Should pearls be made our official jewel?
 

I was quite surprised to discover that pearls are not our "official" jewel. Do you think we should perhaps make a motion to make them official this year at convention, or is it not an issue?

I think we should make it official - but am interested in hearing if anyone things it would not be a good idea, and if so, why.

Yes. There's a nice little blurb about the pearl in some chapters' preference ceremonies that talks about the unique quality of each pearl, etc. It's has a nice message, though it incorrectly identifies the pearl as the "official" jewel. I'd be happy to make it official.

Yes.

It's too late to make a motion that would be voted on at this convention

Woes.

I would love if it became our official jewel! We sing about it in several of our recruitment songs (would you like to be another Gamma Phi, and wear the crescent and pearls on high)

Are there any updates on this?

A task force was formed at the 2010 Convention. Their recommendation was not to support an official jewel. That was supported at the 2012 Convention. No jewel.

I actually like that we don't have an official jewel or an official mascot. The individuality aspect is one of the things that drew me to Gamma Phi Beta-- they weren't cookie cutter girls. In fact our chapter chose a chapter mascot-- the carousel horse on the basis that we are all unique and beautiful, but we are all individuals and different. Yet we are moving together in the same direction. :)

At the 2008 Convention, there was a motion to form a task force to look into making the old "Gammy Bug" our mascot. I can't remember if the resolution to form a task force didn't pass or the task force came back with a "no," but that idea went by the wayside, too. Thank God. Do any of you know what that Gammy Bug looks like? There was a picture of it on my pledge manual cover. It had a pledge pin for a body, and stick legs and a head with antennae.

I liked the Gammy Bug, but only in a "retro cool" kind of way. I like not having a mascot, but the pearl is so commonly associated with us that I liked the idea of making it official. Official or not, it's certainly what many Gamma Phis and most other NPC women I know associate with us.

Nixing the Gammy Bug didn't surprise me.

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/i..._MtiBj_I2p3Kxw

Yikes! I just don't like it.

I actually thought the jewel task force would come back with a positive recommendation on the pearl, but I got the feeling that sisters like having many options for jewels on the badge. I do, too. I don't remember hearing much detail on why they decided not to recommend a particular jewel. Did you take the "jewel survey" that was sent out by the task force? There were many options listed...I think responses were all over the board.

I am not a fan of the gammy bug. I think that if a mascot was ever going to be presented it would have to tie into our history and be secretly symbolic.

@Sciencewoman couldn't girls still design their own badges and we have the pearl be official? Are the results of the survey posted somewhere?

I liked the jewel, because while I love that our chapter is unique, it is something that is already associated with us.

Having been a delegate at several recent Conventions, my impression is that there is very little interest in adopting an official mascot, jewel, etc. at this point in our long history. If anything, we are seeing a strong emphasis placed on what our Founders created and emphasized.

The jewel survey was sent out by the task force, and was reviewed by the members. The results haven't been posted, to my knowledge. I suspect the thought was that if we went with an official jewel, then that should be reflected in the badge choices. I do have to say that I don't think the pearl is as widely thought to be official as some people think...it wasn't at either of the chapters I was active in, and it isn't in the chapter I advise. I think this varies regionally, or chapter to chapter.

I love my crescent and pearls with my birthstone... but I also really like the newer polished monogram badges and the pink sapphire badges that are now available, but were not when I ordered mine back in the prior century! I was never a fan of the rose chased badges as that made no sense to me. I think the polished monograms will be a popular option in the fashion future, so maybe having an official jewel isn't that big of a deal. I just wish the official jeweler had a better selection of mid priced fashion jewelry, I find lots of cute crescent things from other sources.