NPC Badge Day 2014
 

With NPC Badge Day just around the corner (3 March, y'all), our own SWTXBelle has her annual column of the importance of NPC membership ready to go. Enjoy:



A Belle's Eye View
Annual celebration of sororities is approaching


"It’s two weeks until the annual celebration of sororities.

"March 3 will be the day members “recognize their lifelong commitment to service, community and sisterhood … . All national and international sorority groups representing different ethnicities join in the celebration — including Facebook members who are linking for a virtual rally” (National Panhellenic Conference).

"In the past, I’ve spotlighted the many panhellenic contributions to the community through their commitment to philanthropy, the leadership skills developed through sorority membership, the eternal values contained in the creeds of the groups and the overall support of women that National Panhellenic Conference groups have given to their members for more than 150 years.

"These are all still very valid reasons I, and my sorority sisters, can be very proud of our sisterhoods and celebrate all of them on March 3.

"This year, however, as I was musing on what my Gamma Phi Beta membership has meant, I thought about the future.

"Upon joining a sorority, new members used to be called pledges. This represented the fact that the new member had made her initial pledge, but had not been fully initiated.

"Today, the term is “new members;” but in a way, the concept of being named by your pledge is one that shouldn’t be abandoned.

"All sorority women have made a pledge — a promise — to fulfill the vision of their founders throughout their lives.

"When I wear my badge, I wear the symbol of that pledge, that promise, and I hope I never lose sight of the need to live our core values — love, labor, learning and loyalty — every day. But that promise is about more than me.

"When I wear my badge, I am linking directly to the four founders of Gamma Phi Beta; but what is sometimes forgotten is that I am also linking to Gamma Phis yet to come.

"Yes, we have much to be proud of it, but I hope that we don’t miss the fact that our promise is also to the many young women, some of whom haven’t been born, who will wear our badges in the future.

"Times have changed in mind-boggling ways since those early years of women’s groups in the mid-19th century. What hasn’t changed is the need for women to support one another and to improve themselves, their colleges, their communities and their nations.

"This March 3, I will be thinking of the promise contained in the many badges I see — a promise to young women to make sure that all of the positives I have found in sorority membership continue to be available; a promise to share the joy I’ve known in my sisterhood; a promise to never lose sight of the power of women who join together.

"If you are a sorority member, I hope you will wear your badge on March 3 and let those who see you know that you are part of an unbroken line of empowered women who are making a difference in the world.

"If you see women wearing their badges, feel free to ask them why they are proud to wear their badges.

"You may well be surprised at just how awesome an experience sorority membership has been for those in your life."




Your thoughts, dear Greek Letter Denizens?

Great article, SWTXBelle!! I love reading it each year :)

I'm excited to wear my badge to work, but also a little bit nervous!

I will be wearing mine!

Thank you for the reminder. For the past few years, I have done contract work from home, but my new client (I start next week *happydance*) requires me to be on site, and their dress code is business casual, so I may very well pop out the badge!

Though my organization isn't a NPC org, I may well break out my own badge that evening when I have a choir rehearsal—if I don't have to work and get out sooner, I may do it then as well but I figure if nothing else, a place where I'll be surrounded by other musicians is the perfect place to represent my music fraternity. :)

Not in an NPC, but just like last year...I'll proudly wear my badge.

Since I'm out of work right now, I'll wear mine to church the day before. It's a good way for the high school seniors to know from whom to get recs, too.... ;)

Although, it would be good if I was working by then, too!

I wear my main badge on a necklace, and I usually wear it to work a couple of times a week. I've been having a tough time lately, and it's a reminder that as much as I believe in my sisters and what they can do, they believe in me. I know I'm not wrong about them. They probably aren't wrong about me, either.

While we are only allowed to wear our badge to official SGRho functions (meetings, conventions, etc.), I will wear dress up a bit and wear one of my nicer pins. Possibly the one in my profile picture. :)

FWIW, I once called our Executive Office, over the protocol on wearing something. If I remember properly, it was using a crest guard instead of a chapter guard.

What I was told was that I had "alumnae privilege", and as long as a pin was worn respectfully and tastefully, the rules were somewhat relaxed.

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times - I'd rather see a pin worn with respect and good taste than sitting in a jewelry box, ignored.

