek.com/assets/image...large/9923.jpg

and Plain Two-Toned
https://www.hjgreek.com/assets/image...large/9954.jpg

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...WgbAwISbCbFdYg

This is the one I have. I'd like a fancier one, but I'd actually be happier with a larger version of this to wear as a broach. I like the symbolism (the pen is mightier than the sword), and I like that it's a thing as opposed to letters. I love the basic DG pin. I would definitely have gone plain with them.

I miss the days when we called it what it is, though -- the "rose-engraved" badge. That's what it is -- the chasing is very clearly our rose.

In my chapter, everyone ordered the gold rose-engraved badge; I don't think they all do so any more. I wish I could remember for certain, but I thought we ordered our badges early enough in advance that we got our own at initiation. From what I read on GC, that doesn't seem to be the case with any groups.

The plain badge that I received when I initiated was like this one:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ov1bZ5teYr...kappadelta.gif

The current KD plain badge is this:

https://www.hjgreek.com/assets/image...large/9294.jpg

.

Alpha Phi Omega as a service fraternity has gone really cheap. Below is our basic badge, called the "service pin" Current (replacement) cost is $5. The badge worn by pledges is pretty much identical except with a Gold P on a Blue background rather than the Blue S on a Gold Background.

https://shop.apo.org/media/images/products/normal/9.jpg

I wish I had my own at initiation! But I also loved wearing my pledge family member's badge because it was a reminder of how special our bond is that she was the one to initiate me.

Part of our final new member meeting was the director of ritual came with borrowed badges from chapter members for us to look at and told us what our options were and where to order. We were then left pretty much to our own devices in terms of what we wanted to order and when. I ordered mine when I got home for the summer and had a better idea of how much I could spend. I was one of few to get a basic badge in my new member class, I think most people got four- or full-pearled badges.

Quick question: if ones son or daughter is in school and gets initiated, which kind of badge is better, an antique badge passed down in the family or a brand new plain pin?

I had just the standard plain pin, but then bought the "top of the line" badge with all pearls and was very large....the other guys in the house really didnt think anything of it and thought I was trying to show them up.....

I am curious if the old heavy jeweled badges were more for alumni or current members?

Thoughts?

BG

As I've noted in some other threads, the only choice we have is whether to upgrade to gold plate or 10K gold. But stone-wise and setting-wise, they're the same:

http://www.hjgreek.com/assets/images...small/8824.jpg


There was a time that the basic badge was scrolled, with no jewels:

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...dss6oGHvAK7SuQ

During that time, the jeweled options were close-set and crown-set (no choice as to jewels). I'm not sure when the non-jeweled scrolled badge was first offered as the basic option, but it was discontinued in 2003. The pearls and garnets (originally rubies) were part of the design approved by the National Convention in 1910.

I have no clue if there's much of a size difference over the years.

I can't speak for all the NPC sororities, but Delta Zetas are required to order their own Badge even if they don't choose to wear it in favor of a relative's passed down Badge.

As for the heavy jeweled badges vs. the plainer ones, I think it is all a matter of what the sister or brother likes and can afford at the time.

Anyone else care to weigh in?

I'd think it could also depend on chapter culture, and maybe campus culture or provincial or regional culture if that factors into one's chapter culture. I'd think most collegiates wouldn't want to be the only one with a badge a lot blingier than those of the rest of the chapter.

But then again, we women......

Ditto. New KD sisters are (perhaps were, it's been a while) required to order a badge as part of initiation. You can order a fancy one, but most order plain. I ordered plain and was then given a bejeweled one. I'd love to have one passed down.

Well, there is that to factor in.

Most of my chapter got fancy badges. Specific family lines sometimes had specific badge patterns, ie. one family line always bought all pearls and one always bought pearls with emerald points. Other family lines were just "whatever." I didn't get a fancy badge until much later.

I volunteered as alum at another chapter after I graduated and they mostly got plain badges. A few got fancy badges. The chapter also owned a few very old, fancy badges that were worn for specific offices or officer positions and then passed on to the next person to get the scholarship or position.

I initiated at one of our oldest chapters. Everyone got blinged out badges...that was the culture. At this chapter, our pledge class spent a whole Saturday afternoon on "Labor" day polishing the copious sterling silver collection. I transferred and affiliated at a younger chapter. Almost everyone at that chapter got the basic silver badge. That irked me, because I felt like they were "cheaping out." They didn't have any sterling to polish. What each group valued was different, but I loved both chapters equally.

Here's what our current "basic" badge is. When I was initiated (12 years ago, ack!) we didn't have a silver option.
https://www.hjgreek.com/assets/image...large/9265.jpg

The scroll work I don't find as lovely as the older scroll badges (My second rescue, a 1938 gold scroll):
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...A%3A6343nu0mrj

As I've mentioned, this is our basic, basic badge option which we receive at (or around) initiation/Epsilon.

https://www.hjgreek.com/assets/image...large/9848.jpg

It's super cheap. Like. $12. I really want to upgrade to a gold/pearl badge when I have extra money to blow.

