NPC Badge Question?
 

Hi everyone,

I searched the memories, but couldn't find the answer to my question.

Basically, what is the purpose of chapter guards and/or dangles? And are they common now, or are they found more often on older badges?

My chapter never really used them, nor does the chapter I advise, so I'm unclear about the purpose. :)

Thanks!
Brittany

Guards and dangles are just another way for jewelers to make money. :D

A guard is an extra pin that keeps your badge affixed to your shirt and shows off your chapter designation. Dangles attach to the guard, which attaches to the badge, to show your sorority leadership and honors. Neither is mandatory.

Personally, and this is solely my own personal opinion-- I think dangles look ridiculous. Look! I was president! Look at my 2" pewter charm! Look! I got a 4.0. Look at the minute and cheaply made cultured pearl I paid $20 for that attaches to my guard!

I'm not knocking anyone who has dangles or loves to collect them. I am sure there are others who love their dangles and are proud of them. More power to you. I just didn't/don't have that kind of money to burn, and if I did, I'd probably spend it on something else. LOL.

The purpose of a guard is exactly what the name implies -- it "guards" against the loss of your badge if, for some reason, your badge falls off your shirt/blouse, etc. As a side benefit, the guard provides a place to show chapter affiliation, but it wasn't always so. I've seen older guards in more than one GLO that showed the GLO's coat-of-arms.

Our chapter all had guards, but very few people had dangles. I've seen some badges that are super duper dangled out though.

When I see badges WITHOUT chapter guards, they always look to me like something is missing. Although some badges are so tiny (like the keys and quills and such) I'm not sure how you would hook them on.

Guards can be very important.

1. Show chapter designation.

2. Keep from losing your badge.

Let just say that I had a $350.00 Badge that came loose and I didn't know it.

One of our Grand High Zeta members pointed it out to me. Wow, would hate to have lost it.

8 pearls, 3 saphires and 8 diamonds on white gold.

That is why one really needs a guard.:)

PS,
one must remember that guards can be expensive depending on if one or two letters, plain, scrolled, or jeweled.

Check your National site to get pricing. Or go to herff jones web site and seach for your group.

Guards can range from: $32.00-$93.00

But as I said, I spent $90.00 to save a $350.00 Badge!

Not true, some organizations do require that correct wearing of the badge includes the use of a guard. Not wearing a badge would be a violation of that org's governing documents.

Does it have to be a chapter guard or is it another kind of guard? (Apologies if I'm being too nebby.)

... And I believe there is one NPC org (AOII?) that prohibits attaching anything, including a guard, to the badge.

I look on my guard as three things:

1. A way of indicating my chapter of initiation.
2. An insurance policy. I'd rather spend $35 on a guard than potentially spend $100+ on a new badge.
3. A way of displaying my dangles. I held several offices during my collegiate years, but I chose to get only two dangles: Panhellenic rep (because it's the highest office I held) and ritualist (because that's the office that meant the most to me).

That is correct- AOII prohibits anything being attached to the badge. We do have a small "guard" on the back of the badge that is supposed to help it from falling off, but most of my sisters never used it correctly!

You are correct about AOII!

From AOII Book of Policies:
"The AOII badge is worn on the left side of the chest over
the heart. It is to be to the right of (as the wearer looks down)
and above any other organizational jewelry. No pin, badge, or
other insignia may be attached to the badge in any way."

You can wear your AOII Life Loyal pin to the left and below the AOII badge.


ETA: Does Tri Delta allow anything attached to their badge? I don't think I've ever seen one with a chapter guard or anything else. Their website just says this. http://www.tridelta.org/events/badge...ring_badge.asp

I have some that have their Coat of Arms as a guard.

LXA allows a local Badge to be attatched as a guard.

But, something to hold it on not to be lost.

Many on ebay can be found and wonder if stolen, lost, or a passed member?

Too bad those aren't NPC badges...

In my chapter everyone gets the same badge (it comes with new member dues) and a guard, and dangles are presented from the chapter to the Exec board officers after their term of service is up, but if you want dangles for other offices you have to buy them youself, and not a lot of our girls do.

No, but guards hold for both do they not?

Using an explantion to try to help.

But it isn't. And it just makes people mad at you for butting in on any thread talking about NPC. Heck, I butt in on a lot of threads, but not every IFC thread out there.

Tri Deltas have the option of a Trident guard. I've stabbed myself with it about a thousand times, but it's saved my pin just as often.

Is it still accepted for a member who is pinned to wear her SO's badge as a guard? Some people did that when I was an undergrad.

Who says you don't bleed for your GLO? LOL

Are there other organizations besides AGD that allow their alumnae to wear the Badge in ways other than the traditional way?

Mine is set in a circle pendant, and it includes my chapter guard and dangles as well. I also have a sister in my alum chapter that had her Badge set in a ring.