Yet again, something keeps me from wearing my badge on this day. :(

You know you have a badge-collecting problem when you can't decide which badge you're going to wear on Badge Day:o I'll probably wear my most recent acquisition, since it's from my chapter and the chapter guard reflects that. I have to remember to mail back my wonky badge to HJ today!

I have mine in a disc on a chain. Easier that way....

Still loving my badge ring every day, but I'll wear my rescue badge, too!

Just acquired my oldest badge, a sweet little plain gold founders badge from a now closed chapter. I will wear it on Badge Day and think of a Kappa Delta named Beth who first wore it in 1918, pledging to the same values and purpose I did 3 generations later.

Nice.

I have an all pearl pin from 1921 that I'm going to wear on Monday. It's my favorite.

For those of you who have acquired vintage badges with chapter guards, do you wear that chapter guard (for a chapter that is not your own) or do you remove it? I'm torn.

I only have one badge with a chapter guard that's not mine, but I like wearing it-it reminds me of how much larger ADPi is than just my chapter. It's also a closed chapter that I don't see us ever recolonizing so that give me an extra connection to it. Plus, I don't know what I'd do with it if I removed it.

I was the other bidder. Sorry for raising the price. I'd really like to acquire a vintage plain pin eventually. It's shocking that plain versions are no longer available, and I'm still beating myself up, over 20 years later, for losing my original plain pin.

Shellfish, sorry to bid agin' ya. Hopefully you will find that great plain vintage badge. I have a plain one from the 50s that is so tiny, it is amazing and slightly freakish. I have never seen one so small--perfect detail, but about 1/4 inch. I have some from the 20's in pearls, but the 1918 is my oldest. I have a directory from 1920, and thrilled that this woman from Wisconsin is listed in there as initiating in 1918, so a founding sister. Another member of that founding pledge class of Psi Chapter was Olga Achtenhagen, who later served as Kappa Delta's national President.

I do leave the guards on vintage pins when I wear them. It honors the sister who originally wore it, and as Clemsongirl says, it is a great reminder of how much more we are than our own chapter. In the case of a closed chapter, it's bittersweet. I am leaving all of my vintage pins and memorabilia to the original chapter, if still open, to use as a president's or pass down pin, or to HDQ upon my death or dementia, whichever comes first, lol. Unless I have a KD granddaughter, then she gets it all.

I take them off, which is sort of a shame, because a couple of them were really nice.

I guess I'll wear my badge, although it looks like now I'll be stuck in the house instead of going to work since we're getting nailed with another snowstorm Monday. I hope the cat and husband appreciate it since no one else will see it!

Same here, but the big storm is due to hit us Sunday/Monday. I love wearing my pin to work - the kids I teach always ask questions about it since I'm not big on wearing jewelry to school and they tend to take notice especially when I wear a unique piece. I also love telling them that the Gamma Phi badge was designed by Tiffany & Co.and was voted "Most Beautiful Badge" by the NPC. Looks like I won't get to share those fun facts with them this year if the forecast holds. :(

Same here. I'm playing it safe and staying home on Monday.

I'm going to get pretty for Badge Day!

Is the day officially NPC Badge Day? I'd love to see other councils officially back this, since (well according to GC) were supporting the cause across councils.

I'll wear mine with pride to my Eastern Star meeting on Mon. I'll put it highest above my OES pins. It's good to get another opportunity to wear it, though I wear it to church often. ( there are 4 other Gamma Phis at my church)

NPC encourages ALL Greeks to wear their badges . . . but of course they can only make it official for their group.

The more, the merrier, I say!

Getting my badge ready . . . :)

If predictions hold, lots of people won't be leaving the house tomorrow. Our doctor office has already cancelled appointments, and the Dept of Transportation is asking drivers to stay off the roads.

::sigh:: I remember staying home for Badge Day because of snow in a recent year, and it looks like history is going to repeat. Bummer. :(

I'll be wearing mine for all of you who can't!

Ditto. This storm went south of us.

Forecast has changed ... now we're only supposed to get flurries. I may be showing up at the office, badge and all, after all. :)

I'm rocking mine today

I have my badge on!

Telecommuting today in sweats and a tshirt because of the ice. I think I may wear my badge for my daughter and husband. :(

I'm wearing one of my poodle pins with matching poodle earrings. :D

I have a pin of our shield on today. Gold shield, gold sweater, blue tights, blue and gold scarf. I think my founders would be proud LOL