ETA: Here's our new member badge:

https://hjgreek.com/assets/images/pr...large/9561.jpg

This is the 10K gold upgrade, but usually it's just a cheap (and very fragile) version.

All AEPhis wear the same badge. 27 pearls, letters set in sequence on a yellow gold bar. The sister's initials are engraved on the back of the bar. Our only option is guard or no guard.

Here's a pic of my badge. I posted this to the "badge trends" thread a while back. The picture includes a dime for size comparison. Subtract the guard and dangles and you've got our basic badge.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y24...7/100_0823.jpg

One of the really nice things about our all having the same badge is that they almost always arrive in time for initiation. NMs fill out a form with their initials and "guard or no guard" and cut a check early on in the NM period, and the NME sends everything off to nationals. Provided that this happens in a timely manner, the badges are shipped to the chapter in time for initiation. This way, each new sister is pinned at initiation with the badge she will keep for life - not a "loaner" - and big sisters don't have to do without their badges for any length of time, or worry that their little will lose their badge.

Okay, it seems that it's standard in the sororities that everyone pays for their own badge or they don't go through initiation. Correct me if I'm wrong.

For SigEp, all of our standard pins are covered by our dues and come out of the Chaplain's budget. Does anyone else not have to pay for their badge?

It may work that way for y'all, but not for us, since we order badges later in the probationary member period.

Based on what has been said in some other threads, I think that in some sororities (or some chapters of some sororities), the basic badge is included in the initiation fee, while in some others, everyone pays for the badge of choice separately. And some sororities don't require members to purchase badges at all.

For us, the basic badge is included in the initiation fee.

Here's our most basic badge:

https://hjgreek.com/assets/images/pr...arge/59430.jpg

The only upgrades available are either 10k gold (the standard is a gold gloss or maybe electroplate I think) and/or pearls.

Our badge is an included part of our initiation fees. We price it separately, though, since the price of gold/jewelry fluctuates and we don't have control over when/if that happens.

I've seen a lot of beautiful badges, but my favorite hands-down is the white gold AOII badge. It is just stunningly beautiful to me in its simplicity. I wish I could wear it!

The AOII badge with gold and white gold is beautiful too.

That is a lovely pin!

This is our most basic badge.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ov1bZ5teYr...0pibetaphi.gif

I couldn't find a picture with the guard. My badge has a diamond in the arrowhead, and many of the girls in my chapter choose to get badges with stones inlaid in the shaft of the arrow. The chain has twelve links, to represent our twelve founders. :)

Our basic badge. Every member must pay for a badge and it is ordered right after Initiation. New members can select other badges right from the start at most chapters. Some just get the plain one for everybody though, it seems. I've met women who didn't seem to realize they could have gotten a different one.

https://www.hjgreek.com/assets/image...arge/10637.jpg

Thanks KDCat!

Not that I can take any actual credit for it.

Last year, when my goddaughter was badge shopping, I told her to go big or go home...bling that bad boy out! :)
Grandma paid for her badge...it's a good thing. I paid her dues for both semesters

Phi Mu Badges
 

Here's the Phi Mu plain badge:
http://fratpin.com/Scans/8-30-06%20Scans/Phi%20Mu.JPG

Here's the Phi Mu beveled badge:
http://fratpin.com/Scans/Phi%20Mu%20embell0001.JPG

Our beautiful badge
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...66611015_n.jpg

Somehow your AGD plain badge seems a little too plain; much prefer your letters in their jeweled varieties.

Oh no, I disagree! I think there is a very simple beauty to the "plain" badges. I think they are even more beautiful than some of the blinged out versions. The design of the badge really stands out.

Ditto. I have the plain gold Gamma Phi Beta badge for that very reason. I think that some of our blinged out badges are a little too busy for my taste. It's especially hard to see our letters on the all pearl one, but I think if just the Phi is set in all pearl or all pearl and stone points, it looks fantastic!

My daughter is rushing this fall so when I had some downtime at work earlier this week I went to the Herff Jones website and checked out the badges for the sororities that have chapters at her school. So many choices from plain to ultra-blingy! I admit that I was really drawn to the ultra-blingy ones but of course it'll be her choice, not mine.

LOL, there was one blinged out badge that I loved so much that I kind of want her to join that house so I can buy it for her (kidding of course...kind of!) but of course I'd never say that to her!

Thank you for posting, NinjaPoodle! We don't get Divine9 badge love too often!

No prob! :)

This is our basic badge
https://www.hjgreek.com/assets/image...large/8577.jpg

We released one this year for our centennial that has diamonds instead of pearls and the points on the compass are sapphire. It's really pretty, but I do love our pearls.