Help me identify a lost pledge pin
 

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Try the Panhellenic , InterFrat. and/or Greeklife Office on campus. They might have be able to identify it for you. Good luck!

"A small square with concave sides" sounds like a Delta Tau Delta badge -- but the color doesn't make much sense. Our colony pledge pin is a small concave square with 4 stars in the corners -- but it's color should be purple -- not blue.

Our "Delt 2000" pin for alumni kind of matches your description and has a "delta" in the middle with 2000 under the delta.

Don't know whether that helps or not.

DeltAlum

...a DTD pledge pin would be white enamel with a Star of David on it.

...if it's solid blue, try AEPi.

wptw

wptw,

Actually, the Delt pledge pin is white with four 5 pointed stars -- one in each corner, and a square in the middle. The COLONY pledge badge is the same design, but the enamel is purple. There is no Star of David.

There are graphic representations of all of the Delt badges on www.delts.org. Use the www resources button and then the graphics button.

Regards,

DeltAlum

Delt Alum,

Sorry, my Baird's manual must be out of date. But there was a star of david on the old design, yes? When did that change?

wptw

wptw,

You aroused my curiousity, because somewhere in the back of my mind I thought I had seen a Delt badge with a Star of David. So, I took a look in my copy of "Sing to the Royal Purple," the official Delt history.

I found a badge from Beta Chapter (my own chapter) dating back to 1862, which was nearly identical to our present badge. So, that design has been around at least since then. My impression is that it was designed by the founders.

However, in looking farther, I did discover what was called the "Star Badge" which was, in fact, a six pointed star with some of the secret symbols inside the center and five pointed stars and two other symbols inside the Deltas (triangles) which form the points. There was also a pledge badge which was very much like the one you described above. It appears that these may have been used by some chapters sometime in the very late 1800's. The "star" is interesting since the two main triangles making up the star do not appear to be equalateral, which makes the very top and very bottom triangles somewhat larger than the other four. I have no idea why that is.

What is interesting to me is that the "Star of David" is generally today considered a symbol of the Jewish Faith. To the best of my knowledge, Delt has never been a predominently Jewish fraterniy. I did have a Jewish Pledge Brother back in the 60's, and there were other Jewish members of the chapter, but the fraternity is really non-denominational. I'm sure the six pointed star had other meanings over the span of time as well.

I can tell you that the pledge badge with the concave sides, four stars and white enamel was the one I wore back in 1966.

Thanks for sending me on this fact finding mission. It was kind of interesting.

Fraternally,
DeltAlum

DeltaAlum,

It's always nice to dive into the old history books.

My 1930 Baird's Manual shows the star of david pin both in the section on Delta Tau Delta, and in the full color print of pledge pins in the beginning of the book. I just always assumed that was the current design. So we both learned something today.

I also happen to have a good JPEG of this pin, which I'll be happy to send to you if you like. Just post or PM me with your email address.

Best Regards,
wptw

I just found a mysterious pin, too, in an old box of jewelry from my grandmother's attic. It isn't a GLO pin, but it looks like it's the pin of some kind of organization since it has initials on the back and VA (abbreviation for Virginia, maybe?). So does anyone know what organization/group might have had a round gold pin with the figure of a girl in a colonial-style dress against a pale blue enamel background on the front? I don't plan to sell it or anything, so don't go jumping on my back! ;) I'm just curious, that's all.

There are some women's organizations that are sisterhoods and sort of "sorority'ish", such as P.E.O. Sisterhood and Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.). I don't know if they have pins or not, but the colonial style dress that you mentioned made me think of it.

If you solve the mystery, please do share with us when you solve it! Thanks! :)
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(A few minutes later).
I found a DAR pin here so that's likely not what your Grandmother had.

I also know that Zeta Tau Alpha has a lady in a dress motif..I believe that she is called "Zeta Lady" (don't know for sure...Zetas please correct and forgive my ignorance). I think she is available as a pin and it is sort of a puffy gown (not sure if that is like the colonial dress that you're thinking of).

Thanks for investigating, CutiePie...it's definitely not the DAR pin, but I went to the ZTA website to check that one out. It said that one of their colors is turquoise, and the enamel on this pin could be considered turquoise, I guess, but the lady on it doesn't look like the Zeta Lady. :(

Good try, though! I appreciate it. I'll let you know if I find anything out.