I know of several alums who wear their husband's fraternity pin below the Badge, but not as a guard.

ADPi has the option to set your badge in a ring or on a pendant for a necklace, too.

That is neat.:)

It gives Members a way to wear their GLO Badges other than wearing Badges only at certain times when they can show it always and daily.

I've seen some older alumnae wear their keys on a pendant mount or have them converted to charms to wear on bracelets (I've seen a few older badges on eBay altered this way).

I have an ATO badge I wear (for the husband, but not his badge; I got it off eBay and we think it's an old sweetheart badge because it's set different than their typical badge), but it's always below my key.

I've seen DG and Kappa alums wear their badges mounted on a necklace.

if i remember correctly, Phi Sigma Sigma will allow a member to use the badge in a necklace setting (other than the traditional way) and that's it.

i do know that to be allowed in ritual, you must have the proper jewelry closest to your heart - therefore no rings, earrings, braclets, etc. are acceptable.

Sorry, but doesn't it work both ways?

Is this a "Greek Chat Site"?


If either/or can help so be it.

Right, me too! I wonder if it is just the campus GLO "culture" that dicatates some of those things--IE, my alma mater was big on dangles for all the NPCs, but it seems other campuses might not be.

Did you have yours perm. set in the pendant? I HAD an open circle pendant (stolen) which I would like to get a replacement. The circle option is so nice...no pin holes in clothes and worrying about your badge falling off. We've been chatting a bit about this in the AGD forum.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's permanently in there. I ordered the circle right after I becam an alum, and when I tried to set it myself, it wouldn't properly close and it was very crooked. I had to get the BurrPatt guys to do it for me in Chicago and re-attach my guard because the link broke off.

I have seen DPhiEs wear their badges as a necklace pendant, but without any sort of circle pendant device like OTW described. I didn't wear mine that way because it kept flipping over. I could never quite figure out how to do it properly.

I haven't seen anyone wear her badge attached to her boyfriend's in a long time.

I know that Theta has an option to have the badge attach to the ring. However, it's still detachable. My best friend's mom has one of these and on my friend's wedding day, I watched her mom detach the badge and give it to Amanda to wear on the inside of her dress as her "something borrowed." It may have also been her "something old" since I think it was actually Amanda's grandmother's but I'm not sure.

AOII alumnae can wear the badge as a ring or circle pendant (choice of either solid disk or open circle).

Our pendant isn't round, it's a larger diamond onto which the pin can be placed, permenantly or not. Our pins can be made into rings the same way.

For chapter guards, we have our chapter or our crest available, and just as of this summer, a stick somewhat like TriDelta's trident only with the chapter insignia on it.

I've seen guards and dangles go in and out of style, but when I was in school, it was considered rude not to get either. At the last Panhellenic Luncheon I went to, I saw an Alpha Phi who had her pin with a guard, and every dangle you can imagine on a separate link - you had to really look hard at it to see that it was a sorority pin. She said that she found that she got at least triple the wear out of it. I don't have a photo scanned, but it was something like this:

IVY <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> Guard
LEAF | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | (each | represents a dangle)

(hope that works!)

Anyhow, it was truly amazing. The only question I had was that she wore it once (I've since this twice) on the lapel of her blazer - something we were never permitted to do. Is that okay in APhi? Or did she, as someone in our EO said once, use "alumna priviledge"?

My chapter guard has been replaced by my Arc of Epsilon Pi with diamonds. We have honors for alumnae who have given consecutive years of outstanding service and they attach to the badge in place of the chapter guard. They are progressive awards, so my first was the Arc of Epsilon Pi (5 years of service), then the Arc with diamonds (6 more years), then the Arc with diamonds (additional 6 years after that). I wear one dangle on my badge and that is called the Heart of Alpha Gamma Delta, which chapters (alumnae or collegiate) can give to alumnae who have done something special for the group. I did have officer dangles when I was a collegiate, but don't wear those now. My honors are more meaningful to me now.

All of the NPC organizations have rules stipulating that only initiated members may wear the badge. Is this rule not common with IFC organizations? Or is an exception made for significant others?

Many men will give their SOs their fraternity pins, hence "pinning" or "being pinned". Pinnings are usually a pretty big deal--we announced them with a fireside. Greek culture at the time when I was in school was the boyfriend would give his badge or give the girlfriend a "sweetheart's" version of the badge for her to wear.

I know that the significance of this is also similar when men will give women their letters on a pendant...again it boils down to campus Greek culture.

That's because you are such a star!! :) For our non Alpha Gam friends here, these honors are a really big deal and I really respect AGDee and all those that earn these!

Not talking to your group's policy, obviously :), we are allowed to wear our badge on our lapel (and as a necklace or ring) once we are granted Alum. status...and let me tell you, it was WIERD the first time I did it.

I am still debating if I would like to get that ring holder for my badge to wear once and a while...